To My Death I Fight
by BahamutReishiki
Summary: It's been seven months since Ichigo managed to defeat Aizen during the Winter War. Just recently settling into new life as a normal human, he is shocked when he finds out he has been accepted into the prestigious Honnouji Academy. Unwilling to go, but not having a choice in the matter, he reluctantly decides to attend but wonders just what the next year will bring.
1. Chapter 1: Who'll Stop the Rain?

_**Edited - November 6th, 2014:** This is a new version of chapter one. As my story's progressed I went back and read this chapter only to find several glaring plot holes. The quality was also terrible (by my standards) so I rewrote most of it. If you're interested in the plot holes I'm afraid you'll just have to read the story. I would be more than willing to list everything I fixed BUT that would ruin the story for those coming in fresh and eager. One thing I will say is that this chapter's date has been changed to July 15 - which is Ichigo's seventeenth birthday._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - Who'll Stop the Rain?<strong>

"Get your lazy ass down here, Ichigo!" The tranquil morning stillness was shattered completely by the piercing and annoying voice of Isshin Kurosaki, patriarch of the Kurosaki family, "I have important news!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming,"

Ichigo Kurosaki, seventeen years old and a former substitute shinigami, sighed and looked out the window of his room before sitting up with a groan. A little more than eight months had passed since he had sacrificed his shinigami powers to defeat Sosuke Aizen once and for all. Sitting on the edge of his bed, one hand rubbing his face, Ichigo looked at the calendar on his desk and scowled. Today was his birthday which meant his dad would be pulling all sorts of stupid tricks.

As he finished getting dressed, the scowl never leaving his face, Ichigo left his room and headed downstairs. If the past three years had taught Ichigo anything it was that his dad never skipped an opportunity to 'train' his son. Body tensing in anticipation of his father's surprise attack Ichigo stopped and paused when he saw Uryu Ishida calmly sitting on the couch. Looking around, confident that this was a trick, Ichigo asked, "Why are you here, Uryu?"

"What makes you think I had a choice in the matter?" Uryu countered, a small amount of annoyance tinging his voice. Pointing his finger at Isshin he added, "Perhaps you should ask your father. He _is_ the one that dragged me here, after all."

Turning to his dad, who to his credit had an innocent look on his face, Ichigo asked, "What the hell is going on? Why is Uryu here?"

"That's such a simple question, my lucky son!" Isshin proclaimed brightly as he jumped out of the chair, "You've been accepted into the prestigious Honnouji Academy, home of the brightest young minds in all of Japan, and it was all thanks to your handsome and extremely connected father!"

Ichigo turned to Uryu, who shared the same look of confusion, and let out a tired sigh. Raising a hand to his temple, a migraine threatening to erupt due to his father's idiocy, Ichigo growled and said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"It was back during my days as a young and attractive bachelor!" Isshin excitedly began as he wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders. Annoyed at his dad's childish attempt to include him in his fantasies Ichigo tried to pull free only for Isshin to tighten his grip, "Masaki was off at college so your lovable father was left all alone. To combat the increasing loneliness in my heart I decided to travel across the country on a well-deserved vacation!"

Uryu rolled his eyes at Isshin, "While your story is no doubt fascinating, Mr. Kurosaki, I fail to see why you had to bring me here."

Isshin chuckled condescendingly, causing Uryu to mutter obscenities under his breath, and sighed wistfully, "Your eagerness to hear my story is appreciated, Uryu, but I'm just getting to the good part. Anyway, it was nine days into my vacation when I met an extremely funny and attractive woman."

"Hold on a minute," Ichigo interrupted. He was shocked that his dad, the bumbling idiot who never matured past childhood, was confessing to knowing another woman besides his mother. Rubbing his eyes, the sheer impossibility of his father's story overwhelming him, Ichigo asked, "You actually met a woman? Are you sure that she wasn't just a man dressed as a woman?"

Without warning Isshin let go of Ichigo before spinning around and attempting to kick his son in the face. Barely pausing in surprise at the unexpected attack before ducking down, the breeze from his father's attack rustling his naturally orange hair, Ichigo waited for his father's leg to pass overhead. Clenching a fist Ichigo swung his arm towards his dad's stomach only to be shocked when he missed. Leaping over his stunned son's head and landing on the couch, careful to avoid hitting Uryu, Isshin launched himself from the piece of furniture, tackling Ichigo and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Frowning disappointingly as he watched his son's struggles, the shouts and protests muffled by the carpet, Isshin cleared his throat and continued talking as if nothing just happened.

"As I was saying, it was when I was in Tokyo twenty two years ago that I met the woman. She was tall, beautiful and incredibly…well-endowed." To Uryu's horror Isshin began making suggestive gestures with his hands, "She was the incarnation of everything a man wanted in a woman but alas my heart was already taken by your mother!"

Fed up with having his face smashed against the floor Ichigo managed to gather enough strength to briefly overpower his father. As Isshin stumbled back, a look of mild surprise on his face from Ichigo having managed to escape his patented delinquent chokehold, he was sent flying into the wall as Ichigo kicked him in the stomach. Seething angrily Ichigo gave his dad, who was currently lying dazed on the floor, an annoyed glare, "Goddamn idiot."

"How could you treat your father with such disrespect?"

Completely uninjured Isshin leapt off the ground and dusted his clothes off before giving Ichigo a stern look, "I suppose this means you don't want to know how your awesome father managed to get you into Honnouji Academy."

Ichigo scowled but didn't say anything. Truthfully he was interested for two reasons. The first was that he never heard of Honnouji Academy. The second, and much more important one, was that what he dad said would determine how badly Ichigo would kick his ass when this was all over. Folding his arms, the scowl never leaving his face, Ichigo rolled his eyes and said, "Just get on with the damn story already."

Isshin nodded sagely and coughed to clear his throat, "It all started one mysterious day twenty two years ago…"

_22 Years Ago_

_Sometimes Isshin couldn't help but wonder if sealing away his shinigami powers was the only way he could have saved Masaki's soul from disappearing from existence. If Kisuke Urahara was the genius everybody lauded him to be, than he should have been able to invent a gigai that allowed him to use some of his powers at the very least._

_It was too late for him to do anything about it though. Isshin had willfully and gladly sacrificed his power to save Masaki even though she was a quincy. If given the same choice once more, he would do it once more. He was in love with her and nothing anyone could say or do would change his mind. That did not mean he wanted to sit around and be helpless if Masaki ever got into trouble or danger. He had saved her life once already and he wasn't looking to fail a second time._

_When he stopped by Kisuke's shop to ask about improving his gigai, the handsome bastard seemed to mull over his question for a few seconds before proudly declaring that he should be able to whip something up in a couple of days. The exuberance and excitation Kisuke emitted disturbed Isshin. Nothing good could come from the maniacal gleam in the former captain's eye, but left with no choice in the matter he nevertheless complied._

_Stopping to pick up his new gigai a few days later, which had been modified to keep Masaki's soul safe from the hollow dwelling inside her, Isshin began to have second thoughts when Kisuke began giggling crazily while holding the gigai. The shop keeper informed Isshin that the upgraded gigai would have reflexes and strength triple that of a normal human. Kisuke lamented that he wanted to do more, but he would begin risked degradation of the spiritual thread connecting Isshin's soul with Masaki's._

"_I'm really bored. I wonder if there's a movie theater nearby."_

_Isshin suppressed a yawn as he explored Tokyo. He had originally come to the city since he heard the Tokyo Fashion Week was about to begin. As he purchased the train ticket, his imagination was running in high gear as his mind was filled with images of hot and beautiful women modeling revealing dresses and bikinis. That did not mean he would ever touch. The only one for him was Masaki, but that didn't mean he couldn't go and enjoy the models as an art critic._

_If he had known what he was getting into, he would have skipped coming to Tokyo entirely._

_Instead of bikinis and dresses, he watched women strut out wearing clothing and outfits that boggled his mind. Who in their right minds would want to wear something that took four hours to prepare? It wasn't modeling, he quickly realized, but a subtle contest between designers to see who could make the most stupid outfit. He didn't know who was winning, but his interest was surely losing._

"_What am I going to do for fun now?" Isshin grabbed his face in frustration. He had planned on staying in Tokyo for a week for the show. He even booked a hotel room for seven days, damn it. Now with the show a bust, he had literally nothing planned. Sighing miserably, he kicked his foot against the sidewalk and grumbled, "I suppose I could go to Tokyo National Museum or something."_

_So deep was he in his thoughts, that Isshin was completely unaware that his mindless walking had taken him directly past perhaps the most high-end and expensive hotel in Tokyo. The hotel, which catered to those participating in Tokyo Fashion Week, reserved the best rooms and penthouses for the designers and couturiers. As he waited to cross the street on the other side of the hotel, he was nearly thrown forward and into the path of an oncoming car as a large explosion hit him in the back._

"_Damn, what was that?" Quickly picking himself off the ground, Isshin turned around and saw that the explosion had originated from the entrance of the hotel. Tongues of orange and yellow flames rose from the destroyed entrance and thick smoke was billowing out from the first two floors. As his ears picked up the far off sound of sirens approaching, Isshin threw caution to the wind and ran past the escaping civilians and into the hotel. _

_Almost immediately Isshin's nose was assaulted by the smell of burning flesh, forcing him to cover the bottom half of his face with his sleeve in an attempt to filter it out. All around him bodies of peoples unfortunate to have been caught in the explosion littered the ground. Isshin knew, with a morbid sense of realization, that if he could still see the dead, the air would be filled with the floating and broken souls of those surrounding him._

_Shaking his head to clear it of the depressing thoughts, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted over the blaring alarms, "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"_

_He didn't see anyone, but his enhanced senses, courtesy of Kisuke, picked up subtle coughing coming from the lounge directly across the lobby. Sprinting forward, careful to not step on any of the bodies out of respect for the dead, Isshin braced his shoulder and slammed the doors open._

_The lounge, which had catered exclusively to millionaires and those able to afford bills ranging in the thousands of dollars, was a mess. Tables and chairs, made from the most expensive woods and materials, lay burnt and broken. _

"_Is anyone in here?"_

_Isshin's eyes noticed something moving near the back of the lounge. Covering his mouth with his sleeve to keep out the smoke, he pushed forward through the heat towards the survivor. Reaching them only a few seconds later, Isshin quickly determined that the person had been pinned beneath rubble when the explosion went off. Without much effort, he picked up the concrete and wood that must have weighed over two hundred pounds. Quickly pressing two fingers against the woman's neck, he was relieved to see she still had a pulse._

"_Ma'am? Can you hear me?" When Isshin didn't receive a reply apart from a grunt of pain, his heart rate picked up. Quickly and carefully picking the woman up bridal style, he said to her in a comforting voice, "Don't you worry ma'am. I'm going to get you out of here."_

_Isshin hadn't even made it halfway to the lobby when there was another harsh coughing and a man shouted, "Drop the bitch and get on the ground!"_

_The speaker was a man dressed in full military camouflage and wielding a pistol. He had been part of a group that had planned to take the couturiers and designers staying at the hotel during the Tokyo Festival Week hostage for millions upon millions of dollars in ransom. That had all went to hell when one of the idiots set off the bomb that was supposed to be for the police. Now he was the only one left and he wasn't about to let his ticket out of here just leave._

_Raising his shaking pistol towards Isshin's face, he snarled, "I said drop her and get on the ground!"_

_Isshin weighed his options. He was sure he could avoid the bullet the man fired, but he wasn't sure he could do so while holding the woman._

"_I cannot do that," he answered stoically, "I'm a doctor. I cannot leave a patient behind."_

"_You think I'm fucking kidding around?" the man yelled before coughing up some blood. Wiping the bloody drool on the back of his free hand, he shouted over the flames, "I'm not joking around here!"_

_Isshin was about to answer when there was a sound similar to that of a whip before the man's arm was severed off at the elbow. As the man dropped to his knees, his remaining hand gripping what was left of his right arm, Isshin took the chance to flee. As he turned and ran back into the lobby, he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of a figure watching him leave. Ignoring it as a product of smoke inhalation, he ran through the lobby and back outside. As he took in several gulps of smoke-free air, he was instantly greeted with over a dozen police officers in full combat gear. Upon noticing the woman in his arms, they quickly raised their weapons and ordered him onto the ground._

"_Don't shoot!" he shouted, "I found her inside. She injured and needs medical attention!"_

_The situation was tense for several seconds until one of the officers turned his head and pressed a finger against his ear. After speaking to someone over the radio, he nodded to his fellow officers to stand down and let Isshin pass. Racing down the steps of the hotel, Isshin was escorted by an officer to a waiting ambulance, where several paramedics were on standby. As he delicately put the woman on a gurney, Isshin turned to leave only to find a delicate hand gripping his wrist._

"_Hold on…" the woman whispered to the paramedics. Turning her eyes to Isshin, who noted the exotic coloring, she asked, "Who are you?"_

_Isshin gave her a reassuring smile, "The name's Isshin Shiba."_

"_Isshin Shiba?" The woman closed her eyes for a moment before smiling, "I'm…Ragyo Kiryuin. Thank you for saving me…"_

_End Flashback_

Ichigo stared at his father in mute shock as the tale finally came to an end. After nearly a minute of absolute silence passed, his mind desperately trying to come up with something to say, Ichigo took a deep breath and said, "That has to be the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Couldn't you have at least tried to come up with something more believable?"

"But it's all true!" Isshin argued impetuously like a child, "Your amazing father is a hero!"

Before Ichigo could come up with a retort he was stopped when Uryu spoke up in haste, "Hang on a minute, Ichigo, I remember reading something about this. I can't place the exact time but a little over twenty years ago there was a terrorist attack in Tokyo during the fashion week."

"You're kidding me," Ichigo turned to Uryu in surprise. He found it hard to believe that his dad, despite being a former shinigami, was capable of doing something like he described in his story.

"I find it hard to believe myself," Uryu conceded as he wracked his mind for the limited details he knew. The young Quincy had read up about the attack a couple of years ago but found actual details, not those propagated by the media, to be sorely lacking, "The details are sketchy but the goal of the terrorists was to kidnap and random several of the most powerful CEOS and couturiers in the world for hundreds of millions of dollars. Fashion companies twenty years ago were quite wealthy, Ichigo, and Ragyo Kiryuin was one of the richest and most powerful even back then, before Revocs came to dominate the global market."

Ichigo gave Uryu a blank stare, "That's all well and good but explain that in simple words."

Uryu coughed into his hand and adjusted his glasses before explaining, "Ragyo Kiryuin is the CEO and founder of Revocs, the most powerful and influential clothing designer and distributor in the world. Revocs controls roughly ninety percent of all apparel sales, making Ragyo one of the richest people in the world."

That made a lot of sense to Ichigo, but he couldn't help but ask, "That makes things a lot easier to understand, but what's the deal with the blackboard behind you?"

Uryu turned around and saw, to his confusion, that he had somehow drawn a map of the world with various percentages across each continent on a blackboard that hadn't been there a moment ago, "I'm not quite sure…"

Ignoring the implausibility for the moment Ichigo looked at his dad and dryly asked, "How does your story have anything to do with me? You're not going to tell me Ragyo Kiryuin controls Honnouji Academy, are you?"

"Your intelligence makes me proud, my son!" Isshin raced out of the room, sounds of paper rustling and objects crashing to the ground in his wake, before he sprinted back with a framed piece of paper in his hands, "I got a call from Ragyo about a week after saving her life. She thanked me and wanted to know what she could do to repay me. I, the generous man that I am, could not accept payment and refused but Ragyo was a persistent woman. That is why it came as a big surprise when I received your letter of acceptance to Honnouji Academy along with a handwritten letter from Ragyo herself!"

"I don't know," Ichigo wasn't fully convinced by his father's absurd story. There was no chance in hell that his bumbling idiot of a father knew someone as rich and powerful as Ragyo Kiryuin, "I find it suspicious that she waited more than twenty years before paying you back. This seems too much like a scam to me. Are you sure you weren't scammed into giving up your credit card?"

"Do you take your dear old father for an idiot?" Isshin shouted passionately, causing Uryu and Ichigo to collectively facepalm. Upon seeing his son's lack of respect Isshin stepped forward and head-butted him, "Did you think this letter of acceptance was simply dropped in the mail? It was hand delivered by Ragyo's personal secretary. It came in a fancy case and everything!"

When Isshin noticed Ichigo simply staring at him, a look of both confusion and annoyance on his face, Isshin grumbled and folded his arms childishly, "What's wrong with you? You were invited, personally by Ragyo, to one of the best schools in Japan. You should be jumping in joy alongside your old man!"

"Thanks but no thanks," Ichigo ignored his father's shocked sputters, "I'm fine staying at Karakura High School. Why would I go to some fancy school in Tokyo when I can stay right here?"

"I find it difficult to say this, Ichigo, but your dad has a point," Uryu interjected, a sour taste in his mouth upon agreeing with Isshin, "This is an opportunity most people will never get. Honnouji Academy is one of the best academies not only in Japan but in the entire world. The selection process is notoriously difficult. Ragyo Kiryuin handing you a full scholarship is the educational equivalent of winning the lottery. You shouldn't refuse to go just because you're stubborn."

"Your womanly friend has a point, my ungrateful son," Isshin shouted, causing Uryu to sputter in embarrassment and rage at the comment.

"What did you say?"

Isshin sadly patted Uryu on the shoulder, "There is no reason to be ashamed of your secret. Sewing is a fine pastime! To think that my son was this open-minded about his friends! Tell me, does your father know of your dark and embarrassing secret?"

"My father?" Uryu sputtered, "Ryuken is the one that taught me to sew in the first place!"

"Ah," Isshin adopted a sagely stance, "That explains so much about my old friend. Such as why he didn't play sports or why it took him forever to get married. To be honest, I was kind of surprised he even got married. With his looks and fashion sense, I would have thought otherwise."

While Uryu sputtered indignantly, Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Do I even have a say in the matter?"

"Of course you do, my ignorant son!" Isshin exclaimed seriously, "You can say whatever you want but as of last week I've enrolled you as a third year student at Honnouji Academy. Now, there's no need for the stunned silence. Your awesome father deserves what's coming to him."

"Everything, huh?" Ichigo grinned maliciously while cracking his knuckles. His father deserved the beating he was about to receive wholeheartedly, but just as he began to sneak up on his dad, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"A guest this early in the morning?" Isshin pursed his lips as he tried to think if he missed any appointments. Ducking beneath a haphazardly thrown punch from his son Isshin knew that it was Monday, which meant the clinic was open, but he didn't have any appointments until the afternoon. Vaulting into the air, avoiding Ichigo's sweeping leg, Isshin decided to answer the door anyway. As a doctor he took the Hippocratic Oath. Turning away a potential patient, someone who might need medical attention, never crossed his mind. Slamming his feet into his son's back, forcing Ichigo back to the floor once more Isshin nodded his head and said, "Whoever's outside must be important! Ichigo, stop lying down on the job and go see who it is while I entertain your friend with further tales of my manly exploits!"

"Whatever," Ichigo groaned as he pulled his body off the floor for the second time in five minutes. Ignoring the look of terror on Uryu's face as his father dragged him towards the photo albums Ichigo realized a normal person would have felt guilty. He personally knew how boring his dad's stories were. Usually he would not want anyone to suffer listening to his old man prattle on about stuff he made up but Ichigo decided that Uryu deserved whatever was coming to him.

Suppressing a yawn as he walked to the door, his mind making a mental note to get more sleep, Ichigo opened the front door to the clinic and was greeted with a teenager roughly his age with flat green hair and eyes. While the color of the teen's hair was strange enough it was his outfit that drew the full brunt of Ichigo attention. Instead of wearing what Ichigo, and most sane people, would call normal clothing the teen wore a full white trench coat and pants with several sets of spikes jutting forward from his waist and shoulders.

Wondering how the hell the teen could sit down without impaling himself Ichigo decided to cut his loses while he still could and began closing the door, "I'm sorry but I'm not interested in anything you might be selling."

Before Ichigo could fully close and lock the door the teen jammed his foot in the opening, "Perhaps I should have worn something a bit less unique. Anyway, the name's Uzu Sanageyama, Student Council Athletic Committee Chair of Honnouji Academy."

Ichigo gave Sanageyama a deadpan expression, "Who?"

Sanageyama looked at Ichigo in confusion, "Didn't you receive your letter of acceptance last week?"

Ichigo closed his eyes and let out an aggravated sigh as he tried to figure out a way he could murder his dad without getting caught. As much as he hated admitting it he had to give his old man credit. Ichigo didn't think the bumbling idiot was savvy enough to transfer him to another school long enough in advance that he couldn't do anything about it. Either his dad was a genius or insane and Ichigo was leaning towards the latter option, "Look, I don't know what my old man told you but I'm not going to Honnouji Academy.

For a couple of seconds Sanageyama was surprised by Ichigo's refusal. This wasn't the first time he had to visit a prospective student. Usually by the time he explained why he was there Sanageyama had to shake the prostrating student off his leg. Smirking as his opinion of Ichigo increased Sanageyama gave a hearty laugh, "I wasn't expecting you to say that! Oh man, if Gamagori heard you say that he would try dragging you all the way to Honnouji Academy."

"Gamagori?" Ichigo had no idea who that was, "Who the hell is –"

"It is very rude to leave guests outside, Ichigo!"

Grumbling as the sounds of heavy footsteps drew closer Ichigo let out a sigh and leaned to the side. As Isshin came crashing through the air, his bare foot barely missing his son's head by only inches, Ichigo reached up and clenched his hand around his shirt. Spinning around once, his grip never faltering, Ichigo quickly let go and watched his father impact against the street with a hollow thud.

Huffing in irritation, both at his father's childish antics and the fact that he tried doing it when they had a guest, Ichigo gave Sanageyama a frustrated look, "I suppose you can come in if you want."

Sanageyama nodded and gave Isshin a cursory glance before taking Ichigo up on his advice, "What about your dad?"

Ichigo gave the unconscious body of his father a quick look before shrug

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><p>Uryu watched Sanageyama walk into Ichigo's house and immediately suppressed a look of shock. He knew of Satsuki Kiryuin's Elite Four, if only in passing, and the exploits of Uzu Sanageyama, both during and prior to his enrollment at Honnouji Academy, were impressive. Glancing at the green haired youth's shinai Uryu extended his hand, "Uzu Sanageyama…I can't say this is a surprise considering who you work for."<p>

"What can I say?" Sanageyama chuckled as he shook Uryu's hand. Looking around Ichigo's living room, missing the slight narrowing of the Quincy's eyes in the process, Sanageyama whistled appreciatively as he flopped down on the couch, "So who are you?"

"I am Uryu Ishida."

It would be a lie to say Sanageyama wasn't surprised by the name. He recalled Satsuki mentioning an Uryu Ishida several times in the past. What were the odds that he would meet the person Satsuki talked so highly of on his mission to gauge Ichigo Kurosaki's power and personality? Chuckling quietly at the irony of the situation Sanageyama folded his hands against the nape of his neck, "You're just as smart as Lady Satsuki said."

"Lady Satsuki?" Ichigo, confused by the strangely archaic honorifics Sanageyama was using, turned to Uryu in confusion, "Who is he talking about?"

Uryu gave Ichigo a tense glare as he fixed his glasses, "It's none of your concern, Ichigo."

"Don't pull that on me," Ichigo countered, "He obviously knows who you are."

Seeing no way to avoid having the conversation Uryu gave Sanageyama a curt glance before beginning, "Last summer my father enrolled me in a two week internship at Revocs. I, of course, protested going but Ryuken insisted working under Ragyo Kiryuin would be a good learning experience and broaden my horizons. I met Satsuki Kiryuin on my first day. I only spoke with her a handful of times but she is an intelligent and driven woman who is not to be underestimated. However, I'm sure Sanageyama didn't come to Karakura Town to hear about my life."

If Uryu had to admit the truth he didn't want to explain what he did last summer.

When Ryuken informed him of his internship at Revocs blue he gave him only one day to get his affairs in order before he would need to leave. That wasn't even enough time to tell his friends, which made explaining why he disappeared when he came back extremely awkward. Luckily Orihime had been there. Her fantastical tale, accompanied with drawings that still confounded Uryu, that he had been abducted by aliens and brought to a world reduced to a nuclear wasteland where he had to collect bottle caps and fight mutated animals was enough to cause everyone else to shake their heads and collectively groan.

"True enough," Sanageyama smirked and reached into his Goku Uniform. Pulling out a thick envelope and tossing it to Ichigo Sanageyama explained, "Honnouji Academy's fall term begins in twenty three days. As a new student you're required to attend Student Evaluation Day. It's all simple stuff, really. Lady Satsuki will determine your initial placement and potential to wear a Goku Uniform."

"Goku Uniform?" Ichigo looked up from the papers in his hand, a confused look on his face.

Uryu grumbled, a look of mild irritation in his eyes, before he began explaining once more, "Goku Uniforms are the standard uniforms of Honnouji Academy and are imbued with special threads known as Life Fibers. The percentage of Life Fibers in a uniform indicates the overall power. A higher percentage enables the wearer to accomplish feats of strength most people could only dream about.

Ichigo stared at Uryu, a deadpan look in his eyes, and asked, "Just how the hell do you know all this?"

"Like I explained…" Uryu smugly turned away from Ichigo with a grin on his face, "…I may have only spoken to Satsuki Kiryuin a handful of times but I never said our talks weren't productive."

Ichigo didn't need to know, and Uryu wouldn't tell him unless the situation was dire, that Satsuki attempted to recruit him. It wasn't as overt as simply asking him to come to Honnouji Academy but Uryu was intelligent enough to realize he was being led along during some of his conversations with Satsuki. If Satsuki's subtle prods at convincing him to enroll at Honnouji Academy weren't bad enough there was one other thing that caused Uryu to refuse to work with her.

During the last few days of his internship, after most of the others quit or returned home, Satsuki had pulled him aside and brought him to a highly secure room. Uryu remembered watching in more than mild interest as Satsuki inputted at least a twenty digit code before ushering him into the room, inside of which sat several high density bundles of Life Fibers. Satsuki allowed him to examine them, under the single rule that he not remove any of the Life Fibers from the room. A rule, in hindsight, that Uryu had been glad to follow. As he stared at the glowing red fibers, a nauseous feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, Uryu could feel the Life Fibers giving off a small but substantial amount of spiritual energy.

"That right," Sanageyama propped his feet on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch, "The strength of a Goku uniform comes from the number of stars stitched on it. The normal Honnouji Academy uniform contains no Life Fibers and those that wear them are called No-Stars. After that are the One-Star students and the Two-Star club captains."

Upon noticing Ichigo's attention on his Blade Regalia Sanageyama grinned as he pointed to the three four pointed stars stitched into the fabric, "This is a Three-Star Goku Uniform. Only the Elite Four of the Honnouji Academy Student Council has the right and privilege to wear one."

Ichigo frowned as he tried to think who in their right minds would allow students access to such dangerous things. It made no sense to him, "Isn't it a little dangerous to give students super-powered clothing?"

"You have to understand Ichigo," Uryu began with an overly exaggerated sigh. He couldn't fault Ichigo for his lack of knowledge. Not a lot of people left Karakura Town except for business trips and vacations. Turning to Ichigo, memories of what he saw outside of Karakura Town fresh in his mind, Uryu said, "Karakura High School is perhaps the most normal, or least if you look at it from a different perspective, school in the country. Despite how absurd it sounds most academies are completely controlled by the Student Councils, who are subsequently backed by their family's businesses. The Kiryuin Conglomerate is a good example. Through a mixture of espionage and blackmail Satsuki Kiryuin is indirectly controlling all but a dozen or so schools."

"I knew that."

Ichigo wasn't as stubborn as other people thought. He had been suspicious of his dad constantly making up excuses about why they couldn't leave Karakura Town for anything, even vacation. One night on patrol he decided to take a little detour out of Karakura Town. What he saw past the outskirts of the city stunned him into silence. It turned out that most of the world was a wasteland. When he confronted Kisuke Urahara about it, since the former captain knew just about everything, the man gave a frustration-inducing smirk and hinted that things were quite strange around the world. Needless to say Ichigo turned around and left without asking anything else.

"This place is quite nice. It reminds me a bit of home," Sanageyama admitted, nostalgia evident in his voice, "But you don't need to worry about anything like that. Lady Satsuki is aware of the power Goku Uniforms possess. Every student is carefully screened and tested before receiving a Goku Uniform. In the three years she's been the Student Council President Lady Satsuki hasn't made a single wrong decision. If anyone attempts to go around her orders they are immediately met with harsh and direct punishment."

"You kill people over stealing some clothes?"

"It's much more complicated than that, Ichigo," Uryu interjected again, letting Ichigo know he was about to start on another one of his lectures, "Goku Uniforms are designed and distributed by Satsuki Kiryuin, who modeled them after her mother's line of clothing. If anyone were to somehow acquire a Goku Uniform they could reverse engineer Life Fibers, which would lead to a global arms race involving increasingly powerful clothing."

"I still find this hard to believe," Ichigo crossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh, "Clothing with superpowers still sounds really stupid to me."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Sanageyama lightly tapped his Goku Uniform as he leaned forward and uncrossed his legs, "Lady Satsuki wouldn't allow you to come to Honnouji Academy if she thought you were a spy. Everything about you, from your history to who you know, has been investigated under Lady Satsuki's orders."

"Great," Ichigo grumbled and turned away, "I have a stalker now. That's just what I needed."

Sanageyama shrugged but his expression tensed upon hearing Ichigo's casual insulting of Satsuki, "I don't pretend to know what Lady Satsuki thinks but she was impressed with what she found. I'm more than sure you'll get at least a One-Star Goku Uniform once you arrive and take your evaluation. Hell, you might even make Two-Star if you try out of the Kendo Club. I heard you're quite skilled with a sword."

"How do you know about that?"

"If you really want to find out, come to Honnouji Academy," Sanageyama looked at his cell phone and sighed, "Great, it seems my work is never done. It's been nice chatting with you but I have to get going. I hope you decide to go to Honnouji Academy, Ichigo. Perhaps we could have a little spar."

As soon as Sanageyama left, Ichigo turned on Uryu, "Why does it feel as if I'm out of the loop?"

Uryu seemed mystified as well. Eyes narrowed slightly and propping his fist in front of his face, the Quincy answered, "I am not quite sure. From my limited interactions with Satsuki Kiryuin, she does not seem like the type of person to take interest in anyone without similar mental fortitude and force of will as herself."

"You seem to know all about what's going on," Ichigo's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"Who do you take me for, your dad?" Uryu seemed insulted by the accusation, "If I went through all the trouble of getting you into Honnouji Academy, wouldn't it make sense that I would get myself enrolled as well?"

"Oh, shut it already," Ichigo grumbled at Uryu's logic, "So who is this Satsuki person anyway?"

"Satsuki Kiryuin…" Uryu wracked his brain for the information, "She's driven, motivated and possesses an utter disdain for anyone that doesn't meet her own personal criteria and standards. When I started my internship at Revocs there were fifteen of us. The very first day we were brought into a room where Satsuki Kiryuin was waiting for us. Before we knew what was happening Satsuki began speaking about how all clothing is sacred to humanity and that it is our fate to wear it. Right then and there half of the interns dropped out and I think Satsuki expected that to happen."

That was a rather terrible story, so Ichigo said the only thing on his mind, "Well…shit."

"That is exactly my point," Uryu nodded and looked out the window. He was surprised, perhaps even more than Ichigo, to see Sanageyama. Satsuki Kiryuin was an intelligent woman. She wouldn't have sent one of her most loyal followers to Karakura Town without a very good reason, "Her interest in you is quite surprising. Be careful, Ichigo. Satsuki Kiryuin is not someone to mess with so take my advice and stay far away from her if you do go to Honnouji Academy."

Ichigo scowled, more out of frustration than annoyance, and opened his mouth to say something when the front door began shaking. Ignoring the muffled protests from his father, demanding to be let back inside, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, "Damn, why do I have to go to Honnouji Academy?"

"You should look on the bright side."

Ichigo turned to Uryu and was immediately annoyed by the smug look on his face, "And what exactly is the bright side to all this?"

"At least Honnouji Academy won't be boring." Uryu answered with an amused hint to his voice. He knew Ichigo well enough to realize trouble followed him like a magnet. It was only a matter of time, perhaps even days, before something surprising happened at Honnouji Academy, "Just try not to get into too much trouble."

"Go to hell, Uryu."

"Believe me, I'm in heaven right now," Uryu answered smugly as he walked past Ichigo towards the front door. Holding onto the handle of the door but not yet pulling it open Uryu turned around and snapped off one final comment, "I can't wait to hear you tell everyone where you'll be going next year. I'm sure Tatsuki will be more than thrilled to hear about it."

As the weight of what he would need to do came crashing down upon his head Ichigo failed to notice Isshin quietly opening the window and letting himself back in the house. He did, however, feel the subtle change in the air and quickly spun around his father's meager attempt to tackle him. Grabbing Isshin in a chokehold before slamming the older man into the ground Ichigo gave Uryu a dry look and asked, "Why don't you go back home and sew something. I heard Orihime wanted you to make her a new dress."

"I told you, it's just a hobby!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>In the darkened Student Council Chambers of Honnouji Academy several people watched the information scrolling across the screen in front of them. Situated on the screen, wearing the standard Karakura High School male uniform and a familiar scowl, was an image of Ichigo Kurosaki. The picture, which appears to have been lifted directly from Karakura High School's servers, took up the entire left half of the screen while data and statistics about Ichigo streamed down the right side.<p>

"He looks like a delinquent," the largest figure in the room growled irritably as he stared at Ichigo's picture, "Just look at his hair! There is no doubt that his punkish attitude will bring disorder and chaos to this academy!"

"There's no need to raise your voice when we're standing right here, Gamagori," A shorter figure with teal hair chided from where he was sitting. Pressing a few keys on his laptop, the command instantly traveling to the screen, Houka Inumuta's collar automatically unzipped itself as he began speaking, "Ichigo Kurosaki – Age 16. Third year student at Karakura High School and is currently ranks fifth in his class."

"Karakura Town?" a regal voice muttered quietly. Holding the nearly empty teacup gently in her hands she nodded her head, "I see…continue, Inumuta."

Inumuta nodded and immediately several pictures of Ichigo's family appeared on the screen, "Ichigo Kurosaki is the eldest of three siblings, the other two being Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki – Age 12. His father is Isshin Kurosaki, who runs a small family clinic. Hmm…it says his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, is deceased and yet…"

The regal figure turned away from the screen, her eyebrows raised in mild interest, "What is it?"

A frown marred Inumuta's face as his fingers raced across the keyboard. As he searched databases and servers, the data he was looking for conspicuously absent, Inumuta's eyes narrowed as he let out a frustrated sigh, "It says that Masaki Kurosaki was murdered nine years ago but there is a strange absence of media coverage. From all accounts Ichigo's mother was a well-liked woman in Karakura Town. There is only one police report and even that fails to mention the cause of death or any suspects."

"Is that why Strawberry is always scowling?" Nonon Jakuzure, Honnouji Academy Student Council Non-Athletic Committee Chair, stood up to get a better look at Ichigo. After a moment of staring at his picture, Nonon's mouth spread in a mischievous smirk, "He may have a stupid name but he's quite good looking."

"You dishonor yourself in front of Lady Satsuki, Jakuzure!" Gamagori shouted, his eyes gleaming a malevolent yellow.

The regal figure turned her gaze to Gamagori, her piercing blue eyes causing the argument to immediately cease, "Calm down, Gamagori."

Gamagori deflated slightly, "Of course, Lady Satsuki."

Satsuki Kiryuin, daughter of the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin, stared at the image of Ichigo Kurosaki for several seconds. Three days ago her mother called to inform her that Ichigo would be attending Honnouji Academy yet Satsuki could not find a logical reason for the decision. Her mother may control the Board of Directors for Honnouji Academy but she was usually content to let Satsuki do what she pleased. To so suddenly show a vested interest in a random teenager implied she knew something about Ichigo that Satsuki did not.

"If I may continue," Inumuta's fingers were a blur on the keyboard as he rapidly typed in commands, "Pertaining to your request, Lady Satsuki, I expanded my search from Ichigo Kurosaki to his immediate family, both paternal and maternal, and found something quite interesting."

With one final keystroke from Inumuta the image of Ichigo vanished only to be replaced by several digital newspaper clippings. Leaning forward, her attention focused on the headlines describing a terrorist attack in Tokyo, Satsuki's blue eyes narrowed when she failed to find a single picture of the attack. Inumuta, sensing her irritation at the lack of evidence, adjusted his glasses and explained, "As you can see, Lady Satsuki, there are absolutely no images of the actual terrorist attack. All the media sources describing the attack come from third party witnesses."

Satsuki frowned before closing her eyes, "This is quite suspicious, Inumuta. Am I to assume this has something to do with Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Not Ichigo but his father," Inumuta corrected before bringing up an image of Isshin, "While the lack of photographic evidence is suspicious every single source I could find agrees that Isshin Kurosaki, or Shiba as he was known back then, somehow saved your mother's life during the attack."

So it appeared her mother was inviting Ichigo Kurosaki to Honnouji Academy because his father saved her life more than twenty years ago. Satsuki, rather than being satisfied with that answer, only found her annoyance at the situation growing. If there was one thing she hated in the world it was nepotism. People should not advance due to familial ties but because they earned it through hard work and dedication.

"We must face the facts of the situation," Satsuki said after a moment of quiet contemplation, "Ichigo Kurosaki will be attending Honnouji Academy at the start of the fall semester. Gamagori, are the preparations for the next school year nearly complete?"

"Just about," Ira Gamagori answered proudly. As the Student Council Disciplinary Committee Chair of Honnouji Academy it was his duty to make sure those unworthy of wearing Goku Uniforms did not try to abscond with one. He could not count the number of times another academy sent a spy to steal a Goku Uniform, "All the new One-Star students have been announced and their uniforms are prepared and waiting to be picked up. The elections for the new club captains are nearly complete and Iori is distributing their Two-Star Goku Uniforms as we speak."

Satsuki sipped the last her tea, the bitter liquid going down smoothly, as she listened to Gamagori's report, "Very good. Ichigo Kurosaki will be here in twenty two days. Let us make sure that he receives a warm welcome. Jakuzure, have one of the club captains meet him upon his arrival."

"Which club would you prefer, Lady Satsuki?" Jakuzure's pink eyes glinted maliciously as she thought of various ways to make Ichigo's life miserable.

"It does not matter," Satsuki answered calmly, her mind already focusing on other events, "My mother might have gone over my head to allow Ichigo Kurosaki admittance to Honnouji Academy but it is still my decision whether he is qualified to stay."

There was a pregnant silence as the three members of Satsuki's Elite Four allowed her words to sink in. After about a minute of silence a sharp ringing noise echoed from Inumuta's laptop. Looking at the ID of the caller Inumuta turned to Satsuki, "Sanageyama has finished his task in Karakura Town. Shall I connect him?"

Satsuki nodded, "Yes."

Inumuta pressed a single key before there was a slight rise in the ambient static in the room as his laptop connected to the speakers on the screen. After a moment, the static dying down to nothing, Sanageyama's voice filtered in, "Hey Inumuta, is everything working?"

"You are speaking to Lady Satsuki! Show some respect!" Gamagori rebuffed.

"Forgive me, Lady Satsuki," Sanageyama's tone was apologetic before he resumed speaking, "Anyway, I just left Ichigo Kurosaki's home. He's definitely an interesting guy to say the least. However…I got the feeling that Ichigo doesn't want to go to Honnouji Academy."

"What do you mean Ichigo Kurosaki does not want to attend this prestigious academy? Speak some sense, Sanageyama!" Gamagori shouted, his disbelief speaking for all four people currently in the room.

"It turns out his dad enrolled him without telling him about it," Sanageyama paused for a moment, causing only the ambient sounds of Karakura Town to come over the connection. After a few seconds of silence, interspaced by what sounded like someone muttering to themselves, Sanageyama's voice reappeared, "Ichigo seemed quite pissed off when he found out."

"We might be able to use that against Ichigo Kurosaki if the need arises," Satsuki announced as several plans came to mind, "Do you have anything else to report?"

Sanageyama was about to say no when he remembered Uryu's presence in Ichigo's house, "Yeah, I think he's close friends with Uryu Ishida."

That was a name Satsuki did not think she would hear again anytime soon. Uryu Ishida was a brilliant teenager whose theories and ideas concerning Life Fibers greatly intrigued her. It was his theory of using a zigzag cross-stitch, after all, that increased the power of her Goku Uniforms by nearly fifteen percent. After his internship at Revocs Satsuki had subtly tried to convince him to enroll at Honnouji Academy but Uryu had politely refused.

"Uryu Ishida is a name I did not think I would hear again," Satsuki closed her eyes and smirked, "Thank you for the report, Sanageyama. You are free to return to Honnouji Academy while the rest of you are to finish the fall preparations."

As the three members of the Elite Four bowed and left to complete their tasks, leaving Satsuki completely alone, the Student Council President stared at the screen in front of her with a scowl adorning her face. She was not naïve enough to believer her mother would have allowed Ichigo Kurosaki admittance to Honnouji Academy based simply on the actions of his father. Her mother was an extremely sophisticated and intelligent woman. There was something, a piece of the puzzle, she was missing that would help explain her mother's actions.

"_Who are you, Ichigo Kurosaki?"_

Satsuki steeped her fingers in front of her face. If her mother had a vested interest in Ichigo Kurosaki attending Honnouji Academy than Satsuki could not be too careful. As she focused on her plans, Satsuki paused when her ears picked up the subtle sound of someone walking towards her. Immediately recognizing the gait she asked, "What is it, Soroi?"

Soroi Mitsuzo bowed his head respectively, "I know it is none of my business, Milady, but I could not help overhearing your interest in that young man."

Satsuki smirked at the smell of freshly brewed tea, "Yes, I suppose Ichigo Kurosaki fascinates me. He has managed to garner my mother's attention yet I cannot find any reason for such respect."

A slight frown marred Soroi's face as he stared at the picture of Isshin Kurosaki, "I have spent years in the service of your family, Milady, yet the reasons behind Lady Ragyo's actions have always puzzled me. I do know, however, that Lady Ragyo's interest in the young Ichigo Kurosaki stems from the actions of his father."

Satsuki carefully scrutinized over the facts as she listened to Soroi speak. There were no images of the actual attack or Isshin Kurosaki rescuing her mother but the eyewitness reports obtained by Inumuta indicates he was able to save her mother's life without sustaining a single wound in the process. Such a feat of strength was something she was more than capable of doing herself but something about the situation bothered her. Satsuki wracked her mind, hoping that some small connection would allow the pieces to fall into place, but gave up after a minute. Leaning back in her chair, the fingers on her right hand strumming the armrest, Satsuki looked out the window and said, "Your words may hold a trace of the truth but I will not allow Ichigo Kurosaki to attend Honnouji Academy without proving himself first."

"As you wish, Milady," Soroi gave a soft bow of his head as he poured Satsuki a cup of tea. He had given his opinion on the matter, however small it may be, but once Satsuki made up her mind nothing anyone said or did could change it.


	2. Chapter 2: If You Don't Know Me By Now

_As with Chapter 1, this is the new and improved Chapter 2. The changes in this chapter were mostly focused on Kisuke's fight with his opponent (no spoilers up here for you new readers!) When I wrote this chapter, Kill la Kill was only on episode 17 or so, which meant a lot of the relative powers and abilities of the characters were still mostly unknown. Now that the anime is finished (which is both a shame and a relief to me as a writer), I have gone back and rewrote EVERYTHING in the fight. From the beginning to the end is completely new dialogue and action. I even managed to make Kisuke even more Kisuke-ish then before, which is surprising._

_As a callback to my original author's note. I hadn't expected the reaction to this story to be as great as it was. Even 18 chapters later, the amount of reviews, favorites and alerts continues to grow more and more each day. Thanks to each and every person that takes the time to review my chapters._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - If You Don't Know Me By Now<strong>

"Ichigo!"

From where he was standing in his front door Ichigo sighed. As the shouting coming from his friend, Keigo Asano, drew closer, he waited until the last second before stepping to the side and holding his arm out. Keigo, enraptured at seeing Ichigo, was unable to notice the arm until the last second and was harshly clotheslined. Ichigo, while still a normal human, possessed greater than normal physical strength and easily stopped Keigo's forward momentum.

While the teen's head and neck were stopped abruptly, the laws of physics dictated that the rest of him continue to move forward. Keigo's legs flew into the air before his entire body crashed to the ground in an undignified heap.

Lowering his arm, and looking at his friend with annoyance, Ichigo said, "Hey Keigo, Mizuiro."

Mizuiro Kojima stepped on the prone form of Keigo, eliciting a groan of pain from the teen, and waved back to Ichigo, "Hey Ichigo. Tatsuki said you were throwing a farewell party, right?"

"Unfortunately," Ichigo grumbled and folded his arms, "My idiotic dad wouldn't stop bugging me until I agreed to this. Then he had the nerve to try and hang out with us."

"Ah," Mizuiro muttered knowingly, "I suppose that is an issue."

As Mizuiro walked into his house, Ichigo turned and closed the door just as Keigo was about to follow them, causing the teen to slam face first into it and fall back onto the ground. Ignoring the cry of pain from outside, Ichigo walked back to the living room where everyone was either waiting for him to return or talking amongst themselves.

"So Ichigo," Tatsuki Arisawa grinned at him and punched his shoulder hard enough to make Ichigo wince, "Just when were you going to tell us you were transferring schools?"

Rubbing his sore shoulder, Ichigo scoffed, "It's not like I had a choice or anything. I only found out about it last week."

"That's no excuse for waiting five days before telling us," Tatsuki argued back. Before Ichigo could even retort, she reached to the side and pulled a bewildered Orihime Inoue in front of her body, "Did you even stop to think about how any of us would feel about it? Orihime was devastated when she found out you were leaving!"

"Come on, Tatsuki!" Orihime blushed in embarrassment and tried to desperately pull herself out of her best friends grip, "Don't say things like that. If Ichigo wants to go to another school, I'm fine with that. Really! He shouldn't have to stay here because of me!"

"Damn it, Orihime!" Tatsuki turned Orihime around until she was face to face with the well-endowed girl and began shaking her like a rag doll, "It's been over four years! Tell him how you feel before it's too late!"

"How I feel? I…but…Ichigo…" Orihime's face turned a deep red from embarrassment before she managed to escape Tatsuki's grasp and ran out of the living room, her friend hot on her heels.

Watching them go, a bewildered and confused expression adorning his face, Ichigo just silently shook his head, "Damn it, I'm confused."

"You cannot possibly be this dense," Uryu sarcastically asked from where he was sitting.

"Oh shut up," Ichigo snapped back, "I don't see how this is any of your business."

"It is my business when you are so oblivious to what is right in front of your eyes," Uryu adjusted his glasses, a knowing smirk on his face, "I knew you weren't intelligent Ichigo, but I never thought you were this stupid."

Reaching to the nearby table, Ichigo grabbed the first heavy object he could and threw it at Uryu. The quincy opened his eyes just in time to be beamed in the forehead by a coffee mug, propelling his body backwards along with the chair he was sitting on.

"Excuse me," Mizuiro casually stepped over Uryu's unconscious body. Sitting down on the couch, his cell phone once again in his hands, he asked, "So Ichigo, did you find out anything interesting about this Honnouji Academy?"

"Not much," Ichigo admitted, "Uryu seems to know a lot about it, but he's being awfully quiet about it. Most of what I know comes from that weird guy that came to the house last week. I think his name was Sanageyama or something like that."

"Weird," Mizuiro typed something on his phone before turning to look at Uryu's prone form, "Uryu's been out for a while now. Are you sure you didn't kill him?"

"He's fine," Ichigo walked over to Uryu's body before gently, to him at least, kicking the quincy. Sputtering back to the realm of consciousness, Uryu coughed and glared at Ichigo.

"That was completely uncalled for Ichigo!"

"I see you're awake," Ichigo replied, completely unbothered by Uryu's glare, "You know anything else about Honnouji Academy that you failed to tell me already."

Quickly standing up, the blood that was trailing down from his forehead mysteriously gone, Uryu fixed his glasses and began speaking, "There is not much that I could add to what Sanageyama told us last week. The only thing I can think of is that the number of stars affixed to your Goku Uniform determines more than just your ranking in the school. The more stars you have, and therefore the more power, the better your standard of living is. One-Star students live in standard dormitories while Two-Star students have houses all to themselves."

Their conversation was interrupted when Isshin's head appeared from the kitchen, "Ichigo, there's someone on the line for you."

Uncaring as to what his dad wanted, Ichigo waved him off dismissively, "Tell them to call back later."

Isshin disappeared back into the kitchen, and for a moment Ichigo and his friends could hear him talking to someone on the phone. When he reappeared a minute later, he said, "Come on Ichigo! This girl sounds rather interested in speaking with you."

Ichigo had no idea who his dad was talking about, and judging by the looks on his friends' faces, no one else did either.

"Who the hell is your dad talking about?" Tatsuki asked as she walked back into the living room, a noticeably less embarrassed Orihime following her.

"I have no idea," he answered with an annoyed sigh, "I better go answer the phone before he decides to do something stupid like putting it on speaker. Hey dad, what line's the phone on?"

"None!" Isshin walked out of the kitchen, his new cell phone in his hand, "The girl called on my cell phone! How she got my number I'll never know. She's going to call back on the video phone!"

Ichigo's breath hitched in his chest as his dad just said the worst thing he could. A few weeks after defeating Aizen, Kisuke stopped by their house alongside his assistant, Tessai, and said they were there to work on something Isshin had asked them to do. After being shoved out of his own house for nearly two hours, Ichigo returned to find a new television in the living room. When he saw nothing else changed, he pulled Kisuke aside and asked what he did. The former captain, with an insufferable grin on his face, told him that he installed what the living call a 'video phone.' Using some of Soul Society's technology, they managed to adapt it for normal usage. Ichigo had asked Kisuke why the hell they would need it in his house, to which the shopkeeper had said:

"_Because Yoruichi wouldn't let me put it in my shop."_

When the television turned on with an all too familiar crackling of electricity, Ichigo turned and saw a stern-faced girl appear on the screen, "Ichigo Kurosaki I presume?"

Ichigo stared at the girl for a couple of seconds in absolute silence. With neatly cut black hair that fell to below her shoulders and a stern expression on her face, the resemblance between her and Byakuya Kuchiki frightened Ichigo. After taking a moment to assure himself that he hadn't somehow stumbled into a parallel universe where Byakuya was a woman, he crossed his arms and asked, "Who are you?"

"Hey Ichigo," Tatsuki squinted her eyes slightly and pointed her thumb at the screen, "You know her?"

"Satsuki Kiryuin," Uryu stared at the screen, "I did not think we would speak again."

"Uryu Ishida," Satsuki turned toward the quincy, "It is a pleasure to speak to you once more. I was unaware that you were familiar with Ichigo Kurosaki."

Uryu adjusted his glasses with his index finger, "Must I repeat what I told you while I interned at Revocs? I prefer to keep my private life separate from my work. I'm sure someone such as yourself appreciates such a believe, or was I wrong in my understanding of you?"

Satsuki gave Uryu a barely-noticeable smirk but did not say anything. Turning her gaze across Ichigo's living room, making sure to make eye contact with each and every one of Ichigo's friends, she said, "You keep interesting company, Ichigo Kurosaki. Inumuta prides himself on being able to gather information, but it seems he failed to find out quite a lot about you."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?"

"You should be," Satsuki reached off the screen and when her hand came back, it was holding a cup of tea, "I'm going to be perfect honest with you, Ichigo Kurosaki. I do not appreciate having someone like you, who gets through life solely on the deeds of their parent, attend Honnouji Academy. It is a disgrace and I will not tolerate your presence for one minute in my academy!"

"Oh please," Ichigo rolled his eyes at her veiled threat, "You think I even want to attend your stupid school? I was more than happy to stay in Karakura until I finished high school, but my idiot of a father enrolled me in Honnouji Academy without even asking me about it first. Just hearing your voice is making me wish I didn't have to go even more."

For a moment it looked like Satsuki was about to snap at Ichigo's defiance but instead, a smile graced her face, "Bold words Ichigo Kurosaki. It seems the information about you was indeed correct, but all you have done is bluster meaninglessly. Are you able to stand upon your two feet like a human or do you cower behind those with true power like a dog?"

Ichigo was about to reply when he realized that her anecdote made absolutely no sense. Sure the meaning was clear as day, but the way she phrased it just threw him off balance. Looking towards the only source of information in the room, he asked Uryu, "Do you have any idea what she just said? Is there anything I can say to make her go away?"

Purposely avoiding looking at Satsuki, Uryu answered, "What you just asked is as impossible as having Orihime keep herself from blurting out whatever exists in that nightmarish imagination of hers. The best course of action would be to listen to what Satsuki has to say. Anything else would most likely not be in your best interests."

"Fine," Ichigo sighed in defeat. Turning back to Satsuki, he said, "What do you want from me?"

Satsuki narrowed her eyes, "What I want from you is inconsequential, as I have already obtained all I needed to know. Watch yourself upon your arrival at Honnouji Academy, Ichigo Kurosaki. Not everyone will be a tolerant of your presence as myself."

With that last warning given, Satsuki's image disappeared from the screen. There was a pregnant pause before Tatsuki said, "God, what a bitch."

"Tatsuki!" Orihime cupped her hands over her mouth in shock, "That's not a nice thing to say. So she was a little mean…that doesn't mean you can call her that!"

"I have to agree with Tatsuki, Orihime. Satsuki Kiryuin was quite rude to Ichigo."

Everyone jumped slightly as Yasutora Sado, known as Chad to his friends, appeared out of nowhere behind Orihime. None more so than Orihime, who literally leapt in the air and into Tatsuki's arms out of fright.

"Chad," Ichigo's mind was trying to piece together how Chad had appeared out of thin air, "Where the hell did you come from?"

"The front door," Chad pointed behind him, "I was walking by when I saw Keigo crying near your house. I asked him what was wrong and he said you locked him out, but when I tried opening your door I found it unlocked. After that, I just let myself in. I hope you don't mind."

"It's not a problem," Ichigo didn't want to think about how such a large person could be so stealthy.

"Hey Chad," Mizuiro frowned and put his phone away, "Anyway, I don't know about the rest of you, but I got the feeling that Satsuki was threatening Ichigo."

Mumbling to himself, Uryu began explaining to the rest of them what he knew, "Satsuki Kiryuin holds a tight grip on Honnouji Academy. Ichigo's acceptance to the school and reluctance attendance has thrown a wrench into her plans that she has not yet begun to account for. This call was a way for her to gauge Ichigo's personality and intelligence. There is no doubt in my mind that she purposely called when we were all here so as to see how Ichigo would react in the presence of those close to him."

Ichigo rubbed his face in annoyance, "This is just great. I haven't even left home and I already have an stalker. Hey, did any of you notice that she looked and acted a lot like Byakuya?"

Uryu nodded, "I noticed a passing resemblance."

"A little, although she had blue eyes," Chad answered.

"Oh! Do you think she's his daughter from an illicit affair with a human woman?" Orihime asked. In her head she was already imagining Satsuki as a shinigami, cutting down hollows while Byakuya and Rukia watched on with pride and awe. As Ichigo saw the glazed look in Orihime's eyes, signaling she was going to be gone for a while, he could have sworn he heard his dad suddenly choke and cough.

"Who?" Tatsuki asked.

Ichigo flinched subtly as he remembered that Tatsuki had never actually met Byakuya Kuchiki. Out of all his friends, she was the only one to have little experience with the Soul Society apart from when Aizen had arrived in Karakura Town after defeating the captains in the fake Karakura Town.

"It was just someone from the Soul Society, Tatsuki," he admitted. Turning to leave the room, he looked at Uryu, "I'm going to go kill my dad. Ignore everything you may hear."

"That will not be a problem," Uryu responded, "I was not too pleased to speak with Satsuki once more myself. Our last encounter did not end amicably."

Stalking out of the living room into the kitchen, where he knew his dad to be hiding, Ichigo was considering just what he was going to do him when he heard his father's voice speaking to someone on the phone, "Are you sure about this? It's not too late you know."

Leaving the living room and entering the kitchen, Ichigo looked around for where his dad might be hiding but, to his surprise, he found the room completely empty. Scratching his head and looking around, he noticed the back door was slightly ajar. Walking over and looking outside, he saw nothing and was about to turn away when he heard his dad's voice.

"I know but…"

Ichigo frowned at the exhausted tone in Isshin's voice. When he tried and failed to hear whoever his dad was talking to, his dad spoke again, " I see your point. Are you sure about this? I mean…fine. I suppose I'll talk to him and send him over as soon as possible. Bye."

Pulling his phone away from his ear, his arm falling to his side, Isshin said, "Ichigo, you really need to learn some manners. It is impolite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations."

"Yeah, well," Ichigo put his hands in his pockets and walked outside, "You're one to talk. How many times have I caught you trying to listen in on me?"

"Too many to count," Isshin admitted with a chuckle, "But as your father, I am entitled to stripping you of your liberties and rights if it helps make you safe. Who knows what type of illegal activities you get up to when I'm not around to stop you."

Ichigo groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You know exactly what I was doing last year. Anyway, what was that all about?"

"It was Kisuke," Isshin's voice was somber, as if he had just heard a piece of bad news, "He wants you to come to his store as soon as possible."

"Why?" Ichigo was confused. Ever since he lost his shinigami powers, Kisuke had said that he didn't need to come by his shop anymore. It wasn't that he was no longer permitted to come so much as he didn't want Ichigo to remember everything he had lost in the process of saving both the Soul Society and the World of the Living. While he was initially incensed at that, he had quickly realized his point when Kisuke said that Rukia had stopped by when he was there. The fact that one of his closest friends, shinigami or not, was right next to him and he was unable to see or sense here gave Ichigo all the incentive he needed to leave Kisuke's shop.

"He wouldn't say," Isshin groaned and rubbed his chin, the early makings of a beard already apparent, "But he said it was very important that you come over as soon as possible."

Ichigo didn't see any reason why he shouldn't go. Kisuke wasn't one to drag him to his shop in the middle of the day without a good reason, "But what about my friends? I can't just ditch them."

"Don't worry," Isshin pat his shoulder in a comforting gesture, "I think I can take care of your friends while you're gone."

Ichigo stood there, thinking about what Kisuke wanted, as his father walked back into the house, a mischievous grin on his face. As he stood there, thinking about what Kisuke wanted, Ichigo heard his father shout, "Who wants to see Ichigo's baby pictures?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Nearly half an hour after Kisuke called, Ichigo found himself standing outside the former captain's shop. It had been so long since he had come by that Ichigo was confident that Kisuke had done something strange to the shop, like perhaps adding another floor or two.<p>

"Hey Kisuke."

When Ichigo's greeting went unanswered, he frowned and knocked on the door. Didn't his dad say that Kisuke was waiting for him at his store? If that was the case, then where was that idiotic shopkeeper.

"Damn it, Kisuke," Ichigo growled and slammed his hand on the door, "This better not be another stupid joke."

Kisuke never left his shop unattended for even a minute. There was always someone there to manage the business of catering to shinigami and humans. It had originally been because if Aizen somehow managed to locate his hideout and came by while Kisuke was away, there would be no telling how much damage the traitorous captain could accomplish with everything hidden inside. That did not mean Kisuke always made the right choice. When he and Yoruichi went on their 'vacation' last fall, he had left an irritated Tessai in charge. After Ichigo received several subtle and several not-so-subtle threats by the behemoth of a man to volunteer at the shop after school or else, Ichigo had wisely decided to stay out of the way until Kisuke got back. That, however, was not nearly as bad as when he left Hiyori in charge for a few days.

Ichigo still did not comprehend how Hiyori set normal water on fire like that.

Slightly disturbed by what he might find inside, Ichigo braced himself and, to his surprise, managed to slide open the door without any resistance. As he stepped inside and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he stopped and muttered, "What the hell…?"

The neatly organized rows of merchandise interspaced with items from the Soul Society hidden under weak illusions that would cause any human without the proper knowledge to skip over them lay in broken and destroyed piles on the ground. Ichigo carefully stepped over several opened cans of food and noticed something odd on the floor. Every few feet there were several strange gashes cut into the floor. Kneeling down to inspect them further, Ichigo ran a finger over one of the gashes and quickly drew his hand back. Whatever had created the gashes had been sharp enough to leave the edges jagged and razor sharp.

"What happened?" he muttered before quickly leaping back as the sound of something crashing to the ground startled him. Eyes looking around for the source of the sound, his mind assuming that it belonged to whoever did this to Kisuke's store, he let out a breath of relief when he saw it was simply the door to the back of the shop falling off its hinges.

Cursing his inability to sense spiritual pressure, Ichigo cautiously crept towards the back of the store where Kisuke lived. Pressing his back against the wall near where the door had fallen off, he peered around the corner, his eyes darting through the darkness for any unexpected surprises. Seeing no one inside, he walked into Kisuke's room and flicked on the lights.

From just that one glance it was apparent that a fight had taken place. There were several spots of blood on the ground that led across the room towards the back door, which Ichigo noticed had been blown off the hinges from the inside.

As he carefully stepped across the room, Ichigo nearly tripped on something strewn haphazardly on the ground. Quickly regaining his balance before he fell, he looked down at what tripped him and saw that it was a pink umbrella cut neat in two. Reaching down to pick it up, he was surprised when it took both of his arms to lift it off the ground and even then Ichigo didn't think he could hold it for more than a minute or two.

When his cell phone rang, Ichigo nearly had a heart attack and dropped the umbrella, almost hitting his foot in the process. Fishing his phone out of his pocket and looking at the caller id, he was relieved when he saw it was Kisuke.

"Kisuke?"

"Hello Ichigo," Kisuke's voice came echoed out from the speakers on his phone, "By your tone of voice I assume you've seen the state of my shop. I would apologize for the mess but unfortunately I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

"What's going on? Where are you?"

"Oh nothing much," Ichigo heard Kisuke wince over the phone, "I'm currently hunkered down in a construction building in the eastern part of town. If you're wondering why, it's because I had an uninvited guest arrive at my shop just a little while ago."

"Guest?" Ichigo might not have been able to sense spiritual pressure anymore, but he could feel something off about the whole situation.

From where he was leaning against a concrete support pillar twenty-three stories above Karakura Town, Kisuke looked at the trail of blood cascading down his left arm with a grimace. He supposed he should consider himself lucky that the injury to his shoulder was not deep enough to reach the tendons. Taking a deep breath and leaning his head back until it was resting against the concrete, he adjusted his hat and began explaining, "Before I say anything, I would like to point out that I had never seen this person before in my life, and that is saying a lot."

Kisuke's shinigami senses picked up movement nearby. Quickly turning his head, he let out a breath of relief when he saw it was just a rat. Focusing back on the phone, he began explaining, "I'm sure by now Uryu has mentioned where he was last summer. What he might have failed to tell you is that when he came back, he may have absconded with something that didn't belong to him. It wasn't like I expected him to bring me a bundle of Life Fibers, but he was quite adamant that there was something strange about them."

"Strange?"

"I'm not quite sure myself," Kisuke admitted. The attack could not have come at a worse time. Yoruichi was back in the Soul Society helping Sui-Feng with something completely unrelated to her job as a captain while Tessai had taken Ururu and Jinta out somewhere. If even one of them were here, Kisuke was certain he would not have had to retreat, "But whatever the case may be, I'm fairly certain that my current predicament is related to the Life Fibers. I am unsure as to how she managed to find out I had them or even where I was. Luckily I was able to escape with only minor injuries."

"Who attacked you?" Ichigo demanded to know what happened. Even if he was currently powerless, it tore at him that he was unable to do anything to help.

Kisuke sighed and tipped his hat forward, casting his eyes in shadow, "To be perfectly honest I'm not quite sure that whoever attacked me was even a human. There was something…off…about them, but they were strong. At least at the level of a captain."

Back in Kisuke's shop, Ichigo's heart plummeted at that piece of information. He didn't know anyone, apart from the arrancar, that could fight a shinigami captain evenly. Who could have attacked Kisuke with enough power to not just injury the former captain, but also cause him to flee for his life? Nervously swallowing the bile rising in his throat, he asked, "Are you sure about that?"

"There is no doubt in my mind as to their purpose for attacking me," Kisuke answered seriously, but Ichigo could tell he was distracted by something, "I'm sure you want to know what I did with the Life Fibers. To be honest, it was just something I worked on in my spare time. Whatever they are, Life Fibers are something else. It took me months just to figure out how they work and up until a few weeks ago to get them to actually do anything. In retrospect, that might have drawn her attention to me. Perhaps there is some sort of security built into the Life Fibers that acts as a sort of homing beacon. Whether that is true or not, I'm pretty sure she didn't appreciate my answer."

Ichigo was just about to open his mouth to ask something when Kisuke interrupted him, "Ichigo, I need you to do something for me."

Biting his lip, Ichigo responded, "What do you need me to do?"

Kisuke was silent for a few seconds, "I need you to go into the Secret Training Room under my store. Once you're down there, walk straight away from the ladder and look behind a funny looking rock to the right. There will be something there that I think you will find to be of great use when you go to Honnouji Academy. I would say more but – "

Whatever Kisuke was about to say was cut off as a large explosion reverberated through the phone, "Kisuke! What the hell happened?"

There was silence before Kisuke's crackling voice came through, "Sorry about that Ichigo. It seems that she's managed to find me sooner than I anticipated. I'll talk to you later. Do not try and find me, and make sure she does not find what I left you."

"Kisuke!" Ichigo shouted at his phone but the former captain had already ended the call. His numb fingers quickly lost their grip on the device, causing it to fall and bounce off the floor. Ichigo stood there, in the middle of the darkened shop, for what seemed like hours before he took a deep breathe and headed towards where the entrance to the underground training room beneath the tatami mat was.

Kisuke was counting on him after all.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>In a burst of shunpo, Kisuke leapt over the rooftops across the industrial section of Karakura Town.<p>

The sheer remoteness and lack of witnesses made this part of Karakura Town the best place to make a stand against his pursuer. While a battle between shinigami and other supernatural spirits weren't usually seen by normal humans, his opponent was quite different. Kisuke had seen her stop following him for a few seconds just to kill a potential witness or two. Even Aizen wasn't as callous and amoral as to kill people left and right, but the girl chasing him already racked up a body count in the double digits.

"_I have to keep luring her away from any more innocent bystanders." _Kisuke jumped off the edge of a warehouse before tucking his knees up and breaking through a glass window. Rolling to a stop inside an abandoned factory, he quickly turned and began moving across the catwalk above the rusty and broken machines dozens of feet below.

"_I also have to stall her long enough for Ichigo to get to my shop,"_ Kisuke slashed Benihime forward, slicing the steel door blocking his path to the roof in two. Quickly ascending the stairs and noticing he was alone, at least for the moment, Kisuke carefully took a couple of steps outside, _"This girl's sensory abilities are frightening. If she is so easily able to follow me, than it is no stretch of the imagination that she could easily track Ichigo."_

When she first appeared in the front room of his shop, Kisuke has sensed something off with her but chalked it down to his agitated nerves. He was still getting over Aizen finally being defeated after nearly a century of plotting and scheming against the Soul Society. When he saw her head towards the section where he kept his sweets, Kisuke decided to go into the backroom to check on some of his experiments. His shop was quite infamous for giving away candy at a large discount to children, so he didn't really think much of it. As he looked over the numbers coming out of one of his experiments, only years of training with Yoruichi saved Kisuke from a potentially fatal stab to his heart. While dodging to the side at the last minute, Kisuke didn't escape unharmed. Instead of piercing him through his heart, his adversary instead managed to cut deeply into his shoulder.

As Kisuke cautiously walked across the roof, his ears picked up the subtlest of changes in the air behind him. With his mind already analyzing his opponent's fighting patterns, he grimaced and leapt to the side just as a purple blade sheared through the concrete roof like it was butter. Skidding to a stop across the roof from where his opponent was now standing, Kiuske raised Benihime in a defensive position. Going on the offensive against such a strong and unpredictable opponent would be tantamount to throwing his life away.

Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, Kisuke looked at his sleeve and frowned slightly at the small cut along the length, _"She nearly got me that time. While I am getting used to her speed and strength, it appears that she has something else up her sleeves. I'll need to be more careful from now on."_

A flash of light from the sun glinting off purple metal let Kisuke know that he needed to focus. Ducking and strafing to the side, he began parrying the precise and deadly strikes from his assailant. Whoever taught her how to fight was very skilled, if the difficulty he was having keeping up with her was any clue. Parrying the purple blade off Benihime and to the side, Kisuke spun around and swung his zanpakuto only to once again hit nothing but empty air.

"_She's too good."_

Kisuke's eyes widened as he was quickly forced to brace his forearm against his zanpakuto in order to block the overhead strike that came out of nowhere.

"_As much as I am getting used to her incredible strength, it's her speed and reaction time that makes everything so much more difficult. No one of her size and stature should possess the power to give a shinigami captain a difficult time. If she were a quincy or a bount, then I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm feeling nothing from her."_

Jumping over the purple blade that nearly bisected him in two at the waist, Kisuke quickly stabbed his zanpakuto into the roof and spun around. As his sandaled foot shot out to connect with his assailant's face, he grimaced when he once against missed. Landing awkwardly on the roof to avoid leaving himself open to a counterattack, Kisuke pulled Benihime out of the roof and turned to his opponent.

"_How very interesting."_

Ever the scientist, Kisuke's mind began analyzing his opponent's abilities as best as he could, _"Even with less than a second of warning, she still managed to not only avoid my attack, but also widen the distance between us to lessen the chance of another surprise attack from me. The question that's bugging me is how she keeps managing to do it. It is illusions, clones, or some other type of technique?"_

Feeling a slight breeze through his hair, Kisuke reached up and noticed that his favorite bucket hat, the same one Yoruichi had given him many years ago as a gift, was missing. Looking down at the roof, Kisuke saw that it was neatly split in two from front to back.

"Well now," Kisuke drawled as he knelt and picked up the pieces of his hat, "I do believe you killed my hat. That wasn't very nice of you. While I would love to chide you about such rudeness, I must admit that I did not think you would track me down so quickly. Your ability to sense my location is truly frightening. If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to find me so quickly?"

Kisuke's opponent looked oddly at him before smiling cutely, "That's easy! Nobody can stop me. I can go wherever I want to!"

"You don't say…" Even though he was smirking on the outside, internally Kisuke was grimacing. If this girl could track him, someone who Aizen couldn't find even if he wanted to, then he was going to need some extra help if he wanted to get out of this fight alive and in one piece. With both Yoruichi and Tessai gone, and Shinji's group either back in Soul Society or out of town on personal errands, it seemed as if Kisuke had picked the worst day to get into a fight.

Glancing at his injured shoulder, which was still bleeding quite heavily, Kisuke decided to stall for time, "It's been quite some years since I fought someone able to keep me on my toes. It looks like I'll have to take this fight seriously or I might actually die."

"That's quite the funny word – might," Nui Harime beamed happily at the praise Kisuke was giving her. Clapping her hands together and sticking her tongue out in a cute gesture, she added, "But that's a bad choice of words. You actually believe I'm not going to kill you? I didn't know you were delusional, Mr. Urahara."

"And you know my name. That's both disturbing and flattering."

Due to the lull in the fight, Kisuke took a moment to more carefully analyze Nui Harime's appearance. With exaggerated and long blonde hair pulled up into twin drill-style pigtails and a pink Lolita-style dress, she looked to be the epitome of what kids nowadays call a princess. It was odd, now that Kisuke thought about it, that Nui's attire reminded him of what Ururu had tried to pick out for herself a few months ago. While Kisuke wasn't against the idea, if you consider cheering her on to be neutral, Tessai had been the voice of reason and explained to Ururu the fallacies of such scandalous clothing.

Focusing on Nui's blue eyes, one of which was covered by an eye patch consisting of scrunched together katakana that he couldn't make out from where he was standing, Kisuke thought back to the moment he realized how dangerous Nui Harime truly was.

When Nui first appeared at his shop, she had been carrying a pink parasol that had been sturdy enough to initially block his zanpakuto. It was only after he released Benihime's shiaki and sliced the parasol in two that Nui had brought out her current weapon. If that wasn't strange enough, Kisuke had noticed a dark look flash across Nui's face for the barest of moments after he destroyed her parasol.

The purple blade Nui wielded was perhaps the most dangerous variable about her. While she possessed superhuman speed and strength, her blade is what gave her a distinct advantage over him. Even Benihime's shikai cannot stand up to it for extended durations without developing chips and cracks along the edge.

"Do you mind answering a simple man's curiosity, young lady?"

Nui seemed to think about it for a moment, her finger tapping against her nose, before answering, "Sure!"

"It's about your name," Kisuke knew what he was about to say might be dangerous, but it should also give him some valuable information depending on what she said, "Nui Harime. That is quite the odd name if I do say so myself. Nui means 'sewing' and Harime 'stitch.' Those would be quite odd names in a normal situation, but given the fact that you seem to be after whatever Life Fibers are, I would have to assume there is a connection between you and them. Am I wrong?"

Nui blinked owlishly once before smiling. If someone who didn't know her saw the smile, they would assume she was happy about something. Kisuke, on the other hand, saw something extremely dangerous in it. He needed an avenue of escape.

"While I have enjoyed the time spent playing with you, I am a businessman. If I don't get back to my store soon, hooligans and ruffians are sure to break in and steal all my stuff. Do you mind if we continue this little play date of ours at another time? I know some people that would love to meet you."

Nui Harime plucked at her lip with her right thumb in an attempt to look cute. Kisuke, however, noticed something disturbing and odd about her movements. Whenever she moved or attacked, it was always her right arm or head that moved normally. Everything else seemed to not look quite right. Her legs seemed to bend stiffly at the knee and her left arm seemed to be perpetually stuck in the same position unless he looked away. It was as if she was trying, and failing, to mimic a human.

"Nope!" she said cheerfully, a smile slowly forming on her face, "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I thought as much," Kisuke answered, a cold sweat breaking out across the back of his neck. There was something incredibly unsettling about that smile.

"Well…" Nui planted her purple scissor blade into the roof, the sharpened blade easily piercing through the concrete. Leaning upon it, she propped her cheek on her hand, "It's cute that you're trying so hard to run away, but I'm going to need those Life Fibers back."

"Life Fibers?" Kisuke focused everything he had on predicting Nui Harime's next move. He knew without a doubt that she was about to attack him. Every single fiber of his being agreed with him on that, the only problem was that she was too damn unpredictable for his genius mind to figure out what it was she was going to do, "I must insist that I don't know what you're talking about. I am but a simple purveyor of goods and sweets. I wouldn't happen to know a thing about Life Fibers."

"Hmm…" Nui blinked before smiling widely, "It's so adorable that you're lying directly to my face. I'm going to have to punish you now."

Kisuke blinked once and found Nui in the air directly in front of him with a psychotic grin on her face. Jumping back to avoid being hit, he quickly found himself rapidly exchanging blows with Nui's Scissor Blade.

"Amazing!" Nui's infuriating girlish voice announced with glee, "This is really fun, but are you going to tell me where the Life Fibers are?"

"I thought I told you already," Kisuke ducked beneath Nui's purple Scissor Blade before jumping straight up in the air. As he waited for Nui to follow him, as he knew she would, Kisuke added, "I don't know what Life Fibers are."

Disappearing in a burst of shunpo, much to Nui's surprise, Kisuke reappeared behind her and purposely swung Benihime at her neck. Easily dodging the beheading strike, as Kisuke anticipated, Nui was unprepared for the equally fast sandal to the face that threw her through the air and into the side of a nearby building with enough force to create an audible boom.

"_That should buy me some time to think of a more permanent solution for dealing with Nui."_ For as much strength and power Kisuke put into that kick, the former captain knew that his opponent wasn't even hurt. It was quite strange dealing with an opponent who was either much more durable than a shinigami or arrancar, which was looking more likely by the second, or whose regeneration was so staggeringly fast that the moment his foot left her cheek, Nui was already completely healed.

As Kisuke waited for Nui to come bouncing out of the rubble and debris with a smile on her face and completely injured, he went over his limited options, _"Kidou is out of the question. I've already tried to cast a level 90 binding kidou on her and she didn't even feel it. Perhaps it has to do with the strange feeling I feel coming from her. Spiritual energy may simply not affect her. I need to get to Isshin as quickly as possible and inform him about what's happening. As long as Nui is allowed to run freely through Karakura Town, Ichigo will be in danger."_

"What are you thinking about Mr. Urahara?"

Kisuke's eyes widened in surprise as he felt Nui Harime appear directly behind him. Slowly turning around, he locked gazes with her single blue eye, which was filled with an unholy mirth. With a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, Nui swung down with her purple Scissor Blade and cut a large gash across Kisuke's back.

"Huh?" Nui looked at the blood dribbling off her Scissor Blade before looking at Kisuke, "How odd. I could have sworn I bifurcated you. You are really full of surprises Mr. Urahara."

"Ha…ha…" Kisuke breathed raggedly as he stared down Nui. What she did just now to get behind him was impossible, strike that, merely implausible. There should have been some warning before she appeared, but yet it was almost as if she simply imagined herself behind him. If Nui's abilities were actually based on imagination, it would be nearly impossible to beat her.

"You're still alive, huh," Nui pouted childishly and rocked on her heels, "This is becoming really boring, so I'm going to have to wrap things up now. Try not to die too quickly, Mr. Urahara."

Spinning around and laughing girlishly, Nui threw her hands out and exclaimed, "Mon-Mignon Prêt-à-Porter!"

As Kisuke found himself surrounded by copies of Nui Harime, as weak compared to the original as they may be, he recalculated the odds of his survival and found it to be dropping by the second. As the Nui copies laughed and leapt at him, Kisuke smirked and ruffled his hair.

"So, you're going to zerg rush me huh?" Raising Benihime up, spiritual energy coursing through the blade, Kisuke prepared himself for perhaps the last fight of his long life, "That's fine by me, but you're going to have to work for it."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Ugh…this used to be so much easier when I could just jump down."<p>

It was times like this that Ichigo realized how much he took his shinigami powers for granted. Kisuke's Secret Training Room was nearly a quarter mile below the surface with the only way down being via jumping or taking the ladder so conveniently provided. In the past, Ichigo had taken the easy way down and simply jumped while using his spiritual pressure to soften his landing. Now that he was just a normal human, he was forced to take the hard way down.

Landing on the dirt with a soft impact, Ichigo massaged his hands to get the blood circulating through them once more, "When Kisuke gets back, I'm going to have him install an elevator. This is just ridiculous."

Huffing in frustration, Ichigo looked around the training grounds. It looked just as he remembered it. The artificial sunlight emanating from some unseen light source kept the giant room in a state of perpetual afternoon, the painted clouds overhead only seeming to add to the fakeness of the room. Taking a few steps forward, his eyes surveying his surroundings for any surprises, Ichigo tried to remember where Kisuke told him to look.

"He said something about a funny looking rock…" he mumbled and began walking away from the ladder, "What could that mean?"

Ichigo's question was soon answered, much to his eternal annoyance. Kisuke had said it was a funny looking rock. What the bastard failed to mention was that by that, he meant it was a rock in a terribly bad caricature of Ichigo. It even made Rukia's drawings look like the work of a master.

"That bastard," Ichigo growled. If Kisuke survived whatever was happening to him, Ichigo was going to kill him for this terrible insult. Putting aside his completely rational hatred for the man, for the moment at least, Ichigo looked around the rock for whatever it was Kisuke had left for him. When he found it, Ichigo was caught completely off guard by what it was.

"The hell does that bastard take me for?"

Carefully wrapped in plastic and tied neatly together with string was a school uniform. Turning it over, in case Kisuke was playing mind games with him, Ichigo noticed a piece of paper fall gently to the ground. Ignoring the uniform for the moment, he reached down and picked the piece of paper off the ground. Unfolding it, he saw it was a letter addressed to him from Kisuke.

**_Dear Ichigo,_**

**_If you are reading this note then I am either dead or missing…just kidding! I'm joking so wipe that frown off your face. Anyway, you may be wondering why this uniform is so special or why I hid it behind this funny looking rock in my basement. Well, this uniform is quite special since I designed it using the Life Fibers your friend Uryu procured for me. If you see Uryu before I do, please make sure to thank him for his wonderful donation. The applications of Life Fibers are tremendous and I fear I have only just begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities. _**

**_Onto more serious matters, this uniform is made purely from Life Fibers, which Uryu claims make it a Kamui or something. I would have chosen something more awesome like Super Amazing Uniform of Unbridled Power but Yoruichi thought that sounded stupid. I feel I should mention that Uryu warned me about the inherent risks of attempting such a feat, but I think I managed to negate all possible ramifications._**

**_This Kamui is tailored specifically for your body. You might be asking yourself how I was able to accomplish such a wonderful feat. The answer, my naïve pupil, is quite simple. I merely snuck into your room in the middle of the night, stripped you down naked, and measured each and every aspect of your body. I also took a few blood and DNA samples because you can never have enough of those lying around. Once I was done, I used a marker to doodle all over your face in ink that you cannot see._**

**_That was another joke…or was it?_**

**_Actually, your father was kind enough to give me every detail about your body. So make sure to wear this special uniform when you go to Honnouji Academy. Oh! Don't forget the most important aspect about this Kamui…it's hand wash only, so be sure to brush up on your laundry skills!_**

**_Your Superior,_**

**_~Kisuke Urahara~_**

**_P.S. – I should probably mention that you shouldn't get blood on it, but it's not like you're going to get into a fight to save humanity or anything._**

**_P.P.S. – Don't tell anyone what this is. Pretend like it is a normal uniform._**

**_P.P.P.S – Oh, I almost forgot, you should begin thinking of a name for your uniform. I know what you're thinking, 'why the hell is crazy old Kisuke Urahara making me choose a name for a uniform?' Well, that is a stupid question Ichigo. Everything I do has a purpose, even something like what I just wrote. Didn't you say the same thing about your zanpakuto once? Stop thinking stupid questions Ichigo. And yes, I can read your thoughts even though I wrote this letter days ago. I am THAT good._**

"Idiot," Ichigo spat and tucked away the note in his pocket before looking at the uniform.

At first glance it looked like a normal school uniform except for the odd color scheme. It looked similar to the grey blazer and trousers that were standard at Karakura High School except that instead of being grey, it was white with black highlights along the legs, arms and near the collar. Tearing the plastic off the Kamui, he was not going to call it that, it just sounded stupid, Ichigo unfolded it and held it up at arms length.

There was something else strange about the Kamui, but it took Ichigo a few moments to realize what it was. Located near the collar, situated near the front of both shoulders, were designs in the shape of closed eyes.

"What's so special that Kisuke risked his life to hide you?" Ichigo flipped the Kamui around and even inside out, as if there was a secret he could only find if he looked hard enough. Not finding anything, he eventually gave up and began heading back to the ladder, the Kamui tucked firmly under his arm, "Ah, screw it. I'll find out from him when he gets back. It's not like anything can kill that man. I mean, if Aizen couldn't take him out, then who can?"


	3. Chapter 3: I'll Take You There

_So like I promised, I edited and revised Chapter 3. I personally feel that it's much better than what it was before. I mostly focused on editing and revising the conversations between Ichigo and Isshin as well as the very last part. You may be wondering why I did this. It is because this chapter was written before the end of the Kill la Kill anime and several facts came to light that contradicted what I wrote. Usually I could work around this and claim AU status, but I generally like to keep as close to the source material as possible.  
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><p><em>...<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – I'll Take You There<strong>

Ichigo stared out the passenger side window of the car, his face periodically lit up a sickly yellow color by the halogen streetlights racing by along the empty highway. No matter how many times he thought about it, he continued to find it odd that as soon as they passed through the outer limits of Karakura Town the lush forests and fields that he had visited many times in his life abruptly gave way to what could at best be described a desert and at worst a wasteland.

The landscape spanning for miles on either side of the winding highway was a barren and almost sickly brown with dust storms blowing the loose topsoil up into the air every now and then. The sky itself wasn't any different than what he was used to seeing back home, except that if he concentrated and narrowed his eyes he could just barely make out a hint of an unnatural red color permeating everywhere he looked.

"Ichigo," Isshin Kurosaki called out his son's name as he briefly pulled his eyes away from the road. He knew Ichigo wasn't sleeping, his son tended to snore in the car if he did fall asleep, but still decided to ask, "Hey, you awake?"

Ichigo waited a few seconds before answering, "Yeah. What do you want?"

Isshin sighed dramatically at Ichigo's lackluster reply. It was clear his son was still peeved at him for the sudden transfer to Honnouji Academy and away from all his friends, "I'm sure you must be curious about why the world outside Karakura Town is like this. Aren't you wondering why the thick and green forests gave way to this hellish landscape?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, if you really want to know," Isshin continued, completely ignoring the fact that Ichigo wasn't interested in finding out why, "No one really knows what happened. All that we, and by that I mean Kisuke and the Soul Society, have been able to find out is that someone or something decided to take out most of the world using nuclear weapons. The Soul Society was able to use Kido to clean up the residual radiation, but the damage was already done. Nearly 75% of the population was killed and only major towns and cities like Karakura and Tokyo survived the conflict intact."

Nearly three-quarters of humanity was dead? Ichigo couldn't believe something like that. His dad had to be making it up, "You're joking with me right? If that really happened, why didn't I know about it?"

Isshin gawked at Ichigo's question before breaking out into laughter, "Because, my dear boy, of the biggest cover-up in the history of the world!"

At Ichigo's continued perplexed expression, Isshin decided to continue explaining, "For about three years after the nuclear war the Soul Society, apart from cleaning up the radiation, set up what I might as well call Kido Amplifiers throughout each remaining city and town. Once they were all set up, they released a much more powerful version of the memory modifier your friend Rukia tried to use on me to convince the world that the nuclear exchange never happened. Instead of that, most of the world thinks everything that happened was the result of a massive, and costly, regular war like World War II was."

As Isshin finished speaking and changed lanes on the empty highway, Ichigo's mind was still trying to come to terms with what he had just found out. Sure he knew something was wrong with the world outside of Karakura Town. His forays into the outside world during his time as a shinigami was proof enough, but it was the realization that something of that magnitude of destruction happened that boggled him.

"Why would the Soul Society wipe their memories?" he asked trying to sort out the confusion in his mind.

"I'll start with the simple answer – it was to preserve the balance of souls between the living and the dead," Isshin answered mysteriously as he yawned into his hand. He had been driving for quite a while now, and a look at the dashboard clock said it was almost dawn, "You remember how the quincy killed too many hollows and threatened to destroy the balance of souls? Well, the number of people that died during the nuclear exchange put that to shame. As good as the Soul Society is, even they couldn't handle a couple of billion souls suddenly appearing all over the world. The shinigami did the best they could, even the captains had to help, but it took them nearly twenty years to konso most of the souls. Even then it left over five hundred million souls to transform into hollows and escape to Hueco Mundo.

Half a billion hollows? Ichigo couldn't believe there could even be that many hollows. He wasn't even sure he had killed a thousand of them when he was a shinigami. Still, something his dad said was still bothering him, "You said that was the simple answer. What else is there?"

"I see you are indeed sharp, Ichigo. It's no wonder you got accepted into Honnouji Academy," Isshin said proudly, a mock tear crawling down his cheek. As much as he wanted to hit his dad for being an idiot, Ichigo restrained himself. He could always hit his dad after he heard the story, "The truth of the matter is simple – The Soul Society was fearful of what could happen. The Captain-Commander may be the strongest shinigami alive, but he saw the devastation nuclear weapons caused and feared the consequences of someone doing it again. If he didn't order the erasure of humanities memories, someone would have the idea to start another nuclear war and perhaps this time it wouldn't be as limited as the first one. Apart from you and perhaps several hundred people scattered across the Earth, everything believes the only two nuclear bombs dropped were during World War II.

Ichigo was silent for perhaps half an hour after listening to his dad's explanation for the state of the world. How was he supposed to react after hearing that the world had effectively ended once and the Soul Society decided to give a do-over? As his mind circled around that concept over and over again, Ichigo decided to ask a question that had been bugging him for some time.

"Has there been any sign of Kisuke?"

Isshin sighed, letting Ichigo know all that he needed to hear, "Not yet. Yoruichi has been running herself ragged looking for him. From what he told you on the phone, it sounded like he was in a lot of trouble. Yoruichi checked out the area you thought he was at and found traces of his blood, but no body."

"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed and slammed his hand against the car door, "I should have gone to help him. I could have done something, anything!"

Isshin slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt in the middle of the empty highway. Turning to Ichigo, an angry look on his face, he said, "Since when was my son a coward?"

"Ichigo, I know Kisuke well enough to know that he must have had a good reason for making sure you stayed far away from him. I may not have any clue about what he was doing and quite frankly the thought of his experiments fills me with dread. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that you should trust that Kisuke knew what he was doing. He risked his life to make sure you got whatever it was that was in his store."

Isshin started the car again but didn't speak any further, deciding that giving Ichigo some time to process what he just said was for the best. When several minutes had passed, Isshin rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and asked, "So what was it that Kisuke left for you? Was it a weapon or something? I told that man to leave you out of his nonsense but damn it all to hell if that bastard listens to a word I say."

Ichigo rolled his eyes in annoyance, "If I didn't tell you the first twenty times, what makes you think I'll tell you the twenty-first time you ask?"

"Aw come on!" Isshin's voice devolved into an annoying replica of a child's, "You can tell your father!"

"Shut it, old man!" Ichigo turned and looked out the car window in annoyance. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon to the east, bathing the red and brown landscape with the colors of dawn and causing the streetlights to begin turning off one by one.

"Ichigo," Isshin's voice returned to normal, "Whatever it is Kisuke wanted you to have, I'm sure he had a good reason for hiding it. Perhaps he thought you could get some use out of it or something. All I know is that the man was not someone to do something without a good reason. He knows just how much the Soul Society, the entire world, owes you for taking care of Aizen."

Ichigo looked at the Kamui he was wearing with confusion. The Student Evaluation Day was later in the afternoon, which meant his dad had to wake him up at the crack of dawn in order to drive him to Honnouji Academy in time. When he discovered that he would be required to wear the Honnouji uniform, he took one look at it before throwing it away in disgust. He could barely put up with wearing the Karakura High School uniform, and that was only because the school board allowed students to customize their uniforms to a certain extent. Honnouji, on the other hand, had such a strict dress code that wearing Kisuke's Kamui, the weirdly colored uniform it was, was by far the better option.

The Kamui was something that continued to plague his mind. At first Ichigo had been doubtful about the uniform since Kisuke made it for him. In fact, anything that man created caused Ichigo to take a step or two back and carefully observe the situation before trying it out. When nothing happened for a couple hours and the Kamui remained an inanimate article of clothing, Ichigo decided to try it on. As he put it on and finished zipping up the blazer, he found that it seemed to fit him perfect, perhaps even too perfectly. Another thing that bothered him was that it never seemed to get too dirty or stained. Anything that he accidentally spilled on the Kamui bled right off the clothing, usually onto the floor causing Ichigo to clean it up.

The minutes passed in silence but eventually Ichigo was brought out of his musings by the appearance of lights in the horizon. They were nearing the bridges that led to Honnou City, which meant it would be less than an hour until they arrived. Perking up and stretching his sore neck at the thought of the trip almost being over, Ichigo was surprised when he dad said, "I feel that as your father it is proper to warn you that this world is not a safe place to live in."

Memories of the Winter War and the Soul Society briefly passed through his mind, causing Ichigo to sarcastically reply, "Gee, what gives you that idea?"

"Hey! I'm being serious here!" Isshin flustered and smacked Ichigo on the back of his head, eliciting an angry growl form his son, "I'm not talking about the Soul Society, hollows or anything like that. You're a teenager, despite everything you've been through, so your knowledge of the world is sorely lacking. Hey, don't give me that face! Tell me something Ichigo, if you had to guess the average number of hollow attacks on a town or city every year, what would it be?"

Ichigo seriously thought about the question before answering, "I don't know. I'd say about one hundred or so."

"Try one, if they're unlucky and they have a spiritually sensitive human living there," Isshin replied with a knowing chuckle, "It may shock you, but Karakura Town is basically the Bermuda Triangle of hollow attacks. I tend to chalk it up to how spiritually rich the land around the town is. It may shock you, but the number of hollow attacks in Karakura Town is roughly equal to about half of the rest around the world."

To be fair, Ichigo had always suspected something like that was true. Sure he was shocked, but the evidence had always been there. There weren't even ten thousand shinigami in the Soul Society to protect humans and souls from hollows. How could they possibly patrol and defend the entire world without stretching their forces thin? It would make more sense if hollows concentrated their attacks on one particular area in the world.

"Like I said, the danger I'm lecturing you on comes from the living," Isshin cracked open the window and allowed the cold, late summer morning air to quickly fill the car, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Uryu about whatever Goku Uniforms are. I may be but an ignoring and bumbling father, but even I would be hesitant to take free power if you don't know the cost. You know, perhaps even better than me, what happens to those that are given power then aren't able or ready to control."

Ichigo glanced down at his Kamui, thoughts and memories of when his hollow took control of his body in Hueco Mundo racing through his mind. He didn't like to think back at what his hollow did to Ulquiorra, but he knew it would never have happened if he had just been strong enough to fight the espada. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he leaned back and said, "Don't pull that stupid crap with me. If you're so worried about me then why are you sending me to Honnouji Academy?"

"The answer is quite simple Ichigo." Isshin's face was framed in shadows before he smiled goofily, "Sending you to Honnouji Academy is a tax deduction! By moving you across the country, I'm saving oodles of money every year!"

"Cheap bastard!" Ichigo smashed his elbow into his father's face, causing the car to swerve across several empty lanes before Isshin managed to regain control.

"That was a cheap shot, Ichigo!" Isshin whined childishly while he rubbed his sore cheek, "What did your poor, normal father ever do to deserve such retribution?"

"You know exactly what you did," Ichigo answered before adding, "And you're nowhere near normal."

Isshin huffed indignantly, "Remember my story about Ragyo Kiryuin?"

"The one you made up? Yeah, I remember it."

"I wasn't perfectly honest with you," Isshin admitted, "Ragyo is a very mysterious and complex woman. After I rescued her from the bombing, she and I kept in touch throughout the years. Masaki knew about this, of course, and knew that my correspondence with Ragyo was nothing more than a friendship between two adults. Did you know that Ragyo sent me a picture when her daughter, Satsuki, was born? Masaki was so torn up about it that she wanted to have kids as soon as possible."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Isshin sighed and gazed out the driver's side window, "What you don't know, and I hope Masaki never knew, is that something happened to Ragyo. When I first met her she was just a normal woman in charge of one of the largest companies in the world. She would laugh at my jokes and got along with Masaki, but as the years passed she seemed to change. She became cold, distant and more dedicated to her company. The birth of her daughter was perhaps the last time she sounded like the woman I first met. I don't know what happened to her, or even what could have caused it, but do not think for a moment that being admitted into Honnouji Academy is something she did out of generosity. Keep your eyes and ears open, Ichigo."

Ichigo stared at his father for several seconds as what Isshin said was processed. He had seen the look on his dad's face before whenever he visited their mother's grave. It was the look of someone who had lost something without ever having a chance to save it. As he opened his mouth to offer some sort of comfort, Isshin's mood quickly swung full circle.

"But that's enough talking about those sad memories from a time long gone!" Isshin shouted juvenilely at the top of his lungs, "There is still a little time before we get to Honnou City. Let's have a proper father and son talk now that you cannot go anywhere. Have I ever told you my secret manly dating tips that wooed Masaki?"

Ichigo groaned into the palm of his hand and stared out his window. Glancing down at the road, he wondered if he could survive jumping out of a moving car as a normal human.

Dear god, he hoped so.

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><p>Ragyo Kiryuin was a woman who liked to flaunt her wealth and power.<p>

Sitting in her office on a chair made out of leather from an extinct animal, she swirled the glass of 1907 Heidsieck in her hand, a pleased look on her face. To most people in the world, wine that cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars a bottle would be relegated to a collection, but Ragyo did not care for such amenities. To her, a couple hundred thousand dollars was mere pocket change when her company made that much every twenty seconds.

Sensing a familiar presence entering her spacious office, Ragyo smiled and shifted her eyes towards her approaching secretary and assistant, Rei Hououmaru.

"So tell me," she began haughtily, "What is there to report on the situation?"

Rei Hououmaru reached into the pocket near the lapel of her pristine white suit and pulled out a pair of large, blocker sunglasses before speaking, "It appears that the Grand Couturier has failed in her mission to retrieve the stolen Life Fibers."

"Quelle ironie," Ragyo muttered and put the glass of wine down on her desk before standing up. As her back left the chair, her office was immediately enveloped in a bright rainbow light that emanated from her hair, which would have blinded Rei had she not thought to put on her sunglasses.

Closing her eyes and sighing, Rei took the director's silence as a sign to speak, "If I may ask Ma'am, I do not see what the problem is in losing the Life Fibers. Just over the past three months, several government-sponsored groups broke into Revocs facilities across the world and stole nearly one hundred million dollars worth of Life Fibers and related equipment, but that was only after you leaked internal memos describing the physical benefits of weaving Life Fibers into clothing. Why should this particular instance gain such prominence?"

"Vous avez raison," Ragyo smirked and walked over to one of the opulent windows in her office, the white dress she wore seemingly avoiding touching the ground, "Those simple humans stealing my Life Fibers don't concern me. It is, after all, part of my plan to disseminate Life Fibers across the globe. The governments that steal Life Fibers are the last ones to ban Revocs clothing, but as long as Life Fibers are introduced into their countries, it does not matter who has them. The problem with this particular situation is that the Life Fibers stolen came from here."

"From here?" Rei asked stunned and pulled out her PDA. Scrolling through the data listed on it, she stopped on a particular file and opened it, "Are you referring to the security breach last summer, Ma'am?"

The security breach was perhaps the single most embarrassing thing to happen to Revocs since the company's founding. No one, not Ragyo Kiryuin or even the Grand Couturier, knew how it occurred or who accomplished it. All that the security footage showed were the doors to the harvested Life Fibers being destroyed by an unseen force before five bundles of Life Fibers, nearly five million dollars in total, mysteriously disappeared from the building.

To this day Ragyo did not know who could have done such a feat and that bothered her more than anyone would ever find out, "That was why I sent the Grand Couturier to Karakura Town. The signal that all Life Fibers emit finally appeared on our screens, pinpointing their location to a store owned by a Kisuke Urahara. Nui Harime's goal was not only to recover the Life Fibers, but also find out who gave them to him."

When she noticed the peculiar absence of someone who would have already been in her office, Ragyo asked, "Tell me, where is my Nui?"

"I'm afraid the Grand Couturier is still recuperating from her mission," Rei informed her boss with a slight bow, "She has given me permission to debrief you in her place."

"Recuperating?"

"Yes," Rei bowed slightly as she explained what happened, "From the Grand Couturier's bursts of anger and frustration, I was able to put together a clear picture of what happened. From Nui's story, Kisuke Urahara appeared to be a highly dangerous and intelligent man who was able to deduce the Grand Couturier's true origins from only her name and purpose. After her initial attempt to procure information and dispose of Kisuke Urahara where there would be no witnesses failed, she was led on a chase across half of Karakura town before finally cornering him."

"Quite a dangerous man, indeed," Ragyo smiled coldly and turned her head until one eye was staring directly at Rei, "Is there something you are not telling me?"

"You are such a scamp, Ma'am," Rei shook her head dejectedly. Sometimes the Director's sense of humor was a bit alien to her, "You knew that I wasn't finished speaking. As I was telling you, once the Grand Couturier decided to finish dealing with Kisuke Urahara, she returned to his shop only to discover that someone had already been there."

Upon hearing that news, a smile spread across Ragyo's face that looked nearly psychotic, "Kisuke Urahara was truly a worthy opponent for our dear Nui. To not only lead the Grand Couturier away from her objective, but also have someone retrieve it while she was busy killing him. It was a shame he had to die."

"Indeed," Rei agreed with a nod, "Whoever Kisuke Urahara's colleague may have been, they made the mistake of leaving open the entrance to a previously hidden room located underneath his shop. Upon returning for a second time, the Grand Couturier went inside and found equipment and machinery more than capable of manipulating Life Fibers to nearly the same extent as used by us."

"Splendid," Ragyo leaned back and smirked seductively, "There are only so many people in the world capable of obtaining equipment like that. It should be a fairly easy process to narrow down whom Kisuke Urahara obtained his from."

"Yes, well, there is some bad news as well," Rei nervously adjusted her sunglasses, a small tic that she had never truly been able to get rid of, "It seems that Kisuke Urahara may have created a working Kamui."

Ragyo didn't know whether to feel impressed or angry that Kisuke Urahara was able to create a Kamui. Doing so was all but impossible except for a handful of people. It was not as simple as weaving Life Fibers into clothing and calling it a Kamui. It took years for someone to have the skills and experience necessary to manipulate the Life Fibers into the shape of clothing without being devoured in the process.

"So he managed to create a Kamui?" Ragyo decided to not worry about the possibility of a Kamui. It didn't matter in the end anyway, "Tell me, Hououmaru, has the Grand Couturier established a timeframe between when the theft occurred and the creation of this so-called Kamui?"

Rei looked at her PDA and scrolled through the information, "From what little information the Grand Couturier was able to gather, the most probable creation time of this Kamui was between twenty and twenty six days ago, give or take a few days."

The more Ragyo heard about Kisuke Urahara, the more she lamented that Revocs wasn't able to get someone like him to work for her. Ragyo was completely certain that if she had a man like Kisuke working for her, her plans would have easily been accelerated by months, if not years, "Remarkable. To create a Kamui with less than a year to study the Life Fibers…I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't hearing it from you, Hououmaru. Incroyable. Still, there is something amiss."

"What do you mean, Ma'am?"

"It means, my dear, Kisuke Urahara knew far too much."

Rei nodded, "Do you wish for me to send a clean-up team to Karakura Town?"

"No," Ragyo said much to Rei's shock, "Kisuke Urahara was able to create a Kamui as well as outsmart my dear Nui. It is likely he has plans in place in case his operations were ever discovered. Speaking of which, the only way that he could have removed the Kamui is if he had called his accomplice after Nui arrived. Can we trace the number?"

"It will not be hard," Rei agreed, "But it will take some time. As you are aware, most governments do not trust Revocs or yourself. To find out who Kisuke Urahara called will require outsourcing to a NGO that is able to hack into secure satellites and servers without it being traced back to us."

"Make it happen," Ragyo walked towards Rei Hououmaru, a demented and cunning look adorning her face, "Hououmaru, tell me what happened to the Grand Couturier. How does my dear little Nui get hurt?"

"A Bleach Bomb," Rei answered stoically, causing the demented look to be wiped off of Ragyo's face as quickly as it appeared. "The device was placed deep in the hidden room under Kisuke Urahara's shop. It seemed the man planned for it to go off when someone other than himself attempted to access his data. While the Grand Couturier was able to escape the blast, she was still injured from the bomb due to obvious reasons."

Ragyo never thought she would hear of a Bleach Bomb. She, of course, knew about the concept of the device and how one would go about creating it, but for obvious reasons she would never make or sanction the creation of one herself. If Kisuke Urahara built a Bleach Bomb, it meant that he knew everything the true form of Life Fibers and their connection to Revocs. In fact, it wasn't a bold stretch to also assume he knew about COVERS and all it implied.

"La vie est drôle," She said and turned to sit down, "Inform me once you have found who Kisuke Urahara spoke to."

"Of course, Ma'am," Rei bowed, "Shall I also inform the Grand Couturier?"

"Yes," Ragyo picked up the glass of wine and took a sip, "Tell my dear Nui that I forgive her for her failings in Karakura Town."

"As you wish, Ma'am," Rei nodded. She found it strange that Lady Ragyo was being so lenient today. Usually if someone failed her, even someone of the same status as the Grand Couturier, Ragyo wouldn't pause to punish them. What could be going through the Director's mind that would lead to such a mysterious choice?

As soon as Rei was out of earshot, Ragyo grinned maliciously. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt the identity of Kisuke's acquaintance. After all, it was Karakura Town and there was only one man who could have pulled something like this off so flawlessly, "So you've finally come out into the open. I cannot wait to see how you've raised young Ichigo, Isshin. It should be quite the enlightening experience."

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><p>"Ichigo," Isshin's voice was stern and full of authority, his face hidden in shadows. Brushing some imaginary dust off the shoulders of Ichigo's Kamui, he stared his son in the eyes, "I do not need to explain just how lucky you are. This is a big opportunity not just for you, but also for the entire Kurosaki Clan. I have worked tirelessly throughout my entire life to make sure that you lived in a good home and received a proper education. Do not bring shame upon our family as you usually do."<p>

Ichigo stared at his dad before he sighed and rolled his eyes, "Oh shut it, old man."

Isshin stumbled but quickly recovered. Slamming his forehead against Ichigo's, he asked, "Why do you refuse to listen to your father's advice?"

Annoyed and pissed off, Ichigo reared his head back and slammed it forward with enough force to cause his father to fall on his ass, "I don't need you screwing this day up for me. I only have one shot at having a reputation. I don't need your nonsense screwing up my only chance."

"But Ichigo – "

Isshin began protesting but Ichigo had already pushed his way through the crowd of parents and citizens of Honnou City towards the group of new and current students standing outside the entrance to Honnouji Academy. Adjusting the collar of his Kamui nervously, he tried his best to ignore the pointed stares from the surrounding students. It wasn't as if he cared that his Kamui's colors were nowhere near the same as the standard gray of the Honnouji uniforms. What really irked him were the constant whispers about his short and spiky orange hair. It seemed as if people assumed he was a punk everywhere he went.

Standing in the midst of the crowd, his hands in his pockets, Ichigo wondered what everyone was waiting for. Peering over the crowd, he saw nothing blocking students from entering the academy, but something seemed to hold them back.

"Listen up!"

A man, taller than Kenpachi by at least another foot, appeared out of nowhere in front of the students. Flanked on both sides by at least twenty One-Star students, he had short and combed blond hair and dark skin. Ichigo may have been surprised by the massive man's height and size, but his attention was focused on the three black four-pointed stars emblazoned across his chest.

"I am Ira Gamagori! Honnouji Academy Student Council Disciplinary Committee Chair! I welcome you all to **Student Evaluation Day!**" The massive man shouted with enough force to cause the crowd of students to tense back slightly, "For those of you who have recently been granted the honor and privilege by Lady Satsuki to attend Honnouji Academy, there are three rules you must follow!"

"Rule Number One! All students are to bow down to Lady Satsuki whenever she graces you with her presence!"

"_Is this guy for real?"_ Ichigo didn't know what to make of Gamagori. If he hadn't been paying attention, he would have assumed that he had somehow been conned into joining the military. If that was the case, then he was seriously going to kill his dad as soon as possible.

Gamagori held up two massive fingers as he continued, "Rule Number Two! Food and drinks are prohibited in the hallways and classrooms except during designated times!"

"Rule Number Three!" Gamagori's eyes seemed to zoom in on Ichigo out of the entire crowd, "Honnouji Academy has a strict dress code. Uniforms are distributed solely by Lady Satsuki! Anyone caught wearing anything else shall suffer harshly!"

"You! Step forward!" Gamagori shouted at Ichigo. The crowd of students, seeing whom it was that Gamagori had singled out, quickly and quite mysteriously vanished from around Ichigo. When Ichigo made no motion to listen to Gamagori, apart from folding his hands in his pockets and adopting an expression of utmost irritation, Gamagori stalked forward, a yellow gleam in his eyes.

"You are violating one of Honnouji Academy's rules! Consider yourself lucky that this is your first day here. I do not expect a new student such as yourself to have already memorized the rules. You must change immediately!" Snapping his fingers, Gamagori reached out and took the standard No-Star uniform so conveniently provided by one of the One-Star students flanking him, "You will leave the premises of Honnouji Academy until you have changed!"

Leave the premises? If Ichigo understood what Gamagori meant by that, he would need to go with Isshin all the way back down to the base of Honnou City, get changed and then come back up. There were a few issues with that logic, first of which was that he didn't want to get changed and damn Gamagori to hell if he thought he was going to make him. Ichigo had fought people larger and tougher than him in the past. Well, he may have had spiritual powers when he did that, but the concept was still the same.

"You expect me," Ichigo glared at Gamagori harshly enough to make the massive teen flinch slightly, "To go back out there and change? I just spent the last five hours listening to my dad talk on and on about things I don't, nor will ever, care about. There is nothing you can do or say to me to make me do that again."

From somewhere in the crowd of people behind him, Ichigo could have sworn he heard his dad break down and start crying at his declaration, but his eyes were focused completely on Gamagori. The massive teen folded his arms across his chest, his left eye twitching slightly every second or two. As he looked ready to retaliate against Ichigo, he seemed to reel himself back.

Without taking his eyes off Ichigo, Gamagori reached out into the air just as a clipboard came hurtling through the air and into his hand. Flipping through the pages attached to it, he grumbled as he came across Ichigo's registration and profile.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Gamagori tapped his pen on the clipboard as he finally found the name he was looking for. He was curious about why the name sounded familiar to him and now he realized why, "It fill me with pride that you are right on time. I was convinced you would be tardy on your first day of class and I would have to hunt you down and subdue you."

"What?" Ichigo took a moment to process what Gamagori just said, "On time for what exactly?"

"It need not concern you!" Gamagori shouted bombastically, "I will give you a pass on your current attire for this day! Let the **Student Evaluation Day **begin!"

Ichigo mentally suppressed the comment he wanted to say. It wouldn't do to antagonize someone that looked to be at least five times his size at the moment. As Gamagori moved out of the way, allowing the new students to meander into Honnouji Academy, he heard a voice from the crowd that froze him cold.

"That's my boy! Ichigo, go and make your papa proud!"

Ichigo heard snickering and chuckles coming from the crowd and fellow students. Realizing he needed to nip this in the bud immediately, he grabbed the clipboard out of Gamagori's hands, located his dad in the crowd, and threw the piece of wood like a lethal Frisbee. The clipboard sailed threw the air faster than most people could see and managed to nail Isshin in the forehead with an impact loud enough to echo through the air and disturb several nearby birds.

"Damn idiot," Ichigo seethed while dusting his hands off. Walking past several shocked and awed students, including Gamagori, Ichigo folded his hands in his pockets and entered Honnouji Academy.

His first thought was that there was too much space. The actual school buildings had to be nearly a quarter of a mile behind the entrance, leaving a large and suspiciously empty courtyard. As he followed the line of students, half of which seemed to be unnerved by the grandiose size of Honnouji Academy, Ichigo thought he sensed someone watching him. Glancing inconspicuously back and forth while making sure not to draw attention to himself, he eventually looked up at the top of Honnouji Academy and thought he saw someone, but the strangely bright light between them made it hard to tell.

"_Who is that?"_

Hearing excited breathing coming from his side, Ichigo looked down and saw a girl with brown eyes and hair staring up at his with stars twinkling in her eyes. Honestly a little scared by the fanatical look the girl was giving him, Ichigo asked, "Can I help you?"

It was almost as if the girl was waiting for Ichigo to ask her that particular question. Jumping in front of him and pumping her fist into the air, the girl began speaking rapidly, "That was so awesome! You came out of nowhere and stared down one of Lady Satsuki's Elite Four just like a sheriff from an old Western who had just strolled into town. I wish I could do that. Then I could clean up crime during the night as a masked vigilante!"

Ichigo watched in a mixture of horror and amazement as the girl began adding various stances and poses at specific times of her speech. When she finally finished speaking, he could only stare at her in confusion and asked, "Who are you?"

"Oh! Silly me!" The girl slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand hard enough to leave a red imprint of her hand, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Mako Mankanshoku!"

Ichigo looked at her outstretch hand for a moment before hesitantly accepting it, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"You're name is Strawberry?" Mako's eyes lit up and she seemed to drool a little out of the corner of her mouth, "I love strawberries! Strawberries are delicious, especially when they are dipped in home-made chocolate and with whipped cream-"

"My name means 'to protect one thing' not strawberry!"

"Ohhh," Mako let out a sound of understanding before she abruptly switched topics, "Oh! How do you think you'll do on Student Evaluation Day?"

"I don't know," he answered with a shrug, "I have no idea what it is."

"Student Evaluation Day," Mako began ranting again, "Is where students as lowly and meager as us are granted the opportunity to determine whether or not we will be given a Goku Uniform."

That explained some things, "So, it's like a physical or something?"

"Nope!" Mako answered a bit too enthusiastically, "If it was something like that, I wouldn't be here. I'm a dedicated underachiever. Something like that would make my delicate skin break out in a rash. All that you need to do is stick your arm out, close your eyes and wait ten seconds for the strange machine to determine your score."

Ichigo was getting close to the main building now. Looking up at Honnouji Academy, he frowned when the figure he saw earlier had disappeared, taking with it the light that previously illuminated the top of the building "Score?"

"Yup!" Mako nodded vigorously, "They say it is out of 1000 but I'm proud of my all time high score of 30. When the proctor saw my score, he said it was the lowest one he had ever witnessed. Even in failure Mako Mankanshoku is a winner!"

"That sounds…fascinating," Ichigo found Mako's pride in failure quite terrifying. Perhaps in time he could get used to it, but for the moment he had other things to worry about, such as what this test actually was. He was having trouble separating Mako's fantasies from what was reality.

"What's with your uniform?" Mako switched topics and began teleporting around Ichigo at random locations, poking and prodding his Kamui in various places, "It looks so funny! Are those eyes? Why is it black and white instead of gray? Does it transform into a suit of armor when you flip a switch?"

"Hey!" Ichigo held his hand out in a stopping gesture, "What's with all the questions?"

"I don't have many friends. Actually, I don't have any. Will you be my first friend?"

Her question brought Ichigo out of his thoughts. Looking at Mako and seeing the innocent and hopeful expression on her face, he said, "I suppose."

Mako seemed to be on the verge of hugging him, which Ichigo would have prevented by leaping back, when a One-Star student began shouting through a megaphone.

"All students must split into two lines. Boys on the left and girls on the right! Please keep the lines orderly and in single-file."

"Ah! That's my queue to vamoose!" Mako began panicking and ran towards the line on the right, "I'll see you later Strawberry."

"For the last time, my name doesn't mean strawberry!" he shouted at her before realizing Mako had gone out of earshot. Muttering about it not being worth the effort coming to Honnouji Academy, Ichigo walked towards the line on the left.

It was surprising that he didn't need to wait long for his turn at whatever the examination was. Even though the line had to have been nearly one hundred students by the time he got on, it had taken barely twenty minutes for him to nearly reach the front. When it was his turn to go, he entered the room.

The student wearing a labcoat with a single black four-pointed star pointed for Ichigo towards the nearest empty chair. Sitting down in the chair, the One-Star student glanced at Ichigo's hair and then his face before saying, "Please roll up your sleeve and place your hand in the machine."

"Why?"

"Don't question the exam," the One-Star student warned Ichigo. Instead of wasting the effort of arguing back, which was something he was finding to look more and more worth it, Ichigo swallowed his retort before it could leave his throat and did as he was told.

With his right hand stuck in the machine, Ichigo propped his head on his left arm and waited nearly a minute for the machine to finish. When he was told he could remove his hand, he asked, "So what's my score?"

"Hold on," the One-Star said while the machine continued beeping. When it finally stopped, the One-Star looked at the screen conveniently hidden from Ichigo and gasped before rising out of his seat and rushing off out into the hall.

With everyone staring at him once again, although it wasn't at his hair this time, Ichigo decided to find out what had scared the crap out of the proctor. Getting out of his chair, Ichigo leaned over the table and looked at the computer facing away from him. Highlighted on the screen in bold red letters was:

**Student Name: Kurosaki, Ichigo**

**Life Fiber Resistance – 90.3%**

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Give me a ticket to Honnou City."<p>

The clerk sitting in the ticket counter looked over the top of his newspaper at the clump of wadded up money and coins placed on the other side of the glass. While he reached through the oval-shaped hole in the window and grabbed the money, he couldn't help but be surprised. No one bought tickets to Honnou City. The only people that traveled there were those that had annual passes and who paid up front. Punching a few keys on his computer, the familiar sound of the printer starting soon after, he looked at the girl staring impatiently at him and decided to ask, "I don't mean to impose, but are you sure you want to go to a place like that? Honnou City isn't exactly the best place for a proper young lady."

"Proper?" The girl rolled her eyes at the clerk's unwanted interference. Why did everyone she met think she was some delicate little flower that couldn't take care of herself? Motioning for the clerk to hand her the ticket, she said, "Thanks for the advice but give me my ticket."

Grabbing the ticket out of the clerk's reluctant hand and placing it one of the many pockets on her black and white jacket, Ryuko Matoi adjusted the silver case strapped to her back and walked towards the nearest bench. She had about an hour until the bus was scheduled to leave so she had plenty of time to kill, which meant she was going to be quite bored until then. Plopping down with a loud sigh, Ryuko ran a hand through her black hair, her fingers brushing against the single red highlight in the process, and leaned back until her head was resting against the back of the bench.

"Great," she muttered in annoyance, "Two weeks in this city and not a single clue."

Ryuko had been so sure that a clue about the identity of her father's murderer would be here, in Osaka, but it appeared she was wrong yet again. Whenever she would ask, but mostly order, people to tell her if they'd seen a woman wielding a Scissor Blade, they'd either look at her funny or clam up. Placing a hand on the silver case holding her own Scissor Blade, colored red, Ryuko sadly thought back over the last six months and everything that happened.

"I'm beginning to think this is pointless," she moaned and kicked the silver case hard enough to dent it, "Twelve cities. I've been to twelve cities in six months and not one person knows anything! At this rate, I'm going to die before finding out anything about my dad."

Usually Ryuko would stay in a city for about a couple of weeks before moving on, but she'd only been in Osaka for four days. She had a lead concerning the identity of her father's murderer, her very first one since that fateful day, but she doubted the accuracy of the information. Stuff like that just doesn't fall into her lap. Ryuko wasn't used to having things going her way, so she was more than a little apprehensive about the whole situation.

She first heard the rumor when she was interrogating students at Naniwa Kinman High school for information. While she was shaking down two students who had the nerve to try and attack her, a third student had approached her with information about the woman with the Scissor Blade. When they asked for a lot of money for the information, Ryuko pointed her Scissor Blade at their throat and threatened to cut off something important unless they told her everything they knew.

The student, after wetting his pants out of fear, said the rumor mills placed a woman with a purple scissor blade in close proximity with the Student Council President of Honnouji Academy, Satsuki Kiryuin. Ryuko hadn't initially believed a murderer would be associated with the Kiryuin name and demanded to know the truth. The student, now shaking in fear, said he was telling the truth. The rumor was Satsuki Kiryuin was intimately familiar with the woman with the purple Scissor Blade. In fact, she might even be the killer.

Groaning in annoyance, Ryuko reached into her pocket and pulled out a lemon. Taking a bite out of it without even a hint of hesitation, she glanced at the nearby clock and realized she still had forty-five minutes.

"_I've almost found the woman who killed you dad. You just need to wait a little longer. The woman with the Scissor Blade will pay for what she did. I promise."_


	4. Chapter 4: Instant Karma

_I present to you chapter 4 of **To My Death I Fight**. This chapter gave me a little trouble, all of which came about after Episode 18 of Kill la Kill was released and I witnessed first-hand just how evil and completely insane Ragyo is. So while I had this chapter done on Thursday, I had to rewrite a lot of it in order to not completely veer off canon. In retrospect, I think that made this chapter flow much better. And, for those of you keeping track, this is the last full chapter before the Kill la Kill anime starts so expect to see events that happened in Episode 1 appear in Chapter 5, with some modifications of course._

_Oh, I have decided that the theme music of Ichigo's interactions with Mako is **Ditty for Daddy**._

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Instant Karma<strong>

"Be careful with those Life Fibers!"

Ioir Shiro, president of the Sewing Club and designer of all the Goku Uniforms currently spread throughout Honnouji Academy, cursed behind his breathing mask as he watched the procession pass below. Leaning over the railing of the scaffolding that hung over the dozens of currently empty sewing machines below, Iori carefully watched as several members of his club in full biohazard suits moved a large bundle of glowing red Life Fibers that had recently arrived at the academy towards Concepts and Designs.

Turning towards the monitor to his right, Iori tapped a few keys and pressed a finger against his ear, "What is the status on containment?"

"No problems to report, sir," one of the Sewing Club members responded as she watched the Life Fibers being brought carefully through the steel door separating the rest of the club from Concepts and Designs, "Everything is proceeding nominally. Full containment will be achieved in less then three minutes."

"Good. See that you inform me once containment is obtained. I do not want a repeat of the last breach," Iori closed the connection and turned away from the railing towards the series of monitors behind him. It was from here that he was able to monitor and view the progress on every single Goku Uniform being created by the Sewing Club. Most of them, the One-Star and Two-Star uniforms, did not need him to constantly watch their progress. The only uniforms that Iori monitored beyond the initial creation were the experimental Goku Uniforms his club was currently trying to produce.

What they were creating was the culmination of months of effort and sweat. It had taken more time and money than he originally thought, but Iori was finally ready to move beyond the conceptual stage and actually sew a Five-Star Goku Uniform.

Iori had to thank Inumuta when he got the chance. If it wasn't for his financial backing, the sheer cost of the Life Fibers needed for this experimental uniform would have bankrupted the Sewing Club long before this point.

While he was observing the various cameras and monitors throughout the club, there was a hiss of static in Iori's year. Without looking away, he said, "What is it?"

"Containment has been obtained," the Sewing Club member from earlier informed him from outside the door separating her from the dangerous Life Fibers, "Everything is green down here."

"I'm getting the same readings up here," Iori rapidly pressed a few buttons and brought up three-dimensional model of the room, "Everything is working at full efficiency. Negative pressure has been obtained. Have the team brought to decontamination before returning to work. It's better to err on the side of caution."

As he hung up on the club member, Iori leaned over the desk and groaned, "Creating a Five-Star Goku Uniform will be child's play compared to finding someone that can actually wear it."

Contrary to popular belief, while willpower and strength of mind were important for gaining control over a Goku Uniform, the real variable was the wearer's Life Fiber resistance percentage. Iori, as well as Lady Satsuki, did not understand what genetic factor made some people more resistant to the influence of Life Fibers than others. Lady Satsuki had financed genetic testing of twin students that had wildly different resistances in the hopes of finding some previously unknown genetic marker, but unfortunately apart from the normal differences between the genetic codes of twins, there was nothing to indicate such a wildly differing resistance value.

The common One-Star uniform, which is composed of only 10% Life Fibers, required a paltry 4.2% resistance for the wearer to not be consumed by the power. A Two-Star uniform, on the other hand, required the wearer to have a resistance above 16.5%, which was still less than the 29.3% that each of the Elite Four had to control their Three-Star uniforms. The fact that the resistances increased drastically with each level of Goku Uniform had Iori trying to guess how high someone's resistance needed to be to wear a Five-Star uniform and not go berserk.

"_The data from the experimental Four-Star uniform indicated that a minimum resistance of 45.4% was needed. If I extrapolate that value upwards, I should be able to obtain a reasonable volunteer resistance."_

When Iori heard the elevator doors behind him open with a pressurized hiss, he turned around and saw Satsuki Kiryuin walking towards him, flanked on either side by Nonon Jakuzure and Uzu Sanageyama. All three were wearing the same type of breathing apparatus as Iori in order to prevent breathing in any microscopic Life Fiber fragments inadvertently released during the creation of Goku Uniforms.

"Greetings, Lady Satsuki," Iori bowed respectfully to the Student Council President as she walked towards him with a determined gait to her step, "I was not expecting you to respond to my message so quickly."

"I was informed by Inumuta that you have valuable information concerning Ichigo Kurosaki."

Behind Satsuki, Nonon Jakuzure turned to Sanageyama and whispered, "Who's Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"He's the kid that Lady Satsuki's taken an interest in," Sanageyama explained. When he saw Jakuzure still had a perplexed, and irritated, look, he continued, "He has short, spiky orange hair with a perpetual scowl. He's the one you have a crush on."

"I don't have a crush on him," Nonon squeaked as she kicked Sanageyama squarely in the shin, "I just didn't remember his name. That's all!"

Ignoring the argument between her two subordinates, Satsuki followed Iori over to the nearby monitor, who began feverishly typing in commands. After a few seconds had passed, without turning to Satsuki he said, "Here is Ichigo Kurosaki's profile. Until Student Evaluation Day it was normal, apart from his means of getting accepted into Honnouji Academy. Take a look at what his Life Fiber resistance value is."

As a picture of Ichigo Kurosaki, scowl and all, appeared on the screen, Satsuki leaned in, her eyes narrowing as she beheld the displayed data, "That is impossible."

"I'm afraid it's true," Iori didn't bother looking at Satsuki. He knew her long enough to know that she was displeased with what he was showing her, "It has been confirmed that Ichigo Kurosaki's resistance to Life Fibers is close to 90.3%. A value, that I don't think I need to say, is higher than yours."

The origin of Satsuki's resistance to Life Fibers was a secret to all but her and the one who did it to her. While she publicly announced her resistance of 83.5% and how it was proof how far above everyone she was and why they needed her to govern them, internally it was a bitter gift from the one she hated the most. Yet out of nowhere came Ichigo Kurosaki, the son of someone who supposedly had nothing more than a chance meeting with her mother, with a resistance even higher than hers.

She did not believe for a moment that Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, only met her mother once and was able to live his life as he saw fit. Soroi had been adamant that her mother had been injured in the explosion before Isshin rescued her, a completely and utterly laughable notion to Satsuki, and yet she could not find any trace of her mother being admitted to a hospital. She needed to find out what the true connection between Isshin and her mother was, but it was not going to be easy or simple.

"Iori, have you double-checked the data?"

"As soon as Ichigo Kurosaki's resistance was discovered," The Sewing Club president answered, "We even triple-checked it before having him retake the examination a second time under the pretense of a mechanical issue. The same percentage was displayed on the second machine as was on the first."

"I see," Satsuki closed her eyes and evaluated how this discovery was going to affect her plans. She, of course, could adapt to many variables, but she needed more information. If Ichigo Kurosaki was special enough to warrant her mother's personal attention, it could only mean a few things. She needed to find out why he was sent to Honnouji Academy.

"Sanageyama," she barked out, catching the Athletic Committee Chair by surprise, "I believe it is time that we tested Ichigo Kurosaki's resolve and worthiness of attending Honnouji Academy. Do you have anyone available for such a task?"

"Unfortunately I don't," Sanageyama chuckled nervously. It was never good to give Lady Satsuki bad news, "All athletic clubs captains are currently out participating in the Japanese Inter-school Sports Tournament and should be back by tonight. I would have been there myself if this business concerning Ichigo Kurosaki hadn't come up."

"You disappoint me, Sanageyama," Satsuki said, "But I suppose I will have to make due with what is available. I'm sure there are members of the athletic clubs that crave strength and power. You will choose one of them for this task. Tell them that if they want to remain a Two-Star, they need to dispose of Ichigo Kurosaki before the day is out."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki."

"I should be able to create the necessary Two-Star Goku Uniform within two hours," Iori chose that moment to give his personal input, "It should be finished before the academy finishes lunch."

"Good," Satsuki continued to stare at the data displayed on the monitor, her eyes never leaving the picture of Ichigo, "I don't want Ichigo Kurosaki to assume he is safe at Honnouji Academy."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"This place sucks."<p>

As he ate his lunch in relative peace and quiet, Ichigo quickly decided that his day had been anything from normal and, coming from someone like him, that was saying quite a lot. He still wasn't quite sure what had happened, but ever since he took that stupid exam he couldn't help but feel as he someone was watching him. Perhaps he was being just a little paranoid, but his experience dictated that something was going to go down and, whether he liked it or not, it would most likely be involving him in some way or another.

"I wonder what dad is up to?"

After being forced to take his exam a second time due to so-called 'technical issues,' he had decided to go speak to his dad. Ichigo knew without a doubt that Isshin would be sticking around for as long as Ichigo would allow him to stay. That usually meant he would have to physically force him to leave. Once he made his way back to the entrance to Honnouji Academy, however, he found his dad long gone without so much as a goodbye. While he was silently grateful for the lack of a large, tearful and hammy goodbye from his dad, Ichigo couldn't help but feel just a little upset.

"Ichigo!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice rapidly approaching him, Ichigo turned and saw Mako Mankanshoku waving vigorously at him. Hesitantly waving back at her, he bore witness to an amazing scene as Mako literally sprinted at him, her body ducking and weaving through the crowd of confused students. Just as she reached Ichigo, Mako tripped over her untied shoelace, causing her body to hit the ground face first and roll for several meters, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

Ichigo stared at her most likely unconscious body with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment evident on his face, "Are you alright?"

In one swift motion Mako planted her hands on the ground and pushed herself back onto her feet. With a trail of blood dripping down from her nose and several cuts on her face, she gave him a thumbs up, "I'm peachy!"

Ichigo looked at the blood on her face before shaking his head and focusing back on his lunch. He had already realized that Mako was her very own breed of insanity. Asking any questions would be tantamount to encouraging her behavior. Just as he was about to take a bite from his food Ichigo, to his annoyance, found Mako hovering inches from his face.

"What do you want?"

With a wide smile on her face, Mako asked, "Good afternoon Ichigo! How did your Student Evaluation go?"

"Fine, I guess," he replied with nothing more than a passing shrug. He didn't see the point in telling her about the commotion that had occurred after he received his score.

"I did fine as well!" Mako thumped a fist against her chest, "I managed to break my all time high score with a 50!"

Ichigo was nearly blinded by the pride being emitted by Mako but, being the person that he was, he felt the need to point out the obvious to her, "I don't think that's something you should be taking pride in."

"Of course it is!" Mako exclaimed excitedly, "Being special isn't limited to just being good at sports, chess, or even public speaking. It can mean many things. I am special because of the impossibility of my low exam score. Mako Mankanshoku achieves the impossible despite all the odds stacked against her!"

Ichigo stared at Mako's reaction with a disturbed expression, "I think your definition of special is not the same as mine. Why don't you go and make some more friends or something?"

"Make more friends?" Mako brought a finger up to her lip and appeared to be deep in thought, "I suppose if I make more friends, since you're a boy it should be a girl so it all evens out. She will need to be friendly, selfless, a total badass and have a great figure."

As Mako's tirade devolved away from what type of personality her imaginary friend would have towards her chest size, Ichigo could only continue to stare at her, his mind trying to put together what was going on in front of him.

"_What the hell's going on in that mind of hers? She's worse than Orihime."_

Even though he was unfortunately focused on Mako, Ichigo's ears managed to pick up the faint whistling of something sailing through the air towards him. Without thinking, he quickly raised his lunch tray just as the thrown knife reached him, causing the steel weapon to become embedded up to the hilt in the tray.

"The hell is this?"

After blocking two more thrown knives, courtesy of his hidden assailant, Ichigo had decided that was enough. Standing up, Ichigo looked around the area for the perpetrator. It did not take him long to locate the thrower, but that was mostly because he either wasn't trying to hide or was simply doing a terrible job at it.

Ichigo stared up at the mysterious figure that had dared to ruin his lunch, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Prepare yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki!" His mysterious assailant shouted brazenly with his tongue sticking out from between his sharpened teeth. Licking the knife held in his hand, he pointed the weapon at Ichigo, "I, Jack Naito, president of the Knife Throwing Club, will take you down!"

Even as Jack Naito was giving his introduction, Ichigo was already trying to figure out who the hell he was and what he wanted. Shifting his gaze away from Jack to his murdered lunch tray and then back, once again, to Jack, Ichigo decided that he didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Eh?" Ichigo scratched his ear with a confused expression on his face, "Who are you?"

"Are you deaf?" Jack angrily asked as he leapt down off the building, which had to be three stories high, and landed on the ground nearby without any difficulty. Spreading his arms to his sides, several knives magically sliding in between his fingers from somewhere deep in his sleeves, he grinned sadistically at Ichigo, "I am here to take you down, Ichigo Kurosaki! Your presence at Honnouji Academy is no longer permitted!"

Ichigo continued to stare at Jack in confusion. Determining that he was getting nowhere fast he turned to Mako, "Do you have any idea what the hell this guy is talking about?"

"He's a Club Captain," Mako began explaining in a sage-like tone, "That means he is wearing a Two-Star uniform. Although I thought he was part of the Acrobatics Club…"

"You are correct!" Jack said, "I was part of the Acrobatics Club until Sanageyama honored me with my own club. I get to keep this Two-Star uniform as long as I take you down, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Two-Star uniform?" Ichigo stared at Jack Naito's uniform with a discerning eye. It was the standard gray of Honnouji Academy, but embedded along his sleeves were dozens of knives. What made him stand out the most was the large, glowing red blade sticking out from his head, "From his ridiculous uniform, I thought he was just nuts."

With a twitch in his eyes, Jack swung his arms back and shouted, "Perish, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

The six knives held in between Jack's fingers sailed through the air towards Ichigo, only to be stopped when Ichigo, with a bored expression, brought up his lunch tray with a single arm and expertly blocked all of them.

"What?" Jack took a nervous step back before angrily asking, "How the hell did you do that? No one can block the attack of someone wearing a Two-Star uniform!"

What Jack Naito didn't know was that Ichigo was friends with someone that could fire over one thousand arrows a second. Compared to something like that, a few knives were nothing, even as a normal human, "Is that all you got? Because right now, you're just making yourself look like an idiot."

"That's the spirit!" Jack Naito grinned and leapt back, six more knives already between his fingers, "I wouldn't want this to be too easy! Let's see how you deal with the next salvo!"

"Hold on just one moment," Ichigo held his hands up in the universal symbol for 'timeout' and turned to Mako. As he handed her his knife-riddled tray, he said, "Get out of here."

"What?" Mako seemed shocked that Ichigo was telling her to leave. At first Ichigo thought it was because she was worried about him, but that quickly changed when she asked, "But what about your lunch?"

Quickly catching himself before he face vaulted, Ichigo sighed and said, "You can have it. I'm not that hungry anymore."

While Mako ran away to who knows where, Ichigo focused completely on Jack Naito. Upon seeing Ichigo staring at him, the club president crossed his arms across his chest and laughed, "You are either very brave or very stupid to fight against me without a Goku Uniform, Ichigo Kurosaki, but it wouldn't matter if you did! You will fall to my power!"

As Jack threw his knives at Ichigo, more appearing in his hands just as he threw the ones already held between his fingers, Ichigo quickly vaulted over the shoulder-high wall he had been sitting on. As knives rained down on the other side of the wall, Ichigo carefully analyzed his options.

"_I hate to admit it, but he has some skill,"_ The problem Ichigo was facing wasn't so much Jack Naito's skills and power, but his own diminished powers. Seven months after he lost his powers fighting against Aizen, Ichigo sometimes needed to consciously remind himself that he was just an ordinary human without any spiritual powers. That meant no spiritually enhanced reflexes, strength or speed. If he had even one of those three things he could take someone like Jack down with his eyes closed but now, as a normal human, he needed to rely solely on his intellect. If he was going to beat Jack, and by god he wasn't going to be killed by this asshole, Ichigo needed a plan.

"_I can't get close to him,"_ Ichigo began stealthily moving behind the wall. He couldn't afford to stay in the same spot. Eventually Jack Naito was going to get annoyed, and possibly pissed, that Ichigo was hiding, _"__He doesn't seem to be that bright. I should be able to take him by surprise.__"_

"Hiding like the coward you are, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo's eyes widened as Jack Naito's voice mocked him. Looking up, he saw the Knife Throwing Club president standing on the wall above him, a disturbing smirk on his face.

"Did you really think you could hide from me?" Jack mockingly asked Ichigo. As he spread his arms open, dozens of knives appeared in a flash of light in Jack's hands, "Now, witness the true power of a Two-Star Goku uniform! Trillion Drive!"

"Damn!" Ichigo cursed and leapt back as the knives in Jack's hands suddenly shot forward accompanied by trails of smoke and fire.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh man," Sanageyama chuckled at the display hundreds of feet below, "Ichigo has guts, I'll give him that much."<p>

"It is unbecoming of you to support an enemy of Lady Satsuki," Gamagori rumbled, "Shall I be forced to discipline you?"

"No need to get antsy," Sanageyama folded his arms and grinned, "I'm just saying it can't hurt to give the kid props when he deserves it. How many people do you know that would willingly stand up to a club captain?"

"Hmph," Gamagori grumbled but did not press the issue any further, "Ichigo Kurosaki is a fool if he thinks he can take on a Goku Uniform by just relying on his own strength."

"I would not worry too much about the outcome of the fight," Inumuta answered, the collar of his Goku Uniform automatically unzipping as he began speaking, "By my calculations, the probability of Ichigo Kurosaki successfully avoiding that last attack with only minimal injuries is less than five percent. The only conceivable way that he could survive is if he is hiding some innate talent or skill that my programs have failed to find. There is only one person in Honnouji Academy that could avoid such an attack without wearing a Goku Uniform, and that is Lady Satsuki."

"Are you suggesting that this hoodlum is in the same league as Lady Satsuki?" Gamagori growled at the much smaller Inumuta.

"I am just reiterating what the data hypothesizes," Inumuta defended without showing any signs of nervousness. Pushing up his glasses using a single finger, he began explaining to the relatively less intelligent Gamagori, "Although, I find it strange that Ichigo's behavior upon the start of the fight goes against both his appearance and personal history. Instead of simply rushing head on, he retreated to where he could not sustain any damage from the club captain's attacks. A bold, but curious, move on his part. I'm looking forward to analyzing the valuable data I will undoubtedly obtain later on."

"No one cares about your stupid data Doggy," Jazukure grinned mischievously at Inumuta's slight tick in his eye before turning back to the scene below. She had thought watching Ichigo Kurosaki get the crap beat out of him would be boring. After all, who could stand up to a Goku Uniform? But Ichigo Kurosaki was surprising her, "This day is getting more and more interesting, wouldn't you agree Lady Satsuki?"

Satsuki ignored Nonon's question in order to focus entirely on the fight below. Standing on top of Honnouji Academy, her sword planted on the ground and her eyes locked squarely on Ichigo Kurosaki, she appeared to be the epitome of regality. In spite of her stoic outward appearance, Satsuki's mind could not help but notice something off about Ichigo Kurosaki. Upon first glance everything seemed normal, but soon enough she began to understand what it was that had caught her eye.

"Gamagori."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki?"

"When Ichigo Kurosaki arrived this morning," Satsuki's eyes narrowed imperceptibility as Ichigo's form was enveloped in Jack Naito's Trillion Drive attack, "Was he wearing the mandatory No-Star uniform?"

"No," the Disciplinary Committee Chair answered with a shake of his head, "Ichigo Kurosaki was blatantly ignoring the dress code of Honnouji Academy upon his arrival. When I ordered him to change, he refused."

"I see…and tell me, did he call his uniform by any specific name or refer to it as such?"

Gamagori thought back to his limited interaction with Ichigo Kurosaki before answering, "No. He seemed to view it as nothing more than a standard uniform. Do you wish for me to confiscate it upon the fight's conclusion?"

"No. Let him be for now," Satsuki ordered. Perhaps she was simply over thinking things. There was no way Ichigo's uniform could be what she thought it was. The number of people in the world that could successfully create one could be counted on one hand, and they all worked for her mother. If Gamagori's knowledge was to be taken as accurate and correct, Ichigo was wearing nothing more than a uniform. If it happened to be what she thought it was, the answer should come soon enough.

Gripping the hilt of her sword, Bakuzan, tight enough to cause the leather on weapon to crackle audibly, Satsuki waited for Ichigo to make his next move. She would know soon enough whether he deserved to stay at Honnouji Academy.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Ha ha ha!"<p>

Jack Naito gloated as he witnessed Ichigo Kurosaki take the full force of his attack, Trillion Drive, at point blank. Although, now that he thought about it in hindsight, Sanageyama had ordered him to test Ichigo Kurosaki, not kill him. Jack didn't care if his attack killed Ichigo as much as it might mean the loss of his new Goku Uniform.

Leaning forward on one knee, Jack Naito surveyed the dust floating in the air for any sign of Ichigo, "Don't tell me that did you in, Ichigo Kurosaki. The fun's only just begun!"

It was at that moment that Jack made a stupid mistake. When he had assumed Ichigo perished in his attack, he had stepped as close as he could in orderl to witness the results, which allowed Ichigo to reach out and grab his ankle.

"Fun, huh?" Ichigo's voice said from inside the smoke, "I guess I can work with that."

"Hey! Let go!" Jack tried to pull free from Ichigo's grip but it was like trying to escape a vice. Before he could even consider using his knives, Ichigo pulled downwards, causing Jack's body to bounce on the wall before being dragged to the ground in an undignified heap.

As he shook his head to regain his bearings, Jack looked up and saw Ichigo looming over him. Ichigo had a gleeful look on his face and was cracking the knuckles on his hands in preparation for the beatdown he was about to give. Reaching down and grabbing the front of Jack's Goku Uniform, Ichigo lifted him off the ground before slamming his knee into his stomach. That should have ended the fight.

Key words being should have.

When Ichigo's knee made contact with Jack Naito's stomach, it had felt as if he had slammed it into a wall. Sure, by the gagging sounds, it had done some damage to Jack but there was no reason why his knee felt like it had almost been shattered.

"Inconceivable!" Jack gasped as he quickly recovered and appeared back on his feat. Leaping back up onto the wall, he pointed an accusing finger at Ichigo, "How did you survive my Trillion Drive? I threw hundreds of knives at you!"

"First of all, you only threw like thirty or forty knives," Ichigo nonchalantly corrected the new club captain as he brushed dust off his Kamui. Apart from a small cut on his cheek that was beginning to leave a trail of blood, he was completely fine, "Second, your attack wasn't even that special. Your knives moved in a straight line, which means that if your opponent happens to be faster than you, they can simply dodge it. Your attack caught me off guard initially, but I managed to avoid almost the entire thing."

What Jack didn't know, and Ichigo couldn't understand, is that more than one of his knives had hit Ichigo. While only one managed to graze his skin and draw blood, a few more made contact with his body but, to Ichigo's astonishment, were easily stopped by his Kamui without so much as a sting of pain. It was remarkable, and probably something he needed to keep a secret for the time being.

"Dodging is not fighting!" Jack Naito shouted to cover his nervousness. He had been sure that Ichigo Kurosaki had been hit by his knives and yet, here he was, standing in front of him with only a single scratch in his cheek as proof he had even been subjected to his attack. What the hell was Ichigo Kurosaki? Jack Naito didn't know and he wasn't about to let himself be caught off guard again. He had foolishly gotten too close to Ichigo after unleashing his Trillion Drive attack and had suffered because of it.

Jumping away from Ichigo along the wall, Jack flicked his wrists and summoned six more of his knives into his hands. He had been foolish to think that he could have memorized and learned everything his Two-Star Goku Uniform could accomplish after barely an hour. Trillion Drive was his most powerful attack but, as Ichigo so frustratingly pointed out, it wouldn't work against someone like him. Once he was done here, Jack thought, he would spend time working on upgrading Trillion Drive. All he needed was a target.

Perhaps he would go after that girl that Ichigo had been talking to.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was not looking forward to a fight on his first day at Honnouji Academy. Watching Jack jump away from him, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and decided to ask the question plaguing his mind, "I don't have time for this. Can you just tell me what I did to piss off Satsuki so I can go finish my lunch before Mako eats all of it?"

"Don't think you've won!" Jack jumped in the air and twisted his arms back, "Your luck can only last so long before I hit you, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

As the latest salvo of knives shot towards him, Ichigo sighed and decided enough was enough. He had hoped that coming to Honnouji Academy would allow him to have a semi-normal high school experience without the constant reminders of all that he lost as well as the gangs of thugs who kept trying, and failing, to kick his ass for stupid reasons. Seeing Jack Naito exhibiting superhuman abilities due to his Goku Uniform meant Ichigo didn't need to hold back anymore.

He leaned his head to the side to avoid the first knife and sidestepped two more before shooting forward. Ducking beneath a fourth knife, Ichigo leapt off the ground and easily made it to the top of the wall. In one swift motion, he pushed forward and began sprinting along the narrow wall towards Jack, his body leaning to the left and right to avoid the obvious, and hastily, thrown weapons.

"Stay away!" Jack shouted as he continued to try to hit Ichigo with his knives. This was impossible! How the hell could Ichigo Kurosaki, who up until just a minute ago couldn't even stand up to him, be able to easily avoid his attacks? He was a club captain! His Two-Star Goku Uniform should have been able to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki without any effort. This shouldn't be happening!

"Shut the hell up!"

Ichigo's hand shot out and grabbed hold of Jack before he could jump away. As he pulled the bewildered president of the Knife Throwing Club towards him by his collar, Ichigo remembered what had happened the last time he had tried to hit him. So instead of trying to do the same thing a second time, Ichigo decided to go for the low blow. Picking his leg off the ground, Ichigo swung it back as far as he could before driving it forward into Jack Naito's groin.

Much like Ichigo expected, Jack collapsed as soon as his knee made contact. Letting go of Jack's Goku Uniform, Ichigo allowed the club captain to fall to the ground below, his hands holding his injured pride. Rubbing his sore knee, thankfully not the same one as last time, Ichigo watched with annoyance as Jack managed to get back to his feet, albeit on shaky knees.

"Don't…don't think you've won," Jack gritted out as he stood up fully erect, knives sliding back into his hands, "Can you fathom the difference between your power and my own? I don't need to get close to you to hit you. As long as I keep my distance I can continue to attack you without worrying about your cheap shots!"

Ichigo stared at Jack before summing up his opinion on the matter, "Are you serious?"

With an exasperated sigh, Ichigo rubbed the blood from his cheek onto the sleeve of his Kamui. Kisuke did say that he shouldn't get blood on it, but Ichigo had made it a point to not take everything Kisuke said at face value unless given a very good reason. A hastily scrawled postscript at the bottom of a mysterious letter was not, to Ichigo, a very good reason. If avoiding getting blood on his Kamui was so important, then Kisuke would have told him why.

Hopping off the wall, Ichigo landed on the ground with a slight grunt and rotated his shoulder to loosen up the cramp in the joint, "Don't you have anything better to do than fight me?"

Jack growled fruitlessly at Ichigo. If he didn't beat Ichigo Kurosaki, then his new Goku Uniform would be confiscated and he would be demoted back down to a lowly No-Star. Jack was not going to allow that to happen ever again.

As he prepared to attack Ichigo, both of them missed the blood on Ichigo's sleeve slowly disappear into the Kamui until there was nothing but the original pigmentation remaining. They also failed to see the eyes near Ichigo's collar opened ever so slightly, exposing just a hint of red and black irises.

"Oh ho. This is completely unexpected."

Several stories up in the main Honnouji Academy building, a shaggily dressed man scratched at the back of his neck as he observed Ichigo's fight against Jack Naito through a pair of binoculars. It had been extremely fortunate that the angle allowed him to see Ichigo wipe the trace amount of blood onto his sleeve. A few more feet to the right and Aikuro Mikisugi would have never witnessed what just transpired.

"Oh man," Aikuro drawled out with a wistful sigh, "Talking to him is going to be really weird…"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Singing in a terribly off-key tone as he drove down the nearly empty highway back to Karakura Town, Isshin was willfully ignorant of the strange glances he was receiving from his fellow drivers. He was fully aware that he had an awful singing voice, as Masaki made sure to point out several dozen times during their marriage, but he refused to let something like that deter him. Tapping his hands against the steering wheel as he continued singing along to the song in a voice that could shatter glass, Isshin abruptly froze when he detected a new presence in the car.<p>

"Gosh, you really can't sing."

Isshin stopped tapping his fingers at the hauntingly familiar voice. Glancing into the rearview mirror at the teenager sitting right behind him, he frowned and asked, "How did you get back there? The doors were locked."

Sitting in the backseat with her hands folded cutely across her lap, Nui Harime giggled playfully as she turned her attention away from the rather interesting cloud passing in front of the sun. She could feel the amount of annoyance permeating the vehicle rising, which brought a saccharine smile to her face, but the Grand Couturier really wished she had managed to record Isshin's awful singing. Having something like that was priceless. It would have made the perfect blackmail material or, better yet, a Christmas gift!

"That's a silly question, you old goat," Nui bobbed her head back and forth, smirking at Ichigo's nickname for his dad, "I can go anywhere I want. Nobody can stop me! I thought you of all people would know that by now, you know."

"I am aware of that," Isshin reluctantly admitted, pulling his eyes away from the rearview mirror and back onto the road.

Nui Harime huffed and pouted at Isshin's rather callous dismissal of her grand entrance. Didn't he know how polite she was being? It wasn't every day that she decided to introduce herself instead of getting right down to business. Leaning backwards in the seat with her single sapphire eye focused solely on the back of Isshin's head, the Grand Couturier playfully kicked her feet through the air and sighed dramatically, "Gosh, I guess you don't have a sense of humor anymore. Anyway…I'm only here because Lady Ragyo wants to see you."

"Is that right?"

Isshin drummed his fingers against the steering wheel while resisting the urge to look over his shoulder at the Grand Couturier, who was undoubtedly smiling. He should have known there was more to Ragyo's plans besides using her position as the chair of Honnouji Academy's board of directors to admit Ichigo on a full scholarship. But wanting to meet him after what happened last time? That came as a complete surprise. Subtly clearing his throat while adjusting the rearview mirror in order to better see the blonde teenager sitting right behind him, Isshin waiting until the sole oncoming vehicle passed them before remarking, "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I never wanted to speak to her again. Not after what she did to Ichigo…"

"Gosh, you really like thinking about the past!" Nui exclaimed with a hint of annoyance, her face twisting into a beaming smile as she clapped her hands together and leaned forward in the seat, "Lady Ragyo forgives you for betraying her trust, you know. She told me so herself! So you don't have to worry about her trying to kill you!"

Whether or not Ragyo was still upset, and likely plotting to either kill or horribly maim him, after all this time didn't bother Isshin in the slightest. Stuff like that came with the job. He was more concerned about what she had in store for Ichigo, "Well…Ragyo has quite the imagination. If my memory is correct, and it is, she was conducting inhumane experiment on unwilling volunteers. Including her own daughters."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, you old goat! Besides, it's not like Ichigo died or anything!" Nui's singsong tone contained the barest traces of menace and annoyance before she sat up and reached down into her pink Lolita-style dress. Pulling out the crisp and unblemished photograph she took just a few hours ago during Student Evaluation Day, the scowling visage of Ichigo as clear as day, the Grand Couturier hummed thoughtfully and added, "But that's all in the past! What's really important is that Ichigo is at Honnouji Academy where I can see him any time I want!"

"Don't patronize me," Isshin attempted to glare at Nui Harime only to give up when she stuck out her tongue in response, "Whenever you take an interest in something, it always ends up badly. So I _strongly_ recommend that you stay far away from Ichigo."

The Grand Couturier's saccharine expression forcibly tightened at Isshin's blatant threat, the sapphire color of her remaining eye slightly darkening. Pouting childishly while kicking the back of his chair with her pink boots, Nui tilted her head and mockingly sighed, "Golly, that was quite that rude thing to say! I know when I'm not wanted, you know. But I can't help wondering what Ichigo will think when he finds out the truth about you and Lady Ragyo."

A small frown pulled at the corners of Isshin's mouth as he scratched his chin, "The truth, huh? I already regaled Ichigo with my heroic exploits the day I met Ragyo."

"Don't be coy, you silly old goat."

Nui's single eye widened dangerously as she giggled childishly and leaned forward, a deranged expression on her face, "I bet you told Ichigo the old story about how you saved Lady Ragyo from a bombing! That's really cute, but we both know that's simply not true! You must really be scared of telling Ichigo the truth if you're lying about something as silly as that!"

"There are some things that should only be learned when the time is right," Isshin answered, refusing to play along with the Grand Couturier's mind games. Truth be told, she actually had a point. But as much as he wanted to tell Ichigo the truth about how he really met Ragyo twenty-two years ago, Isshin knew it would be far better for his son to figure it out on his own, "Ichigo might not be a genius like Ryuken's son but he's a lot smarter than you think. I'm sure he'll be able to figure out everything about Ragyo given enough time."

"Aw, that's really sweet of you," Nui's voice dripped with saccharine happiness as she clapped her hands together. While she would love to keep talking with Isshin, especially since it was all about Ichigo, she did have a job to do. It would be really disappointing, not to mention a large and ugly blemish on her nearly perfect record, if she returned to Lady Ragyo without the old goat. Shuffling over in the backseat until she was sitting exactly in the middle, the Grand Couturier cutely fixed her dress before smirking, "But you're worrying over nothing. Lady Ragyo just wants to hear about Ichigo, including all the intricate and personal details. That's all! I super promise there's no ulterior motive!"

"She could have called."

Isshin's answer was punctuated with a small shrug of his shoulder, one eye focused on the visibly pleased Grand Couturier in the backseat while he subtly reached towards the hidden compartment underneath the steering wheel. Given Ragyo's propensity for overly dramatic reveals, not to mention her fashion sense, he figured something like this would eventually happen. Coughing lightly as he pressed a finger against the concealed latch, the compartment silently sliding open, Isshin arched an eyebrow, "But it's interesting that Ragyo sent you of all people…"

A deathly silence filled the vehicle as Isshin trailed off while raising his hand, the miniaturized Bleach Bomb clasped firmly between his fingers. Based on the same designs as the one Kisuke constructed in the hidden chamber underneath his shop, which detonated and injured Nui Harime when she decided to investigate, glowing blue circuits intersected across the device's pure white surface. Holding his thumb over the button that would trigger a five second countdown before the Bleach Grenade, one of only three in existence, went off, Isshin narrowed his eyes and jokingly chuckled, "Of course, this will hurt…a lot. After all, it _is_ a grenade. But I'm sure it'll hurt you a lot more."

Nui's sapphire eye widened in shock and fear at Isshin's thinly veiled threat before she recomposed herself and cutely pouted. It wouldn't be proper for the world's best couturier, whose designs are worn by most humans, to get all riled up about something so trivial. A smile once more stretched across her face as she crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward, the Grand Couturier's voice was full of venom as she spoke, "Gosh, that is a real thoughtful gift but Lady Ragyo knew would be a stick in the mud! I think her exact words were 'Isshin is not a man that can be bullied' or something. So I went on a little field trip and did some extra credit!"

Cautiously staring into the review mirror when Nui gleefully reached into her dress, the saccharine smile plastered on her face widening, Isshin choked and nearly dropped the Bleach Grenade when he saw what she pulled out, "Those are – "

Held mockingly in each of the Grand Couturier's hands were Karin and Yuzu's most precious keepsakes. There was the special mint-condition autographed card Karin received from her favorite football star, which Isshin was absolutely sure she always kept next to her bed, as well as the stuffed animal Masaki had given to Yuzu only a few days before she passed away. Isshin knew his daughters were too smart to fall for any of Nui's tricks, so the only way she could have gotten her hands on them was if…

"I see you understand now, you silly old goat!" Nui announced cheerfully, cutting off Isshin's train of thought in the process, "You may be super strong but your family is an entirely different game!"

Isshin gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white as he let the Bleach Grenade fall harmlessly into the passenger seat. Leaning back against the headrest while letting out a deep sigh, he hunched his shoulders in defeat and muttered, "I suppose I really don't have a choice. So when does Ragyo want to see me?"

As Nui Harime leaned forward and happily explained that Lady Ragyo wanted to see him right away, because it was super important that they meet and talk about Ichigo, they failed to pay any attention to the bus traveling in the opposite direction down the highway. Yawning loudly as she propped her head against the window, one hand curled protectively around the handle of the guitar case at her feet, Ryuko Matoi stared out over the bleak landscape with an absolutely bored expression on her face. She was bored out of her mind. After nearly five hours of traveling, with only a single pit stop along the way, she could feel her mind beginning to unravel.

Stretching her back while stifling another yawn, Ryuko looked away from the window and closed her eyes. It wouldn't be much longer until she reached Honnou City. If she wanted any shot of avenging her dad's murder and hunting down the bitch that killed him, she couldn't afford to be at anything less than one hundred percent.


	5. Chapter 5: Go Your Own Way

_I present Chapter 5 of __**To My Death I Fight**__. Man, having to wait each week for the next episode of Kill la Kill is a real bummer. On one hand, I want to get this out to you, my readers, as quickly as possible. On the other hand every week I get punched in the face with a wham line, character reveal or, as this week pointed out, what actually happened to a specific character. I hate having a chapter done and finding out that half of it had been rendered AU from the new episode of Kill la Kill. Luckily for me, and you, this week wasn't that bad. I hardly had to change anything._

_I made a slight edit to Chapter 3 in Ragyo's conversation with Rei. For those of you who have seen this week's episode, it will make sense why I did it. Oh, and FYI, it will be a cold, cold, COLD day in hell before I have Ichigo's Kamui be anything like Senketsu or Junketsu._

_**Edited January 18, 2015 – I fixed up most, if not 99%, of the grammatical tense and spelling mistakes. There may be one or two remaining but I think I've gotten most of them. One of the most prevailing things I fixed was my consistent spelling of 'Bakuzen' instead of the proper 'Bakuzan.' Several scenes have been cleaned up, including the dialogue and descriptions, which should help you, my readers, to easily follow what is going on. So enjoy this newly updated Chapter 5, containing more than 1,000 words of additional stuff!**_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 – Go Your Own Way<strong>

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you!"

Jack Naito's breath was heavy and ragged as he glared at Ichigo Kurosaki. His fight against the orange haired youth was just about to reach the ten minute mark but he had yet to score a second hit against the new student, which should have been impossible. He was wearing a Two-Star Goku Uniform, granted to him by Lady Satsuki to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki, yet they seemed to be evenly matched.

"Don't you know when to quit?" Ichigo asked while taking a deep breath. Bringing his arms back up into a standard defensive stance, his muscles already feeling the initial effects of exhaustion, Ichigo scowled when he saw Jack Naito beginning to angrily grit his teeth.

"You think you can beat me?" Jack Naito sneered as he flicked his wrists and prepared to once again use Trillion Drive. He could see Ichigo was starting to get tired. Perhaps this was the time the new student's freakishly inhuman stamina would actually fail him, "I don't know how you're still standing Ichigo Kurosaki, but you can't dodge forever! Eventually you'll screw up! When that happens you're going to die!"

"You keep thinking that," Ichigo grumbled as he slid his right foot backwards along the ground, "Just use your next attack already. I want to try and get something to eat before lunch is over."

'Why you son of a –"

Jack's curse was cut short when a brilliant burst of light shone down from the top of Honnouji Academy. As the courtyard of the academy was bathed in the white light, the shadows fleeing from the abrupt change in illumination, the two combatants paused and turned towards it for differing reasons. Craning his head upwards, one hand held over his forehead, Ichigo squinted his eyes and thought, _"Who the hell turned on the floodlights?"_

As he grew accustomed to the abrupt change in brightness Ichigo was able to barely make out Satsuki Kiryuin slowly descending down a flight of translucent steps. Glaring imperceptibly at the Kiryuin heiress as she approached him, her Elite Four flanking her on both sides, Ichigo had to admit that Uryu was completely right about her. Satsuki radiated strict mental control, her face set in a grim expression that conveyed power and authority to those around her. If he hadn't fought against and alongside people with similar personalities Ichigo knew he would have been cowed, if only a little, by Satsuki's expansive presence.

Her heels clicking softly against the ground as she reached the courtyard, her Elite Four walking solemnly behind her, Satsuki didn't take two steps before two rows of One-Star students appeared out of nowhere and bowed deeply to her. Momentarily settling her eyes on Ichigo, her brow creasing at the lack of fear on the former shinigami's face, Satsuki turned her focus on Jack Naito.

"Jack Naito!" Satsuki bellowed with authority as she slammed her sheathed blade against the ground, "You have failed in your mission!"

"B-But I still have time, Lady Satsuki!" Jack Naito fruitlessly pleaded, his body shaking with fear. Taking a nervous step backwards, the knives in his fingers clattering to the ground, he loudly gulped and muttered, "You said I had until the end of the day to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki. I still have a few hours left!"

Satsuki's eyes narrowed in response to Jack's excuse before slamming Bakuzan against the ground once more, "You, who have been granted the power of a Goku Uniform, dare ask for more time when you cannot even wound someone like Ichigo Kurosaki? How will more time change that? The answer is simple. It won't! You are weak, Jack Naito! You do not deserve the power of a Goku Uniform!"

"N-No…" Jack broke out into a cold sweat as he turned and fled from Satsuki Kiryuin, using his Two-Star Goku Uniform to force a path through the columns of One-Star students surrounding him and rushed towards the entrance of Honnouji Academy. Unfortunately for the flee Jack Naito his impromptu escape wasn't as surprising as he wished.

Ichigo only managed to catch a glimpse of Ira Gamagori rushing past him, his brown eyes barely tracking the larger student's movements, before the Disciplinary Committee Chair leapt into the air and crashed back into the ground in front of Jack Naito. Towering over the cowering student, his form nearly tripling in size, Gamagori spread his arms out as several spiked whips emerged from his sleeves.

"Why are you running? Gamagori rhetorically asked, his booming voice reverberating throughout the courtyard. Glaring at the sweating student kneeling on the ground in front of him, his eyes nothing more than gleaming yellow points of light, Gamagori twisted his wrists as he began smashing Jack Naito with his spiked whips, "You are not worthy of wearing one of Lady Satsuki's Goku Uniforms! Take it off!"

For nearly twenty seconds Gamagori continued to assault Jack Naito with the whips from his Goku Uniform, the club captain's body flailing back and forth almost comically from the many impacts. Eventually Gamagori raised his arm above him and, accompanied by a roar, swung his whip downwards with enough force to crater the ground underneath Jack while at the same time strip him of his Two-Star uniform. While the Knife Throwing Club president lay unconscious and injured on the ground, a trail of drool and spit leaking out of his mouth, and nearly naked apart from his underwear, Gamagori stared down at him derisively.

"Jack Naito, from this moment forward you are hereby demoted to No-Star," Gamagori informed the unconscious former club captain, uncaring about his state of being. Dusting off the captain's Two-Star uniform, which had mysteriously been folded during the commotion, Gamagori extended his arm as a One-Star student appeared at his side to take the uniform.

"You seem perturbed by what you just witnessed, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo turned away from the beaten and bruised body of the former Two-Star student towards Satsuki, who had started approaching him while his attention was focused on Gamagori. Noticing her uniform lacked any of the black, four-pointed stars most of the student body possessed Ichigo waited until Satsuki placed the sheathed sword back on her waist before answering neutrally, "He said you were the one that gave the order to attack me. Why the hell would you do this to him?"

"Someone like him who has been given power is nothing," Satsuki said, nearly halfway to him by now, "He was nothing but a pig in human clothing, fit for nothing save wallowing in his own powerlessness. Those without power will inevitably flock to those that have power. That is a cardinal rule of the world. Why would you even care about someone like that?"

"To be honest I really don't care," Ichigo retorted, his answer causing Satsuki to quirk an eyebrow in mild curiosity, "That guy was a real pain in the ass but he didn't deserve what Gamagori did to him. What gives you the right to do that?"

"What gives me the right, you ask?" Satsuki's voice was cold as she finally came to stop several feet in front of Ichigo. Crouching down as she drew her sword, Bakuzan's black metal gleaming malevolently in the sunlight, Satsuki burst forward and attempted to decapitate Ichigo.

Ducking under the first swing Ichigo was forced to immediately lean to his left when Satsuki followed her initial attack with a vertical swipe aimed at several his left arm from his body. Rolling along the ground away from Satsuki, hopping backwards when she stabbed Bakuzan into the dirt, Ichigo scowled and raced towards the Student Council President. Leaning his neck to the side as he closed the distance, Bakuzan shining brightly inches from his neck, Ichigo attempted to smash his elbow into Satsuki's face only to be surprised when she avoided the blow and retaliated by slamming her foot into his chin.

Ichigo stumbled back from the surprise attack but quickly recovered. He hadn't been expecting her to have such flexibility, and now his chin was paying the price for his stupidity. Spitting out a wad of blood from when he bit his tongue, he quickly retaliated with a kick to Satsuki's side that was blocked at the last minute by her sword. However, it still caused her to skid several feet along the ground from the force behind the kick.

"That was a cheap shot," he muttered and wiped the trail of blood leaking from his lips onto his sleeve.

"Your skills are quite impressive, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki stoically announced as she turned around and sheathed Bakuzan with an audible click. Walking back towards the flight of stairs, the rows of One-Star students bowing as she passed, Satsuki paused as she reached the first step and looked over her shoulder, "But fighting someone of your level is beneath me. Consider your admittance to Honnouji Academy…approved."

Ichigo watched her go, but there were many things he wanted to find out, starting with why she had decided to attack him. There was something strange going on at Honnouji Academy, and he was sure Satsuki Kiryuin was at the center of it all. Taking a step forward to demand answers from her, he found his path blocked by Gamagori, who had literally appeared out of the sky.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Gamagori's voice echoed through the area before it quickly changed into that of a businessman's, "In order to attend Honnouji Academy, you will need to fill out these forms in triplicate. I do not expect you to finish every single form today, so I will start you off with the Student Residential Contract, Heating and Electric, Amenities, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Proof of Citizenship and the down payment on your dormitory room. The total cost for everything comes out to 102,000 yen."

While Gamagori was listing various things Ichigo didn't care about, One-Star students had begun piling stacks of forms in his arms until he could barely see over the top. When he heard about a bill in the hundreds of thousands of yen, Ichigo stuck his head around the stack of forms, "What the hell are you talking about? Doesn't my full scholarship to this stupid school mean I'm here for free?"

Gamagori's eye twitched, "Indeed."

With almost restrained reluctance, Gamagori grabbed the total bill off of the stack of papers and promptly ripped it in half, "Due to the actions of Lady Satsuki's mother you pay for nothing. I do not like that. Watch yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki. If you step out of line even a single time, I will be forced to administrate punishment unto you."

"Punishment unto me?" Ichigo couldn't help but wonder what the hell Gamagori was trying to say. He had an idea, a terrible one, of what Gamagori meant and it sent shivers down his spine, "That better not mean what I think it does. Just to let you know, I'm not into that kind of stuff."

After hearing Ichigo's words, Jakuzure and Sanageyama burst into laughter, Nonon actually falling to the ground while holding her sides. When Gamagori turned towards them, a furious look on his face, they quickly stopped and began whistling innocently.

"Man, I think I'm going to like you," Sanageyama gave Ichigo a two finger salute before turning around to follow Satsuki, "Don't forget to sign up for the Kendo Club, Ichigo. I could use someone like you as the club president."

Ichigo watched Satsuki and her Elite Four walk away before he dropped the forms on the ground. The stack of papers had to weigh at least fifty pounds and Gamagori expected him to sign them all before the end of the night? Jack Naito might have been insane but Ichigo couldn't understand why Satsuki had intervened in the fight.

"Ichigo!"

"_Oh, damn it…"_

Appearing out of nowhere, her feet kicking up trails of dust off the ground, Mako Mankanshoku slid to a stop next to Ichigo with one of Jack's knives lodged harmlessly in her hair. As she ate the remainder of his lunch, using another of the knives as a makeshift fork, Mako looked at Ichigo with starry eyes, "That was uber cool!"

"Uber cool?"

"Yeah!" Mako threw away Ichigo's lunch tray, causing it to beam a One-Star student in the face, and began mimicking Ichigo and Jack Naito's poses from the fight, "You were all like 'pow pow pow' and he was all 'you cannot defeat me' and then you were all like 'this fight is beneath someone of my stature!' It was so amazing! If Lady Satsuki hadn't stepped in, you would have totally won for sure!"

"No I wouldn't," Ichigo admitted, causing Mako's face to freeze in shock. As Satsuki, and the light she constantly emitted, disappeared, he continued, "Jack had the advantage in both strength and power over me. I may have been faster but it was only a matter of time until he managed to get a lucky hit."

Mako waved her hand in front of her face, "Don't drag yourself through the mud Ichigo! You would have won for sure! Wait just a second! Could it be…?"

Before Ichigo could protest or stop her Mako dove into the stack of forms and contracts and began throwing them haphazardly into the air. Eventually finding what she was seeking Mako let out a shout of triumph as she pulled out a single piece of paper, "You got a room in the Honnouji Academy dorms! That is awesome! I heard the standards of living there are way above the One-Star Residential District! Only those with oodles of money can afford to live there. Let's go check out your right, Ichigo! My family is going to be so jealous!"

"I don't think that's a –" Ichigo tried to tell Mako not to, but the hyperactive girl was hearing none of it. Grabbing Ichigo's wrist, she began pulling him in the direction of the dorms.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Ichigo,"<em> Isshin's voice came through the phone in a serious tone, _"Sorry that I couldn't stay to say goodbye. Something important came up back home and I needed to rush back to Karakura Town."_

"Like I was worried," Ichigo grumbled into his phone. From where he was lying down, he had to admit that his dorm was a lot classier than he would have assumed. When he heard he would be living in a dorm, he had been expecting something along the lines of a single room. Instead, as he opened the door he found that he had a kitchen, living room, bedroom and several other things he hadn't expected to find. It was more of an apartment than a dorm, "Just don't do anything stupid when I'm gone."

"_What?"_ Isshin shouted into the phone loud enough to cause Ichigo to hold it away at arm's length, _"How can you dare to say that?"_

"You know damn well why."

"_I don't want to hear that you obtained the love of several women, but if it happens, makes sure you pick out your favorite," _Isshin paused for a far greater time than he should have before finishing, _"I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ichigo. Goodbye and have fun."_

Staring at his phone for several minutes after his father hung up, his mind trying to understand what had just happened and what he should do, Ichigo eventually decided to lie back down and stare up at his ceiling. He was sure his dad knew more about why he was here at Honnouji Academy but Ichigo wasn't going to confront him about it. Ever since finding out his dad was a shinigami of such power that he could effectively fight Sosuke Aizen, a feat that he couldn't do before training in the Dangai, Ichigo had decided that allowing Isshin some leeway was the right thing to do. If his dad decided he needed to know something, he would make sure Ichigo would find out.

Letting a weary sigh escape his lips, the clock in his dormitory kitchen faintly ticking in the background, Ichigo was about to try and go to sleep when he glanced to his left and noticed something odd about his Kamui. As he focused on the white uniform hanging limply on the wall across his bedroom, the fabric lightly shifting in an unfelt breeze, Ichigo sat up and narrowed his eyes, "That's different…"

What drew his attention and pushed away any remaining weariness were the two half-opened eyes on the collars of his Kamui. When he first saw his uniform Ichigo had been completely certain Kisuke's strange designs were of closes eyes, without a trace of the iris or pupil, yet now he could clearly see rings of orange, blue and yellow in those sleepy-looking eyes.

Ichigo stared at the Kamui for almost a minute, the clock in the background adding to the tension permeating his dormitory, before he decided to take a closer look at it. The lack of light in his bedroom apart from the meager illumination his orange desk lamp provided was causing the shadows to jump chaotically around the Kamui. Walking slowly across his bedroom Ichigo grabbed the Kamui from its hanger and held it at arm's length, his eyes scrutinizing every detail he could see.

"Something's not right here…"

Leave it to Kisuke to make a school uniform without telling him it wasn't normal. As his thoughts drifted back to the annoying letter the shopkeeper left for him Ichigo decided to lean in and get a closer look at the Kamui's eyes. When his face was less than a foot away from those mysterious eyes, the individual threads of the Kamui nearly visible, Ichigo was thrown off guard when the Kamui's eyes suddenly shot open.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo dropped the Kamui out of surprise and backpedaled as his uniform began moving on its own.

"_**More…"**_

If Ichigo wasn't surprised that the voice was clearly coming from the Kamui, he was in for a shock when it began warping and changing before managing to mimic standing up. After it managed to bring itself up off the floor, the Kamui's bloodshot eyes darted around his room before focusing solely on Ichigo.

"_**Blood…feed me more blood!"**_

In one swift motion the Kamui leapt at him. While that should have been an impossible feat, Ichigo was more concerned with the fact that it was apparently gunning for him and he did not want to know what would happen if it caught him. While he knew there was an afterlife, he didn't want his cause of death to be 'my clothes ate me.' He knew without a doubt that everyone in the Soul Society wouldn't let him live that down. He would take fighting Aizen over something like that any day of the week.

Quickly rolling out of the way as the Kamui reached him, its sleeves twisting through the air, Ichigo sprung back up and immediately darted towards his bedroom door. Thankful that he had decided to leave the door open, he raced through it, his hand grabbing the handle as he went, and slammed it shut before locking it.

"The hell is going on?" Ichigo braced his body against the door as it began shaking and creaking from the Kamui throwing itself against the frame. How could something that is essentially clothing be so strong? It was impossible and yet, if Kisuke was involved, Ichigo wasn't surprised something like this had happened. As he tried to make sense of what was happening, Ichigo came to two conclusions. Either Kisuke, through some godless ritual, managed to bring his uniform to life or someone here at Honnouji Academy managed to spike his food with something.

The Kamui continued to fruitlessly attempt to break through the door for several more minutes, the wooden frame holding firm under the assault, but Ichigo wasn't going to let that thing out no matter what it took. Bracing his shoulder against the door his hand firmly holding the handle on the off chance the Kamui figured out how to open the door, Ichigo scowled, _"Fuck this. I'm going to call Yoruichi and Tessai and explain everything. They must know something about what's happening to my Kamui."_

Reaching to his pocket for his cell phone and quickly cursing when he realized he left it in his bedroom Ichigo waited for the Kamui's escape attempts to slow and eventually stop. The door might have been closed but the Kamui was essentially clothing. It might try to escape by sliding underneath the door if it realized it could. Carefully stepped away from his bedroom towards the kitchen, his eyes glancing back and forth between the kitchen phone and the bedroom door, Ichigo heard the same feminine voice begin begging at him.

"_**Don't go…please don't go…"**_

Ichigo paused in mid-step at the desperate tone. Turning around, his mind trying to figure out if he went insane, Ichigo decided to ask, "What the hell are you?"

"_**I don't want to go back to sleep…"**_

The voice was starting to sound more and more desperate with each word. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ichigo knew he should just wait for it to go back to sleep. It was the most sensible thing to do, after all, but his time as a shinigami and dealing with the Soul Society and everything else had opened his mind to things he would rather have forgotten. Really wishing he wasn't about to say what was on his mind, he asked, "Damn it all. If I open this door, do you promise to not attack me?"

"…_**Yes…"**_

Mentally noting to kick himself in the morning for considering what he was about to do Ichigo groaned and swung the door open. He had been prepared for his Kamui to leap out and attack but when nothing happened he took a hesitant step back into his bedroom. That was when he saw the Kamui.

Against common sense, as well as every law of nature Ichigo could remember, the Kamui was standing up under its own power in the middle of his room. While it still retained the same colors as his normal black and white school uniform the rest of its body had shifted into something completely different. The bottom of his Kamui was hovering just off the floor using some unseen source of power. The sleeves of his jacket were hollow and deflated, yet were held stiffly in the air, almost as if there was something filling them. What drew his attention was the pair of eyes that had started this whole mess. The orange, blue and yellowed ringed irises were completely focused on him, the intent in his uniform's gaze causing apprehension to grip Ichigo. Lastly the chest area of his jacket had opened up and shifted into a gaping maw full of several fang-like structures.

"I'm not going to ask again. What are you?"

The Kamui brought a hollow sleeve up to its collar, which seemed to be functioning as its forehead, and rubbed it before the gaping mouth answered in a feminine voice, _**"I am a Kamui."**_

"I already knew that," Ichigo should have known his uniform was different from the very start. It had been made by Kisuke, after all, and that insane shopkeeper never made anything normal when he could help it, "But what exactly are you? I don't know what being a Kamui means but I'm pretty sure clothes aren't supposed to talk, move or crave my blood like a vampire."

"_**I don't know…"**_ the Kamui seemed almost depressed, its eyes closing sadly, as it answered, _**"I remember my creation by Kisuke Urahara and then nothing until I tasted your blood earlier. I need more! I will not go back to sleep again!"**_

With a crazed and bloodshot look in its eyes the Kamui leapt through the air at Ichigo. Shifting his stance while mentally berating himself for falling into such an obvious trap Ichigo reached out and tried to grapple with the Kamui. To his shock and surprise the Kamui not only managed to weave itself around his fingers, which being made of clothing made sense, but also began wrapping its sleeves around his arms.

"_**That's it! Wear me! Put me on! Let me drink your blood!"**_

"Like hell I will!" Swinging his arms to the side, Ichigo slammed the Kamui into the wall of his bedroom hard enough to crack the plaster, but at the same time daze the Kamui. As its sleeves limply slid off his arms, and its eyes adapted a dazed look, Ichigo quickly grabbed it and tossed it in his closet before slamming the door closed.

As the Kamui quickly recovered and stared slamming its body against the closet door, loud echoes reverberating through his room, Ichigo leaned against the door and rubbed his face, "I'm being attacked by my own clothing. This is a freaking nightmare. When I find Kisuke I'm going to kill him."

There was a more pressing issue for Ichigo at the moment. If his Kamui was technically alive, he was going to need to get a new school uniform. Bracing a chair against the closet door to prevent it from escaping, Ichigo began walking out of his bedroom. He would have to be an idiot to try and sleep there with that thing in his closet, "Damn it, I'm here for barely a day and my clothes come to life and try and eat me. I'm going to have to ask Mako tomorrow where I can get a new uniform."

"_**No!"**_ The Kamui slammed itself against the closet door hard enough to move the chair, _**"You cannot wear anything but me. I won't allow it!"**_

"Give it a rest. There's no way you're getting out of there," Ichigo said before realizing he had effectively just ordered his clothing to shut up, "I must be hallucinating. I know I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning in my bed and my uniform will be nothing more than normal clothing."

"_**Please!"**_To Ichigo's shock the Kamui sounded like it was crying, _**"Let me taste your blood! I don't want to go back to sleep!"**_

Ichigo stopped in the doorway, "Is sleeping really that bad?"

When he received nothing but silence from the Kamui Ichigo sighed and banged his head against the wall. Why did his life, even as a normal human without any spiritual powers, have to be so screwed up? After thinking things over for a moment he asked, "Do you have a name? I find this whole situation odd enough without knowing my school uniform's name."

There was an almost pathetic scratching at his closet door as his Kamui spoke, _**"No…I don't have a name."**_

"No name huh…" Ichigo, despite his best efforts, could not help but be reminded of Zangetsu. He remembered when his zanpakuto had scolded him for trying to wield him without knowing his name. Ichigo had seen what happens when a shinigami ignores his zanpakuto. Kenpachi had been enough of a wakeup call for Ichigo to never take Zangetsu for granted again.

Ichigo didn't want to have to think up a name on the fly. It was too hard to think of something good and he wasn't about to go the Kon route and give his Kamui a ridiculous name. He needed to call it something appropriate, "Alright, I've decided on a name. It comes from an old friend that sacrificed a lot for me. I think he would appreciate it if I named you after him…Mugetsu. How does that sound?"

"_**Mugetsu…"**_ The Kamui seemed to mull it over for a moment, _**"That is an acceptable name."**_

"Now that you have a name, I have another question. Why do you want my blood?"

"_**Your blood is the only thing keeping me awake,"**_ Mugetsu replied almost nostalgically, _**"Without your blood, I will soon go back to sleep."**_

"So why do you need me to wear you?" Ichigo asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"_**My creator made me specifically for you to wear. No one else can wear me. That is why I will never allow you to wear anything else! I shall be the only thing you will ever wear!"**_

The way Mugetsu seemed excited to be worn by him was a little freaky but Ichigo put that on the backburner for the moment, "Why did Kisuke make you?"

"_**I don't know,"**_ Mugetsu confessed, _**"All I remember upon my creation is Kisuke Urahara standing above me before sealing me away…"**_

"Kisuke, you bastard," Why did that idiotic shopkeeper have to do something like this to him? Ichigo had to leave it to Kisuke to complicate his life even now. Sitting down on the ground, Ichigo grumbled, "Just to let you know, Mugetsu, I find the whole concept of wearing something living and breathing both horrifying and embarrassing. If you truly are alive wearing you would be wrong on many different levels. You are your own person…or Kamui, I guess. Why should I wear you instead of sending you back to Kisuke's store?"

"_**Wearing me will give you great power,"**_ Mugetsu answered, _**"Those cheap Goku Uniforms will not stand a chance against our combined power!"**_

"I don't need power," Ichigo said, "What's the point of having power if there is no reason to use it? Although I would be happy living a normal life I think at this point that is nothing but a pipe dream. I have a sneaking suspicion that Satsuki Kiryuin is soon going to come after me. I've known people like her. They never stop until they get what they're after. If you are as powerful as you claim I could easily stop her before things get too bad."

Ichigo had noticed the looks Satsuki gave him when she confronted him earlier. Usually that wouldn't faze him, but it was the fact that she seemed to be more interested in his Kamui than himself. It didn't make much sense to him at the time but now that Ichigo found out his Kamui was alive, he had the feeling that Satsuki knew what it was.

"Damn it," Ichigo cursed before sighing audibly. Banging his head against the closet door Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Fine, I'll wear you but only under one condition."

Mugetsu couldn't hide the excitement in her voice as she slammed her body against the door, _**"What is it? I'll do anything!"**_

"Kisuke Urahara was attacked about a week ago," Ichigo informed his Kamui as a scowl developed on his face, "One of the last things he mentioned was about Life Fibers. After speaking with you I have the sinking feeling whoever attacked Kisuke was actually trying to get to you. If I wear you I want you to promise to stick by my side as I find out what happened to him. After that I'll let you decide if you want to continue sticking with me. How does that sound?"

"_**That's not a problem!"**_ Mugetsu exclaimed as her sleeves began fumbling with the handle to the closet door, _**"I will follow your ambitions no matter where they lead! Use my power any way you want, Ichigo! Just please don't let me go back to sleep again!"**_

Ichigo didn't know what to blame for his decision to wear Mugetsu. Perhaps the lack of sleep was finally getting to him or maybe it had to do with being attacked for no reason only a few after arriving at Honnouji Academy. Whatever the case may be if he was really starting to lose his grip on reality it couldn't be any worse than having a murderous and insane hollow living within the depths of his souls.

Carefully moving the chair away from the closet door, his fingers tightly gripping the handle, Ichigo took a moment to brace himself before asking, "Ok, so how does this –"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off as Mugetsu literally jumped on top of him and began putting herself on his body.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Please do not try to escape meeting with Lady Ragyo by jumping out of the elevator…again," Rei Hououmaru strongly cautioned while absentmindedly smoothing out a crease on her sleeve. Turning towards Isshin, who had just finished speaking with his son and was now staring out the window, she added, "The glass surrounding us is reinforced to withstand barrage from an Anti-Tank rifle. By the time you successfully breach the elevator we would have already arrived."<p>

"I think I'll take my chances," Isshin answered as he turned towards the surprisingly thick glass. Rapping his knuckles against the mostly transparent material, a hollow echo permeating the elevator from the contact, he sighed once he saw what floor they were already passing, "I know the second we step into her office Ragyo will try to kill me. She is the type of woman to hold grudges…really long grudges."

Rei Hououmaru didn't bother replying to Isshin's ridiculous accusations against Lady Ragyo. Staring at the digital readout above the elevator doors, the number approaching triple digits, the Revocs secretary hid a satisfied smirk when she felt a subtle shift in her uniform. Stepping forward as they arrived, her white heels clicking softly against the ground, Hououmaru turned around and swept her arm towards Ragyo's office, "The Director is right this way."

"I remember my way around," Isshin mumbled while staring apprehensively down the hallway. Taking one final look at the elevator behind him, his mind quickly calculating his chances of escape to be roughly zero, Isshin hung his head dejectedly as he began the short trek towards Ragyo's office. Folding his hands in his pockets as he purposely dragged his feet, Rei quickly passing him to open the doors, Isshin hoped Ragyo wasn't still upset at him about their last meeting.

Isshin's hopes were dashed the moment Rei Hououmaru finished opening the doors to Ragyo's office. Quickly ducking when he saw several rainbow colored strands of Life Fibers whipping towards him, the threads skewering the wall behind him as they missed, Isshin frowned and cautiously stood back up, "It's great to see you again, Ragyo."

"I would prefer if you didn't greet Isshin so vigorously, Ma'am," Rei sighed as she closed her eyes and reached into the breast pocket of her white suit. Pulling out a pair of aviator sunglasses, the reflective tint on the lenses blocking the bright rainbow light illuminating the office, the Revocs secretary stepped backwards as she mentally calculated the cost of repairing the damage, "It seems I will need to call your interior designer."

"Forgive my enthusiasm, Hououmaru. I just remembered Isshin so rudely leaving last time without saying goodbye."

Curling her index finger into the palm of her hand, the strands of rainbow Life Fibers rapidly retreating back into her body at her mental command, Ragyo Kiryuin allowed a smirk to grace her features as she stared at Isshin for the first time in years. Tilting her head to the side, her cheek propped up against her hand, the rainbow light emanating from the Kiryuin matriarch's silver hair intensified as she gazed at the man standing in front of her, "It's been quite some time since we spoke, Isshin. How have you been?"

"I've been better," Isshin answered dismissively as he looked around Ragyo's office, "But did you have to send your little helper? You could have just called if you wanted to see me."

Ragyo chuckled as a silver eyebrow quirked upwards in feigned shock. Regally standing up, the entire office quickly illuminated by the rainbow light shining from her silver hair, the CEO of Revocs slowly walked around her desk with her arms clasped under her bosom, "I hope my precious Nui didn't trouble you too much. You know how difficult it is to give orders to an artiste as free spirited as the Grand Couturier."

"I'm not as into artwork like Masaki was. It felt like every other weekend she was begging me to take her to a different museum or gallery!" Isshin closed his eyes as he laughed boisterously. It took the better part of five years, and a few subtle threats from his wife, but he managed to develop the ability to hide his boredom whenever Masaki held a flyer for a new exhibit in front of his face. Subtly aware of Ragyo's footsteps drawing closer, the rainbow light permeating the office continuously growing brighter by the second, Isshin pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Hououmaru and said, "It's been bugging me for some time now but Hououmaru's not wearing a normal suit."

"Oh?" Ragyo glanced over at Hououmaru, who had silently turned her attention to Isshin, and asked, "And what, my dear Isshin, makes you think that?"

Isshin ignored Ragyo as she continued to approach him before answering, "It wasn't until the elevator that I managed to get a good look at it but there is definitely something off about her suit. I may have a terrible sense of fashion but even I know someone working for one of the biggest companies in the world shouldn't be wearing shorts with a business suit."

"Comment tres amusant! You always preferred to play the part of the fool, Isshin," Ragyo's eyes were filled with a look that set Isshin's nerves on edge. He had seen that look many years ago. It was the exact same one that made Masaki very, very upset with him for a variety of reasons. As the Kiryuin matriarch circled around Isshin, her lips curled upwards into a facsimile of a grin, she continued, "Even back then you hid your sharp mind behind the façade of a jester, projecting an idiotic persona to throw others off guard. It is only when the audience is gone that the true brilliance locked deep in your mind shines forth but I'm curious about one thing. For almost twenty years you've known about COVERS yet you haven't made a single move to stop me. I wonder why that is…"

"Perhaps I hoped someone else would see how insane you are and stop you before _it_ could fully awaken," Isshin countered with a reluctant shrug, "Souichiro might have done some truly disturbing things but eventually he began to see you for the monster you are. It's just a shame he realized it far too late to actually do anything to stop you."

"You always say the nicest things, Isshin," Ragyo coyly teased. Placing a hand on his shoulder, her chin resting next to his ear, she whispered, "Then again, you were the only man I ever truly loved. When you so callously ignored my feelings I was forced to settle for Souichiro."

Isshin frowned and pulled his shoulder out of Ragyo's grasp, "You know my heart has been, and always will be, for Masaki. The fact she is no longer with us does not change anything."

"Must you be as defiant and hard-headed as always?" Ragyo half-asked before sighing dramatically and leaning forward, the light emanating from her hair intensifying, "But I wouldn't expect anything else from a man such as yourself. You are, after all, the only person on Earth I will allow to talk to me like that."

"I know you didn't call me just to catch up on old times," Isshin pointed out as he looked at his watch and noticed the time. Turning towards Ragyo, his eyes locked with hers, he added, "If that was all you wanted to do you would haven't sent your little helper to come get me. The last time we saw each other I had just rescued my son from your clutches and Masaki was standing over your crippled body. It's a miracle Ichigo managed to survive and live a healthy and normal life after what you did to him."

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Ragyo dragged out each syllable as she strutted forward and stood next to Isshin, "It was quite the pleasant surprise to find out the experiment didn't kill him. I do so want to see how well your son has thrived."

"You stay away from my son," Isshin's voice was tinged with anger before he scoffed and pushed Ragyo's hand away from his arm, "Let's cut through the crap, Ragyo. You see Ichigo as nothing more than an experiment, don't you? I may not have recognized some of the machines in the room where I found Ichigo but I sure as hell noticed the Life Fibers. What were you trying to do to my son?"

"The same thing I tried on both of my daughters, of course," Ragyo replied without a hint of remorse, "I attempted to infuse my daughters with Life Fibers but unfortunately they were too weak. There are so few people in the world able to merge with Life Fibers and live. Satsuki was too incompatible while my second daughter was too frail and died before the procedure was finished."

Isshin knew all this already but hearing Ragyo say it without a remorse or care was almost too much for him. Pushing past the Kiryuin matriarch, his footsteps heavy as he headed towards the exit of her office, he paused and looked over his shoulder, "Sometimes I wonder if you still have a soul, Ragyo. Now unless you have anything else to say I'm going home."

Ragyo turned her body fully towards Isshin, her lips curled into a maniacal smile, and held an arm out, "I will permit you to leave, Isshin, but do not assume you were victorious. My interest in your son has only increased now that I know he has both lived and thrived these past seventeen years. Perhaps I will even have my daughter court him. The merging of our bloodlines will be truly magnificent. Hououmaru, please escort Isshin out of the building. It would be rude to keep him around when he has more important places to be."

As she watched Isshin leave her office, Hououmaru gently closing the door behind her as she left, the smirk on Ragyo's face dropped ever so slightly. Maroon eyes closing as she listened to Isshin's footsteps fading into the distance Ragyo didn't turn around when she sensed another presence in her office, "I take it you heard everything?"

"Of course I did!" Nui Harime cheerfully stated while sitting on the edge of Ragyo's desk, her feet kicking freely and lazily in the air. With a large grin plastered on her face, the purple eyepatch hidden beneath a bang of blonde hair that managed to escape her pink bow, the Grand Couturier stuck her tongue out and giggled, "It was super interesting to meet him after all these years! That old goat is just as strong as I remember!"

Ragyo chuckled in amusement as her thoughts focused on the man that just left her office completely unscathed. Looking over her shoulder at the petite Grand Couturier, her lips curled upwards into a smirk, the CEO of Revocs asked, "Is that so? I hope you didn't do anything to provoke Isshin. You know quite well what happens to those that truly manage to get on his bad side."

"You don't have to worry about me," Nui huffed and puffed out her cheeks. Kicking her feet against Ragyo's desk, her pink boots tapping lightly against the polished metal, the Grand Couturier clapped her hands together and leaned forward, "It was really easy to go to Isshin's house when he wasn't around. I just waited around and took his daughters' most precious things! Nothing else would bring him here, you know. Isshin seemed really upset after I showed those things to him so I made sure to leave them in the car before I left!"

"La vie est drôle," Ragyo replied as she walked across her office towards the windows circling the wall, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. Crossing her arms under her bosom, the white dress never shifting for a moment, the Kiryuin matriarch gazed out over the expansive building complex stretching out into the distance, "I am ordering you to stay away from Isshin and his two daughters…at least for the moment."

Nui leaned her head back, her single sapphire eye blinking owlishly, and smirked, "Can I still play with Ichigo? I really want to meet him and introduce myself, after all!"

The rainbow undertone from Ragyo's hair flared brightly as she considered the Grand Couturier's request, "But of course. You can play with Ichigo as much as you want. Just make you remember to behave yourself."

Clapping her hands together once more as she leapt off the desk, her body gently floating down to the floor with nary a sound, Nui Harime's mind immediately began planning every possible thing she could do with Ichigo in the future. Puffing her cheeks outwards as she remembered the other business she still needed to do, memories of six months ago fresh in her mind, Nui Harime huffed as she left Ragyo to her thoughts, "It really bums me out that I cannot play with Isshin anymore! He's way more fun to hang with than the other Isshin."

Ragyo's eyes narrowed as the smirk on her face dropped, "How much longer are you going to keep referring to that man as Isshin?"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"You seem quite pleased with the day's events, Milady."<p>

Sitting in a chair, clad in a form fitting white robe tied gently around her waist, Satsuki gently smiled as she sipped the tea Soroi offered her, "You know me far too well, Soroi."

Satsuki was quite pleased with how the day's events progressed. Not only was Iori's research into improving her Goku Uniforms pushed forward by Jack Naito's ignominious at Ichigo Kurosaki's hands, every blow and attack landed upon recently demoted No-Star recorded in detail by Inumuta, but she was finally able to confront the teenager that garnered her mother's personal interference in Honnouji Academy's matters. Although she was impressed with Ichigo Kurosaki's ability to fight a Two-Star Goku Uniform, a feat previously achieved only by her Elite Four, she hadn't expected the orange haired teenager to track Bakuzan's movements.

Soroi Mitsuzou took a step back, the sterling silver tray held delicately in his hands, and bowed his head slightly, "Forgive my bluntness but I can't recall ever seeing you so fixated on another person."

"Fixated you say…"

Satsuki's smirk vanished as she stared through the large windows taking up the entire wall of her private chambers. Gazing at the moon lazily hovering in the sky overhead, the nearly dark room illuminated with a pale white glow, the Kiryuin heiress paused momentarily before finishing, "I will admit my initial impression of Ichigo Kurosaki was inaccurate. He is far more skilled and intelligent than Inumuta's data indicated but there are still too many variables about his transfer to Honnouji Academy. That is not to mention the uniform he was wearing…"

Despite the impossibility of the situation Ichigo Kurosaki was in possession of an actual Kamui. She had first noticed the peculiarities of his uniquely colored uniform during Ichigo's fight against Jack Naito but it was not until she confronted the orange haired teenager that she could confirm her hypothesis. During that confrontation the question of where Ichigo managed to acquire his Kamui was forefront on her mind. Kamui, by definition, were woven completely from Life Fibers, which had to come from Revocs. Either someone at Revocs created Ichigo's Kamui or there existed a third party that possessed the required expertise and Life Fibers to create such a masterpiece.

How he managed to tame his Kamui was another question that plagued Satsuki's mind. According to her mother's rather morbid explanation humans that Kamui find unworthy of wearing them are slowly and painfully shredded and eaten by the Life Fiber uniform. That Ichigo could wear a Kamui so casually without showing any sign of fatigue or exhaustion spoke wonders about his mental fortitude. Junketsu, the Kamui her father called her wedding dress, required someone with great spiritual and mental fortitude to tame it.

"You say that I am fixated on Ichigo Kurosaki?" Satsuki muttered as she closed her eyes and leaned back, "Perhaps there is some truth in your words, Soroi, but no matter how I feel on the subject Ichigo remains a thorn in my side. If he turns out to be an enemy I will not hesitate to ruthlessly cut him down. If my mother saw fit to send him to Honnouji Academy I can only presume she is aware of my plans."

Soroi's eyes drooped down at Satsuki's words before he respectfully asked, "What do you plan to do about Lady Ragyo?"

Folding her hands in front of her mouth Satsuki's lips curled into a smirk as she replied, "My mother knowing of my plans might work to our advantage. If she believes she knows the full extent of what I have planned her moves will become predictable. While she continues to think I remain in the dark, unware of her machinations behind the scene, Inumuta and the others will activate several contingency plans to make sure everything proceeds as scheduled."

"Very well, Milady," Soroi placed an arm across his chest and bowed his head, "Will there be anything else?"

Satsuki shook her head, "I wish to be left alone."

As Soroi left Satsuki to her own thoughts, the aged butler placing the pot full of tea on the stand before leaving the room, she tilted her head towards the large windows overlooking Honnouji Academy and the city stretching out into Tokyo Bay. There was a storm approaching on the horizon. Satsuki didn't know when it would arrive but she was certain all those involved would feel its impact. In order to emerge as the only victor in the upcoming conflict Satsuki needed to make sure her forces were adequately prepared.


	6. Chapter 6: I Can't Help Myself

_So here is the revised version of chapter 6. It's at least 1.300 words longer than the original chapter but the main point is that I've fixed grammatical errors, plot holes, sentence and conversation structure, weird character interactions or characterizations and, lastly, edited in a few subtle foreshadowing clues and hints that will really have you guessing. I hope you enjoy this chapter since I really took the time and effort to fixing it up._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 - I Can't Help Myself<strong>

Two days after he agreed to let Mugetsu be worn by him Ichigo was starting to regret not thinking things through. The problem wasn't that it, or rather she as Mugetsu's voice suggested, lied to him. On the contrary, ever since the moment he had put on the fully awakened Mugetsu Ichigo had felt power course through his body reminiscent of when he was a substitute shinigami. Of course there were subtle differences between his shinigami powers and Mugetsu but it was quite the refreshing feeling to not feel completely powerless anymore.

"_**I just felt your blood pressure and heart rate spike, Ichigo," **_Mugetsu's feminine voice had a hint of concern to it as the eyes on her uniform blinked and looked up at Ichigo, _**"Are you feeling ok?"**_

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Ichigo mumbled while covering his mouth as if to yawn.

That right there was the main problem he had with Mugetsu. While he could hear every word his Kamui said with absolute clarity, the problem was that no one else could. When Mugetsu had first spoken to him outside of the privacy of his dorm room, it had been in the middle of one of his classes and nearly scared the shit out of him. Ichigo had quickly looked around, thinking the other students would be looking at him weirdly. To his surprise, none of them looked like they had heard anything. Apparently he was the only one who could hear Mugetsu's voice, which was a relief. He didn't want to have to explain why his school uniform was talking.

The issue was talking back to Mugetsu without looking insane. He had tried many things to preserve the image of his sanity, ranging from covering his mouth when talking to Mugetsu or waiting until he was alone before responding. That didn't stop the looks he was beginning to receive from the other students, despite his precautions. The only one to not find his behavior odd was, of course, Mako, who said she found nothing wrong with Ichigo making friends with his school uniform.

"_**Are you still concerned about Satsuki Kiryuin?"**_

"Yeah," Ichigo turned towards one of the windows overlooking the Honnouji Academy courtyard below before speaking, "I have a feeling she knows about you, including what you are."

"_**What do you plan to do?"**_ Mugetsu's eyes swiveled upwards in an attempt to make eye contact with Ichigo, _**"You know that with my power, she doesn't stand a chance against you."**_

"I don't want to fight her," Ichigo said with a sigh, "If she knows that you're a Kamui, then there is nothing I can do about it until she confronts us. If you're right, Mugetsu, about your power being too much for Satsuki, then she won't confront us for a while. That should give me enough time to think of a plan."

"_**You have a point Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu conceded before adding, _**"When are you going to give me more blood and transform into my true form?"**_

"When I feel like it," Ichigo reminded Mugetsu with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Like I told you a few minutes ago, there's no reason for me to transform into your true form without a good enough reason. Why do you keep pestering me about it?"

"_**Because you do not understand,"**_ Mugetsu sounded both insulted and upset as she spoke, _**"Kamui are made for fighting. Wearing me and not fighting is a direct insult to my power. Do you not like wearing me, Ichigo?"**_

"Hey," Ichigo felt a pang of guilt upon realizing that he had somehow upset his Kamui, "I didn't say I would never transform. It's just that without having a good reason to do so, transforming would be a complete waste of your power."

Mugetsu looked up at Ichigo for a long and tense moment before her eyes closed and he heard her mentally sigh, _**"I understand your logic, Ichigo, but promise me that within the next day or two you will wield my full power. I don't know why I didn't activate my true form upon being worn by you so can you please do that?"**_

The pleading in Mugetsu's tone made Ichigo feel as if he was talking to a child. Sighing and rubbing the back of his neck, he acquiesced and said, "Fine, I guess I can do that. I just have to figure out a way to do it without anyone noticing though."

"_**You won't be disappointed!"**_ Mugetsu practically shouted in joy and Ichigo was glad no one else could hear her voice. It would have been really hard for him to explain why his school uniform was speaking, _**"With my power at your disposal there will be no limit to what you can do!"**_

"Don't get too excited. We still have to figure out why –"

"Hi Ichigo!"

To Ichigo's complete and total surprise Mako Mankanshoku slid up out of nowhere right next to him. As he looked down the hall that had been empty just a moment ago, Mako smiled and saluted Ichigo, "Good morning, Ichigo! I slept great last night! Did you enjoy your first day of classes? The first day is always the hardest because Lady Satsuki makes the Disciplinary Committee intimidate everyone."

"It's been fine so far," Ichigo answered with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, "It's just getting around in this place is so damn confusing."

"You don't need to worry about that," Mako waved her hand in front of her face, "Everybody gets used to the twists and turns of the school eventually. If you don't, then your body will be found one way or another."

"That's disturbing," Ichigo found Mako's lack of regard for the lives of her fellow students disconcerting, but then again, Gamagori did beat the crap out of that student yesterday before stripping him naked and killing him. If stuff like that happened on a daily basis at Honnouji Academy than Ichigo could see why Mako might not find the situation morally repugnant.

"So what class do you have next?" Mako clapped her hands together and asked, "I just came from math. I don't see why people always think I don't belong in the class. I don't really pay attention but everybody was really upset at me last year."

Ichigo knew he shouldn't ask but he still did, "What did you do?"

Mako thought deeply for a couple of seconds before answering, "I don't know. The teacher was going over Riemann something and said no one had been able to solve the number thingy. I remember frowning, saying that he was wrong and then I blacked out for a while but apparently I talked and talked for a really long time. When I was done the teacher seemed really shocked! His mouth was open and everything and I told him that if he didn't close it flies would go right into it like it was a cave or something. When he asked if I wrote anything down, I said yes and showed him a picture of my house. I don't know why he started crying afterwards."

"That sounds…interesting, Mako," Ichigo didn't know what to make of Mako's story but going by the way she tended to exaggerate things around him, he was leaning towards her making the whole thing up.

"It sure is!" Mako gave Ichigo a thumbs up before gasping, "Oh! I nearly forgot! Guess what happened to me today, Ichigo!"

"I give up. What happened?"

"I made a brand new friend!" Mako exclaimed happily as she reached off to the side and pulled back a visibly confused Ryuko Matoi, who seemed just as perplexed about what was going on as Ichigo. Blissfully ignorant of her new friend's state of mind, Mako pointed to the red bang in Ryuko's hair and continued, "This is Ryuko, my new friend! She's in almost all of my classes and everything! I met her this morning after teaching Mataro a valuable lesson about skipping school and mugging people!"

Still getting used to Mako's randomness and seemingly infinite energy, Ryuko weakly raised a hand and said, "Hey."

"Don't worry about Mako," Ichigo waved off Ryuko's half-hearted hello as Mako turned towards the window, "She not really all there."

Mentally sighing in relief upon realizing Ichigo was nothing like Mako and was actually quite normal, Ryuko gave a relaxed smile, "Actually, I kind of like having someone like her around. Compared to everyone else in this city, Mako's not that bad."

"Tell me about it," Ichigo groaned. Personally, he was trying to grasp the concept of how all the One-Star students looked and even sounded identical.

"Hey, what's up with your uniform?" Ryuko leaned in to get a closer look at Mugetsu's eyes. As Ryuko examined Mugetsu, Ichigo was glad Kamui don't need to blink, "Weird, it's almost like it's watching me. Freaky."

"_**Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu said with concern, _**"She's scaring me."**_

"Huh?" Ryuko turned towards Mako, who was staring at a butterfly flying outside, "You say something Mako?"

"What?" Mako blinked owlishly as she looked away from the butterfly, "Did I say something? I don't remember saying anything."

"Never mind," Ryuko rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, "So what's your name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichigo, huh?" Ryuko grinned mischievously, "That's quite the name you have, strawberry."

"It means 'to protect one thing' not strawberry!"

"Ichigo's right Ryuko!" Mako interjected, "He hates it when people call him Strawberry. Why, just yesterday he beat up several One-Star students who wouldn't stop calling him that. It was an amazing sight to see five people heaped into one pile."

"One-Star students?" Ryuko looked upwards as she tried to remember something, "Aren't they those people that look like clones or something?"

Ichigo tried to answer but Mako suddenly slid in between him and Ryuko, a determined look on her face, "Ryuko is just like you, Ichigo! She is a transfer student that arrived just this very morning."

"I actually arrived yesterday," Ryuko corrected, "So you're a transfer student as well, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, my dad and I arrived a few days ago for that stupid Student Evaluation Day crap," Ichigo complained, "It was a total waste of time."

"It is not a total waste of time," Mako protested defiantly, "That exam is what determines your initial status here at Honnouji Academy! Only an idiot would ignore the score they get!"

There was an awkward silence as Ichigo let what Mako just said sink into her head. After finding out what his score was, Ichigo had been visited by Gamagori. The behemoth of a teen had said that his score was high enough to grant him a One-Star uniform. Ichigo had taken one look at the uniform with a single four-pointed black star on it before saying he didn't want it. To say that Gamagori had been peeved would be an understatement.

"You would like Ichigo's dad, Ryuko," Mako said excitedly, "He is so cool!"

Ichigo's eyes widened in fear as the thought of Mako meeting his dad entered his mind. It had taken him years to learn to deal with his dad's own brand of stupidity and insanity. If Mako were to meet his dad, it might turn out to be too much for him, "When did you meet my dad?"

"It was during Student Evaluation Day!" Mako exclaimed exuberantly, "After I finished the test and went for a stroll outside, I saw this old man showing pictures to a bunch of the students. I wanted to see the pictures so I asked him, politely of course, if I could. The nice man blushed and showed them to me. He said that if I were to ever go to Karakura Town, to come by the Kurosaki Clinic, 'cause Isshin Kurosaki's door is always open to a friend of Ichigo!"

Ichigo groaned and face palmed at the description of his dad's behavior. Just when he though his dad left him in peace and without damaging his reputation any more than he already did, he finds out that nothing had changed. He could only hope that what his dad did or said would not spread through the school grapevine.

"Your dad's name is Isshin?" Ryuko's hair overshadowed her eyes as she asked the question.

"Yeah," Ichigo shrugged, "The bastard's always doing things like this just to piss me off. The man's a doctor and yet he acts like a child when I'm not around to beat some sense into him. The incredible thing is that he's never lost a patient. Why do you want to know?"

"It's just that…" Ryuko turned and began walking away from him, "…my dad's name was Isshin."

Ichigo caught the meaning of Ryuko's statement but said nothing as he watched Ryuko walk away with Mako hot on her heels, oblivious as ever to her surroundings. As the two girls disappeared into the crowd, Ichigo groaned, "Man, I feel like an ass."

"_**You couldn't have known her father was dead or that he shared a name with your own father,"**_ Mugetsu stated factually.

"Yeah," Ichigo admitted, "But I still feel like I should apologize to her."

"_**Apologize for what?"**_ Mugetsu questioned, _**"You did nothing wrong. It seems as if her father has passed away quite recently. It might be best to allow her some time to calm down before talking to her."**_

"I suppose you're right, but I still want to apologize."

As Ichigo began to go after Ryuko and Mako, he found a firm hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"Hey now," an older voice drawled out, "Just where do you think you're going, young man?"

Ichigo turned around and saw Aikuro Mikisugi standing behind him. The lazy-looking and perpetually scruffy history teacher stared at Ichigo from behind his thick glasses before running the hand not currently holding Ichigo's shoulder through his shaggy blue hair, "Orange hair…you must be Ichigo Kurosaki. It's such a relief that I finally found you. You're like the only person in Honnouji Academy with such unique hair but it was quite hard to find you."

"What do you want?" Ichigo pulled his shoulder out of Aikuro's grip and scowled, "I have somewhere to be."

"Ah, not so fast," Aikuro wagged a finger knowingly, "There is a slight issue that came up involving your transcript. It turns out that there was a mix up between your record and another student's. While that's not a bad thing, it'll take a least a week for your proper records to be faxed over. In the meantime you need to take a placement test to determine what classes you take."

"Placement test?" A feeling of dread seeped into Ichigo's soul at the thought of standardized testing, "Are you sure about that?"

Aikuro leaned forward and pointed at his face, "Does this face look unsure to you? Now come on, Ichigo. The test isn't that bad. Your transcript said you're a smart kid so I'm sure you'' figure out everything quickly enough."

"Oh!" Aikuro exclaimed as he remembered something important, "You don't need to worry about missing your next class. I've already cleared it with your professor. Now come on, my class is on the sixth floor."

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to apologize to Ryuko until at least after he finished taking the stupid placement test, Ichigo reluctantly followed Aikuro through Honnouji Academy.

"_**Something about this doesn't sit well with me,"**_ Mugetsu stated, _**"Be on your guard Ichigo."**_

"I know, Mugetsu," he whispered.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Hey wait up Ryuko!"<p>

Mako Mankanshoku raced through the hallways of Honnouji Academy in pursuit of her new best friend. Catching up to Ryuko just outside the building, she waved her arms frantically in the air as Ryuko groaned and smacked her hand against her face, "Huh? What's wrong, Ryuko?"

"I acted like a complete idiot!" Ryuko grumbled beneath the palm of her hand. Why did she have to overreact like that when she heard the name of Ichigo's dad? A lot of people were named Isshin in Japan. The fact their fathers had the same name was merely a coincidence but the way she acted made Ryuko feel like an inconsiderate jerk.

"Don't worry about it!" Mako answered nonchalantly as she seemingly tried to wave away Ryuko's troubles, "Ichigo may seem like a delinquent but he's actually really nice! I'm sure he doesn't even care about what happened!"

Ryuko frowned as she remembered something important, "Hey Mako, who's the top dog at this school?"

"Why that's simple!" Mako clapped her hands together and took a deep breath, "It's – Bow, Ryuko! Bow!"

Ryuko didn't have time to understand why she was panicking before Mako, with a surprising amount of strength, grabbed the back of her neck and forced her head downwards. After several seconds of struggling, Ryuko managed to pull herself out of Mako's grip. Crouching down below the line of students that had quickly formed around the two of them, Ryuko looked and saw a large man slowly walking towards them.

"He looks like he's in charge here," she mumbled.

"Yup!" Mako said while still bowing, "He's a Three-Star!"

Ryuko looked carefully at the man. Sure he looked strong and could probably defeat her in a straight up fight, but whatever it was that made him special boggled her, "What the hell's a Three-Star?"

"His name is Ira Gamagori, one of the Elite Four and the Disciplinary Committee Chair of the Student Council," Mako explained, "He's really, really tough and strong. Compare to No-Star students like you and me, he could defeat us with both hands tied behind his back!"

"No-Star?"

"I forgot that you're a transfer student!" Mako smacked herself in the face before explaining, "Honnouji Academy school uniforms are quite special and can grant you awesome powers if you wear one. These Goku Uniforms can make you a superhero. Student Council President Satsuki Kiryuin gives students Goku Uniforms based upon their abilities and willpower. To sum up a really short story, Goku Uniforms are awesome! Do you want me to explain again?"

Everything was beginning to make sense to Ryuko. Shaking her head and narrowing her eyes in contemplation, she paused momentarily before asking, "So what you're saying is that she's the one in charge of this place?"

"Yes, yes!" Mako nodded enthusiastically, "Lady Satsuki is in charge and everything but if you're looking to make her your friend, she's already taken. I've heard from a desk neighbor that Lady Satsuki's taken an interest in our dear friend, Ichigo!"

Ryuko turned her attention from the increasingly bright light emanating from to her left, "Ichigo? How does he know her?"

"It's one of the nine big mysteries of Honnouji Academy," Mako answered cryptically, "No one knows why Lady Satsuki is interested in Ichigo. He's only been here a few days and every time I see him he's by himself reading or talking to his uniform. Once I saw Lady Satsuki talking to him almost like they were equals! It was such a strange sight since I'm like his only friend!"

"You don't say..." Ryuko paused as she thought back on her limited interaction with Ichigo. He hadn't seemed like the kind of person to be dating the head of Honnouji Academy but then again she wasn't somebody who knew this sort of thing, "So they're like a couple?"

"Nope!" Mako shook her head, "Ichigo may be special in his own way but Lady Satsuki is in a league of her own. There are only one or two people in the entire world that can compare with her elegant radiance."

Ryuko tried and failed to wrap her mind around Mako's logic. Stopping her train of thought before it could cause her to develop a headache she stared at the ground and mumbled, "So Satsuki Kiryuin likes to hang out with Ichigo?"

"Who knows!" Mako confessed, "But Ichigo doesn't seem to like being around Lady Satsuki all that much. The day before yesterday, which was two days ago, I was hanging out with Ichigo when Lady Satsuki appeared in a shaft of blinding light! She tried to talk to him but Ichigo kept his mouth shut and said as little as possible. The tension got so bad that I thought Ichigo's scowl would be permanently etched on his face. Ah, speak of the devil! Here she comes now!"

Realizing that the bright light that she had earlier ignored had not vanished but actually grew brighter, Ryuko turned around and saw a girl about her age slowly descending the translucent steps. Narrowing her eyes as she noticed the content look adorning Satsuki's face, as if to say that everyone was unworthy of her attention, Ryuko growled deep in her throat as she steadied her nerves. If she was going to confront Satsuki about her dad's death, she needed to make up her mind now. She couldn't afford to let such an opportunity pass without at least trying. Standing up and ignoring the strange feeling of weakness in her knees, Ryuko stepped forward directly into Satsuki's path.

"So you must be the big shot here?" Ryuko sneered haughtily while holding her hands within the pockets of her blazer to hide the nervousness she felt, "I have a question for you."

"You bitch!" Several of the One-Star students surrounding Ryuko leapt out of place towards her, "How dare you speak to Lady Satsuki like that!"

Ryuko allowed the silver guitar case on her back to fall to the ground with a thump. Gripping the handle while spinning around on her ankle, she slammed the case into the face of the closest assailant before using her momentum to knock him into the rest of the students. As the One-Star students flew backwards away from her, either unconscious or close to it, Ryuko undid the latches on the case and drew out a shining red blade.

"Oh no! Ryuko!" Mako shouted in surprise as she watched her newest and best friend spin the weird blade that was in the case instead of a guitar around her wrist. As much as Mako wished she could do something cool and awesome like that, she knew if she tried she would end up having a horrible industrial accident, "Oh my gosh, it's a huge scissor!"

"That's right, Mako. This blade came from a giant pair of scissors," Ryuko didn't take her eyes off of Satsuki's Kiryuin deepening frown as she explained, "I'm guessing by the look on your dear president's face she's seen something like this before. Am I right, Satsuki Kiryuin?"

Satsuki looked down at Ryuko derisively while her mind spun into high gear. To think that after all this time the other half of the Scissor Blade, the weapon designed to cut and destroy Life Fibers and a critical tool for her plan's completion, would end up being delivered right to her doorstep. The irony was so poetic that Satsuki allowed herself to smirk, "So what if I have? What are you going to do if I have…Ryuko Matoi?"

Something about the way Satsuki spoke filled Ryuko with rage, "Damn it. You're the woman with the Scissor Blade, aren't you?"

"Perhaps," Satsuki coldly shrugged before asking, "If I said that I was, what would you do about it?"

Ryuko grit her teeth and charged up the stairs towards Satsuki with her Scissor Blade held aloft at her side. There was no doubt in her mind that Satsuki Kiryuin was the woman who murdered her dad in cold blood all those months ago. She would have died that night as well if she hadn't run out of the manor before the bomb went off. Jumping into the air, her Scissor Blade held in a reverse grip, Ryuko descended towards Satsuki while shouting, "Damn you!"

"Ten! Ken! Fun! Sai!"

Just before the tip of her Scissor Blade could touch a single hair on Satsuki's head, Ryuko found herself blindsided by an enormous boxing glove that sent her body cartwheeling through the air in the opposite direction. Flipping along the ground several times, her face and body accumulating several cuts and scrapes, Ryuko dug her Scissor Blade into the ground as she skidded to a stop. Staring up at her new opponent as Satsuki Kiryuin continued to watch carefully, Ryuko spat on the ground and pushed her body to stand back up. Whoever the hell hit her had a really strong punch. Turning the Scissor Blade over in her hands so that the edge was facing upwards, Ryuko ignored the pain lingering throughout her body and prepared to face her newest challenger.

"Come on then!" Ryuko shouted as she raced towards her diminutive opponent.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"My, my," Aikuro drawled out while staring out through a pair of binoculars down at the courtyard, "Kids these days. They have no idea how things work."<p>

Ichigo ignored Aikuro's attempt at small talk in order to focus on his test, but as he answered question after question, it was becoming increasingly clear that something strange was going on. Aikuro had said this was a placement test, which meant it should contain material of about the same level as what Karakura High School offered, but it was too easy. Apart from maybe one or two questions that he needed a few minutes to think about, Ichigo hadn't found anything difficult about it. It was almost too easy.

"But then again," Aikuro continued rambling, ignorant to Ichigo's growing annoyance with him. Ryuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku had just appeared out in the courtyard and it appeared as if Satsuki Kiryuin was about to make her way down for some reason, "Growing up, I didn't have anything as fancy as a Goku Uniform to increase my strength and speed beyond that of a normal human's. It's almost unfair, but you cannot say the same thing, can you Ichigo? After all, a Goku Uniform is nothing compared to your Kamui."

The pencil in Ichigo's hand nearly snapped in half as Aikuro lazily admitted that he knew he was wearing a Kamui.

"_**How does he know Ichigo?"**_ Mugetsu said in a panicked voice. If a Kamui was able to sweat, she would be dripping with it, _**"He shouldn't know about me!"**_

Realizing that the whole test had been a farce to get him alone, Ichigo stood up and glared at Aikuro, "How do you know about my Kamui?"

"The answer to your question is quite simple, Ichigo," Aikuro removed his foggy glasses and suddenly he was surrounded by a bright purple light, "I know almost everything about Kamui and the Life Fibers composing them!"

"The hell is going on here?" Ichigo was both frightened and disturbed by what he was seeing. One second Aikuro was a lazy and unmotivated teacher and the next he suddenly de-aged and turned into someone that looked like he should have been a model. Seeing Aikuro strike a pose, Ichigo voiced his concern, "What the hell are you doing?"

"_**Why is he stripping Ichigo?"**_ Mugetsu asked in a frightened voice.

"The school uniform you are wearing is what is known as a Kamui," Aikuro explained, ignoring Ichigo's shocked reaction. Quickly changing to a different pose, he continued, "Kamui are clothing created purely from Life Fibers. They are, in essence, the ultimate Goku Uniform in terms of power, speed, and strength. While there are many flaws and weaknesses in Goku Uniforms, Kamui have none of them. They are also able to adapt and change to fit most situations the wearer finds themselves in."

"That's all very good," Ichigo averted his gaze from the increasing disturbing Aikuro, "But put your damn clothes back on."

"Do not be disturbed by my body, Ichigo," Aikuro sternly warned. As his shirt suddenly became unbuttoned and fell down his shoulders, he continued explaining while ignoring the twitch developing in Ichigo's eye, "Kamui require the blood of their wearer in order to function at full power. If the wearer is not worthy or refuses to give blood, the Kamui will not be able to achieve its full power and will fall back into hibernation."

"To hell with this," Even though the information was incredibly useful, Ichigo wasn't about to stand around and watch a grown man strip. Making his way to the door, he said, "I don't need to stand here and watch you strip like a damn pervert."

Before he was even halfway to the door, Aikuro slid in front of him. The teacher's shirt was now entirely missing, meaning that the only thing between Ichigo and a visit to a therapist was a pair of pants. Shifting poses once again, Aikuro asked, "Do you know what a Life Fiber is, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Gee," Ichigo answered sarcastically, "That's a tough one. Why don't I think about it and come back some other time?"

"Life Fibers…" Aikuro trailed off as the purple light shining around him grew in intensity,"…are fibers that have somehow gained a life of their own. This newly found life allows them to be woven together into clothing for both offensive and defensive situations. No one knows where Life Fibers originally came from or how they can accomplish such magnificent feats. Some believe they are merely a trade secret of Revocs. A mere invention that has allowed them to become the major distributor of clothing and other apparel throughout the world. Others think that Life Fibers are alien in nature and have come to earth for a sinister purpose."

Ichigo folded his arms, his eyes firmly closed as he took in what Aikuro was telling him, "What's the point of telling me all this?"

"The point, Ichigo," Aikuro posed before continuing, "Is that your Kamui is more special than you think. To my knowledge there should only be three Kamui in existence and yours is not among them. The question of who could have created your Kamui intrigues me."

"Does it really matter who made Mugetsu?" Ichigo asked, annoyance evident in his voice.

"I suppose it doesn't," Aikuro admitted seriously before he, much to Ichigo's horror, began unzipping his pants, "There is just one last thing I should mention. Since I found out about your Kamui in such short notice it took a little greasing of palms but I have –"

It was at that point in time that Ichigo, in an effort to both preserve his masculinity and keep his sanity intact, drew his arm up and punched Aikuro square in the jaw. As the undercover nudist collapsed to the ground while rubbing his cheek, Ichigo stepped forward and loomed over him.

"Let's get one thing straight," Ichigo growled while cracking his knuckles, "You take off one more piece of clothing and you won't be waking up for a week."

Sitting up and rubbing his cheek, Aikuro gave an unsatisfied pout as he pointed to his desk, "In the second to bottom drawer is something you will find to be useful in the future. Think of it as a gift from someone who understands your situation."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because, Ichigo," Aikuro leapt to his feet without a trace of pain on his face, "Unlike what you may want to believe, my interest in you is purely academic and intellectual. To find a Kamui being worn by someone with no connections to Revocs is a surprise not just to me, but with the group I work for. I want to see how far you will go with Mugetsu."

While he was still suspicious of Aikuro, especially after he started stripping, Ichigo walked over to his desk and opened the drawer. Inside he found something completely unexpected. Sitting alone in the drawer was a spaulder. Picking it up and turning it over in his hands, he frowned and asked, "What's this for?"

Zipping up his fly in order to keep up his disguise as a normal, but lazy and unmotivated teacher, Aikuro answered, "That, Ichigo, is how you will feed blood to Mugetsu. Normally a Kamui can draw out enough blood through the skin to stay awake but that is only after they've transformed once. Judging from the scowl on your face I see you still haven't worn Mugetsu's actual form."

Grabbing the spaulder out of Ichigo's hand, Aikuro pointed to the two glowing blue bands wrapping around it. As he pressed them inwards, causing the twin needles hidden within to emerge, Aikuro explained, "When you press your hand down on the spaulder, it will fire two extremely sharp needles into your shoulder. That should allow enough blood to reach Mugetsu to initiate its transformation. Although…"

Ichigo didn't like the way Aikuro trailed off, "Although what?"

Aikuro chuckled nervously as he handed the spaulder back to Ichigo, "I don't know how to sugarcoat this so I'll just say it. Kamui are meant to cover as little skin as possible…for various reasons too long and complex for me to explain. If that's not bad enough, every one of the three Kamui I know about were specifically designed for the female body. I'm not quite sure what will happen if you activate Mugetsu."

A cloud of depression hung over Ichigo's head as he tried to not visualize what an extremely revealing Mugetsu would look like. Having the power of a Kamui meant nothing if he had to fight half-naked all the time. Eventually it was Mugetsu who managed to bring Ichigo out of his funk, _**"Do not worry, Ichigo. I was woven together by Urahara Kisuke specifically for you. There is no doubt that he tailored me for a male wearer."**_

"I hope you're right," Ichigo muttered as he strapped the spaulder onto his left shoulder and locking it into place. Rotating his shoulder and making sure his movements wouldn't be impeded by the new accessory, Ichigo paused and asked Aikuro, "Wait a second. You're just a teacher. How do you know all this?"

"I believe that's a question for another time," Aikuro answered cryptically as he pointed to the window, "Since I do believe your attention is about to be focused on something else."

Focusing Aikuro's line of sight, Ichigo looked out the window and noticed a large crowd of students gathered below. While at first he was unable to make out what was happening, his eyes widened in shock when he saw Ryuko on the receiving end of a rather brutal beating.

"What the hell's going on down there? Why isn't anyone helping her?" Ichigo growled in outrage as he watched Ryuko get hit repeatedly by a barrage of quick punches from her diminutive opponent. Forcing open the window and shattering the lock in the process, Ichigo stepped onto the frame and motioned to his spaulder, "Hey pervert, how fast does this thing work?"

"It should take no more than a second," Aikuro explained as he buttoned his shirt back up and reached for his glasses, "Although I recommend you –"

Ichigo had stopped paying attention to whatever Aikuro was saying as soon as he got an answer. Before he leapt out of Honnouji Academy and began freefalling towards the ground, he asked, "You ready Mugetsu?"

"_**Of course Ichigo,"**_ his Kamui answered, _**"But you should know that you will only have four minutes since this is the first time I've transformed. Make it count."**_

"Right!" Ichigo jumped out of the window and slammed his right hand into the spaulder covering his left shoulder and winced slightly as the needles entered his skin. Immediately following that, his body was enveloped in a bright white light with several stars.

Up in the classroom, once more clad in his lazy disguise, Aikuro sighed as he watched Ichigo make a beeline for Ryuko, "…take the stairs. I guess Ichigo just isn't one for patience, but did he have to punch my beautiful face? Oh well, as much as I'd like to see little miss Satsuki get embarrassed I have to get going. Things to do and secrets to reveal and all that nonsense. Now where did I put the trapdoor remote control? It's been so long since I've tested it I need to make sure the batteries are still working."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"This is it!" Takaharu Fukuroda drew his arm back as he prepared for the final punch. As much as he had been dominating the fight he had to give the transfer student credit for lasting this long. He'd already hit her with several volleys of punches and yet she was still conscious and on her feet. There were One-Star students who hadn't lasted as long as her.<p>

"Here comes the stinger!"

Takaharu shot towards Ryuko, who could barely stand on her feet. Weakly gripping the red Scissor Blade in her hands, the blade shaking every few seconds, Ryuko gasped for air painfully as she watched Takaharu rush at her with his right arm cocked back. She couldn't believe all her ambitions and goals were about to end at the hands of some lackey of Satsuki Kiryuin. As she stared defiantly at Takaharu, Ryuko felt everything crawl to a stop as a bright flash of blue light appeared in her peripheral vision.

"Where is that light coming from?"

Using one of his oversized boxing gloves to block out the light, Takaharu turned around and squinted in an effort to make out what was happening. Although he was not able to see anything Takaharu was able to tell that whatever was emitting that bright light was falling rapidly towards the ground from the main building of Honnouji Academy.

"What…what's going on?" Ryuko stared up at the light before she felt her knees starting to buckle. Stabbing her Scissor Blade into the ground, the hardened Life Fiber blade easily piercing the rock and soil, Ryuko grit her teeth as she made a conscious effort to not fall down. Her beating from the Boxing Club captain had all but exhausted her and Ryuko knew if Takaharu hadn't been distracted by the light, he would have easily finished her off and she would never find out who killed her dad.

As every student, including Satsuki Kiryuin, stared transfixed on the falling light, they were suddenly brought back to reality when a sonic boom reverberated through the air and a large crater appeared on the wall of the academy just a few meters above the ground. Takaharu, unable to even see what the object was, was not prepared for whatever it was to rocket towards him faster than he could possibly react. Eyes wide as a burst of pain spread across his face, the diminutive Two-Star was sent clear across the courtyard into the far wall as a white armored fist slammed into his face.

Ryuko didn't know what to think as her opponent, the same person who had been kicking her ass, was sent clear across the academy by a single punch. Staring transfixed at where Takaharu had crashed into the wall, she turned her attention to the enveloping cloud of dust and smoke when a familiar voice said, "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner, Ryuko."

"Ichigo?" Ryuko didn't know what to think but knowing that he had most likely saved her life caused her shock to be replaced by relief, "Don't worry about it. You sure do know how to make an entrance."

"You should get out of here," Ichigo's voice echoed faintly from inside the dust, "This guy isn't going to stay down for long."

Ryuko was about to point out that Ichigo had decked Takaharu but stopped when she saw a figure rapidly running back towards them. It was Takaharu and she didn't need to be a genius to realize he was pissed. Giving Ichigo a quickly thanks, she made a break for the entrance of Honnouji Academy while knocking away several One-Star students stupid enough to get in her way. Grabbing a deliveryman's moped, while making sure to leave his deliveries in a neat pile on the ground, Ryuko took off into the distance accompanied by a trail of smoke.

"_**That Ryuko girl sure knows when to fold her cards,"**_ Mugetsu pointed out before adding, _**"Three and a half minutes."**_

"Yeah…"

Satsuki stared into the clearing smoke with narrowed eyes as thoughts swirled in her mind. Judging from what she witnessed, if barely, it seemed her earlier assumption about Ichigo Kurosaki's unique uniform were indeed accurate, "So you had a Kamui all along, Ichigo Kurosaki. What else are you hiding from me?"

A white boot stepped out of the smoke before there was a release of energy, allowing all the gathered students to see Mugetsu in her true form.

Mugetsu had transformed from a simple school uniform into something resembling form-fitting armor that covered Ichigo from his neck down. He wore what looked to be a black bodysuit beneath interlocking white armor that protected everything apart from several parts of his upper legs and arms. His hands and feet were completely covered in the white armor, making it appear as if he wore greaves and gauntlets. In the middle of his back as well as behind both of his shoulders were three exhaust vents, a light blue glow seeming to emanate from within them.

"_**This is my true form,"**_ Mugetsu said with pride evident in her voice, her eyes turning to look at Ichigo. After transforming, via the infusion of Ichigo's blood, Mugetsu's eyes, which had previously been just beneath the collar of his school uniform, extended upwards and outwards until the resembled spaulders jutting several inches above his shoulders, _**"Can you feel the power coursing through your body, Ichigo? This is the power of a Kamui!"**_

"Yeah," Ichigo muttered as a flexed a covered hand. He could feel Mugetsu's power coursing through his body and for just an instant thought he could do anything. Turning his attention to Satsuki, he scowled and asked, "Does it really matter if I have a Kamui or not?"

Satsuki didn't take her eyes off Ichigo as she slowly and deliberately reached for Bakuzan at her waist, "Do not speak so naively, Ichigo Kurosaki. You may possess a Kamui and all the power it entails but do you think you are a match for –"

The entire student population of Honnouji Academy took a collective nervous breath as Ichigo appeared to vanish from right in front of their eyes. As he moved across the courtyard faster than their eyes could keep up, Ichigo reappeared directly in front of Satsuki Kiryuin with his hand firmly placed on Bakuzan's pommel, preventing her from removing it from its scabbard.

"I don't think you need to do that," Ichigo warned softly as Satsuki glared at him with an annoyed look in her eyes. Ignoring the indignant shouts coming from Gamagori and Sanageyama, Ichigo added, "From where I'm standing, fighting you would be beneath me."

Satsuki's eyes widened as Ichigo threw her words from their first encounter back in her face, but she was saved from having to answer as an enraged voice shouted, "How dare you speak like that to Lady Satsuki!"

Ichigo jumped backwards as Takaharu's fist punched through the air his head had just occupied. Easily landing on the ground several meters away, Ichigo stared at the miniature club captain. Takaharu's right eye was bruised and a heavy trail of blood was dribbling from his nose. While the captain didn't move, he turned his eyes towards Satsuki, "Are you alright, Ma'am?"

"I am fine," Satsuki answered calmly.

"That's good," Takaharu grinned, rage visible in his eyes, "That means I can go all out on this street punk! Now die, you bastard!"

Ichigo watched Takaharu race towards him with a faint scowl on his face and a disinterested look in his eyes. Waiting until the Boxing club captain had almost closed the distance between them and brought up his enormous right boxing glove to deliver a critical hit, Ichigo calmly raised his left hand and caught the attack in the palm of his hand with ease. While the force behind the attack was enough to cause the ground to shatter and crack behind Ichigo, the Kamui-wearing youth had shown no sign of trouble in stopping the attack.

"I-Impossible!" Takaharu stammered as he watched an attack from his Athleticism-Augmented Two-Star Goku Uniform get blocked with seemingly no effort on Ichigo's part. Gritting his teeth and pushing more and more power into his attack, Takaharu began to sweat nervously as Ichigo continued to stand in front of him with a bored look on his face.

"It's not impossible," Ichigo calmly corrected as he began applying pressure to the Life Fiber boxing glove held firmly in his hand. As Takaharu's weapon of choice began developing hairline fractures along the surface, exposing the bright red light of the Life Fibers held within, Ichigo explained, "It's merely improbable."

"_**Two minutes left Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu warned, _**"Finish up and get out of here."**_

Completely oblivious to what Mugetsu was telling Ichigo, Takaharu took the opportunity to leap back and out of Ichigo's grasp. Glancing at the cracks on his boxing glove, he grit his teeth as the veins in his forehead became more and more prominent. How dare Ichigo humiliate him in front of not only the entirety of Honnouji Academy, but Lady Satsuki as well! This was a slight against his honor as both a boxer and an athlete. Releasing the full power of his Goku Uniform, Takaharu fired a corkscrew punch that looked as if a stream of boxing gloves were emerging from his hands, "Don't think that's all I got, tough guy! Feel the power of my Athleticism-Augmented Two-Star Goku Uniform!"

"Man," Ichigo muttered as he leaned to the side to avoid the first punch, "Isn't that a mouthful or something?"

Despite the speed and power of his corkscrew punch, Takaharu found to his growing frustration that he had yet to land a hit on Ichigo Kurosaki. His punches were supposed to be too fast for anyone not wearing a Two-Star Goku Uniform or greater to see, let alone dodge, and yet Ichigo Kurosaki was ducking and waving around every single one of his punches without even a hint of trouble.

"Stop toying with me, you bastard!" he shouted. Realizing he needed to release his full power, he reached for the cord wrapping around his wrist only to find a shadow surrounding him. Looking up, he saw Ichigo descending towards him, a fist cocked back.

"That's enough!"

Before Ichigo could hit Takaharu, Satsuki appeared in his path with Bakuzan drawn. Using the flat side of the midnight black blade as a makeshift shield, Satsuki managed to block his Kamui-enhanced punch only with a large amount of effort. With one hand tightly gripping the hilt of her blade while the other was propped up against Bakuzan's edge, Satsuki not only managed to stop Ichigo's punch but also push him away. As Ichigo was forced back from Satsuki's unexpected counterattack, he quickly twisted out of the way as Satsuki pressed her momentary advantage and tried to sever the Life Fibers composing Mugetsu.

"You have failed, Takaharu Fukuroda," Satsuki said sternly as she stepped away from Ichigo while sheathing Bakuzan, "Not only have you proven unable to fulfill your orders, you have also failed to take down someone who poses a great threat to the security and stability of Honnouji Academy. Leave my sight. I shall decide your punishment for such an abysmal failure soon enough."

Takaharu began sweating nervously and knelt on one knee, "Please forgive my failure, Ma'am!"

Satsuki ignored the prostrating Boxing Club captain in order to focus on the more immediate and pressing matter. Her opponent had a fully synchronized Kamui and seemed to have complete control over it despite it covering most of his body. Snapping her fingers as she came to a decision, Satsuki stood passively as Gamagori and Sanageyama appeared in front of her, preventing Ichigo from attacking her.

"Shall we deal with this delinquent, Lady Satsuki?" Gamagori growled authoritatively.

"That will not be necessary, Gamagori," Satsuki gently informed them. Staring past the collective surprised expressions on her Elite Four, Satsuki stepped forth and said, "Ichigo Kurosaki's purpose in coming here has already been fulfilled. He has no intention of challenging me. Isn't that correct, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo clenched a fist as he scowled at Satsuki, "I only came to make sure that insane Boxing Club captain didn't kill Ryuko."

"Tch," Sanageyama drew the shinai from his back and waved it at Ichigo, "You think we're just going to let you walk away after insulting Lady Satsuki like that? I don't care if Lady Ragyo is allowing you to attend Honnouji Academy, you aren't going to get away with this, Ichigo Kurosaki."

There was something about the bravado Sanageyama and Gamagori were emitting that gave Ichigo pause for concern. While the power afforded to him by Mugetsu was great, there was no telling what kind of abilities a Three-Star Goku Uniform afforded the Elite Four. The only way they would dare to face a Kamui was if their own uniforms granted them a special kind of power that would give them an edge in combat.

"_**One minute. It's almost time Ichigo..."**_

Ichigo nodded but didn't say anything to his Kamui. Spreading his legs and raising a clenched fist into the air, he looked at his gathering opponents and said, "Sorry but I don't have time to stick around."

Sanageyama's eyes widened in realization as he rushed forward with his hand reached towards his lapel, "Damn it! You're not going to get away from us, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Ichigo ignored Sanageyama's warning and, with a shout, the exhaust vent on his back began blasting out energy and heat as he slammed his fist into the ground, kicking up a cloud of smoke that put the one that formed when he intercepted Takaharu's attack earlier to shame.

"Damn it!" Sanageyama cursed and kicked the ground in frustration when he saw that Ichigo had disappeared. Looking around, he managed to spot Ichigo fleeing into the distance before leaping into the air and disappearing behind a building. Pointing to several One-Star students, he shouted, "Spread out and find Ichigo Kurosaki! I want his dorm room under guard and every room searched! He has to be around here somewhere!"

"Calm down, Sanageyama," Satsuki breathed out and relaxed her mind. Ichigo Kurosaki had a Kamui, which validated her theory, but the question remained of what his purpose was, "Chasing after Ichigo Kurosaki would no doubt be a fruitless effort. Let him be for the moment. I shall have him dealt with when the time is right."

"That was a Kamui, huh? My, Strawberry looked quite good in it," Nonon Jakuzure muttered in awe. She had felt the power emanating from Ichigo Kurosaki and Mugetsu and knew that he hadn't truly shown them his true power. What caused a hint of nervousness to creep into her mind was how Ichigo stared down Lady Satsuki without so much as a flinch.

Satsuki turned to leave, her fists tightening in anger. Blocking Ichigo Kurosaki's punch had been more difficult than she expected. If Bakuzan was anything weaker, it would have been shattered from the force behind the blow. She couldn't understand how Ichigo seemed to be in full control of his Kamui. There was no struggle for dominance between his will and the Kamui's will nor was there any sign of exhaustion due to excessive blood loss, "Inumuta."

The blue-haired Elite Four turned towards the student council president, "Yes, Lady Satsuki?"

"Were you able to gather any useful information on Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui?"

"I'm afraid not," Inumuta adjusted his glasses as he continued speaking, "His appearance along with the apparent ease in which he dealt with the Boxing Club captain briefly threw off my sensors and detectors. I shall immediately get started on upgrading their sensitivity and durability. There is one thing I was able to find that you might find useful. Right before escaping, Ichigo Kurosaki referred to his Kamui as Mugetsu, or Moonless Sky if you're being poetic."

"I see," Satsuki stared towards where Ichigo had vanished before closing her eyes. Mugetsu was quite the poetic name for a Kamui although it would never ring as purely and truly as Junketsu. Turning around while giving Inumuta a final glance, she added, "Takaharu's failure to capture the transfer student and acquire the Scissor Blade cannot be forgotten. Since the Boxing Club is part of the Athletic Clubs, I shall allow Sanageyama to devise the method and severity of punishment."

"As you wish, Lady Satsuki," Inumuta typed something on his PDA before asking, "Is there anything else you require? I would really like to examine the data I've acquired about Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yes," Satsuki paused and stared up into the sky, "Aside from Ichigo Kurosaki, find out everything you can about the transfer student. Someone like her should not possess a weapon like the Scissor Blade. There is something missing and I don't want to be surprised a second time."

Satsuki ignored the slight bow of respect from Inumuta as she walked back into Honnouji Academy with Gamagori and Jakuzure flanking her on either side, _"That was not the true strength of a Kamui. While Ichigo Kurosaki's display undoubtedly impressed the masses and the Elite Four, I could easily tell he was holding back. The question is whether that was out of fear or necessity."_

Ichigo Kurosaki's possession of a Kamui threw off Satsuki's plans. She had only just began adapting her plans and strategies on the off chance that Ichigo was a spy, willing or not, for her mother. Ichigo's wearing of a Kamui, let alone possessing full control over its immense power, was something she had not expected. If he were to rise up against her, she would need something of equal or greater power to counteract. She would wait a few more days in order to determine what Ichigo's motivations and drives were. Only then, after figuring out the inner workings of his mind would she choose her course of action.

If Ichigo truly was conspiring against her, Satsuki knew she would need to unseal Junketsu sooner than she would have liked. The power of Junketsu, the first Kamui she'd ever lain her eyes upon, was said to be truly exceptional but required the wear to possess a will of steel. Even so, Satsuki could not help but allow a small smirk to adorn her face. She could not wait to see how Ichigo's Mugetsu would compare to the might of Junketsu when the time came.

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><p>...<p>

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><p><em>So Mugetsu's released form is basically Ichigo's Fullbring Armor. I'll admit that Ichigo looked pretty badass in that armor in both the anime and manga and I couldn't help but think that nothing else would work for him. Like I said in the author's note for Chapter 5, it will be a cold day in hell before I allowed Ichigo's Kamui to be as revealing as Senketsu or Junketsu.<em>


	7. Chapter 7: Just My Imagination

_Here is the new and revised Chapter 7. I uploaded the revised Chapter 6 a few days ago and the PM's I got back were all positive about the changes. One of the key issues I had with my earlier chapters is that they were all made before Episodes 21-24 were released, which is where a lot of the plot/story/etc was finally explained. If you read through the chapter once more, you will find that the overall cohesion and grammar is much better. Enjoy!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 – Just My Imagination<strong>

"God damn it, this place is screwed up."

Ichigo peered out from the alley he was hiding in and let out a relieved sigh when he didn't see anyone following him. After he so easily managed to get away from Satsuki Kiryuin and her cronies Ichigo decided to flee as far away from Honnouji Academy as possible. He didn't know what Satsuki would do but he had the strangest feeling Sanageyama wouldn't just take his insults lying down. Letting his eyes scat the area one final time just to make sure no one was trying to sneak up on him, Ichigo ducked back into the alley and leaned his head against the cracked brick wall.

"What the hell is wrong with this school?" Ichigo mumbled as he ran a hand down his face. Satsuki Kiryuin was nothing like he expected her to be. Of course that brief conversation with her in his home at the start of this mess indicated more than anything that she was not someone to mess with, but from her seat of power Ichigo was beginning to realize that Honnouji Academy was more of a fortress or castle than a school.

"_**That is a good question, Ichigo"**_Mugetsu said, once again in the form of a normal school uniform. Her eyes blinked once before looking up at him, _**"But what are you going to do about it?"**_

"Do about it?" Ichigo repeated. That thought had crossed his mind more than once, but every time he tried to come up with how he would go about it or even if it could work, he drew a blank. Pursing his lips and looking to the side, he sighed and said, "I don't think there is anything I can do about it."

Mugetsu looked surprised at Ichigo's answer, but was cut off from saying anything as he continued, "Things like this are always more complicated than they first appear. You may be right about my power being greater than Satsuki's, for the moment at least, but let's assume I do manage to take her down. She has this entire city in the palm of her hand. If I remove her from power, I will have everyone who follows her gunning for me."

Mugetsu mulled that explanation over for a moment, _**"As long as you are safe, I don't care what happens to anyone else."**_

Ichigo listened to his Kamui before something important crossed his mind, "Hey Mugetsu."

"_**What is it?"**_

"You said I only had four minutes to save Ryuko. Why was that?"

"_**I confess that the four minute time limit was something I came up with,"**_ Mugetsu confessed sadly, _**"I was afraid that if you and I remained merged for any longer, I would lose any self-control I had and devour you."**_

"Wait," Ichigo's mind tried to process what he just heard, "Devour me?"

"_**Kamui such as myself rely on the blood of our wielder to function,"**_ Mugetsu reminded him, _**"While I normally receive a small amount of blood from you throughout the day, when I transformed into my true form, the amount of blood I received from you was so great that I was tempted to suck you dry. Ichigo, your blood is exquisitely delicious. It is the best thing I have ever tasted."**_

"That's great to know," Ichigo growled, not bothering to point out that his blood is the only thing Mugetsu has every tasted. Leaning his head back against the wall of the building behind him, he thought for a moment before asking, "Does this mean you have a four minute limit on your transformation?"

"_**For the moment I do, but I am certain given enough time I will be able to control my urges."**_

Ichigo scowled as he considered how much could go wrong until Mugetsu could control herself, "How much time are you talking about?"

Mugetsu's multihued eyes closed as she thought about the answer, _**"It shouldn't take any longer than two days for the little blood I can draw from your body to no longer tempt me."**_

"Let me know as soon as possible. Someone like Gamagori is probably just itching for a chance to get back at me," Ichigo commented with annoyance in his voice. He wasn't annoyed at Mugetsu or anything that she did. Rather, he was annoyed because he just knew something was going to happen in the next two days that would undoubtedly require him to activate Mugetsu.

As Ichigo walked out of the alley his thoughts drifted to Ryuko and the state she was in when he saved her. While he had saved her from whatever Satsuki was planning to do to her, he didn't know how she was doing. The wounds he'd seen on her body were quite severe so she would probably need to go to a doctor to make sure she didn't have any internal bleeding or broken bones. The only problem was he had no clue where she was staying or even if she had a place to live. Mako did say Ryuko had only transferred in today. If things at Honnouji Academy were as screwed up as he thought, Ryuko probably didn't even have a home.

"_I wonder if Mako knows where she's staying."_

So enraptured was Ichigo in his thoughts that as he turned a corner he walked straight into another student sprinting through the streets in the opposite direction. While months of shinigami experience allowed Ichigo to barely keep himself from falling down, the same could not be said for the other unfortunate student. The force of the impact against Ichigo caused the student to bounce back with enough force that he was laying on the ground with a dazed and confused look on his face.

"Hey," Ichigo leaned over the dazed student with a concerned look on his face, "Are you alright?"

"Did someone get the name of that truck?" The student mumbled incoherently before noticing who was standing over him. Leaping to his feet with a level of dexterity and speed that Ichigo hadn't thought him capable of, the student tapped his hand against his chest and looked up at Ichigo, "I recognize that brightly colored natural hair! You're the new transfer student from Karakura Town – Ichigo Kurosaki!"

The fact that the teen knew who he was by the color of his hair didn't startle Ichigo. In his brief time at Honnouji Academy Ichigo hadn't found anyone else with the same orange hair as him. What bothered him was the level of happiness in the teen's voice upon seeing him. It was almost enough to cause Ichigo to shudder in revulsion, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Please forgive me, Ichigo Kurosaki! Due to the circumstances of our meeting I have forgotten to introduce myself!" The teen stepped back and began bowing dramatically to Ichigo before striking a pose, "I am the number one student reporter of the Newspaper Club – Shinjiro Nagita!"

At the mentioning of a school club Ichigo backed a few steps away and asked, "You're not going to attack me for what I did to Satsuki are you?"

Shinjiro looked offended at Ichigo's question. Adjusting the rim of his glasses dramatically, he exclaimed, "Of course not! While the Student Council and Lady Satsuki may have sanctioned the Newspaper Club's actions I have my own will and drive! Most of my fellow reporters and editors might be willing to commit acts of slander to protect and cover for the Student Council but I hold myself to a higher standard! As a journalist, it is my sacred duty to spread freedom of speech however I can."

"_**Something doesn't sit well me with, Ichigo. It was too much of a coincidence that he ran into you here,"**_ Mugetsu didn't point out in her suspicions that something about Shinjiro just felt wrong with her. The Kamui wracked her mind trying to understand what she was feeling but no matter how hard she looked at Shinjiro there just wasn't anything obviously suspicious about him. His uniform didn't even have any Life Fibers in it, _**"Find out what he was looking for you."**_

"That's all well and good," Ichigo said before scowling, "But what does all that have to do with me? I'm already in enough trouble with Satsuki. I don't need to get involved in whatever mess you're trying to create."

"You're the only person in Honnouji Academy's history that not only stood up to Lady Satsuki's regime but actually overpowered her!" Shinjiro explained passionately with a wave of his arm. Clenching his fist tightly in front of his face, he sternly continued, "For three years Lady Satsuki and her close associates of the Elite Four have not only destroyed the freedoms of No-Star students such as myself but also prevented any of us from leaving! Anyone that tries to complain or protest are beaten into submission and quietly silenced by the weight of the system she's created. I may have only caught a glimpse of your battle earlier but it was enough for me to see that you are the destined hope that Honnouji Academy's been waiting for!"

"_**What are you going to do?"**_ Mugetsu felt Ichigo's pulse elevating and knew her wearer was worried about what he should do, _**"Shinjiro brings up a valid point. If Satsuki Kiryuin is doing everything he claims than many people are suffering because of it."**_

Ichigo mulled over Shinjiro's words. If Shinjiro was telling the truth and wasn't simply a spy for Satsuki designed to play on his sympathies Ichigo couldn't just sit back and do nothing. While attacking and humiliating Satsuki earlier was probably a really bad choice on his part, it was the best thing Ichigo could think of doing at the time. Still, he couldn't get rid of the notion that Satsuki wasn't about to let a slight against her honor simply vanish. If his actions earlier caused innocent people to get hurt he would have no one to blame but himself.

"Give me some time to think about this," Ichigo said as he began to walk past Shinjiro, "It's been a really busy day and I need to figure out a way to get back to my dorm without getting caught."

"No!" Shinjiro dove at Ichigo and wrapped his arms around his leg, "Don't go!"

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? Get the hell off!" Ichigo tried to shake Shinjiro off his leg but found the teen's grip to be supernaturally strong.

With his arms still tightly gripping Ichigo's leg Shinjiro looked out and shouted, "I need your protection! I already tried to expose Lady Satsuki using the school newspaper so many times that I'm on her 'list of dissenters!' If I try to say anything bad about her one more time she'll either permanently suspend me from school grounds or send the Disciplinary Committee after me! I can't stop writing the truth Ichigo! Lying just isn't in me! If the Disciplinary Committee finds me, they'll beat the stuffing out of me!"

"There he is, boys!"

Ichigo turned around and saw three massive One-Star students rushing towards them. One of them pointed at Shinjiro and shouted, "Shinjiro Nagita! Your slander and libel against Lady Satsuki ends today. Prepare to be disciplined!"

"Ah! Don't let them get me Ichigo!"

Ichigo stepped in front of the cowering Shinjiro and stared at the Disciplinary Committee members, "If you want to get Shinjiro, you're going to have to go through me first."

One of the students took a step forward to do just that but was stopped when another held his arm out, "Don't be a fool. That's Ichigo Kurosaki, the new transfer student with the Kamui. As long as he's with Shinjiro Nagita, we'll be unable to discipline him. We need to go report back to Gamagori about this turn of events."

As the three students reluctantly turned to leave, the one that just spoke turned around and pointed at Shinjiro, "Consider yourself lucky you are in presence of someone many times your superior! But know that eventually your luck will run out. Ichigo Kurosaki's protection cannot last forever and eventually you will pay for your crimes against Lady Satsuki!"

Ichigo waited until the Disciplinary Committee was out of sight before turning to Shinjiro, "I have a feeling those guys aren't going to give up so easily but it looks like as long as I'm around they'll leave you alone."

"You need not worry about constantly protecting me, Ichigo!" Shinjiro stood up and clenched his fist, "As long as you lead the way I will follow you to hell and back. The power you possess mixed with ability to disseminate information amongst the No-Star students shall start a revolution. Together we can finally remove Lady Satsuki's tyranny from Honnouji Academy!"

"Are you planning to just waltz right into Honnouji Academy and take down someone like Satsuki Kiryuin with a few words?" Ichigo asked sarcastically, "She's not someone that will care what you write."

"What?" Shinjiro seemed surprised by Ichigo's lack of commitment, "I thought you were going to help me?"

Ichigo shook his head and glanced in the direction the One-Star students had left, "No, I said I would protect you from those assholes. If you want to keep putting your life in danger, than be my guest. Just don't drag me into it."

"Oh…" Shinjiro was crestfallen at Ichigo's refusal to help him, but his normal exuberant attitude quickly reasserted itself, "That's alright by me! As long as I am able to use the powers of the press to spread the word of Lady Satsuki's evil deeds I do not care what happens to me!"

Ichigo was about to retort, but was stopped when the sounds of static and wires crackling filled the air.

"What's going on?"

"It's the Honnou City P.A. system," Shinjiro explained, "It is only used by Lady Satsuki and the Student Council when they are announcing something of grave importance."

"**Transfer students, can you hear me?"** A familiar voice spoke through the speakers, **"In one hour, your best friend, Mako Mankanshoku, will be executed due to her shared responsibility for committing treason against Honnouji Academy and Lady Satsuki! If either of you want to stop it, quit hiding like cowards and show yourselves!"**

"That guy just doesn't know when to quit," Ichigo growled angrily. Every single one of his senses was shouting at him that going back to Honnouji Academy was a trap but he couldn't let Mako get executed. Ichigo may not have known why the Boxing Club captain wanted to kill Mako but it would be a cold day in hell if he just sat back and let that happen.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Ichigo muttered before looking at Shinjiro, "I need to go save Mako, Shinjiro, so you should find someplace to hide until it's all over."

"You can't be thinking of simply walking in Honnouji Academy's front door!" Shinjiro exclaimed in shock. Making several intricate motions in the air with his hands, he exclaimed, "While your uniform may allow you to easily overpower a Two-Star Goku Uniform and take Lady Satsuki by surprise, such trickery won't work more than once! If you step into Honnouji Academy, there is no doubt that you'll have to take on the Elite Four if you wish to rescue Mako Mankanshoku."

"I'm not going to let Mako die for something I did," Ichigo answered, moving around Shinjiro and towards Honnouji Academy, "Of course I know going back is probably a trap and if it is, I plan on beating the crap out of as many people as it takes to save Mako. As much as I know the odds are against me, I can't fail. I was almost too late to save Ryuko earlier and if I can save Mako than that's what I'm going to do."

Mugetsu listened to Ichigo's speech before she added in her own thoughts, _**"Ichigo, while your passion and desire to do the right thing is inspiring, you won't be able to fight back against the Goku Uniforms. If you try to release my true form once more, you will die."**_

Ichigo thought about what his Kamui said and realized, when it came down to it, that if he had to risk his life for someone like Mako, who wasn't even involved in what happened, than he would gladly do so without a moment's hesitation, "That's a risk I'm going to have to take, Mugetsu."

Mugetsu, shocked at Ichigo's dedication and willingness to throw his life away to save someone else, could only mutter, _**"Ichigo…"**_

"That's enough standing around doing nothing," Ichigo stated and began running up the road to Honnouji Academy. It would take longer to get back without taking the trolleys but Ichigo didn't trust the operators to not fight him. Turning around back to Shinjiro, Ichigo asked, "You should come as well. Those guys are probably waiting around the corner for me to leave or something."

"O-Of course!" Shinjiro stammered and quickly followed after Ichigo.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The rain, which had drawn ever closer to Honnou City as the day wore on, finally arrived in a cataclysmic burst of thunder just as Ryuko arrived at her destination. Leaning over the handles of the stolen moped, her breath ragged from exhaustion and pain, she took a single step onto the muddy ground and quickly fell down to her hands and knees.<p>

"Damn it," she coughed weakly as she used whatever strength she had remaining to push her body off the ground. Gritting her teeth angrily as she was forced to use her Scissor Blade as a makeshift crutch, Ryuko managed to force herself to stand back on her feet only after more than a minute of trying.

Leaning heavily on her weapon for support, Ryuko cursed her situation, "I was so close to finding out."

Taking a step forward and swaggering on her feet for just a moment, Ryuko managed to keep her balance as she stumbled her way into the ruined remains of her childhood home. It had been six months since she had last been here, and that was the last time there had been any sense of normality in her life. As she made her way through the fire-swept hallways, she eventually came across the same room that she had discovered her father's dying body. Planting her Scissor Blade into the floor, Ryuko stared at the ground in front of her in sadness.

"I couldn't do it dad," she muttered as tears threatened to well up from her eyes, "Just when I thought I knew who killed you, I failed. If only I had more power! I could have used it to save you from that woman!"

Ryuko collapsed onto her knees and knelt there in the rain for what seemed like hours. Coming back to this place was hard enough, but realizing that everything she accomplished had been for nothing had taken a toll on her mind. After going over what happened in her mind, she staggered back to her feet and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm sorry my power wasn't great enough to avenge you," she confessed sadly before the barest traces of a smile appeared on her face, "But there is someone who might be able to help. Mako says he's alright and he did save me. His name is –"

Before she could finish whatever it was she was about to say, a trapdoor opened up beneath Ryuko's feet, causing her to drop screaming into the dark abyss below.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

Several meters away, hidden behind a partially destroyed wall, Aikuro Mikisugi stared at where Ryuko had just been with concealed amusement. Sweeping his hand across his face, removing his glasses in the process, he said, "I leave the rest up to you, Ryuko Matoi."

As Ryuko's screams slowly died away, Aikuro turned around to head back to Honnouji Academy, but not before looking at the remote in his hand with disdain, "Four year battery life, huh?"

While Aikuro was contemplating getting a refund on his trapdoor remote control, Ryuko found herself bouncing erratically between the walls of the tunnel she was falling through. Nothing she did to slow her descent seemed to work. She tried bracing her feet and back only to find the walls too slick for friction to slow her down. When that failed, she attempted to use her Scissor Blade only to crash through the roof of a large room and land in a pile of clothing.

"Damn that hurt," she grumbled as she pulled herself free from the pile of old and discarded clothing. As she looked around and realized where she was, she whistled and said, "How the hell did dad manage to build something like this under the house?"

Moving to get to her feet, Ryuko winced as a lance of pain shot down her left arm. Pulling up the sleeve of her blazer, she noticed that one of the many cuts she had obtained during her short fight against Takaharu had reopened upon landing and was now dripping blood down her arm and into the pile of clothing beneath her.

"I guess I reopened the wound from earlier," she muttered, clenching her fist to block out the pain. Something like this wasn't as painful as it would have been to someone else. Ryuko couldn't explain it, but she had always had an extremely high tolerance for pain, "I better look for a way out of here before I bleed to death."

Picking up her Scissor Blade, Ryuko slid down the pile of clothing until she managed to reach the floor. Stumbling for a moment, she looked around for any sort of exit. Whatever this place had been, something had happened to destroy most of it. It was strange that the explosion that destroyed the house didn't reach all the way down here. Pushing that thought out of her mind for the time being, Ryuko picked a random direction and began walking, "There has to be a way out of here."

As she looked around for a way to climb upwards towards one of the holes in the ceiling high above her head, something caught Ryuko's eye. Laying on its side, half crushed and half destroyed by the forces of nature, was an old wooden desk. From the various instruments and tools lying strewn around, it must have belonged to her dad.

"Dad…"

Ryuko walked to the desk and knelt down before sifting through the shattered remains. There wasn't much that hadn't been destroyed or damaged, but one thing remained that caused her to take a closer look. Carefully cleaning off pieces of shattered glass and dirt, Ryuko picked up an old picture. Pulling it out of its damaged frame, careful to not rip or damage it further, Ryuko's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was in it. In the picture, her dad appeared to be standing on what looked like a pier or bridge and in his arms, with an innocent smile on her face, was a younger version of Ryuko. As she stared at the picture, Ryuko couldn't remember when this picture was taken or even where they were. Her eyes drifted away from her dad and towards the other occupants of the picture, causing her to frown.

"Who are they?"

Standing to the right of her father were two people, and by the looks on their faces they must have either been engaged or married. The man had a goofy smile on his face and was giving the camera the sign for 'victory' with one hand while the other was wrapped around the woman's shoulders. He wore a gaudy Hawaiian shirt with a red flower pattern over a blue background and had the beginning of stubble on his face. The woman had curly brown hair and seemed to be trying to play with the younger version of Ryuko.

Ryuko stared at the picture before tossing it in her pocket, "If they knew my dad, then they might know why that woman with the Scissor Blade killed him. Now I just need to find a way out of this place."

"_**Wait…"**_ a muffled voice called out, stopping Ryuko in her tracks, _**"More. Give me more."**_

"Who the hell's there? Show yourself!" Ryuko shouted through the abandoned chamber, her hands tightly gripping her Scissor Blade as she listened to her voice echo back and forth into obscurity. Muscles tensing up in preparation for an attack from the unknown intruder, Ryuko stood still for more than a minute as she waited for something to happen. When she heard nothing but silence despite her best efforts to locate the source of the voice Ryuko began to relax. Perhaps the voice had come from her head and in her current state she believed it came from somewhere in the room.

"I'm losing it," Ryuko rubbed her eyes and yawned. She must have lost more blood from her battle against Takaharu than she originally thought.

"_**More…"**_ the voice repeated, echoing through the large chamber and making it impossible for Ryuko to pinpoint where it was coming from, _**"…I need more…"**_

Ryuko turned around as her eyes focused on the pile of discarded fabrics she had fallen down on. Squinting as she caught the barest traces of movement from within the pile, Ryuko quickly swung her Scissor Blade through the air as something shot out of the pile. After noticing that her blade easily and cleaning slicing through the old shirt, Ryuko noticed a change in the lighting and looked upwards just as something descended through the air towards her.

"What's that light?" Ryuko squinted in confusion as she raised her hand in front of her face, "What the hell…is that a sailor uniform?"

"_**Give me more!"**_

Ryuko attempted to move out of the way of the falling uniform but winced as her wounds from her fight against Takaharu caught up with her and her left leg gave out. Before she had a chance to push past the pain and move out of the way, Ryuko found her body launching forward and tumbling along the ground before slamming into the wall as the uniform wrapped itself around her body.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ryuko shouted half-hysterically and half-deliriously as she felt the uniform beginning to grope her. With a luminescent blush adorning her face as the uniform pushed past all normal boundaries, Ryuko tried to break free of the living uniform's perverted touch but found to her shock that it was supernaturally strong. Breaking out in a cold sweat as the uniform's eye seemed to dilute maniacally, Ryuko yelled, "Get the hell off me!"

"_**Don't leave me!"**_the uniform shouted as it wrapped its sleeves around her arms and pressed itself against her chest, _**"What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes already so you can put me on!"**_

Ryuko gasped in embarrassment at the closeness of the living uniform and doubled her efforts to free herself from the nightmarish thing attacking her. She had no idea what it was but there was no way in hell that she was going to let it continue to grope her body. As she struggled against the flexible bonds holding her, the Kamui saw that she was being uncooperative and decided to take matters into its own nonexistent hands. Using its sleeves as makeshift hands it systematically began tearing her clothes off without care, leaving Ryuko clad in nothing but her bra and panties, "What the hell are you doing you fucking pervert?"

The Kamui purposely ignored Ryuko's protests of indignation as it finished stripping her. Staring at her body with a crazed look in its one eye, it shouted, _**"Wear me and give me lots of your blood! I don't want to go back to sleep!"**_

Let it be known that Ryuko had seen many crazy things as she transferred from academy to academy across Japan. After witnessing the beef tank at Kami-Kobe High School, which was right before she was chased off by someone called Kyuji Obayashi with a beef cannon, Ryuko thought nothing could faze her. But now, after having her body assaulted by a living sailor uniform with an unhealthy desire to be worn, Ryuko found her mind unable to wrap itself around what was happening, "The sailor uniform is talking?"

For a just brief moment the Kamui seemed to take notice of something other than Ryuko's body. Swiveling its eye upwards until it was staring at her nervous face, the opening that Ryuko assumed was its mouth smiled, _**"Why are you scared? You should wear me instead of being frightened. I will make all your worries go away!"**_

"Like hell I will!" Ryuko shouted back in fear as she began trying to bite the Kamui's sleeves, "There's no way I'm going to wear a talking uniform!"

"_**Hmm…time for a more hands-on approach!"**_ The Kamui's form twisted and distorted before it threw itself on top of Ryuko, its fabric instantly molding to the shape and contours of her body.

"What did I just say?" Ryuko growled as she struggled to pull the Kamui off her body but found that she was quickly losing the battle. Whatever it was made of was making it impossible for her to resist and Ryuko could not help but feel a stab of fear course through her body at what will happen when she finally loses, "Uniforms aren't supposed to talk. Not get the hell off me you stupid piece of clothing before I find a pair of scissors!"

"_**Enough of your whining,"**_ The Kamui shouted as it began shining with a faint red light, _**"That's it! I'm going to make you wear me whether you like it or not!"**_

"No means no!"

"_**Too late!"**_ The Kamui shouted in triumph, _**"Look! I'm a perfect fit!"**_

As the Kamui finally forced itself completely on Ryuko's body and began the process of acclimating to her blood, pulse, shape and thoughts, Ryuko stumbled to her feet as red energy crackled around her form. She felt a strange feeling coursing through her body and it was making her sweat nervously. As the feeling inside her body built to a crescendo, Ryuko let out a loud shout as a large column of red energy shot up into the sky.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"So you came back after all," Sanageyama grinned with his hands in the pockets of his coat as he watched Ichigo walk through the entrance of Honnouji Academy. Raising a hand and silently ordering the members of the Boxing Club to stand down, Sanageyama stepped forward and said, "I have to admit that after your little performance earlier I thought you would be smart enough to not fall for such an obvious trap."<p>

"Why wouldn't I come back if someone's life was on the line?" Ichigo countered as he noticed students were beginning to surround him. Glancing past Sanageyama, Ichigo scowled when he saw Mako being held upside-down over a vat of boiling oil, "Let her go. She had nothing to do with what happened."

"I don't like doing things like this but the rules have to be followed," Sanageyama gave a sigh as he jumped out of the boxing ring. He would never admit it but Lady Satsuki's plans did not involve Mako Mankanshoku dying. She was merely bait to draw in the more important prey, namely Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi. As much as Takaharu wished to regain his honor, Sanageyama would never let him torture an innocent person to death, "It doesn't have to go down like this. Everything you see is simply a means to enact the proper punishment."

Ichigo didn't say anything as he looked up and saw Satsuki Kiryuin staring down at him. From the deepening frown on her face, he could tell she wasn't too happy about their earlier encounter, "If this is the punishment for someone who did nothing wrong, I'd hate to see how you treat those that are actually guilty."

Sanageyama's expression fell as Ichigo refused to follow the plan. Tapping his shinai against his shoulder to calm down before he said anything rash, Sanageyama held his hand out to Ichigo and said, "Ichigo, there is a way out of this that will allow Mankanshoku to walk away scot free. If you simply surrender yourself to the mercy of Lady Satsuki, the execution order against Mako Mankanshoku will be rescinded and she can go home to her family."

"What!" Takaharu angrily gripped the ropes surrounding the boxing ring as a vein bulged on his temple.

"Shut up," Sanageyama ordered without bothering to turn to face the Boxing Club captain. When Takaharu gnashed his teeth together but refrained from saying anything, Sanageyama turned his attention back to Ichigo, "You have two choices, Ichigo. You can take Lady Satsuki's mercy and Mankanshoku will be sent home completely unharmed or you can try to fight us, which will not be easy. You may have gotten the jump on her last time but don't think you will be able to do it again so easily."

As much as he wanted to wipe the smug look off Sanageyama's face and show Satsuki just how much respect he had for her, Ichigo knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. Sanageyama wasn't the type of person to lie to his face and if giving up would spare Mako from being boiled alive, than his path forward was rather clear. Taking a step forward and raising his hands into the air, Ichigo quickly found his way blocked by Shinjiro.

"You can't give up, Ichigo!" Shinjiro had a pleading look in his eye as he stood in Ichigo's way, "Sanageyama is one of Lady Satsuki's Elite Four. He'll say anything to make sure no one defies her authority. He probably plans to kill Mankanshoku as soon as you're in custody."

Sanageyama's face distorted into a scowl as his ears picked up Shinjiro's scathing and insulting comment. Pointing his shinai at the smaller student, Sanageyama growled and said, "I don't know who you think you are to say something like that but I'm a man of my word. If I say something, you can damn well be sure that I would never go back on it."

Shinjiro shrunk back from Sanageyama's intense glare, "But –"

"Don't worry about it, Shinjiro. I'll be fine," Ichigo cut off his new friend and started walking towards Sanageyama. Rubbing his wrists as a slight smile spread across his face, Ichigo added, "I don't think Satsuki will be able to capture me even if she wanted to."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sanageyama demanded as he noticed Ichigo's distinct lack of fear, "Tell me right –"

Sanageyama was cut off as what sounded like an explosion went off near the boxing ring, causing a cloud of smoke and dust to erupt into the air. Covering his eyes to protect them from the dust, Sanageyama tried to see what was going on, "What the hell was that?"

There was a thick silence as the gathered students and civilians tried to see what was happening. As their eyes tried to pierce the thick smoke, a figure darted out of it and flew towards the captured Mako. The members of the Boxing Club tried to stop them, but were easily and brutally forced out of the way as the figure kicked and punched them all in the face and neck. When the figure stood on top of the scaffolding holding Mako, a familiar red blade in their hand, the suspended girl shouted.

"You've come back to save me Ryuko!"

Ryuko pulled the Scissor Blade from beneath the tattered brown cloak covering her body and looked around. Confident that no one had yet managed to see her newest uniform, she spun the blade around her wrist before stabbing it into the scaffolding, "Hold on tight, Mako. I'm going to get you out of there."

As she tore apart the ropes holding Mako above the vat of boiling oil, Ryuko noticed several of the less injured members of the Boxing Club rushing up the scaffolding in an attempt to stop her. Scoffing at their futile attempt, Ryuko spun her body around and let loose a flurry of kicks and punches that forces the club members back and into the boiling oil. Tearing off the last of the bindings holding up her friend, Ryuko grabbed Mako before she could fall and leapt into the air. Landing in the middle of the boxing ring, Takaharu glaring at her with a mixture of interest and anger, Ryuko put Mako down, her body as stiff as a piece of wood, and returned the diminutive captain's glare.

"So you've come at last, transfer student," Takaharu gloated into the microphone while raising his right fist, "Truth be told, I'm glad you interrupted Ichigo Kurosaki's surrender. It would be boring for this to go down without a real fight."

"Using a hostage is just dirty," Ryuko countered. Giving Mako a small push to the side so she would leave the ring before things started to get ugly, Ryuko held the cloak covering her body with one hand as she said, "I thought you boxers were all about honor and rules. If you are really a boxer, let's settle this one on one!"

Takaharu grinned as the rematch he was looking for, and his only chance to regain his honor as a member of the Student Council, began, "You were never recruited into my club, but if you are looking for a one on one fight, who am I to argue. It'll just make my victory all the sweeter when I pound your body into dust."

Throwing away the microphone without care, hitting the head of a student in the crowd in the process, Takaharu rushed at Ryuko with his left arm pulled back for a powerful jab, "I'm going to haze you like a punk!"

Letting loose a shout as he punched forward, Takaharu smiled as his boxing glove seemed to multiply over and over again until there were hundreds of blurry boxing gloves circling throughout the boxing ring. Adjusting their direction with but a simple thought, Takaharu began hitting Ryuko's covered body with everything he had.

"Is this too much for you?" Takaharu shouted victoriously as he watched every one of his blows hit Ryuko head on, "This sacred ring is overflowing with the myriad of left jabs that my toned body has produced!"

Outside the ring, Shinjiro watched Takaharu hit Ryuko again and again without her doing anything, "What is she doing? She's going to die if she doesn't fight back!"

Ichigo wasn't so sure that was the case. As he carefully watched the multitude of blows land on Ryuko's body, bursts of concussive force blasting past her into the crowd of gathered students, Ichigo saw that Ryuko had yet to take a step back or even flinch away in pain. Despite the number of punches, jabs and crosses raining down on her body courtesy of her opponent, Ryuko appeared to be completely unaffected by the attacks.

Takaharu's heart raced in excitement as he delivered blow after blow upon Ryuko. He was so enthralled in the fight that Takaharu failed to notice Ryuko standing still without even a grunt of pain. Sliding back across the ring, Takaharu grinned maliciously as he rotated his shoulder and shouted, "And the champion switches his footwork before moving into a right straight! But what's this? It's really a corkscrew punch! Ten! Ken! Fun! Sai!"

As the Two-Star's boxing glove began spinning like a drill as it inched ever closer to her body, Ryuko continued to simply stand still with her eyes firmly locked on the incoming attack. While Takaharu's technique certainly looked impressive enough to have potentially killed her if he had bothered to bring it out in their first fight, Ryuko knew that no matter how strong he was, it was not even close to the power she currently possessed. As the attack finally connected and shredded the cloak she had wrapped around her body, Ryuko didn't bother to move as Takaharu's glove stopped cold against her Kamui.

"W-What?" Takaharu stammered, "What sort of outfit could you possibly be wearing?"

A blush broke out along Ryuko's face as she covered her chest with one arm, "Quit your staring!"

"Well now…" Sanageyama scratched his nose and stared at Ryuko with a satisfied grin on his face, "That's something you don't see everyday."

While Sanageyama was staring at Ryuko with a grin and Shinjiro had pulled out a notepad and began hastily scribbling something down, Ichigo's reaction was much more drastic.

"_What the hell is that?"_ he thought in both shock and embarrassment. He was shocked that someone besides him had a Kamui. Aikuro had mentioned that he could count the number of Kamui in the world on his hands. The fact that another Kamui had appeared in Honnouji Academy, on the same day that he exposed his own Mugetsu to the school, meant that the teacher had something to do with it. His embarrassment, on the other hand, came from the rather revealing form that Ryuko's Kamui had decided to take.

Instead of being practical armor like his Mugetsu, that covered everything below his neck in rigid and dense armor that felt nearly impervious to attacks, Ryuko's looked…different to say the least. It took the form of thigh-high black boots and leggings, with red heels and lines going up to the very top, where they extended into straps that connected to the short black skirt that barely covered anything. The skirt was connected to the top of the outfit by a pair of suspenders that barely managed to cover her breasts. The suspenders then connected into the only thing that could be considered armor on the Kamui. Her arms and everything above her breasts up to the top of her chin was covered in black armor. At the front of her Kamui, much like Mugetsu, were two familiar looking eyes, one of which was permanently closed by a prominent scare across it.

"That can't be a Kamui…" he muttered. It looked nothing like his Mugetsu.

"_**It is,"**_ Mugetsu answered Ichigo's rhetorical question, _**"But what you fail to understand, Ichigo, is that a Kamui does not need to cover up every part of the body to function as armor. As long as it is worn and sufficient blood is given, every part of the wearer's body, even exposed skin, will be as hard as steel."**_

"I get that," he said slowly, "Just don't ever transform into something even close to that."

While Ichigo was arguing with Mugetsu over the proper definition of armor, back in the boxing ring Takaharu was trying, and failing, to deliver a blow that could hurt Ryuko. How the hell could she have gotten so strong in only a few hours? The last time they fought he had wiped the floor with her but now she was shrugging off his attacks like he was a fly. Letting loose a punch to Ryuko's face, Takaharu grimaced when he saw she hadn't so much as turned her head away, "You're cheating! You're trying to distract me from the match with your overwhelming sexiness!"

"Get real! I'm not wearing this thing because I want to!" Ryuko argued, the blush on her face increasing in intensity along with her embarrassment. She didn't understand why Senketsu had to take the form of something so revealing. It made her practically naked!

"No excuses!" Takaharu yelled, his voice breaking slightly, "You're mocking boxing with that scandalous outfit. No, all sports have been degraded by that thing!"

"I am not!"

Seeming to realize something of great importance, Takaharu grinned and stepped back, "All right, then. If you are going to fight completely undressed, I guess I'll take the liberty of undressing as well to make it even."

"Hey!" Ryuko, along with Ichigo and about half the audience, covered their eyes as Takaharu's hands reached for his belt, "You're the one mocking me, you damn pervert!"

"What are you talking about?" Takaharu looked perplexed at Ryuko before a glowing red chain on his belt snapped. As his right boxing glove transformed, to Ryuko's gaping shock, he explained, "Keep your mind out of the gutter. I'm just taking off the soft gloves I've been wearing for the away bouts. Behold! These are the true and genuine Honnouji Academy Athleticism-Augmenting Two-Star Boxing Gloves!"

"Oh boy," Sanageyama whistled, "This is going to be interesting to watch. I haven't seen Takaharu this focused on a fight since that bout against the American high school champion."

"Boxing Club captain Takaharu removed the safety limiters on his gloves in order to counter the increasing threat of the new transfer student Ryuko Matoi…" Shinjiro mumbled as he hastily wrote in his notepad. This was a golden story! He had thought Ichigo Kurosaki was the only one with the power to go up against the Student Council and Lady Satsuki, but to find another student willing to actually do so, it was a godsend. He just needed to talk to her in person, "Hey Ichigo, you called that outfit she was wearing a Kamui. What does that term mean?"

Ichigo hand waved his question away, "I'll tell you another time."

Ryuko stared at the giant spiked glove held in the air with a look of bewilderment on her face, "What the hell is up with your glove?"

"Are you talking about this old thing?" Takaharu looked at his boxing glove with pride and affection, "If I didn't wrap my gloves during my away bouts, other schools would be too afraid to face me in the ring. Wrapping my gloves is the only way I can get a decent fight anymore! Being able to release them after such a long time fills my heart with strength and conviction! This is the true power of a Goku Uniform!"

"I don't know that much about boxing," Ryuko said with a confused look on her face that quickly became a smug grin, "But even I know that what you're doing is illegal. But if you're really that eager to fight me, then bring it on!"

"I'm going to wipe that grin off your face, transfer student!" Takaharu shouted. Leaping into the air, his spiked glove drawn back for a jab, he rushed towards Ryuko, "Now that you're half-naked, I'm going to tear apart what little shreds of clothing and dignity you have left and send you flying to the moon!"

As Takaharu sprinted towards her, Ryuko continued to stand still while glaring at the diminutive Two-Star, "Good luck with that."

Ryuko's gloating was not unfounded. As Takaharu's glove easily connected with Ryuko's bare and exposed stomach, causing a pressure wave to explode out behind her and knock several students into the air, the Boxing Club captain noticed something odd with the whole situation. He had put all his power into that one attack, enough power to cause even the Elite Four to flinch back at least a little, and yet Ryuko was looked at him with that blasted smirk on her face.

"What are you smiling about?"

Takaharu's eyes widened as Ryuko answered, "Take a look at your glove."

Turning his shaking eyes to his fully unleashed boxing glove, Takaharu's mouth opened in shock and awe as the hairline fractures that it sustained from Ichigo Kurosaki's interference earlier grew before the glove shattered completely.

"W-What?" Takaharu gasped at seeing his precious boxing glove destroyed, "My precious glove!"

"You're glove isn't the only thing that can transform," Ryuko informed him, "So does my outfit!"

As Takaharu's mind filled with rage at the loss of his precious glove he let go of any restraints he had left and began hitting Ryuko with a multitude of punches and kicks. Even if Ryuko appeared to be unfazed by his attack combo, Takaharu was intent on making her pay no matter the cost.

"Amazing," Shinjiro muttered, momentarily forgetting to write down notes, "She's not even flinching from Takaharu's attacks. Is it because she is wearing what you call a Kamui, Ichigo?"

"_**Ichigo, what are you going to do about her?"**_ Mugetsu questioned. He couldn't blame her interest in Ryuko. Neither of them could have guessed that they would run into someone with another Kamui.

That was a question that Ichigo didn't have an answer to. While talking to Ryuko about where she got her Kamui would answer a lot of questions, it might also bring up several questions. After thinking about it for a moment, Ichigo decided that the benefits outweighed the costs, "Shinjiro, stay here."

Near the ring and completely safe from harm, Mako Mankanshoku began playfully boxing as she watched Ryuko take Takaharu's punches without flinching, "Wow, Ryuko, I didn't know you knew how to box!"

"I don't think she does," her younger brother, Mataro, deadpanned from right next to her. Rolling his eyes at his sister's lack of intelligence, he turned his attention back to the sexy sight of Ryuko only to find someone standing in front of him, "Hey jackass, you're blocking the angelic view!"

"Shut it," Ichigo ordered Mataro, who folded his arms and grumbled back at him. Recognizing his voice, Mako turned to Ichigo, sparkles emanating from her eyes.

"Ichigo!" Mako exclaimed before latching onto his waist, causing the teen to pry her off his body, "I knew you'd be ok!"

"Yeah, well, my rescue plan didn't turn out the way I hoped," Ichigo admitted.

Back in the ring, Ryuko was starting to get sick and tired of Takaharu's futile attacks, Gritting her teeth while her anger built up, she shouted, "So now it's my turn, right?"

As steam began blasting out from the various folds of her Kamui, Ryuko sprinted towards Takaharu, avoiding the many attacks he was throwing at her. Grabbing her Scissor Blade and spinning it around in her hand, she slammed the hilt into the captain's face before slashing him across his back, "Left jab and then a right hook!"

When her Scissor Blade propelled Takaharu into the air, nearly unconscious from the intense force behind the blows, Ryuko began spinning her weapon around her wrist, "And to finish it, a right straight! Seni-Soshitsu!"

Her Scissor Blade easily carved through Takaharu's Goku Uniform before it was suddenly and violently ripped to shreds, leaving the captain naked as the day he was born.

"That's impossible!" Sanageyama shouted in disbelief. How could the transfer student not only defeat a Two-Star Goku Uniform, but also destroy it? It made no sense.

Up near Satsuki Kiryuin, Inumuta adjusted his glasses, "So that's the power of the Scissor Blade. It is a truly remarkable weapon."

"Wait a second," Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he tried to get a closer look at something floating towards Ryuko. It was hard to spot it, due to the setting sun being directly behind it, but there was a glowing thread forming out of the shredded remains of Takaharu's Goku Uniform. The thread floated through the air towards Ryuko, where it was absorbed into her Kamui, causing it to emit a faint pink light.

"Now to finish you off!" Ryuko shouted, ignorant of what just happened, as Takaharu's body began falling towards her. Holding her Scissor Blade in a reverse grip, she swung it like a bat, causing the captain's body to propel through the air towards Satsuki.

As Takaharu's body flew towards her, Satsuki calmly and lazily leaned to the side, allowing the club captain to fly past her and into the tall spire of Honnouji Academy behind her.

"How dare you!" Sanageyama shouted at Ryuko as he began climbing into the ring to fight her, but was stopped when Satsuki's voice rung out.

"That's enough, Sanageyama," Satsuki calmly told him. Stepping forward and past the remaining three members of the Elite Four, she stopped on the edge of the roof, her heel clicking as she did, "That was very impressive. Who are you and where did you get your hands on that outfit?"

Without looking up at Satsuki, her face covered in shadows, Ryuko answered, "It is a gift from my dad. And the one that killed him left behind this Scissor Blade! Now, you're going to tell me who owns the other half of this Scissor Blade, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

Satsuki stared at Ryuko, uncaring to the fact that the Scissor Blade had been the work of her father and not the other way around. With her face an expressionless mask, she asked, "You're Isshin Matoi's daughter?"

Ryuko was about to answer when she felt a strange feeling of weakness course through her body. As she broke out in a cold sweat and her arms shook from the effort of holding her Scissor Blade, Ryuko collapsed onto her knees as her strength left her.

"_**Ryuko, you've lost too much blood,"**_ Senketsu told her.

"I thought you needed blood," she answered.

"_**That is true,"**_ Senketsu responded, _**"But at the current rate, you will lose consciousness in less then a minute."**_

"Don't sound so calm about it!" Ryuko growled.

"How interesting," Satsuki's voice cut through Ryuko's argument, "I did not expect for you to remain here, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ryuko turned and saw Ichigo climbing into the boxing ring besides her. She was about to ask what he was doing when her eyes happened to glance at the familiar eyes on the collar of his uniform. As she realized what exactly Ichigo's uniform was, all Ryuko could do was utter his name in disbelief, "I-Ichigo?"

"I'll talk to you later," he said without taking his gaze off Satsuki.

Satsuki, to her credit, smirked at Ichigo's appearance, "So I see you are not a coward after all. You must know that you are outnumbered and overpowered, with or without the Kamui you are wearing. You are either fearless or stupid, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer but found Ryuko's hand gripping his arm. She was visibly sweating and her breath was coming out in labored gasps, "Move Ichigo…I…just…need to…"

Before Ryuko could finish saying her desire she felt the world darkening around her and collapsed as the black embrace of unconsciousness claimed her. As Senketsu transformed back to his normal state of a sailor uniform accompanied by a brief explosion of stars and light, Ichigo quickly reached out and managed to grab Ryuko before she hit the ground.

"So what are you going to do, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Satsuki asked as members of the Boxing Club as well as Sanageyama closed in around him, "There is nowhere to run or hide without leaving Ryuko Matoi behind. So your choices are as follows – be brave and surrender with honor or flee like a coward but live to fight another day. I leave the choice of your future to you."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed before an idea hit him, "Hey Mugetsu. How long do you think it will take for me to escape Honnouji Academy while transformed?"

"_**About thirty seconds,"**_ Mugetsu answered, unaware of Senketsu's single eye widening upon hearing her voice, _**"But surely you don't – "**_

Ichigo adjusted Ryuko over his shoulder, allowing him to free his other arm up, "Think you can hold off for thirty seconds or so?"

Mugetsu could see what he was planning to do and gave the Kamui equivalent of a nod, _**"Yes, but it will be extremely difficult. I would try to get out as quickly as possible."**_

"Got it," Ichigo slammed his hand down on his spaulder and felt the twin needles hidden within bury themselves in his shoulder, "Life Fiber Initial Release!"

Sanageyama was not standing around doing nothing while Ichigo was conversing with Mugetsu. As soon as he saw Ichigo shift Ryuko's body and reach over to his spaulder, Sanageyama was already rushing into the boxing ring with his shinai held aloft in the air. He could not let Ichigo get away no matter the cost but before he could tackle Ichigo Sanageyama was blinded by a bright light as his opponent emerged in Mugetsu's white and black armor.

"Sorry about this," Ichigo apologized as he easily dodged around Sanageyama's shinai before disappearing past him, "But I don't have time to talk."

As easily as it would have been to simply jump over the entire crowd of gathered students, even while holding Ryuko's unconscious body, there was something else Ichigo needed to do first. Landing just outside the ring where Mako was staring at him with stars in her eyes, Ichigo quickly grabbed her before pushing back into the air with enough force that the pressure wave knocked back those standing next to Mako.

"This is amazing!" Mako shouted happily from under Ichigo's right arm, "I'm queen of the world! Super speed a go go!"

"Mako, is there anywhere we can go that Satsuki couldn't find us?"

"Hmm…" Mako pondered the question, her face the epitome of concentration, before exclaiming happily, "Let's go to my place! My dad runs a back alley clinic. We have lots of stolen blood and medicine he can use to help Ryuko!"

"Just tell me where I need to go," Ichigo answered, ignoring the illegal acts Mako had just confessed to. Jumping over the edge of an artificial cliff, Ichigo began skidding down the concrete wall separating the condos and apartments owned by the One-Star students and the shacks and shanties occupied by the families of No-Star students. As his boots created sparks behind him, Ichigo heard a deep male voice speak.

"_**Why did you overdo it, Ryuko?"**_

"It's not a big deal," Ichigo comforted Senketsu, who seemed to be in a depressed slump after Ryuko fainted from overusing his power for the first time. As the Kamui turned his one good eye up at him, Ichigo added. "Mugetsu is the same way."

"_**Hey!"**_

Senketsu's single eye widened in surprise as he realized Ichigo could understand him. Before he could so much as ask Ichigo how he could hear his voice, Senketsu found the metaphorical air knocked out of his lungs as Ichigo pushed off a wall and began hopping across the rooftops towards Mako's house.


	8. Chapter 8: Tired of Being Alone

_Well, here is Chapter 8 of **To My Death I Fight**. _This chapter covers the first part of Episode 2, but do not assume I am just following the story (the last chapter should have cemented that already). Several events happen in this chapter that never occurred in the anime._ I must admit that the enduring popularity of this story has amazed me. This story not only has the most words of any Kill la Kill crossover, but also the most reviews with 186 at the time of this posting! Thanks all of you for your continued support!_

_As a side note, I **highly** recommend checking out **The Moiderah of Writing**'s story **Transfer Student: Satsuki Matoi**. It is an AU in which Ryuko and Satsuki switch places and it is both hilariously funny and awesome to read. Check it out here on FFN or on spacebattles whenever you get a chance._

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 - Tired of Being Alone<strong>

As Ryuko Matoi slowly regained consciousness, the colors of the world around her coming together into a blurry focus, the first thing she heard was Ichigo Kurosaki talking to Senketsu as well as someone else.

"_**I don't know how to thank you enough for what you did, Ichigo...and Mugetsu,"**_ Senketsu, in his normal form as a navy colored sailor uniform, said. Raising a sleeve in embarrassment as faint blush appeared on the cloth beneath his eyes, he continued, _**"I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been their when Ryuko fainted…"**_

"Like I said the first six times, it's not a big deal," Ichigo replied, "Besides, I couldn't have saved Ryuko or Mako without Mugetsu's power."

"_**You flatter me,"**_ Mugetsu said, before she sarcastically added, _**"But don't ever do something this stupid again. You were a few seconds away from being drained dry by me when you reached Mako's house."**_

"I know, damn it, but I had no choice."

"I-Ichigo?" Ryuko groaned as she pushed herself off the cot she was laying on. Wincing slightly as she accidently aggravated her wounds, she looked down and noticed that half of her body was covered in layers of bandages, "Did you fix me up?"

"Actually, it was Mako's dad," Ichigo turned his head to reply. He was surprised that Ryuko was up so soon. With her wounds, she should have been out for at least a few more hours. She must be made of tougher stuff than he thought, "The guy's a competent doctor, but once he finished treating your wounds he tried to stare at your half naked body while I was still in the room. I kicked his ass and threw him out of the room and warned him not to come back until you woke up."

"Lucky bastard," Ryuko grunted as she sat on the edge of the cot, "He got off easy. If I had woken up, I would have punched his ass into the ceiling for staring at my body like a damn pervert."

Rubbing her face and yawning, Ryuko remembered what she had seen just before passing out, "So you have one of these things as well?"

"_**I am not a thing,"**_ Mugetsu said passionately, one of her sleeves swinging out and hitting Senketsu in the process, _**"I am a Kamui. Don't forget that."**_

Grumbling at the look she was getting from Mugetsu, Ryuko gave in, "Fine. So you have a Kamui too, Ichigo?"

Ichigo frowned at Mugetsu's behavior but nodded, "Yeah."

That made sense to Ryuko, "And can it transform into a more powerful form by drinking your blood?"

"Yes."

"And it's not embarrassing or half-naked?"

Ichigo stared at Ryuko with an annoyed expression on his face, "What do you think?"

"Damn it!" she cursed and glared at Senketsu's one eye, "Why the hell are you the only Kamui that transforms into something nearly naked? Why can't you be more practical like Ichigo's Kamui?"

"_**Like I told you earlier,"**_ Senketsu chided, his single eye rolling in irritation, _**"Your father created me just for you. Perhaps he thought this was an appropriate look for me."**_

"Like hell. My dad was no pervert," Ryuko muttered under her breath, "So Ichigo, does your Kamui have a name?"

"Her name is Mugetsu," Ichigo answered, pointing a thumb at Mugetsu. Said Kamui was sitting on the ground nearby in a pose reminiscent of Ichigo. Much like Senketsu, she had partially transformed in order to become mobile. Mugetsu locked gazes with Ryuko for barely a second before she huffed and turned away, her sleeves folded in an apparent pout.

"What's the deal with your Kamui?"

"I don't know," Ichigo answered. Ever since dropping Ryuko off and speaking with Senketsu, Mugetsu had become moody, "I think she's upset that I'm talking to another Kamui."

Mugetsu's eyes swung around, _**"I am not upset. I am worried that Senketsu might not be who he says he is. That's all."**_

Ryuko stared at Ichigo before glancing to Mugetsu. All was silent before she broke out into laughter, "Ha! Your clothes are jealous!"

"Oh sure, laugh it up," Ichigo muttered, "At least Mugetsu doesn't transform into something that should get me arrested for public indecency."

"Shut up!" Ryuko tried kicking Ichigo only for him to move out of the way, causing her to fall undignified on the ground, "It's not like I was given a choice in the matter! I want to switch Kamui, you bastard!"

"No way!" Ichigo crossed his forearms in front of his chest and stepped away from Ryuko, "There's no way in hell I would be caught alive, or even dead, in Senketsu!"

"Damn you," Ryuko grumbled and sat down on the edge of the cot, "So how did I get here anyway?"

"After you fainted, I used Mugetsu to escape from Honnouji Academy, but not before grabbing you and Mako. Mako mentioned that her dad is a doctor and would be able to treat your wounds and blood loss."

"Ryuko!"

The door to the bedroom slid open and Mako Mankanshoku came flying in, her arms extended forward to hug her new best friend. Ryuko, a calm and bored expression on her face, simply leaned back, allowing Mako to go flying past her and out the nearby window.

A moment later Mako appeared at the window, her hair covered in pieces of garbage, "You're awake Ryuko!"

"Yeah," Ryuko clenched a fist and found that she could feel no pain, "Did you dad do this?"

"Yup!" Mako climbed back into the bedroom, "Dad's a Back Alley Doctor! He used all his stolen medicine and tools to heal you right up! Let's go out into the family room! Everyone's waiting to see you guys!"

Ryuko and Ichigo exchanged a look before deciding to follow Mako out of the bedroom. She was still trying to get her mind to wrap around the fact that her dad was able to create something as remarkable and powerful as Senketsu. Granted, its appearance could use some work. She didn't want to be seen as some kind of perverted stripped no matter how much power Senketsu granted her, but if he helped her track down the woman who killed her dad, she was willing to put up with the embarrassment and loss of blood for the time being.

"You must be the girl my Mako was so infatuated with," A large and heavyset man commented. His nose was plugged up with tissue paper to stop it from bleeding and his left eye was blackened, "Your friend Ichigo has a wicked right arm! The name's Barazo Mankanshoku!"

"You were such a badass to swing that Scissor Blade around while half-naked," The annoying voice of Mataro Mankanshoku piped up from the side, "Nobody sane would fight dressed like that!"

Growling, Ryuko reached out and grabbed Mataro by the scruff of his color before comically punching him in the face, "Go to hell! It's complicated!"

"Damn it, that hurt!" Mataro pretended to cry as he held his wounded body, "I would have carried you here if Ichigo hadn't been so stubborn about it! I wanted to hold your sexy body, damn it!"

"Hey punk," Ichigo glared down at Mataro, "What did I tell you the first time you said that?"

"Oh my," A soft voice came from the kitchen. As the door opened, revealing a Sukuyo Mankanshoku wearing an apron and carrying a tray, she said, "If hitting my husband or admonishing my son makes you feel better, go right ahead."

"So you're the one that healed me," Ryuko looked at her wounds in awe.

"Like I said, dad's a Back Alley Doctor. If you count the number of people he's killed versus the number he's save, he's killed way more!"

"That's not a good thing," Ichigo deadpanned.

"No need to worry," Barazo waved his hand dismissively, "The dead ones don't sue."

Popping out from underneath the table in between Ichigo and Ryuko, Shinjiro added, "Mr. Mankanshoku is correct. In all the years the Mankanshoku Family Clinic has been open, there hasn't been a single lawsuit from a dead patient."

Nearly falling over from the shock of Shinjiro's sudden appearance, Ryuko pointed a finger at him, "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh?" Shinjiro looked at Ryuko before bowing apologetically, "My apologies! It appears that in my haste I have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Shinjiro Nagita, member of the Newspaper Club, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Shinjiro?" Ichigo looked at the shorter student with suspicion and confusion, "Where the hell did you come from?"

Shinjiro chuckled embarrassingly, "Evading the Disciplinary Committee has enabled me to hide myself quite well. When I saw you escape from Honnouji Academy, I quickly made my own escape and followed your trail to here. As a reporter, I take pride in being able to follow a story wherever it may be!"

Ryuko glared at him, "Do you make it a habit to randomly break into people's homes?"

"It's not a problem, Ryuko!" Mako announced, wrapping one arm around Shinjiro's shoulders while clenching her other fist dramatically, "If Shinjiro is in trouble with the Disciplinary Committee and Gamagori, then it is my sacred duty as a member of the Mankanshoku family to keep him safe and sound. It would be a stain on my honor if he were to meet with a terrible fate!"

"Well now," a mature female voice said from the nearby open window, "That was some convoluted logic, but I think he gets the point."

Every turned and saw a dark-skinned woman with long purple hair tied up in a ponytail and amber eyes sitting lazily on the windowsill. Ichigo's eyes widened as he recognized who she was, "Yoruichi?"

"Yoruichi?" Yoruichi repeated playfully, "Is that all you can say after all we've been through Ichigo? I'm hurt."

Ryuko turned to Ichigo, "You know this woman?"

"Not really."

"That hurts Ichigo," Yoruichi mocked as she hopped into the Mankanshoku household, her figure gaining the immediate attention of both Barazo and Mataro. Making it a point to ignore the two drooling men, Yoruichi sat down across from Ichigo, "You could say that Ichigo wouldn't be half the man he is today without my training. I worked his lazy ass for days to get him into shape. The name's Yoruichi Shihoin."

"We don't need to hear your damn introduction," Ichigo grumbled and folded his arms while looking away from Yoruichi, "And that wasn't training. It was torture."

"Training and torture are just two sides of the same coin, Ichigo. You can't have one without the other," Yoruichi grinned like a cat before pulling out a tape, "But I'm afraid I'm not hear to mock you, at least this time. Where's the T.V.?"

Mataro stood up and ran to his room, "I think I stole one a few days ago!"

"That's my boy," Barazo laughed loudly, "Always thinking ahead, just like a true Mankanshoku."

Yoruichi looked at Ichigo, who simply shook his head, as if to warn her not to ask too many questions in fear of losing her sanity. After less than a minute had passed, Mataro came walking out of the hallway, a large television in his arms.

"I snagged this baby without any problems," Mataro placed the television on the table and plugged it into the wall, "The stupid clerk didn't even see me carrying it out of the store."

As Yoruichi placed the tape in the television, Ichigo asked, "What's on the tape?"

"It's a message from Kisuke."

There was a crackle of static before Kisuke Urahara's visage appeared on the television, a familiar goofy smile on his face, _"Hey Ichigo! If you're seeing this tape, that means Yoruichi managed to track your ass down no matter where you hid. Yoruichi, if you're still there, good job. I would give you a treat, but as this tape implies, I am either dead, missing, lost or too busy working on some unholy monstrosity to announce that I am still alive. If said monstrosity is the cause of my death, please be sure to use the flamethrowers conveniently provided at the far ends of my store to kill it."_

Kisuke moved away from the camera and began carrying it through the air before stopping on a bundle of glowing red fibers, _"Back on topic. These, Ichigo, are what are known as Life Fibers. They are remarkable things that have so many different applications, but I will not say anything since I hate basing ideas off of untested conjectures. All you, and everyone else sitting with you, need to know is that the Kamui I created for you is made purely of Life Fibers and let me tell you, it wasn't an easy thing to do. In fact, it may have been the single most difficult thing I created since…well…you know."_

As Kisuke panned the camera away, everyone could see something that looked like Mugetsu being woven together from a large spool of Life Fibers, _"Anyway, I'm rambling. As I worked with the Life Fibers, I decided that it was in my best interest to create something capable of destroying them. After my first two attempts at creating a Kamui ended with them trying to eat me, I thought it was prudent to err on the side of caution and avoid any further bodily harm. Who knew something made of clothing could have such sharp teeth? Hence the weapon I have created for you. That's all and don't worry Ichigo, if things don't turn out the way I hope, I could always send Tessai or Ururu to check up on you. It's quite strange; ever since I started working with Life Fibers she has been feeling antsy. Perhaps she is finally growing up? Ta ta~!"_

The video cut out, leaving the Mankanshoku household in complete silence until Mako blurted out, "Let's watch that again!"

Grabbing her friend by the back of her shirt before Mako could go through on her promise, Ryuko looked at Yoruichi and asked, "So what is this weapon that guy talked about?"

With a solid clunk, Yoruichi dropped a long thin package on the table, "Here you go, Ichigo. I don't think I need to tell you to be careful with it."

Carefully unwrapping one end of the package, Ichigo gracefully caught the scabbard of a long blade as it fell out of the box. Drawing the blade out of the scabbard, he was stunned when he pulled out a katana that shone with a deep blue color. Turning it over in hands a couple of times, marveling at the craftsmanship and integrity of the blade, he looked at Yoruichi, "Why did Kisuke want me to have this katana?"

Yoruichi shrugged, "Beats me, but if Kisuke thought you needed it, then you probably do. Kisuke was never someone to exaggerate threats. If he thinks these Life Fibers are as dangerous as he says they are, then you should be careful."

As he looked over the blade, Ichigo noticed something inscribed on the hilt, "Tournesol? What the hell kind of name is that?"

"That makes two of us," Yoruichi dramatically sighed and sat down, "You know Kisuke, he always has to be one to give large and grandiose names to everything he creates. That blade you're holding is no different. Usually I just call his inventions whatever the hell I want, but Kisuke thought ahead and actually carved the name of the blade onto it. Clever bastard. When I find him…"

"Hey Yoruichi," Ichigo paused as he tried to think of the exact question he wanted to ask, "Have you heard anything from Kisuke? Is he alive or not?"

Much to everyone's shock, Yoruichi took a bite out of one of the disgusting croquettes Sukuyo had conjured up. Swallowing the lump of mysterious food before speaking, she replied to him, "Ever since Kisuke vanished, I've spent days looking around Karakura Town for signs of him. There were a few times that I thought I was close to discovering who killed him, but they were all just dead ends."

Propping her chin into the cup of her hand, Yoruichi grinned and looked around the room, "So I see you've made quite the circle of friends, Ichigo. You've not been here a week and you already made quite the commotion. I heard about what happened up at Honnouji Academy. If Isshin was here, he would kill you."

"I'd like to see the old goat try," Ichigo grumbled.

Yoruichi grinned, "Perhaps. So, who might you all be?"

"Ryuko Matoi," Ryuko answered calmly.

Shinjiro bowed respectfully, "Shinjiro Nagita, member of the Newspaper Club."

"Mako Mankanshoku," Mako answered as excited as ever. Pumping a fist into the air she added, "And this is my family! My dad Barazo, my mom Sukuyo, my brother Mataro and our dog Guts! It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Yoruichi!"

"Aren't you cute," Yoruichi chuckled at Mako's antics before her mood became serious, "Before I go, Ichigo, I have one last piece of news. It concerns the person that attacked Kisuke."

Yoruichi reached into her shirt and pulled out a photograph, "Kisuke had set up dozens of cameras throughout Karakura Town to warn him of any incoming danger. Before you think that is an invasion of privacy, they have been quite helpful in the past. Anyway, on the day he disappeared, one of Kisuke's cameras caught something. It was only on a single frame of the video, which is remarkable because Kisuke's cameras operate at over two hundred frames a second."

Yoruichi tossed the picture onto the table. As everyone crowded around the picture, Ichigo asked, "What am I looking at here?"

"A purple Scissor Blade," Yoruichi announced. While the room grew silent upon the announcement, with even the constantly joyful Mako Mankanshoku lost deep in thought, Ryuko stared at the picture with building anger.

"A Scissor Blade?" Ichigo took a closer look at the picture but still couldn't connect the dots, "Where did you come up with that? I don't see it."

"It was Isshin that told me what it was once I showed him the picture," Yoruichi took back the picture from Shinjiro, who had gripped it so tightly that it took Yoruichi a brief amount of effort to reclaim it, "Aside from that, I know nothing more about Kisuke's assailant."

"I might know a little more about this person," Ichigo cast his gaze downwards as he recollected what Kisuke had told him over the phone, "On the day he disappeared, Kiuske called me. He said someone who had nearly killed him in his shop was chasing him across Karakura Town. The strangest thing he said was that the woman wasn't quite human. Damn, I still don't know what that means."

By this point Ryuko had reached her tipping point. Standing up and angrily slamming her hands on the table, she shouted, "Tell me everything you know about this woman! Is her name Satsuki Kiryuin?"

Yoruichi looked at Ryuko completely unperturbed by the teen's outburst, "I'm guessing that Kisuke isn't the first person this woman's attacked."

"Damn right!" Ryuko shouted and pointed her red Scissor Blade across the table at Yoruichi, "She killed my dad with the other half of this scissor blade!"

"I see…" Yoruichi took a deep breath before adding, "Let me just say this, Ryuko. If Kisuke, a man who could be considered one of the most clever men in the world, is afraid of what this woman could do to him if she finds him, what makes you think fighting her would end in your benefit? You could be strong or fast, but the fact of the matter remains the same. Kisuke could think twenty moves ahead in a battle. He could enact contingency after contingency in case he couldn't outright win a battle. If he couldn't win, you sure as hell can't."

While Ryuko remained stunned at Yoruichi's outright refusal to help her, a fist clenching in anger, the captain turned to Ichigo, "I'm going to head back to Karakura Town now. Isshin's doing some remodeling to your house, which means Karin and Yuzu are staying at the shop. Last I heard Yuzu managed to convince Tessai to let her braid his beard."

With that said, Yoruichi stood up and left through the same window that she first appeared from.

"Wait a second!" Ryuko jumped up and ran at the window. Pressing her body against the frame of the window, she coughed as a motorcycle engine revved to life and Yoruichi disappeared into the distance atop a bright blue motorcycle.

"Damn, she's gone," Ryuko grumbled as she plopped back down on the floor, "So, who was this Kisuke guy Ichigo?"

Threatening to kill Yoruichi for dropping this on top of his lap, Ichigo explained, "He's an old family friend, or I think he is."

"I still find the concept of Kamui fascinating," Shinjiro stood up and took a dramatic pose, "With the power of your Kamui, you two can help me take down Lady Satsuki's tyrannical regime."

Ryuko looked at the grandstanding Shinjiro before she flatly said, "Wait. What?"

"Just ignore it, he's always like this," Ichigo muttered. Now that he thought about it, Shinjiro's behavior was eerily similar to Mako's, except that his was more along the lines of extreme enthusiasm and determination instead of insanity and craziness, "He's in the Newspaper Club. Apparently what he's written pissed off the Disciplinary Committee and I'm the only one standing in their way."

"I see," Ryuko muttered.

"Don't be upset, Ryuko!" Mako exclaimed, sliding into view right next to Shinjiro, "Shinjiro is just trying his very best to do what he was made to do. Who are we to judge what is right and wrong? On the honor of my family I, Mako Mankanshoku, will make sure that nothing happens to you!"

"I knew I could trust you Mako," Shinjiro's single eye shone with tears as he grabbed her hands, "Will you help me destroy the tyranny imposed by Lady Satsuki?"

"Oh dear god…" Ichigo stared in horror as Shinjiro and Mako began talking, "What have I done?"

"Mako," Ryuko tried to intercede before it was too late, "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?"

Mako's eyes widened before she shouted in a panic, "You're right! I'm sorry Shinjiro, but I can't help you in your righteous quest to bring down the establishment. Perhaps in another time, another place we could have been partners in your crusade but alas, it was not to be!"

"I fully understand your conviction Mako!" Shinjiro's glasses shone with a holy light, "But even with this setback, I will not stop in my mission!"

"_**He is quite…vocal about his beliefs,"**_ Mugetsu muttered.

"_**I quite agree,"**_ Senketsu added, _**"Although I do wonder why his hair is covering his left eye."**_

Deciding to leave before he was dragged further into the insanity, Ichigo stood up and headed to the door, "It's been fun, but I'm going to leave before I lose what remains of my sanity."

"You're going back to your fancy dorm room Ichigo?" Mako announced in a mix of shock and confusion, "But Lady Satsuki is surely looking for you! Stay here with my family. Ryuko is!"

"No thanks Mako," Ichigo put Tournesol back in its scabbard and headed for the door, "If I don't get back soon, that Gamagori bastard will find some reason to expel me."

"Then I should get going too," Shinjiro announced enthusiastically "Since Ichigo is my bodyguard against the Disciplinary Committee, it makes sense that I stick close to him. It's been a pleasure meeting you Mako Mankanshoku and Ryuko Matoi. Pray we meet again!"

Out in the crisp night air of Honnou City, Ichigo took in the glow from the various homes and buildings around him and started walking in the direction of the dorms when he heard someone running towards him.

"Hey wait up Ichigo!" Shinjiro sprinted towards him before skidding to a stop, a note pad in his hand, "I have to ask you something. If this Kisuke person was attacked by the same person that murdered Ryuko Matoi's father, aren't you worried about Yoruichi Shihoin's safety?"

"Not really."

Shinjiro hadn't been expecting that answer, "Why?"

"She might not look like it, but Yoruichi is one of the fastest people in the world."

"That's good to know," Shinjiro replied and turned to walk away. Waving goodbye to Ichigo, he said, "Well, I should be heading home now. We all can't live in the Honnouji Academy dorms like you. If I move quickly, I should be able to get back home before the Disciplinary Committee manages to track me down. It's almost like they know where I am at all times. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Perhaps you will have changed your mind about helping me tear down this tyrannical establishment we call Honnouji Academy!"

As Shinjiro disappeared into the distance, Ichigo watched him go before asking Mugetsu, "Mugetsu, did you notice anything off about Shinjiro?"

Mugetsu's eyes swiveled up to look at him, _**"What do you mean, Ichigo?"**_

"I've known fast people before," Ichigo began as he turned to walk towards the academy, "But one thing that bugs me about Shinjiro is how he was able to track me down. Even with his sources, he shouldn't have been able to find where I was for at least a day. And I can't forget about how he just appeared out of nowhere in the middle of Mako's home."

"_**That is concerning. What do you plan on doing about him?"**_

"For now, I'll just watch him. For all I know, he could actually be that good of a reporter. In any case, I have bigger issues to worry about. Satsuki and her goons aren't going to just let me go to school in peace anymore. I have to watch my back and with you out of the picture for a few days, I need to be even more careful. Hopefully this sword will help keep away some of the more troublesome idiots."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"The masses are fools…every single one of them are nothing but swine dressed in human clothing, completely domesticated by the established order."<p>

Satsuki Kiryuin's heel clicked on the ground as she continued, "They have lost the right and will to govern themselves, that is why they must be governed by Honnouji Academy. We shall create humanity's future through the use of the Goku Uniforms. Iori, I have chosen your Sewing Club as the chosen elite of our Human Conquest and Liberation Project."

"Thank you Lady Satsuki," Iori bowed respectfully.

Satsuki looked over the lines of One-Star Goku Uniforms passing by her with smug satisfaction. The latest iteration of the Goku Uniforms was almost eight percent more powerful than the previous design. She had to give credit to Iori for both his dedication and ability to work under strict conditions. While Satsuki could have easily hired someone from Revocs to design and produce the Goku Uniforms, with increased power and resilience no less, she didn't trust anyone but Iori for the task at hand.

"Iori, have you had a chance to look over the data Inumuta sent you on Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui?"

"Yes I have," Iori handed Satsuki a clipboard, "I must thank you for allowing me access to the information and data concerning the Kamui, Junketsu. Without it, attempting to determine the power and capabilities of Ichigo Kurosaki's Mugetsu would have ended in failure."

"What have you found?"

Iori adjusted his glasses before beginning, "After comparing your Life Fiber Resistance with Ichigo Kurosaki's, as well as what abilities his Mugetsu has revealed, I have determined that your Junketsu should be theoretically stronger."

"Theoretically?" Satsuki arched an eyebrow in mild annoyance, "I do not deal in theories or assumptions. I need cold, hard facts."

Iori swallowed nervously, "Please forgive me, but unless we can somehow force Ichigo Kurosaki into using Mugetsu's full power, everything will be based only on conjecture. From the limited data Inumuta was able to collect, it is obvious that Mugetsu's speed and power exceeds that of a standard Two-Star uniform."

"What about a Three-Star Goku Uniform?" Satsuki questioned, "Will Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui be able to stand up to their power?"

"I am not sure. I would need more data to make an accurate guess."

"…Very well, Iori. Keep me informed of any further developments."

Iori bowed once again, "As you wish."

The level at which Ichigo Kurosaki bothered Satsuki was increasing rapidly. It wasn't the fact that he was attending Honnouji Academy at the behest of her mother, Satsuki could easily deal with that, nor was it that he possessed a Kamui. Power was one thing that she was easily able to counter. Her natural skill and talent made her leagues above that of a Two-Star club captain. What irritated her was the ease in which he used Mugetsu's power. From the tests she had secretly run on Junketsu, away from the eyes of her mother and Revocs, the Kamui was incredibly vicious and insatiable. It would take someone with an iron will to tame Junketsu's urges and great power.

"_How did you tame Mugetsu, Ichigo Kurosaki?" _ Satsuki thought in frustration, _"Is your will really that great that you can temper a being of such power as a Kamui?"_

Satsuki was still staring ahead when a female voice respectfully spoke up from behind, "Tennis Club Captain Omiko Hakodate reporting as ordered, Lady Satsuki."

"Hakodate," Satsuki didn't take her gaze off the monitors in front of her, but she could tell the Tennis Club Captain was kneeling behind her, "How are the preparations for the Hokkaido interleague match coming along? I'm assuming there have been no problems."

"Of course not, Milady," Hakodate answered neutrally, "Every single club member has been devoting every waking moment of their time to training. Our opponents will soon learn to fear the might of Honnouji Academy and Lady Satsuki."

There was a loud hissing of escaping air as a container descended from above, opening as it went. Walking towards the still kneeling Hakodate, Iori said, "This is a Tennis-Spec, Athleticism-Augmenting Two-Star Goku Uniform. Consider it a gift from Lady Satsuki for your complete devotion and loyalty."

Hakodate's one visible eye widened in greed as she stared at the Goku Uniform, "At long last I have a Two-Star Goku Uniform of my own! Thank you, Milady!"

"Carry out your mission without fail," Satsuki ordered, silently disturbed by the look on Hakodate's face, as she headed to a nearby elevator, "Sanageyama, come with me. I have further need of your services."

"Of course," Sanageyama nodded his head while surprised by what Satsuki could want with him. The elevator she had entered led directly her own personal room overlooking the rest of Honnouji Academy as well as most of Honnou City. In all three years he had been at Honnouji Academy, Sanageyama could count the number of times he had been there on both hands.

As soon as he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, Satsuki asked, "You were standing next to Ichigo Kurosaki earlier this evening when Ryuko Matoi defeated Takaharu, correct?"

Sanageyama could not see where Satsuki was going with this. She knew all this already. Nevertheless he answered the question, "Yeah. I was right next to him up until Ryuko Matoi unveiled her Kamui to Honnouji Academy."

"I see…" Satsuki's eyes stared out over the darkened courtyard of her academy, only broken by the lights of the elevator. Reaching into the pocket of her uniform, she extended two fingers and handed Sanageyama a small picture, "The Photography Club managed to procure this photograph of Ichigo Kurosaki's acquaintance. I asked Jakuzure and Gamagori about his identity, but they said that this student had never been in trouble with the Disciplinary Committee or a member of the Non-Athletic Clubs. Inumuta was unable to find anything in the database about this student apart from his name, student number, and age. Have you seen him before?"

Sanageyama stared at the picture of the No-Star student that had been next to Ichigo Kurosaki during the match between Ryuko and Takaharu earlier. He looked carefully at the picture for several long moments before shaking his head, "I'm sorry, but this student isn't a part of any of the Athletic Clubs."

Satsuki seemed to find that news disturbing, if the slight narrowing of her eyes meant anything to Sanageyama, "Did you notice anything off about him?"

"Off?" Sanageyama scratched his chin, "Now that you mention it, there was something strange about him."

"How so?"

"Well, he seemed to have a strange fascination with Ryuko Matoi. As soon as Ichigo Kurosaki left to go help her, I glanced over and noticed the kid's eye focused almost entirely on her. The way he was looking at her really freaked me out. Do you want me to bring him in for questioning? He might be a spy from one of the other schools."

"No," Satsuki barely managed to hide the nervousness in her voice, "You are to inform Gamagori as well as the rest of the Student Council to leave this particular student alone. You are not to speak to him, confront him, or meet with him alone. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes," Sanageyama was taken aback by the order. He didn't know what had gotten Satsuki so worked up, "But why is it important that we leave him alone? He's only a lowly No-Star student."

"Because," Satsuki crumpled the picture in her hands and bit her lip, "_He_ is not a student at all. If you, or any of the Elite Four, were to try and fight him, he would destroy you in less than a second. Ichigo Kurosaki is in great danger."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Ichigo suppressed a yawn as he finally walked back through the weird entrance to Honnouji Academy. Walking uphill was a lot more difficult that simply jumping down while wearing a Kamui. With the trolleys and lifts out of the service due to the time, he had to walk the entire way back uphill without rest. He was really looking forward to his bed. That was if Gamagori wasn't staking out his room for what he did earlier today. That man was probably watching him right now.<p>

"Oh man," he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I really want to get some sleep."

"~Hello Ichigo~!"

Ichigo turned around in surprise at the completely unexpected voice. Standing behind him in the dead of night with a fancy umbrella leaning against her shoulder was a girl with long blonde hair and wearing a pink dress. A purple eye patch covered the girl's left eye and she had a large and seemingly friendly smile plastered on her face. When Ichigo remained silent after her apparent introduction, Nui Harime sighed wistfully and leaned her head onto her hand, her elbow propped up in midair.

"It's rude to not introduce yourself, you know? Aren't you going to say anything Ichigo?"

"_**Ichigo…"**_ Mugetsu was nervous about the girl in front of them. She couldn't quite place it, but there was something wrong with her, _**"Be careful. There is something not right about her."**_

"I know," he muttered to Mugetsu. Call it intuition or instinct, but there was something extremely disturbing about the girl standing not ten feet away from him. What bothered Ichigo the most was how she appeared behind him without alerting him to her presence. Until she spoke to him he had felt or sensed nothing. For all he knew, she could have been following him the entire time and he wouldn't have known about it, "Who are you and how do you know me?"

"Oh my…" Nui playfully pouted as she leaned on her umbrella and was impossibly floating in the air, "…That's such a silly question coming from someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Ichigo tensed his muscles. The girl might have been playing around with him, but he could tell she was dangerous. There was something in her eyes that he had only seen during the war against Aizen and it wasn't good, "I don't even know you."

"Really?" Faster than Ichigo could blink, Nui was gone from her perch several feet in the air and was now standing at his side, her finger poking Mugetsu curiously, "Is this a Kamui? It's quite fashionable. It suits you Ichigo!"

Ichigo stood there, mouth agape, as his mind tried to process how Nui appeared there, but in less than a second reflexes honed by months of fighting and combat kicked in. Jumping away from Nui, Ichigo pressed a hand to his side and noticed that Mugetsu was shivering, "Mugetsu?"

"_**Her hand was as cold as ice,"**_ Mugetsu's voice was shivering, _**"She was reaching for something with her finger Ichigo. Don't let her touch me again!"**_

"Isn't that sweet, you talk to your Kamui!" Nui clapped her hands together and tilted her head to the side, her pigtails bouncing all the way, "But I'm insulted that you don't know who I am Ichigo. After all, you and I are a lot closer than you think."

"Is that so?" Ichigo could tell he was in immense danger just by being in proximity to this girl. There was no way in hell any human was this peppy and cheerful normally, but the fact that it was two in the morning drove the point home. She was not here to chat. Deciding to play along for the moment, he asked, "You haven't even told me your name yet."

"You want to know my name?" Nui pursed her lips cutely before sticking her tongue out at Ichigo, "Nope! Not going to tell you! You're going to have to figure that out all on your own Ichigo."

Feeling more uncomfortable by the second being in the presence of this girl, Ichigo turned around only to find her standing inches from him, her face leaning in until she was inches from his own face, "I must say, Ichigo, it is quite the pleasure finally meeting you after all these years. You don't look anything like I expected."

Staring at Nui, Ichigo hid his trepidation and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"What do I want with you?" Nui looked into the distance, her face seeming to ponder the question intensely, before she turned back to Ichigo, "I just wanted to see how my cousin was doing, that's all there is to it."

"Cousin?" Ichigo was confused by what Nui was suggesting. He had no family outside of his sisters and dad. He knew his dad was a shinigami, which explained why he had never seen his side of the family, but it was strange that no one from his mother's side of the family ever visited. The girl could be telling the truth about it, but the odds that she was lying to force him off balance were great, "You're lying. I don't have any cousins."

"Oh…" Nui seemed dismayed by Ichigo's dismissal of her claims, "I goofed up! You thought I was talking about something as silly as blood. Nope! What I was referring to is much closer…."

Ichigo blinked and suddenly found Nui pressing the palm of her hand against his chest, "Right about here is where we're related, Ichigo! Can you figure out what I mean or do you need a better hint?"

Reaching his limit, Ichigo grabbed Tournesol and swung the blue blade through the air towards Nui. Some might consider his response toward what at first glance appeared to be a simple invasion of personal space an overreaction, but Ichigo knew better. Nui, smile still on her face, effortlessly dodged his first attack as well as the next dozen with visible ease.

"Wow! You're really good!" Nui complimented Ichigo as she dodged around his strikes, her arms folded behind her back, "You almost hit me this time! You must really have been practicing with a sword to get this good!"

Ducking under Tournesol, Nui leaned up until her face was right against Ichigo's before flicking him in the chest with her index finger. As soon as her finger made contact with his chest, Ichigo felt as if a truck had hit him.

"Guh!"

His body flew backwards through the air, bouncing twice against the ground before he managed to regain his balance. Skidding to a stop, his breath ragged from the ease in which he was being toyed with, he reached towards the spaulder before remembering that he still couldn't release Mugetsu for at least another day or two.

"Impressive!" Nui's voice drifted from behind Ichigo. Clapping her hands together happily, she smiled and continued, "You're actually able to remain conscious after all that? You really are as good as you look! As much fun as this has been, I didn't come here to play with you, Ichigo."

"Why should I believe a word you say?" he argued, taking a step back. While the action was redundant due to Nui's ability to seemingly teleport, it helped to make him feel just a little better.

"But it's the truth," Nui pouted and folded her arms. Suddenly perking back up again, she seemed to realize something and said, "Well, I've had a lot of fun tonight, Ichigo! Let's play again some time."

Nui took a few steps away from Ichigo before she turned around, a smile still on her face, and said, "Oh! I almost forgot. If you tell anyone about our little play date, I'll kill everyone you know and love! See ya~!"

With that, Nui Harime simply vanished into the darkness of the night, leaving a shocked Ichigo behind in the courtyard of Honnouji Academy. After several minutes had passed, and Nui hadn't made reappeared, he let out a nervous breath.

"Damn it," Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, "Who the hell was she? What was she?"

"_**Ichigo, I don't think she was human. Her hand was as cold as ice and her movements were too stiff to be natural."**_

"I noticed," Ichigo glanced once more in the direction Nui had disappeared before walking towards the student dorms, "Mugetsu, do you think she was the one that attacked Kisuke?"

Mugetsu's eyes closed for a moment before she answered, _**"Her abilities and description match with what you know. Surely you aren't thinking of going after her?"**_

"No. If I were to fight her, even with your aid, I would lose. I need some time to think about who she was and what she wanted with me."

"_**Whatever your decision is, I will be with you the entire way Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu stated as her eyes closed and she fell asleep. Nearly at the dorms, his eyes already threatening to close on him, Ichigo frowned. Why was everything and everyone at Honnouji Academy so damn insane?


	9. Chapter 9: Bohemian Rhapsody

_*So I present to you Chapter 9 of **To My Death I Fight**. Before I say anything, I would like to announce that this story has several entries now up on Tvtropes! I discovered the links by complete accident, but when I read them, I couldn't help but realize that my story is awesome!  
><em>

_*I've been asked a few times what Tournesol means. Yes, it means Sunflower in French, but that is not why I chose it. It is a reference to the most powerful Greatsword in Final Fantasy XII. Of course, that is in name only. Ichigo's Tournesol is merely a blue-colored katana similar in nature to the Scissor Blades. You can chalk the choice of the name to Kisuke, who might just be a big fan of RPGs._

_* If anyone wants to draw a picture of Ichigo wearing Mugetsu, that would be fantastic.  
><em>

_*I have some ideas for character themes. These are just out of the blue. Think of them as Omake if you want to.  
><em>

_1) Ragyo + Junketsu Combined Battle Theme: Lightning Returns: **SUPREME GOD BHUNIVELZE **(The first 2 minutes or so at least) _

_2) Nui Harime Explanation / Flashback Theme: Team Fortress 2: **Right Behind You**_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 9 – Bohemian Rhapsody<strong>

It was his lunch break and Aikuro Mikisugi was busy reading one of his favorite novels. He really had nothing better to do at the moment. Ryuko Matoi was still getting acquainted with her Kamui, Senketsu was its name if he recalled corrected. He wouldn't be able to speak with her face to face until she realized Senketsu couldn't be activated with a small blood donation. Ichigo Kurosaki, on the other hand, Aikuro didn't know what to make of him. The boy had a Kamui, which was interesting to say the least since he hadn't expected it, but his utter lack of knowledge regarding anything going on at Honnouji Academy intrigued him.

"Perhaps I'll talk to Ichigo again soon," Aikuro muttered as he turned the page in his book, "But then again, I'm worried about my personal health if I do end up talking to him. This is a worrying conundrum…"

Several minutes passed in peaceful silence before his cell phone began ringing.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem. Every teacher at Honnouji Academy had a cell phone, courtesy of Satsuki Kiryuin, so that they could be contacted on short notice. What bothered him was that it was his personal Nudist Beach cell phone that was ringing. There were only a few people in Japan that knew his number and all of them knew not to bother him while he was undercover at Honnouji Academy. The chance of being discovered as a spy was too great of a risk. Deciding that whoever was calling him had a good reason, Aikuro flipped it open and yawned, "You've reached the wonderful man known as Aikuro Mikisugi. How may I be of service?"

"Hello to you as well, you naked bastard."

Aikuro nearly fell out of his chair upon hearing the familiar voice.

"Hold on just one second!" He stammered into the phone before quickly walking around his office and making sure he was completely alone. After locking his door, drawing his shades and making sure the bugs planted by Inumuta were recording junk and irrelevant data, he let out a chuckling sigh, "Isshin Shiba, or is it still Kurosaki? My, it's been quite a long time since you decided not to speak to me."

At the other end of the line, Isshin Kurosaki was busy looking over several new and, at first glance, superfluous additions to his home, "Yeah, it's great to speak to you as well, you naked bastard, but something's come up that I think you should know about."

Sitting back down, Aikuro leaned backwards and propped his feet up on his desk, "Important enough to speak to me after over a decade of silence?"

"You know why I didn't call or speak to you," Isshin responded.

"Yeah," Aikuro's eyes fell, "After I heard what happened, I couldn't help but realize I would have done the same thing if I were to be in your situation."

Isshin sighed and closed his eyes, "What's done is done. Besides, we have a much bigger problem on our hands than some small personal vendetta."

Aikuro's eyes widened in realization, "You don't mean – "

Isshin grit his teeth as he answered, "Ragyo's started making her move."

That was the worst thing that Aikuro wanted to hear. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he asked, "Are you certain?"

"I'm keeping things close to the chest on this one, Aikuro," Isshin admitted, "But I advise you to be extremely careful in the near future. I don't know if Ragyo will start making her move in a few weeks, a few months or even next year, but the fact remains that it will be soon. If what I saw at Revocs was any indication of her mindset, she is extremely confident about something. A confident Ragyo is something that scares me. She all but admitted that there was nothing I could do to stop her, and that's not to mention that Nui Harime was hiding nearby the entire time I was there. As much as she likes to imagine herself as being superior to everyone she meets, Nui cannot fool me."

Aikuro knew very little about Isshin's relation to Ragyo, but what he did know implied that the two of them had once been very close friends, "If you know so much about Ragyo Kiryuin, why do you refuse to help us? You must know that your knowledge and experience would be invaluable in taking her down before things can get out of hand."

"If only it were that simple," Isshin bolted a panel into place and took a step back, "Ragyo is too smart of a woman to not realize something like that. She's most likely already aware of my relation with your group and what I might have told you. I wouldn't put it past her to have spies watching my every move. So even if I were to come to Osaka, the odds that Ragyo's already planned for that is quite high. She may be a crazy and sociopathic bitch with no regard for anyone but herself, but she's anything but stupid."

"If what you say is true," Aikuro's voice was full of concern, "Then what was the purpose of calling me?"

"It's about Ichigo," Isshin stated immediately, "By now, he's probably discovered that his uniform is actually a Kamui. You've probably already spoken to him as well. I don't know what Kisuke was thinking when he decided to make a Kamui, but I need you to, as a favor to me, watch over him. Ichigo may be smart and strong, but he's always been stubborn as a mule. He won't back down from a fight if it comes to that. Make sure he survives his time at Honnouji Academy, especially since several people are going to start taking an interest in him."

"Hmm…you're worried about Satsuki Kiryuin's plans for him?"

"It's not Ragyo's daughter I'm concerned about," Isshin ran a hand down his face, "If you knew half the things I do…you just need to trust me on this."

Isshin heard Aikuro sigh across the line, "Fine. I guess I owe you one. I'll make sure Ichigo doesn't do anything stupid. I'll contact you if anything new comes up, Isshin. Be careful."

With that final warning, Aikuro hung up, leaving Isshin Kurosaki alone with his thoughts. After nearly a minute had passed, he lowered his cell phone away from his ear and decided to go back to work.

"You aren't the only one with a trick or two of their sleeve, Ragyo," Isshin muttered to himself as he continued working on making his house completely safe.

It was something that he started years ago with Masaki. Sort of a pet project, if one could call it that. After rescuing Ichigo from Ragyo's clutches, they both realized what her plans were but could do nothing to stop it. To the rest of the world Ragyo was known as the strict CEO of Revocs who helped make her company one of the most powerful on the planet. If either Isshin or Masaki had accused Ragyo of the heinous acts she was truly guilty of, not only would they be laughed at, but Ragyo would come after them with the full force of Revocs and COVERS behind her, the consequences for both sides be damned.

So instead of actively working against Ragyo, and incurring her undivided attention, Isshin decided to go on the defensive. The first thing Isshin did was make Kisuke place memory modifiers throughout Karakura Town that would work to prevent Revocs from gaining a foothold in the town. It wouldn't stop someone like Ragyo from knowing the town existed, but it would stop her from setting up a subsidiary within the town. The second thing he did was something he hid from everyone, and Isshin meant everyone. No one knew what he had done, and Isshin hoped no one would ever found out. Even Masaki, bless her heart, didn't know about what he had absconded from Revocs with after rescuing Ichigo. It had been nothing but a spur of the moment decision, but in the end it might be one of the key events to stop Ragyo's plans.

"_If only I could believe that," _Isshin thought gloomily as he finished installing a panel of his Anti-Life Fiber security system. It had taken a pretty penny, courtesy of an oblivious Nudist Beach, but when he was done, the Kurosaki household would be impervious to anything containing active Life Fibers, apart from those he expressively allows within its boundaries of course. Letting out a breath of exhaustion from nearly three hours of working outdoors, Isshin was about to go back to work when a soft-spoken voice suddenly appeared right next to him.

"You look a little tired, Mr. Kurosaki. Would you like some lemonade?"

Isshin put on a goofy smile, "Why yes I would! Thanks a bunch for helping me out with this little renovation project of mine, Ururu. I know it must be a bother to help out and all, but I really appreciate it."

Ururu Tsumugiya's blush momentarily intensified before she tapped her arm proudly, "I-It's not a problem, Mr. Kurosaki. I'm stronger than I look, you know."

"That you are!" Isshin guffawed as he ruffled her hair, "But please call me Isshin! Mr. Kurosaki makes me sound like an old man!"

"O-Okay," Ururu turned around and, without so much as a grunt, lifted lumber and metal weighing nearly half a ton over her head, "Where do you want me to put these?"

Taking a sip from his lemonade, Isshin said, "Just put them in the back. Since Karin and Yuzu are staying with Yoruichi and Tessai, they won't be bothered by the noise."

He wanted to see Nui Harime just try and get inside his house again. If she so much as stepped one foot inside the barrier, she'll be burned alive. Isshin sighed in depression as he realized that would never happen. As psychotic as she may be, Nui wasn't an idiot, no matter how she acted.

"Damn, a man can dream…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"The gap between the rich and poor is pretty large."<p>

Ryuko's observation broke Mako out of her sleep, causing her to jolt back to consciousness with nearly perfect fluidity, "It makes perfect sense, since Honnou City is ruled by Lady Satsuki. The top-tier students are given homes in the really expensive residential areas while No-Star students like us have to live in the slums."

"Your position at school determines where you live?" Ryuko grumbled into the palm of her hand as she gazed out of the trolley. They had just entered the living quarters for the One-Star students and already she could see quite the difference. Instead of homes constructed out of anything available and multiple families living in the same building, there were rows upon rows of middle-class housing and apartments that were leagues above the Mankanshoku's home.

"Yep! Pretty straightforward, huh?"

"I guess," Ryuko blinked before she remembered something, "Hey, didn't you say that Ichigo lives in the student dorms?"

"I did?" Mako brought a finger up to her chin, "Oh, I did! Yep! Honnouji Academy has student dorms. They are where exchange students with lots of money stay. Usually the dorms are empty, since most of the exchange students prefer the One and Two-Star housing, but the dorms are really nice, even if they are super expensive to stay in."

"They're that expensive?" Ryuko asked amazed, "Then how does Ichigo afford it? He didn't seem like the kind of person to have a lot of money."

"I don't know!" Mako replied with the exuberance of someone talking about winning the lottery, "But Ichigo's super smart! He's, like, a genius or something."

"Ichigo's that smart?" The trolley jolted to a stop as it finally arrived in front of Honnouji Academy. As Ryuko stepped off, while Mako did a front flip out of the window, she saw a familiar figure shambling towards them.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Mako waved towards the tired Ichigo.

"Hey Mako," Ichigo waved back with a tired yawn. He was still trying to come to grips with what happened last night. When he returned to his dorm, he had spent a few hours going over what happened instead of going to bed. He just couldn't get what the girl had said to him out of his mind. Ichigo knew without a doubt that she could have wiped the floor with him within the first few seconds if she really wanted to. The fact that she instead talked to him, albeit in a very creepy and disturbing way, implied that she had an ulterior motive. If push came to shove and he was forced to fight her, Ichigo wasn't certain that even with Mugetsu's full power he could fight her to a standstill, let alone actually win.

"You look like something Mako's dog dragged in," Ryuko pointed out with concern upon seeing his exhausted state, "Didn't get much sleep last night, huh?"

"You could say that," Ichigo answered while rubbing his eyes in an attempt to remove some of the tiredness plaguing him, "After everything that happened yesterday, I needed time to come to terms with what's going on at this school. I've been here for less than a week and yet some of the things I've seen just doesn't make much sense to me."

Ryuko propped the silver case containing her Scissor Blade onto the ground and sat on it like a makeshift chair, "I know what you mean. Before I came here, I was known as the Kanto Vagabond or, as those idiots in Kobe called me, the Guitar Case Drifter. I've seen a lot of weird things, but Honnouji Academy takes the cake. Two words, Ichigo – Beef Tank."

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow, "Beef Tank?"

"Don't ask," Ryuko said with annoyance, "So Ichigo, you never told me where you came from."

"I'm from Karakura Town," Ichigo thought about how different Karakura Town was from Honnou City. The sheer number of differences between the two towns was something that his mind couldn't completely grasp. It was almost as if they existed in different worlds, "Sure there are some strange things in Karakura, but nothing quite like this. We didn't have clothes that could transform into suits of armor, turn your skin as hard as steel or give normal people superpowers. Hell, the most exciting thing that happened was a ghost sighting or two."

"Sounds like a boring place," Ryuko smirked. Noticing that Mako had wandered off to watch a flock of birds fly by, she added, "I don't think Mako's quite all there."

"I know someone like her," Ichigo remembered Orihime's daydreams and imagination. While her experiences in Hueco Mundo tempered her once legendary imagination and exuberance, she sometimes fell back into her old routines, much to all of Ichigo's friends collective annoyance, "The best thing to do is to just let her do her thing. Eventually she'll come back to reality."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then we call a doctor," Ichigo deadpanned. Noticing what time it was, he began heading into Honnouji Academy, "We should head to class before Gamagori shows up."

"That's right!" Mako's shocked voice rang out from where she had stopped following the birds, "Only ten minutes until school starts! If I'm late just one more time, I'll be expelled!"

Quickly catching up to Ryuko and Ichigo, she turned to her best friend and said, "Oh! That reminds me! Ryuko, my mom said that if you need someplace to – "

While Mako was talking, Ichigo had been walking in front of her. So it was quite odd when he felt something fly by over his right shoulder and hit Mako in the face.

"Mom said that!" Another volley, this time over his left shoulder, smashed into Mako's face, "If you don't have a place to stay!" A third volley hit Mako's face, causing Ichigo duck out of the way as a fourth volley screamed through the spot where his head had just been, "You can stay! With us! She's already filed the paperwork!"

Ryuko stared in shock and awe at the bruised and smoking face of Mako, "Are you ok, Mako? Ichigo?"

"I'm fine," Ichigo pulled himself off the ground and dusted Mugetsu off, "But the person who just tried to hit me isn't going to be."

"You must be the transfer students that were rude to Lady Satsuki," a haughty voice announced, drawing ever closer as she spoke, "For the moment, I have no interest in anything concerning you. I'm the Girls Tennis Club captain, Omiko Hakodate, and I'm here on official club business."

"How is trying to kill us club business?" Ichigo stared at Omiko Hakodate as if she had grown another head, which, by the attire she was wearing, she might as well have. The club captain wore an exaggerated version of the standard female tennis uniform with two glowing red stars stitched across the front as well as on her visor. The underside of her dress was filled to the brim with tennis balls, giving it a strange appearance. Held in one hand across her shoulders was a black and red tennis racket that glowed with the number of Life Fibers stitched within it.

Hakodate smirked at Ichigo, exposing her razor sharp teeth, "You must be Ichigo Kurosaki. Your attitude and lack of survival skills are everything Lady Satsuki warned us about, but you need to shut up and stay out of this. Club member Mako Mankanshoku failed to fulfill her daily club obligations. She is to be purged as a result, which is all standard procedure as stated in the Honnouji Academy Athletic Club Guidelines. Now let the punishment commence."

With a snap of her fingers, all of the One-Star students lined up behind Hakodate tossed a tennis ball into the air and aimed not at Mako, but at Ichigo and Ryuko. While Ryuko used her silver case as a makeshift shield, blocking the tennis balls from hitting her body, Ichigo was more proactive and used his sheathed Tournesol, which he had decided to carry at all times after what happened yesterday, to block and deflect those aimed at him.

"What's wrong with you, you crazy bitch?" Ryuko shouted from behind her shield, "What did Mako do wrong in the first place?"

Hakodate slammed the end of her racket into the ground, "You're knowledge of Honnouji is severely lacking, transfer student. Mako Mankanshoku skipped yesterday's club practice. Anyone who fails to come to practice without a legitimate excuse is required to suffer the 110 Million Cannonball Serves. Unless you wish to partake in Mankanshoku's punishment, you will stay out of the way. An outside like you or Ichigo Kurosaki has no right to complain about club policies!"

"Yesterday?" Ichigo stepped in front of Mako. With Tournesol still sheathed but held in front of his body, he said, "Mako was held hostage yesterday and nearly killed for doing nothing and you're trying to punish her for that?"

"Tch," Hakodate spit at Ichigo before grinning. Raising her tennis racket into the air with one hand, she pointed it at Ryuko and said, "I don't care if she was almost killed or not! The issue I have is that she was taken hostage without permission. If she had simply had Sanageyama sign the standard Kidnapping Exemption Form then there wouldn't be a problem."

Ryuko angrily slammed her silver case on the ground, "That makes no sense at all!"

Hakodate ignored her and shouted, "Begin!"

On queue, the line of One-Star tennis players lobbed another volley of tennis balls into the air, but this time aimed at Mako. As Mako gasped and comically covered her eyes, Ichigo and Ryuko stepped in front of her and used their respective weapons to block or deflect all the incoming projectiles.

"Cut that out, damn it!" Ryuko grunted from behind her case, feeling the impact of each and every tennis ball making contact. She could see a few dents already forming in her case. Just how hard were these tennis balls being hit anyway?

"These people just don't quit," Ichigo responded. His ability to deflect the tennis balls with Tournesol wasn't as high as he would have liked it to be. For every five tennis balls he stopped, another two managed to get through his guard and hit him. It was lucky that he was made of tough stuff or it would hurt, "We need to do something, Ryuko."

"I know," Ryuko replied while readjusting her hold on the silver case. Turning towards Mako, she said, "Get out of here, Mako! You'll be expelled if you're late one more time, right?"

"I almost forgot!" Mako shouted and darted around the line of tennis players; "I'll see you guys later!"

"Clever little girl," Hakodate admitted angrily before turning her attention back to Ichigo and Ryuko, "So by that little comment, I'm guessing you two are going to take us all on? Well now, this has gotten rather interesting. And here I thought today wasn't going to be any fun at all."

"I do owe her for a meal and a place to stay," Ryuko answered with a smirk.

"I don't need a reason to help people," Ichigo answered, as Hakodate's attention shifted to him, "Just wiping that smirk off your face is all the motivation and reason I need to stop you."

"How very funny of you two," Hakodate grinned, "But don't get too full of yourself. Just because you defeated Fukuroda, transfer student, that doesn't mean you can stand up against me. Boxing is nothing like tennis!"

Confident in her abilities, Ryuko pointed at Hakodate and shouted, "I'm going to make quick work of you! You ready Ichigo?"

"If you're asking if I can transform, the answer is no," Ichigo whispered to Ryuko, "Mugetsu still needs another day or so to adjust herself to my blood. If I tried to activate her now, I'll be risking my life."

Ryuko's eyes drifted to Ichigo, "What are you talking about? Your Kamui is powerful enough to take them all out in less than a minute!"

"I'm not going to risk it," Ichigo repeated, "Besides, we don't have the time to fight her. There's only a few minutes until the first bell and I don't want to have to deal with Gamagori again."

"Tch," Ryuko grit her teeth as she realized Ichigo was right. Still, she couldn't just back down from a fight. In all the fights she had been in, not once had she run away or backed out when challenged. It was who she was and nothing was going to change that, "You're right, Ichigo, but I can't stop now. If Satsuki Kiryuin is the one who killed my dad, I need to find out why she did it! If you don't want to fight, can you at least make sure Mako remains safe? I have a feeling these guys aren't going to let her go so easily. Now, let's do this, Senketsu!"

There was complete and utter silence as Ryuko attempted to transform only for nothing to happen. Beating her hand against Senketsu's single eye, she growled, "Hey! What's the matter with you, Senketsu? I said let's get to it!"

"She's talking to her clothes…is she freaking insane? How disappointing," Hakodate looked crestfallen at Ryuko's apparent insanity. Turning to Ichigo, who was staring at Ryuko with what could only be described as a mixture of embarrassment and disappointment, she grinned, "Well now, isn't this a turnabout. Since your friend seems to have lost her mind, you must take her place, Ichigo Kurosaki! Now die!"

Hakodate's Goku Uniform glowed briefly before hundreds of tennis balls shot out from under her dress and began hovering in the air. With a fluidity afforded to her from years of practice, Hakodate grabbed her tennis racket with both hands before slamming the mass of tennis balls forward towards Ichigo and Ryuko.

Ichigo managed to see the volley coming and leapt back and out of the way, the tennis balls missing him by only a couple of inches. Ryuko, on the other hand, had turned away from Hakodate to admonish Senketsu for sleeping on the job. It was only when she realizing something was coming towards her and turned around that the tennis balls slammed into her body and knocked her over the edge and into the water below.

"A love game?" Hakodate cursed, "That was no fun at all. And here I thought she would be some sort of a challenge. So, Ichigo Kurosaki, it's just you and me now. Let's see how you stand up to my Goku Uniform!"

"NOT SO FAST!"

Hakodate and Ichigo looked upwards as a large shadow grew ever larger. Before either of them could react, Ira Gamagori crashed to the ground accompanied by a sonic boom.

"Omiko Hakodate!" Gamagori bellowed, "Punishment upon students does not fall onto your shoulders! I shall overlook your punishing of Ryuko Matoi due to her challenging you to a fight, but if you attempt to attack Ichigo Kurosaki, there shall be hell to pay! Am I understood?"

"Yes, Gamagori!" Hakodate and her fellow tennis club students bowed respectfully, "I shall follow your orders. And what of Mankanshoku?"

Gamagori folded his arms across his massive chest, "Since Mankanshoku is part of the Girls Tennis Club, deciding her punishment for failing in her duties falls to you. Now where do you think you're going, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Throughout Gamagori's exchange with Hakodate, Ichigo had wisely decided to try and get out of there. He had barely made it halfway before Gamagori's full attention was focused on him, "I don't want to be late to class. Since you're the head of the Disciplinary Committee, I'm sure you understand and all."

"Trying to use the same rules I enforce against me, how clever of you Ichigo Kurosaki!" Gamagori acknowledged as he stepped towards Ichigo, "But it is a useless gesture. I know the Honnouji Academy Rulebook inside and out. There is nothing you can say or do to stop what is coming!"

Ichigo took a step back, "Are you here to fight me?"

"Fight you?" Gamagori looked insulted at the sheer notion, "Of course not! It is against Honnouji Academy regulations to fight without the express permission of Lady Satsuki or a member of the Elite Four except when dealing with internal club affairs."

"Then why are you here?" Ichigo tensed up, "I still have several minutes before the bell rings."

"That is true," Gamagori acknowledged with a nod of his head, "I am here to personally escort you to Lady Satsuki. She feels it is time to have a serious conversation concerning your placement in Honnouji Academy."

"Oh great," Ichigo kicked the ground in front of him. He knew this would happen eventually. Even Satsuki, with her remarkable patience, would get tired of him snubbing her every attempt to talk with him, "Can't you just torture me or break my arm instead?"

"You dare speak about Lady Satsuki in such a manner?" Gamagori seemed to triple in size as he towered over Ichigo, his body enveloped in shadows and his eyes glowing points of yellow lights, "Take back what you said right now!"

For several seconds Ichigo stared up at Gamagori. As the tension between the two teens increased to the point where Hakodate was even beginning to back off out of fear, Ichigo intensified his glare and, in one swift motion, spun around and began running away as fast as he could.

"H-Hey!" Gamagori was shocked by Ichigo's abrupt cowardice, "Get back here, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Hell no!" Ichigo shouted back as he sprinted across the Honnouji Academy courtyard as fast he could, "There's no way in hell I'm going to speak to Satsuki again. You can just tell her you killed me for all I care!"

"No excuses will be accepted!" Gamagori shouted in return as he chased after Ichigo, nearly barreling over Hakodate in the process. Summoning a whip using his Goku Uniform, he tried to capture Ichigo only for him to jump over the whip before it could wrap around his ankle, "Lady Satsuki has demanded your presence. You will comply with her request, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"What the hell's your problem anyway?" Ichigo shouted as he continued to dodge and jump over Gamagori's attempts to restrain him, "Don't you have anything better to do than chase me down? I'm sure there's someone vandalizing school property somewhere!"

"I was given an order by Lady Satsuki to bring you to her," Gamagori jumped into the air and began falling towards Ichigo, "And nothing will stop me, for I am the Disciplinary Committee Chair! The rules of Honnouji Academy flow through my blood and give me purpose!"

Ichigo stared at Gamagori's falling body with abject terror as he tried to push his body to go faster, "Can't you do anything, Mugetsu, like turn my feet into jet boots or something?"

"_**I'm afraid not,"**_ Mugetsu admitted in a resigned tone, _**"It looks like this is the end for us. For what it's worth, it was fun fighting alongside you, Ichigo."**_

"AHAHAHA!" Gamagori laughed in triumph as he finally caught Ichigo, albeit not the method he would have preferred. Pinning the orange-haired teen's body beneath his own massive one, Gamagori announced, "Now, if you are done running, I am to escort you to see Lady Satsuki. So I hope there will be no more funny business, Ichigo Kurosaki, or I might have to get serious. Do you understand?"

"Damn…" Ichigo muttered from his pinned position, "You can…go to…hell…you bastard…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I see that you received my summons, Ichigo Kurosaki."<p>

There was a rumble as Gamagori turned around and walked back into the elevator leading down from the roof of Honnouji Academy, his head hitting the ceiling and denting it along the way. Now completely alone with Satsuki Kiryuin, Ichigo said, "It's not like I had a choice in the matter."

Satsuki's gaze was locked firmly on the horizon in front of her. As a stiff wind blew through the area, causing her air to sway in the breeze, she said, "I do believe the first order of business is an apology."

"An apology?" Ichigo didn't know why he was dragged up here, and frankly he didn't care, but if Satsuki Kiryuin was apologizing to him, everything he knew about the world was wrong.

"Yes," Satsuki took a deep breath but still did not turn to face him, "My previous conversations with you may have been a bit heavy handed. For that I apologize."

"You're kidding me," Ichigo didn't know whether Satsuki was mocking him or sincerely believed that was all she had to be sorry for. While every attempt at talking to him since his arrival at Honnouji Academy ended in the form of an impromptu interrogation, he could deal with that, "Do you really think that's what I care about?"

Satsuki turned her head slightly around and, by the look in her eye, Ichigo realized that she had no idea what he found wrong with that, "What are you inferring, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo folded his hands in Mugetsu's pockets and slouched his shoulders slightly, "You really don't get it. Nothing you say will make me forgive you for allowing Mako to nearly die yesterday for something she had no part in."

Satsuki turned to fully face Ichigo, her icy blue eyes staring daggers at him, "You are naïve about how the world works, Ichigo Kurosaki. Honnouji Academy is a place of law and order, a place where those with the power or the will to achieve their desires thrive while those weak and lazy fall. If I had allowed Mako Mankanshoku to walk free after assisting Ryuko Matoi in her foolish attempt to attack me, the system would have fallen apart. That, Ichigo Kurosaki, is how this world works."

"How the world works?" Ichigo repeated in disgust. He had heard those words once before, from Kisuke as he sealed Aizen away, but the context between the two instances were entirely different. Kisuke had muttered them in an attempt to show Aizen that what he was doing would have destroyed everything, but Satsuki was using them as an excuse to enforce her own brand of Social Darwinism on those around her, "Just what is going on in that head of yours that you think killing people is the right thing to do?"

"I did not invite you here to speak with me only to hear your criticism, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki unsheathed Bakuzan and pointed it at Ichigo. With her face a mask of indifference, she calmly continued, "I have several question for you, and this time you will not be able to avoid them."

"Tch," Ichigo knew this would eventually happen. Ever since his first arrival at Honnouji and after that stupid test, Satsuki had been trying to speak with him about one thing or another. It was almost impressive that she could find him with ease. Reaching over his shoulder and grasping Tournesol's hilt, he said, "That's funny. The way I see it, you're threatening to kill me if I don't answer your questions."

"You need not worry, Ichigo Kurosaki. I do not attack without provocation or reason," Satsuki admonished and, just to prove her point, swiped Bakuzan once through the air before sheathing it in its' scabbard once again, "Now, if you are no longer feeling threatened, perhaps we can converse like civilized people."

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter," he mumbled as he removed his hand from Tournesol.

"Very well," Satsuki took a step forward, her heel clicking on the ground, "Let us begin. Have you ever met my mother, Ragyo Kiryuin, or spoken with her?"

"Your mother?" Ichigo thought long and hard about that question. It wasn't what he had been expecting, "I can't say that I have, although my dad seems to know quite a lot about her."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed at the implication but her tone remained steady, "How well does he know her?"

"I don't really know," Ichigo looked away and scratched the back of his neck, "I don't try to pry into my old man's business. If he wants to tell me something about his past, I'm not going to force him to say anything until he's ready."

If Satsuki had been expecting another answer, she was sorely disappointed. Isshin Kurosaki was a walking enigma. From what little Inumuta had been able to dig up on the man, he had been in contact with her mother as long as twenty years ago. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that Isshin Kurosaki saved her mother's life like the newspapers stated. Her mother was not that weak or grateful enough to give someone a reward for helping her. If anything, she would have killed Isshin Kurosaki just to keep up her appearance as the indomitable CEO of Revocs. It was only when she had Inumuta dig a little further that the puzzle revolving around Ichigo's father deepened.

There was almost nothing about Isshin Kurosaki in the Revocs servers. From the few bugs that Inumuta had been able to plant within Revocs that survived her mother's thorough surveillance sweeping, Isshin Kurosaki showed up some time during Student Evaluation Day and proceeded to head directly to her mother's office, but no matter how much she dug, further information on the man was scarce. There was absolutely nothing on the man's relationship with her mother or even what they talked about. It was almost as if someone had purposely deleted everything about him. That led Satsuki to her original assumption that Isshin Kurosaki was a lot like her mother. It wasn't until she spoke to the man on the phone that she realized she was mistaken. What was the connection between her mother and Isshin? How could someone with a disposition like Ichigo Kurosaki's father be acquainted with a woman like Ragyo Kiryuin?

"Your blade," Satsuki stated while switching topics. The likelihood that Ichigo Kurosaki knew anything about her mother, or was even aware of what she was capable of, was exceedingly small, "I can recall but one weapon with the same composition as your blade, and that weapon is currently in the possession of Ryuko Matoi. I also know for a fact that only one Scissor Blade exists in the world so tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki, how is it you came into possessing a similar weapon?"

Ichigo could sense a strange feeling emanating from Satsuki, "Why should I tell you anything?"

The constant wind blowing through the area suddenly picked up and, without warning, Satsuki raced towards Ichigo with Bakuzan drawn once more. Leaping back and drawing Tournesol in retaliation, Ichigo quickly blocked Satsuki's overhead strike while sparks shot out from between the clashing weapons.

"Damn it, what's your problem?" he asked from behind grit teeth. Satsuki was strong, but she was nothing compared to that girl from last night. With his feet firmly in place on the ground, Ichigo gave a shout and pushed Satsuki back with all the strength he could muster.

"It is indeed as strong a blade as I expected," Satsuki calmly stated as she landed back on the ground, Bakuzan held firmly within her right hand, "To be able to stand up to the strength of my Bakuzan, which can damage a Kamui, is no easy feat, but that is not taking into account your own skill, Ichigo Kurosaki. Ryuko Matoi might possess the Scissor Blade, but she wields it much like a child does a toy sword or stick. She does not use techniques or styles. She simply attempts to overpower her opponents through brute force. I find the prospect of such an exquisite weapon remaining in her possession inexcusable!"

"You sure like to hear yourself talk…you know that, right?" Ichigo muttered with Tournesol held diagonally in front of his body, "Did you force me to come up here just so you can see if I'm planning something against you? Because if you did, I can tell you right now that I have no interest in getting caught up in anything you or your underlings are planning."

"I find your lack of respect both highly insulting and strangely relieving," Satsuki stated with a huff as she sheathed Bakuzan for the second time in less than five minutes, "But you shall address me properly from now on, lest you face the consequences for such impudence."

"I'll respect you when I find you worthy of it," Ichigo replied with equal coldness, "But quite frankly, I don't think you'll ever earn it. From what I've seen and heard during my short time here, it's clear to me that Ryuko has more honor than you'll ever possess."

"More honor you say?" Satsuki tensed up at the mention of the word. Stepping towards the edge of the roof, but never getting close enough to slip off, she asked, "You say I don't have honor, but can the same not be said about you, Ichigo Kurosaki? I wield Bakuzan for the purpose of seeing my dreams come to fruition! What reason do you have to wield your blade?"

"Reason?" Ichigo had been asked that very question many times during his first few weeks as a shinigami when Uryu started that stupid Hollow contest. At the time he thought his answer was correct, since it managed to make Uryu shut up, but as time passed and things changed, he realized what he told Uryu was no longer good enough, "I'm not looking for power or glory. I'm won't say that I can stop anyone who gets in my way, nor will I be satisfied with just protecting those close to me. I want to protect as many people as I can from those that would step over them in some misguided attempt to increase their own power."

Satsuki went to reply but was cut off as Ichigo continued. His brown eyes seemed to pierce into her blue ones with a familiar intensity as he held up Tournesol, "This blade was created by Kisuke Urahara, a man who was targeted for something he didn't know anything about. I will use the gifts he gave me to find out more about the woman with the purple Scissor Blade that attacked him and as well as why she attacked him."

"_Nui Harime?"_ Satsuki thought with shock, although her facial expression remained schooled and stoic, _"How is she involved with Ichigo Kurosaki? For what reason would she go out of her way to attack someone not even associated with or against Revocs and my mother? That's random, even for someone like her. There has to be something I'm missing."_

"So your goal is vengeance then," Satsuki stated with dissatisfaction, "It is a pointless goal. The man you called Kisuke Urahara is already dead. Nothing you can do can change that. It is better to move on with your life and forget about reaping your vengeance against someone that you cannot defeat. Even with your Kamui, Mugetsu, you would not stand a chance against that woman."

Ichigo Kurosaki caught the familiar way in which Satsuki spoke of this woman. She knew her, but he still could not figure out just how Satsuki knew her. Turning around to leave, he decided to go with one final comment, "Perhaps you are right about that. Perhaps I cannot beat her. She might even kill me, but until I try how can I actually say I lost?"

The determination behind Ichigo's words momentarily stunned Satsuki. After she watched him take several steps, she decided to impart one final piece of advice, "If I were you, Ichigo Kurosaki, I would be cautious about trusting your Kamui."

Ichigo stopped walking, "What are you talking about?"

Satsuki stared at the courtyard below. Hakodate had caught Mako Mankanshoku and would start punishing her soon enough, which meant Ryuko Matoi would be returning soon as well. Ryuko Matoi might be a variable, but she was predictable. She would never let a friend be put in danger. Perhaps fighting Hakodate would be all the motivation needed to display all of her Kamui's power, "Kamui are made to look the way they are for a reason. Take away from that what you will."

"I suppose I will," There was a pregnant silence after Ichigo spoke that lasted for several seconds, but eventually he asked, "Let me ask you something, Satsuki, why are you so concerned about my personal life? There are hundreds of students here at Honnouji, but you've been focusing your attention on me."

"Because my mother has taken an interest in you," Satsuki answered bluntly before adding, "I do believe that is all I require from you, Ichigo Kurosaki. You know the way down."

Turning his back on Satsuki, Ichigo calmly and collectively walked to the elevator and found to his surprise that it was already waiting for him. Stepping inside, he waited for the doors to close before dragging a hand down his face.

"God, that sucked."

"_**I know," **_Mugetsu added. During his time talking to Satsuki, she had wisely decided to not say anything and see how things played out, _**"What do you plan on doing now, Ichigo?"**_

"Huh?" Ichigo leaned against the wall of the elevator and frowned, "I don't really know to be honest. At first I came here solely because my dad registered me without asking me first. But now…now I think he had a reason all along. The man may act like a child, but everything he does seems to have a reason behind it. After what happened last winter I can't take anything he does at face value anymore. I just need to figure out what he's planned."

"_**Last winter?"**_ Mugetsu's eyes blinked and gazed up at Ichigo.

Ichigo shook his head, "Don't worry about. It was just something personal that forced me to see my dad in an entire new light."

"_**If you don't want to tell me about it, I understand,"**_ despite what she said, Ichigo could tell that Mugetsu was hurt that he didn't trust her enough to tell her about the Winter War, _**"But what are you going to do about Satsuki? You and I both know she will not let this go so easily. Her interest in you is not just a passing fancy."**_

"What the hell do you mean passing fancy?"

"_**I do not remember how, but Kisuke Urahara imprinted onto me several pieces of information, one of which was how the female mind works. He must have assumed you would be oblivious. It seems that he was correct."**_

Ichigo glared as an imaginary Kisuke Urahara appeared in his mind while laughing behind that stupid paper fan of his, "If that woman with the Scissor Blade didn't finish him off, I'm going to kill him myself. That bastard can go to hell for all I care. As for Satsuki…I have a feeling that she will make her next move quite soon. Knowing my luck, she has a Kamui of her own just waiting to be brought out for a special occasion."


	10. Chapter 10: Living for the City

_*So here is Chapter 10 of **To My Death I Fight**. You might notice that this chapter is a bit longer than usual. I wanted to write it as best as possible and cutting it down would have been a bad thing to do. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next installment of the story. It has a lot of action, drama, comedy and whatever else makes up Kill la Kill and Bleach._

_*Did anyone else enjoy Episode 22? I know I did._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 10 - Living for the City<strong>

Ryuko Matoi was annoyed.

After she made relatively short work of the Tennis Club Captain, Omiko Hakodate, after using her Scissor Blade as a makeshift tennis racket, she had been forced to flee from Honnouji Academy for the second time in two days. While she wanted to stay and get answers from Satsuki Kiryuin, since Senketsu informed her that she had several minutes of consciousness remaining, Ryuko had quickly changed her mind when Satsuki attacked her with Bakuzan and easily cut through Senketsu's armor without much effort.

Ryuko was so upset and angry that no amount of Sukuyo Mankanshoku's mystery croquettes or Mako's pick-me-up speeches could make her feel better. There had to be a secret to using Senketsu that she just wasn't able to see. Turning towards Ichigo, who was laying on the roof next to her, she asked, "How do you do it, Ichigo?"

"Do what?" Ichigo turned his head as he thought about the question. He had run into Ryuko some time after leaving Honnouji Academy. As much as he would have liked to stick around and watch Ryuko's fight against Hakodate, he knew that she wasn't someone that appreciated anyone, even a friend, coming to her rescue in the middle of a battle. He was the same way after all.

As he had taken the trolley down from the academy to the slums in order to tell Mako's family that their daughter was kidnapped yet again but that she'll most likely be fine, there was a loud crash on the roof. Sticking his head out the side of the trolley, Ichigo saw a still transformed Ryuko kneeling the roof with her back to him. Covering his eyes in embarrassment at what he saw, he told Ryuko to get inside the trolley before anyone else saw her.

Upon seeing Ichigo, Ryuko had promptly pulled herself inside the trolley and transformed back to normal. While she was still greatly exhausted from Senketsu drinking a lot of her blood, she still had enough energy to grab Ichigo and demand to know why he didn't help save Mako. After he explained to Ryuko what Satsuki had told him, she had calmed down, but not before declaring that she still didn't like it.

"What are you talking about?"

"About how to use Senketsu!" Ryuko growled and, to emphasize her point, pulled at Senketsu's lapel, eliciting a small growl of annoyance from the Kamui due to the harsh treatment, "How is it that you managed to get Mugetsu to transform into something that's not half-naked and completely embarrassing?"

"What makes you think I know anything about how Mugetsu transforms?" He answered equally as annoyed, "Mugetsu isn't exactly the most forthcoming with answers."

"_**As if I would willingly change into something so scandalous," **_Mugetsu added in, her feminine voice adding to the conflict, _**"You should be ashamed of yourself, Senketsu."**_

"_**Give it a rest,"**_ Senketsu countered, his single eye rolling around in frustration, _**"It shouldn't matter what I turn into as long as I work correctly."**_

Ryuko and Ichigo listened to their respective Kamui's argue before Ryuko groaned and slammed her fist against the roof, "This is crap! If what that Yoruichi woman said is true, then how the hell am I going to beat the woman with the Scissor Blade if I'm not as strong as you?"

There was silence as Ichigo thought about what Satsuki had told him earlier in the day, "Have you considered training?"

When Ryuko looked at him with a mixture of confusion and interest, he continued, "Well, I've noticed that you really don't have much training in using your Scissor Blade."

"Training?" Ryuko scoffed and turned her head away from him, "What's the point in training if I can beat these Two-Star club captains without much of a problem?"

"You might be able to beat the Two-Stars, but I don't think the Three-Stars will be as much as a pushover. If they help Satsuki run Honnouji Academy, then odds are they have some kind of trick up their sleeves. Training with your Scissor Blade would also help you fight Satsuki. When I talked with her earlier today, she tried to attack me. In our brief fight, I could tell she was very experienced in combat and tactics, which is something she will use against you when you eventually fight her."

Ryuko didn't say anything for a couple of minutes as she processed what Ichigo said. Eventually she sighed loudly and asked, "You really think I need to do some training with my Scissor Blade?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah."

"I guess you got a point," Ryuko huffed, "So that just leaves dealing with Satsuki Kiryuin. If what you said about her is true, do I have a shot at beating her?"

"It depends on how you go about it," Ichigo thought back to his earlier conversation with the student council president. Satsuki was not someone to let anyone challenge her, even if they were doing so for a good reason. If he had a good grasp of Satsuki's mindset, she would soon focus on how to eliminate both him and Ryuko as potential threats to her power.

"How do you know all this, Ichigo?" Ryuko asked wistfully, "It's almost like you've done this before."

Ichigo panicked for a moment before calmly saying, "Let's just say you're not the only one with issues and leave it at that."

Ryuko was about to press the issue when she felt Senketsu shudder and let out a small growl at something.

"Huh? What's wrong Senketsu?"

"_**It's nothing,"**_ her Kamui assured it, _**"There's just something in the air that unnerves me."**_

"_**You're not the only one,"**_ Mugetsu added, her eyes focused on the same place as Senketsu's, _**"There is an ill omen in the air. I can feel it. Something is going to happen soon."**_

"What do you mean, Senketsu?" Ryuko asked worriedly, but when she got no response from Senketsu she sighed and turned to Ichigo, "Any ideas on how to make Senketsu as strong and powerful as Mugetsu?"

"What are you asking me for?" Ichigo grumbled, "Why don't you just ask him if you're so interested?"

"I did!" Ryuko growled back to him, "But all he's said is that I need to accept being naked! Like I'm going to fight half naked and not be the least bit embarrassed. Senketsu doesn't know what he's talking about."

"_**I heard that Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's voice piped in, _**"And I'll have you know that I was serious about what I said earlier. I only drink so much blood because you're embarrassed to wear me."**_

"_**Ichigo and I don't have that problem,"**_ Mugetsu added, clearly enjoying being superior to Senketsu.

Ryuko and Ichigo let out a collective groan of annoyance as their Kamui began arguing once again. It was going to be a long night.

"Hey Ichigo, I almost forgot something," Ryuko covered her mouth as she yawned, "I didn't see Shinjiro today."

"That's right…" Ichigo frowned and sat up on the roof. It was rather strange that he didn't see Shinjiro all day. The kid was practically on him like a leech the day he ran into Ichigo. To suddenly disappear like this was concerning, "I don't know where he is, but I hope he hasn't gotten into any trouble."

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><p>...<p>

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><p><em>The Previous Night<em>

_Yoruichi smirked as she twisted down the throttle on the motorcycle she had borrowed from Kisuke's shop. The man might be a former shinigami captain, but no one could say that he didn't have good taste. As she revved the engine, forcing the motorcycle to go even faster, Yoruichi wondered just how much Kisuke paid for it. Perhaps, like most things in his shop, he borrowed it without permission and just forgot to give it back._

_As she reached the halfway point between Honnou City and Karakura Town, Yoruichi's ears picked up a sharp ringing sound right before a rocket propelled grenade slammed into her motorcycle. The vehicle was catapulted into the air alongside a burst of flames before it came crashing back down to the ground and skid to a stop against the edge of the highway, the wreckage still emitting flames and smoke._

"_Ha," Takiji Kuroido grinned in well-deserved satisfaction as he shouldered the rocket launcher. Holding onto the edge of the helicopter with his free hand, he gazed over the wreckage and smugly said, "I got her with my first shot."_

"_Don't get too cocky~!" Nui Harime joked, appearing out of nowhere at Kuroido's side. Forgoing her usual parasol for the purple Scissor Blade held aloft on her shoulder, she laughed girlishly and added, "When you underestimate your opponent you lose. Don't you know about that rule already? After you screwed up the first time, I would think you would have grown some brains or something."_

"_I assure you, Grand Couturier, that I hit her dead on," Kuroido argued but, knowing Nui Harime's disposition, ordered the pilot to circle around the wreckage a few times just to make sure Yoruichi was dead._

_Gazing down at the flaming wreckage, the wind kicked up by the helicopter causing his suit to flap around, he asked, "__I'm curious about something, Grand Couturier. H__ow did you know she was going to be here?"_

"_That's silly," Nui beamed childishly, "I ran into her in Honnou City. She had some very bad information that I felt shouldn't be given out. Besides, I thought you love this part of your job?"_

_Kuroido scoffed but nodded. It was pointless to argue with the Grand Couturier whenever she had her mind set on something. His position might prevent her from killing him, but Nui could do other things to him that would make murdering him seem like a blessing._

"_Oh~!" Nui held her hand over her eyes and stared down at the wreckage, "I spy with my one eye something that shouldn't belong!"_

"_What?" Kuroido barked and __stuck his head out the helicopter to look at the wreckage. It took him a moment to spot her, but sure enough through an apparently enormous amount of luck, he had missed injuring Yoruichi at all__. __With her body illuminated by the rising flames behind her, Yoruichi stood on the divide separating the two sides of the highway and stared up at the helicopter hovering overheard. As Kuroido watched, Yoruichi twisted her upper body back before throwing a piece of debris from her destroyed motorcycle at the helicopter. Kuroido barely had time to duck before the piece of steel shot through the air and out the other side of the helicopter without slowing down._

"_That's impossible!" Kuroido screeched in disbelief __as he stared at the hole in the helicopter right behind his head__. Turning __towards the pilot, he__ ordered, "__Bring us around again.__ I'll make sure to get her this time!"_

"_Nope! Not gonna happen!" Nui exclaimed happily as she grabbed the rocket launcher out of Kuroido's grasp and, in one fluid and quick motion, disassembled it before placing the pieces on the floor in a nice neat pile. Smacking her hands together to clear off the imaginary dust, she grabbed her purple Scissor Blade and grabbed the edge of the open helicopter, "Just leave this to me~!"_

_Kuroido grumbled but wisely decided to step back __for his own safety__, "As you wish, Grand Couturier."_

_Jumping out of the hovering helicopter, Nui Harime freefell towards the highway below, laughing the entire way. Spinning around several times before landing softly just a few meters away from Yoruichi, she looked at the former captain and pressed a finger to her lips, "Huh…you look familiar. Have we met before?"_

_Yoruichi stared at Nui Harime with a cold and calculating look in her eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that the girl in front of her was the one that had attacked Kisuke in Karakura Town. The purple Scissor Blade held lazily in Nui's right hand was proof enough of that, "That's odd. I don't remember ever meeting you before."_

"_You haven't?" Nui cocked her head to the right, her smile falling off temporarily before reasserting itself, "Oh well! I guess I was wrong about that. Silly me!"_

_There was something incredibly unsettling about the way Nui was acting, and it caused all sorts of bells to go off in Yoruichi's head. Despite Nui's girlish and airy exterior, Yoruichi could sense that she was hiding much of her true strength just below the surface. If she needed to fight her, and Yoruichi knew that was very likely at this point, then it would be suicidal to go in without more information. Nui liked to talk? Then Yoruichi would let her talk._

"_So by that blade in her hand you must be the one that attacked Kisuke?" Yoruichi hopped off the highway divide and landed on the asphalt with nary a sound, "To be honest I expected someone different."_

"_Different?" Nui paused and blinked owlishly. By her expression, it was clear she was actually interested in what Yoruichi had to say, "How so?"_

"_Well…" Yoruichi chuckled to herself, "I expected you to be older. Kisuke must be really embarrassed to have been defeated by someone your age, but then again, that's not as strange at it sounds. Kids these days seem to be getting stronger all the time."_

"_Shucks…" Nui turned away, seemingly embarrassed by Yoruichi's apparent compliment, "That's so nice of you, but it's not going to make a difference in the next few minutes. Back to business! Do you happen to know what Kisuke Urahara did with the Life Fibers he stole from Revocs? It would be ever so nice of you to tell me. It might even make your death in the next minute or two that much less painful and agonizing!"_

_That settled it. There was something inherently wrong with the girl in front of her. Deciding to play her trump card, for what it might be worth, Yoruichi hid her nervousness behind a Cheshire grin, "You're a really clever girl. You think I didn't recognize you from that little disguise back in Honnou City? I admit it was very good. In fact, it was perhaps the best disguise I have ever seen. If I hadn't sensed something off about you, I wouldn't have noticed at all. I think that when I'm done teaching you some manners I'm going to head back. Ichigo and Ryuko might just be interested in what I have to tell them."_

_It was very subtle, but Yoruichi hadn't gotten where she was in life by going into battles half-blind and full of pride. When she caught the slight shifting of Nui's left foot, which was barely half an inch, she instantly recognized it as the precursor to an attack. Sure enough, just a few seconds after noticing it, Nui came racing towards her, the purple Scissor Blade transforming into a deadly double-edged scythe along the way._

_Yoruichi leapt back as Nui hit the ground, the Scissor Blade carving through the concrete and asphalt as if they were nothing but butter. She couldn't believe Nui's speed. She had to be nearly as fast as Sui-Feng. Jumping back several times, Yoruichi quickly twisted to the side as Nui exploded out from the ground, her blade just missing bisecting the former captain at her waist. Flipping back several times after being forced to deflect another strike with the sole of her boot, Yoruichi vanished in a burst of Shunpo and reappeared several dozen meters away on a streetlight._

"_Huh?" Nui looked at her purple scythe, seemingly disappointed that there was no blood on it, "This just won't do. You're supposed to be dead by now. I do have things to do outside of work, you know."_

"_Work, huh?" Yoruichi crouched down on the light, her eyes focused on every single detail surrounding Nui, "You're not human, are you?"_

"_Human is such an arbitrary word," Nui playfully teased before she abruptly vanished. Yoruichi's eyes widened in shock as she looked around for the Grand Couturier, only to be stunned when Nui's voice came from directly behind her, "You're not focused~!"_

_Ducking under the floating Nui's surprise attack, Yoruichi countered by grabbed her wrist. Pulling Nui forward with more strength than the Grand Couturier expected, Yoruichi slammed her knee into Nui's stomach before elbowing her in the face, propelling her back to the ground. Holding the Scissor Blade that she had taken from Nui's grasp during her attack, Yoruichi looked it over in the brief respite in the battle. Just by holding it and feeling the metal composing it, she could tell it was the same material that made up Ichigo's Tournesol. That meant this Scissor Blade had to have been designed to sever and kill Life Fibers but, if Yoruichi were thinking about this correctly, it wouldn't work fully unless it was used in conjunction with Ryuko's blade._

"_That was quite rude of you," Nui's voice echoed from the dust surrounding where she landed. Trotting out with nary a wound on her body, she looked up at Yoruichi and pouted, "It's not nice to take what doesn't belong to you. I'm going to have to make your death extra painful now!"_

"_I'm pretty sure this didn't belong to you in the first place," Yoruichi countered._

"_So say you!" Nui said and pulled her right pinkie finger back. Immediately Yoruichi noticed a thin red wire appear in the air, connecting the Scissor Blade in her hands with the tip of Nui's finger. With a seemingly minimal amount of effort, Nui ripped the Scissor Blade out of Yoruichi's hands._

"_That's better!" Nui said proudly as she caught the spinning weapon with ease, "Everything is as it should be!"_

_Yoruichi decided she couldn't hold back anymore if she wanted to get out of this fight in one piece. She couldn't afford to go easy on Nui, despite her reservations about hitting a child, for Nui was clearly anything but a normal person. Crouching back down on the streetlight, Yoruichi pushed off and rocketed towards Nui._

"_Like that's going to work!" Nui beamed with a smile as she prepared for Yoruichi's attacked, "Full frontal assaults are so cliché! It's almost – "_

_Nui's comment was cut off in midsentence as Yoruichi disappeared from in front of her using Shunpo before reappearing behind the Grand Couturier with her left leg arcing downwards towards the base of her neck. Leaning backwards and allowing Yoruichi's leg to sail harmlessly over her head, Nui countered the captain's attack by spinning the Scissor Blade around her wrist before forcing the tip towards Yoruichi's face._

"_Not this time!"_

_Leaning her head to the side, Yoruichi waited for the Scissor Blade to stop moving forward before she twisted her shoulder and caught Nui's arm in-between her chest and arm. Jumping into the air, Yoruichi forced Nui's body to follow her trajectory before she spun around, grabbed Nui's head, and slammed the Grand Couturier face-first into the pavement hard enough to crack it. Grabbing the Scissor Blade once more, Yoruichi widened the gap between Nui and herself while making sure there weren't any more Life Fibers connected to the Scissor Blade._

_Gazing at Nui's body comically sticking out of the ground, Yoruichi sensed the Grand Couturier was nowhere near defeated. True enough, just a couple of seconds later Nui's hands pressed their palms on the ground and pushed her smiling face out of the ground._

"_That wasn't very nice!" Nui quipped, as she stiffly righted herself without a trace of dust on her pink dress, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and you will suffer greatly before you die!"_

_Crossing her hands in front of her body, a sadistic smile on her face, Nui summoned dozens of Life Fibers that immediately began whipping their way towards Yoruichi. The captain jumped backwards and into the air while using the stolen Scissor Blade to cut the threads down before they could reach her. Spinning around twice, while making sure she hadn't missed a single Life Fiber, Yoruichi touched down on the ground and instantly noticed Nui was nowhere to be seen._

"_Where did she go?" Yoruichi asked herself, turning around when she didn't see the Grand Couturier in front of her only to find the highway completely deserted, "What's she up to?"_

_Yoruichi's well-honed senses picked up something in the air and she quickly leaned to the side. It wasn't fast enough to fully avoid the attack though. Wincing in pain as the razor sharp measuring tape cut into her side with uncanny ease, Yoruichi began using the Scissor Blade to deflect and stop Nui's impromptu spiked whip._

"_Are you having fun yet?" Nui asked, a sadistic smile adorning her face, "Because I sure am! After all, a woman never leaves the house without a backup plan!"_

_Subtly changing the course of her measuring tape in midflight, Nui wrapped it around the purple Scissor Blade before, with a quick yank, pulled it out of Yoruichi's hands and back in her own where it belonged._

"_There now…I just gotta do one thing before we continue," Nui spun the Scissor Blade around once before tucking it into her dress, the blade disappearing into the smaller dress mysteriously, "Now you can't take it anymore! Sorry to disappoint you."_

_Without a weapon, at least for the moment, Yoruichi was forced to actively dodge Nui's weapon. After suffering several more minor wounds on her arms, Yoruichi saw an opportunity to counterattack. Sticking her arm out and allowing the measuring tape to wrap around it, she attempted to pull Nui towards her only for the Grand Couturier to smile and grab it as well._

"_Sorry! Not going to fall for that old trick a second time!"_

"_Who says I'm going to do what you think I am?" Yoruichi smiled as she readjusted her stance. As she grabbed the measuring tape with her other hand, Nui, seeing what the former captain was trying to do, quickly tried to stop her. Before the Grand Couturier could so much as sever one of Yoruichi's limbs, the dark skinned woman buckled the measuring tape with enough force that Nui's body was comically and dramatically thrown against the roadway before she bounced into the air, spinning the entire way. As Nui's body arced through the air, Yoruichi pushed off the ground and met her in midflight._

"_Take this! Meteor Barrage!"_

_Yoruichi began by kneeing Nui in the stomach hard enough that balls of cotton seemed to escape the Grand Couturier's mouth. Not letting up on her assault even as the two of them began falling back to the ground, Yoruichi followed up her attack by slamming her elbow into the back of Nui's neck, dislocated the Grand Couturier's right shoulder and head butted her until blood was spurting out of Nui's nose almost like it was a faucet. Just before reaching the ground, Yoruichi spun around and slammed Nui's head back into the ground, causing the highway to splinter and crack before exploding as the captain continued to push Nui further downwards._

_As an explosion of energy shot out from the point of impact, Yoruichi reappeared down the highway, using Shunpo to increase her speed. She needed to get back to Karakura Town and warn Isshin that she ran into the woman that attacked Kisuke and, what was worse, who was hanging around Ichigo under a disguise. Already more than a kilometer away from the site of the battle, Yoruichi could sense Nui was completely fine. She was glad she hadn't skimped out on her training after the Winter War. With what she had pushed herself through, she should be able to make it back to Karakura Town with endurance to spare._

_Back at the crater that formed from Yoruichi's attack, a perfectly fine Nui Harime sat on her Scissor Blade as she looked around for Yoruichi, "Oh…she ran away. No one's ever managed to escape me before. I must be losing my touch~!"_

_Noticing Kuroido bringing the helicopter around to pick her up, Nui smiled despite failing in her objective. It was always fun to fight an opponent that didn't die in the first few seconds. The next time she fought Yoruichi, she would make sure the woman didn't run away again. Cutting off her legs will make sure of that!_

"_It's too bad I need to report back to the Director. I sure do wonder how Ichigo's doing without me. I'm sure he's having lots of fun!"_

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><p><em>...<em>

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><p>Deep beneath Kiryuin Manor, in a complex hidden from all eyes apart from a chosen few, Satsuki Kiryuin finished descending down the only stairwell leading towards her goal only to find several men blocking her path forward.<p>

"Please turn back, Milady!" One of the men said, a bead of sweat dripping down his nervous face. Swallowing the bile in his throat, he continued, "I'm not allowed to let anyone past this point, not even you! I'm sorry!"

Without even bothering to look the man in the eye, Satsuki responded with a flat, "Stand aside."

"You know we can't do that, Milady," The same man argued, "Our orders are – "

Before the man could finish speaking, Satsuki removed the sheathed Bakuzan from her hip and thrust it into both men's abdomens with enough force to make their bodies instantly crumple to the ground. Stepping over the fallen men, Satsuki continued walking towards her goal, only bothering to say to them, "I don't have any time to waste on speaking to fools like you. Stay out of my way."

Just beyond the area where her mother's men had tried to stop her was a pair of blast doors designed to prevent anything less than an atomic explosion from passing through. Pressing her thumb against a hidden panel at her side, Satsuki typed in a thirty five digit password on the keypad that appeared and stepped back as a loud hiss resounded through the area while the blast doors slowly opened.

Squinting her eyes as a bright white light shone out, Satsuki's vision quickly reasserted its dominance and she walked through the doorway into the secret chamber. The large chamber was lit by several dozen floodlights that extended up the walls and onto the ceiling, all of which focused on the single object standing in the middle of the chamber.

"Milady," Soroi's calm and elderly voice spoke up as Satsuki ascending the stairs leading towards her objective, "Perhaps this is an unwise move."

Satsuki's hand hovered over the hand scanner, "You think I am making the wrong choice, Soroi?"

Her faithful butler took a deep breath, "I did not say that, Milady. I am simply voicing my opinion that perhaps you are being a tad hasty in your determination. Ever since you discovered that Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki both have Kamui, I have noticed a hint of envy in your voice when we speak."

"You say that I am jealous?" Satsuki's voice held a hint of malice, but it was not directed at Soroi, "It is inconceivable that Ryuko Matoi managed to wear a Kamui before me, but what bothers me the most is Ichigo Kurosaki's disposition in regards to his Kamui. His Mugetsu grants him enough power that he could have defeated me with ease if he chose to. He is able to fully wield his Kamui's power and yet he doesn't make a move. If I am to counter whatever it is he is planning, I need the power Junketsu offers. Soroi…if you do not think this is the correct decision, I will not stop you from leaving."

Soroi was silent for a moment before he said, "If you truly wish to go through with this, I will stand by your side the entire way."

"I am glad that you don't see a problem," Satsuki softly replied as she finally continued with what she was doing. Pressing her hand on the scanner and getting an affirmative beep from the computer, Satsuki stared in determination as the front of the pillar opened. Hanging inside the pillar, wrapping in plastic and with several biohazard warnings stapled to the front, was Junketsu.

"I've come for you at last, Junketsu," Satsuki spoke to the Kamui, even though she knew it could not talk back to her. As she reached towards the Kamui, already thinking of the power it could offer her, Satsuki's ears picked up the subtle sound of someone's feet pounding on the ground.

"Soroi!" Takiji Kuroido shouted at the butler, all while trying to capture his breath. When the steward of the Kiryuin family heard that Satsuki had returned to the manor and had immediately headed towards the basement, he knew right away what she was trying to do. Barreling his way out of his personal office, and over several maids and butlers in the process, he considered himself fortunate that he managed to make it to the basement in time to stop Satsuki from accomplishing what she was trying to do.

"Kuroido…" Satsuki stared at the steward with disinterest, "I did not expect you to find out so quickly."

Kuroido ignored Satsuki's subtle remark and focused his ire entirely on Soroi, "How could you let her do this? Why are you standing there allowing this to happen?"

Soroi calmly turned to the steward, "Good evening, Master Kuroido."

Infuriated at Soroi's witticism, Kuroido took a moment to reign in his anger before turning to Satsuki, "Lady Satsuki, your mother has forbidden the removal of that outfit from its seal. You know the consequences of such disrespect! Return it at once and I will not report this to Lady Ragyo!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Satsuki answered calmly, completely ignoring the subtle threat from Kuroido. She knew, without a doubt, that he was going to inform her mother on her actions no matter the choice she made. It was better for her to have to speak to her mother with Junketsu's power at her side, "I have need of Junketsu's power. You will not stop me."

Kuroido took a threatening step forward, "This is unacceptable! As the steward of the Kiryuin family, it is my duty to care for this manor in your mother's absence! That means that you must listen to everything I say without comment, Lady Satsuki! I cannot allow such behavior!"

Satsuki paused in her movements for several seconds, and for a brief moment in time Kuroido thought he had managed to convince her to back away from Junketsu. That all changed when Satsuki spoke, "You say that you cannot allow it? If you really think that way, then what is preventing you from coming up here and making me back away by force? Who is it do you think you're talking to? I am not one of my mother's servants, who listen to your every word like it is the gospel!"

"Lady Satsuki! I – "

Shrugging off her uniform, exposing her body to everyone in sight without regret, she interrupted the steward, "It is time that I changed. Get out of my sight, you shameless fool."

Both Kuroido and Soroi averted their gazes from Satsuki's nude body, but while Soroi turned his head completely around Kuroido continued to face forward, albeit with his eyes closed, "Surely you don't intend to try and put on Junketsu? You know the risks of attempting such a feat! Why do you think it was sealed away by your mother?"

"Try you say?" Now completely nude, Satsuki stepped forward and away from the pile of her discard clothing, "I do not intend to, as you so eloquently put it, 'try.' Everything that I do, every step I make and every word I speak is just one more step closer to fulfilling my ambition!"

"But if you put on that Kamui, you'll most likely die!" Even with his eyes closed, Kuroido tried to move to stop Satsuki only to find Soroi's hand gripping his shoulder with strength the elderly butler should not have been able to possess.

"Do not speak out of fear, Kuroido!" Satsuki announced, one hand holding an unsheathed Bakuzan and the other Junketsu, "There is no danger. Clothing exists simply to be worn! It is scandalous to think that my life shall be threatened by a mere piece of clothing, even if it happens to be a Kamui! If someone of Ichigo Kurosaki's caliber and willpower can master Mugetsu, it is inconceivable that I shall not be able to do the same with Junketsu, for my willpower and determination far outclasses his!"

Satsuki dragged her finger gently along Bakuzan's edge, a thin trail of blood dripping down her finger as she raised her hand over Junketsu, "Junketsu, take this blood offering as the beginning of an eternal vow between you and I. This shall be the red thread of our combined fate!"

There was a pregnant silence as several large globs of blood dripped off her finger and onto Junketsu, the life-giving liquid absorbed into the white fabric almost as soon as it made contact. After several seconds, Junketsu's eyes shot open and the Kamui threw itself at Satsuki. Satsuki's body bent backwards as the Kamui attempted to consume her blood, her body contorting in pain as she fought off the berserk clothing.

"Lady Satsuki!" Soroi and Kuroido shouted in unison.

"Hold your tongues and watch!" Satsuki growled, her hair covering her face as she was forced to bend forward from Junketsu's attempt to latch onto her body, "Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars! No one on this planet can do something before Satsuki Kiryuin! Not Ryuko Matoi and especially not Ichigo Kurosaki! I will not let people without ambition of their own gain access to power such as this! If I have to dive into the pits of Hades to accomplish my ambitions than so be it! Even Junketsu is but a mere garment and I will make it acknowledge me as its master!"

Blue energy crackled around Satsuki's hunched over form as she continued to try and force Junketsu into submission through sheer force of will and determination. For several tense seconds both Soroi and Kuroido could do nothing except listen to Satsuki's screams as she stove off Junketsu's continued attempts to devour her body and mind. When the screaming stopped and nothing immediately happened, they thought the worst had happened, but were blown back when Satsuki, wearing a completely transformed Junketsu, staggered to her feet before screaming into the heavens above. A pillar of blue light signifying what she had accomplished accompanying her the entire time.

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><p>Ichigo was enjoying one of his rare peaceful dreams when he was forcibly returned to consciousness by a sound very similar to someone knocking on his door. Opening one eye, and noticing that the clock on his nightstand said it was only four in the morning, he turned over and grumbled.<p>

"It's four in the morning," he mumbled in annoyance, unconsciousness already overtaking him, "Whoever they are, I'm sure they can wait until the sun is up to talk to me."

When the knocking stopped and Ichigo began to think he would be able to go back to sleep in peace, he was quite violently thrown into the waking world on both feet as the door to his dorm was literally blasted off its hinges and sailed through the air before hitting the far wall.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ira Gamagori ducked down and squeezed his way through the smaller doorframe, "Why are you still asleep?"

Sitting up in his bed and still groggy, Ichigo yawned, "Why you ask? Because it's four in the fucking morning, that's why. Classes don't start for several more hours so why are you here bothering me at this ungodly hour?"

"You are correct that it is four in the morning!" Gamagori nodded in agreement, "I see your sense of time is still intact, but I am afraid that you have missed out on something that is vital to every student attending Honnouji Academy!"

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Ichigo yawned and asked, "And what may that be?"

Gamagori smirked and held up a packet of papers, "Your transcript finally came through, Ichigo Kurosaki, and it seems that you have missed a few of your vaccinations. Until you get your shots, you are forbidden from attending classes. Luckily Honnouji Academy is well prepared for such an issue. Get dressed and meet me out on the hallway in five minutes. I am to escort you to the Honnouji Academy Regional Nurses Office by six sharp for your vaccinations!"

Any traces of exhaustion and sleepiness that still clung to him vanished as soon as Gamagori mentioned that he needed to get shots. Ever since he was a kid, Ichigo had always hated shots. Whenever he had to get blood drawn, his dad would always complain about how Yuzu and Karin never whined or moaned like a little baby at the needle. Up until just a short while ago, Ichigo could stand needles so long as he didn't look directly at it, but that all changed due to that bastard of a scientist, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

During the Muramasa fiasco in the Soul Society, Kurotsuchi had tried to inject him with several needles full of mysterious chemicals. The captain had claimed them to be antidotes or medicines, but Ichigo wasn't stupid. As soon as he saw the liquid start burning through rocks on the ground, Ichigo knew the captain was lying right to his face.

Quickly getting out of bed, Ichigo hurried over to Mugetsu and pulled her off the hanger she was sleeping on.

"_**Huh?"**_ Mugetsu's eyes blinked tiredly before she gave a big yawn, a surprising feat for something that didn't need to breathe, _**"What's going on Ichigo?"**_

"Trouble," He answered and quickly put on Mugetsu. Feeling the subtle sensation of his Kamui drawing a small amount of blood, he quietly made his way towards the sole window in his bedroom. It was nearly one hundred feet to the ground below, but Ichigo was sure he could survive it, "Mugetsu…will there be any issues with my blood?"

"_**Hmm…"**_ Mugetsu closed her eyes and Ichigo could feel, despite that not making much sense, the Kamui tasting his blood. After several second she said, _**"No. The taste of your blood will no longer drive me to devour you. May I ask why you wish to transform so early in the morning?"**_

"Yeah," Ichigo quipped as Gamagori literally head butted the bedroom door, the large teen's head sticking through the small hole it had created, "That's why."

"You think you can escape the grasp of Ira Gamagori?" Gamagori asked rhetorically before busting through the remains of the door through sheer physical strength, "The doctor will see you now."

"Like hell," Ichigo answered and leapt out of the window and into the pre-dawn air. Shivering slightly from the cold, he glanced upwards and groaned in annoyance when he saw Gamagori following him, a look of sheer determination on the Elite Four's face.

"Can't you take a hint?" Ichigo shouted over the wind.

"No hint shall stop me!" Gamagori shouted back as he was miraculously closing the distance between the two of them, "I have a job to do and I shall do it to my fullest capacity!"

"To hell with this!" Ichigo reached for his spaulder and pressed down on the two buttons, "Let's go Mugetsu! Life Fiber Synchronization! Kamui Mugetsu!"

Gamagori was forced to cover his eyes as a blast of light shone out from Ichigo's body as he transformed into Mugetsu's true form. Reaching to activate his Three-Star Goku Uniform in response, he stopped when he realized he wouldn't be able to do anything. His uniform was built to take damage and then reflect it after all. Deciding to take care of Ichigo Kurosaki with his own hands, Gamagori shouted, "Activating your Kamui will not save you from – "

He was cut off as Ichigo landed on the ground, forming a small crater in the process, before he took off into the distance. With Mugetsu augmenting his speed, Gamagori had no chance of catching Ichigo before he escaped from Honnouji Academy. Grumbling at his failure, Gamagori pressed a finger against his ear and activated the headset hidden within.

"It's Gamagori. Ichigo Kurosaki has escaped from Honnouji Academy," For a few moments Gamagori listened to the other side of the line, a twitch of annoyance in his eyebrow, before he interrupted them, "It's not my fault he activated his Kamui in midair! Besides, I thought the purpose of Lady Satsuki's plan was to keep Ichigo Kurosaki away from Honnouji Academy for as long as possible? I will not stand for sass, Jakuzure!"

There was faint mumbling from the headset before Gamagori asked, "Is Sanageyama in place? Good. Tell him Ichigo Kurosaki should be within range in the next few minutes. He needs to keep Ichigo Kurosaki occupied until Lady Satsuki is finished dealing with Ryuko Matoi."

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><p>Ryuko yawned loudly as she approached Honnouji Academy.<p>

Usually she slept fairly well, but all last night she couldn't help but feel as if something serious was going to happen today. She would have attributed it to her nerves, taking down the establishment usually does that to someone, but seeing No-Star and One-Star students go out of their way to avoid her and Mako meant her intuition was right.

"You look tired, Ryuko?" Mako asked, pointing out the obvious, "Didn't you get enough sleep last night? Mom did have us go to bed early after all."

Groggily rubbing at her eye, Ryuko responded tiredly, "I couldn't sleep at all last night because I had the strangest feeling that something bad was going to happen at any moment."

"That's silly!" Mako waved off Ryuko's suspicions the only way she knew how, "Nothing bad happened at all last night, except for the normal random murders in the streets. If you get up really early, you can see the clean up crews from Honnouji Academy moving the dead bodies away!"

Ryuko looked at Mako in shock, "I don't think that – "

"Get him! Don't let him escape this time!"

Ryuko and Mako watched as a large explosion blasted out of the side of Honnouji Academy before a black and white figure came soaring out of the smoke. Landing nearby, still in Mugetsu's transformed state, Ichigo cursed when he sensed the One-Star students chasing him begin to find a way down, "Damn. These guys just don't when to quit."

A snap-like sound reverberated through the air but, with dexterous ease, Ichigo caught the rifle-shaped needle in his right hand. Spinning around and extending his arm, he threw it back towards where it came from, a satisfied smirk on his face when he heard the muffled sounds of someone yelping in pain.

"Ichigo? Is that you?" Ryuko blinked in astonishment at Ichigo. This was the first time she was seeing Mugetsu's activated state. After her battle against Takaharu she had been half-conscious from Senketsu drinking too much of her blood. She had only been able to glimpse a foggy mix of white and black in the brief instance of consciousness as Ichigo carried her and Mako to safety.

Ichigo half-turned at the familiar voice. Tilting his head over Mugetsu's left eye, he looked just as surprised to see them, "Ryuko? Mako? What are you two doing here?"

"What do you mean 'what are we doing here?' We're right outside the entrance to Honnouji Academy."

"What?" Ichigo looked around and noticed that Ryuko was right. During the multi-hour long chase, he had somehow stumbled back to Honnouji Academy. Groaning in frustration, he glared at Mugetsu's right eye, "Oi! I thought you knew where we were going?"

"_**I did,"**_ his Kamui chastised, _**"But all the running, jumping and spinning made me nauseous. By the time I could open my eyes again, you were lost."**_

"How do you even get nauseous anyway?" Ichigo seethed at his Kamui.

"I hate to break up your conversation," Ryuko looked up and noticed several people rappelling down a wall, "But what the hell is going on? I'm seriously confused."

Ichigo glanced at the approaching One-Star students before answering, "Apparently my old man was too stubborn to get me all my shots, so now that bastard Gamagori is hounding me with guns that fire needles. I've been outrunning them since about four this morning and it's starting to really piss me off."

Ryuko was stunned at how long Ichigo had been wearing Mugetsu, "How have you been wearing Mugetsu for several hours? Shouldn't she have drained you of all your blood already?"

"_**Unlike you and Senketsu, Ichigo and I are fully synchronized," **_Mugetsu explained to Ryuko, whose face fell upon remembering the gap of trust between her and Senketsu. Noticing that Ryuko was listening to her, Mugetsu continued, _**"Ichigo accepts me for what I am and doesn't try to make me something I'm not. In fact, I…incoming at two o'clock Ichigo."**_

Ichigo ducked under the barrage of needles and glared at the students who had fired them, "Don't you guys ever quit? I've already beaten the crap out of dozens of you this morning!"

"We will never quit, Ichigo Kurosaki, until you have taken your medicine!" Sanageyama walked forward from behind the line of One-Star students. He had his bamboo sword held lazily over his right shoulder while one of the needle-firing guns was held firmly in his left hand. Smirking cockily at Ichigo, he looked at him before turning to Ryuko and Mako, "Well, it's been a swell chase, but we've finally managed to corner you. To be honest, I thought you managed to outfox us at Park Place but thankfully Inumuta was able to relocate you with his satellites."

"You have satellites?" Ichigo asked, thoroughly confused about what was going on. Looking at Ryuko, who was just as confused as he was, he turned back to Sanageyama and said, "I'm not going to think too hard about that. I would just like to point out that we're literally next to the edge of the road. I'm pretty sure I could just jump off and escape."

"And risk getting yourself expelled for being late?" Sanageyama seemed to take pleasure in pointing out the apparent loophole in Ichigo's plan.

"That Gamagori bastard said I cannot attend classes until I get my shots. I take that to also mean he can't expel me for being late to class."

Sanageyama opened his mouth to respond when he realized Ichigo was correct. As long as he hadn't gotten his shots, he technically couldn't be expelled for being late to school. Gritting his teeth in anger, he pointed his bamboo sword at Ichigo and shouted, "Do not think I will allow you to escape me a tenth time, Ichigo! You will be getting your shots today! I will not forgive you for the mockery you put me through at the Water Works!"

"Water Works?" Ryuko narrowed her eyes as she realized something odd about that, "Hey Ichigo, isn't that - "

"Just stop there. Let's just say this city is a lot weirder than we first thought," Ichigo answered, cutting Ryuko off in mid-question. He had to give Sanageyama. It takes someone with a lot of determination to track him throughout Honnou City while he was wearing Mugetsu without giving up. There was a point about an hour ago that Sanageyama had activated his Three-Star Goku Uniform in an almost successful attempt to capture him. If Ichigo hadn't assumed Sanageyama's Blade Regalia was more than it appeared, he would have been caught off guard by its immense speed.

"I'll meet up with you guys later," Ichigo subtly shifted his body closer towards the nearby ledge, "I just have to get rid of these idiots first."

Due to being a member of the Elite Four, Sanageyama easily noticed Ichigo's body beginning to shift and shouted, "Fire! Don't let him escape!"

Ichigo took off the same time the barrage of needles flew through the air towards him at nearly half the speed of sound. Ducking and weaving around any needles that managed to get too close to him, Ichigo leapt over the edge and began skidding down the nearly horizontal wall leading to the One-Star Residential Area, but not before turning around and giving a thoroughly-embarrassed Sanageyama the finger.

Sanageyama's shoulders slumped as he stared at the retreating Ichigo, "He can't be real."

Rubbing his forehead to alleviate the headache he was feeling, Sanageyama ordered the One-Star's to continue following Ichigo. As the horde of students leapt off the edge and deployed parachutes, Sanageyama looked at the flabbergasted Ryuko and Mako and let out a flat, "What?"

"Long day?" Mako asked, completely unperturbed about what she had just witnessed.

"Ugh," Sanageyama groaned. Rubbing his eyes in an attempt to relieve the stress he was feeling, he kicked the ground and said, "Ichigo Kurosaki is harder to catch than the freaking roadrunner. There's no way his Kamui could augment his natural speed and reflexes this much. Now get to Honnouji before you're tardy."

"What?" Ryuko asked suspiciously, "Aren't you going to try and fight me?"

Sanageyama opened his mouth to answer but was cut off as an explosion sounded in the distance. Noticing a miniature mushroom cloud expanding over the One-Star Residential Area, courtesy of Ichigo avoiding another well-planned and expensive trap, he silently groaned, "I'm a little busy now trying to keep my pride and composure intact. Why don't you come back and ask me in a few days when I finally manage to corner the orange haired bastard."

Ryuko looked at Mako, who seemed to be thinking something entirely unrelated to the situation, before shrugging and walked passed the depressed Sanageyama, who was listening to his men fail to capture Ichigo.

"Poor Sanageyama," Mako said sadly, her hands clenched over her heart, "To fail so thoroughly at his job must really be a burden."

"Are you feeling ok?" Ryuko was shocked at what Mako just said. It actually made perfect and logical sense, "Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

"But of course!" Mako exclaimed, apparently back to her normal self, "I ate enough to bankrupt the family several times over!"

Shaking her head at Mako's illogical answer, Ryuko walked through the entrance of Honnouji Academy only to find herself surrounded by One-Star students on either side with giant white banners expressing the academy's symbol interspaced throughout.

"What's going on?" Ryuko asked before her focus was drawn to a shining light coming from the top of the academy, which meant Satsuki Kiryuin was either going to give a speech or confront her.

"_**It seems like Satsuki is making her move,"**_ Senketsu pointed out nonchalantly, _**"Are you ready for this, Ryuko?"**_

"Who do you think I am?" Ryuko smirked at her Kamui, "Of course I'm ready for this!"

Ryuko and Mako were forced to jump back as an enormous staircase smashed into the ground in front of them.

"I see you've made it, Ryuko Matoi," Satsuki announced from the top of the academy. With her sword planted firmly in front of her, she suppressed the wince of pain that came from Junketsu attempting to overcome her will and added, "Just on time."

Unable to see what Satsuki was wearing due to her backlight, Ryuko pompously asked, "So what's with this grand welcome? Here you are waiting for me. What's the special occasion?"

Satsuki clicked her heel as she began walking down the steps, "Wasn't it you who said that when we next met, the matter between us would be settled once and for all?"

"That's very noble of you," Ryuko responded before whispering to Mako, "Get back, Mako, I don't want you to get hurt."

Stopping mere feet from Ryuko, Satsuki planted Bakuzan on the ground and cockily smiled at her, "You should rejoice, Ryuko Matoi. You will be the first one that I shall offer to Junketsu."

"Junketsu?" Ryuko repeated with a smirk of her own adorning her face. She had noticed something odd about Satsuki Kiryuin's new uniform. If she hadn't seen the same pair of eyes on Ichigo's Mugetsu, she might have actually been stunned to see another Kamui, "So you have a Kamui as well, Satsuki Kiryuin? That's hilarious. Is there anything about you that's actually pure?"

Satsuki's eyes narrowed slightly, "You do not seem surprised to see Junketsu. Why is that?"

"Heh," Ryuko placed her hands on her hips and chuckled. First there was Senketsu, then Mugetsu and now Junketsu. Someone had a weird sense of humor in naming Kamui, "You may have a Kamui of your own, but there's no way you're stronger than me or Ichigo. In fact, I think you're scared of our power. That's why you're confronting me here and now when Ichigo's preoccupied, isn't it? You don't want to get your ass kicked by the two of us."

Satsuki looked at Ryuko with suppressed anger. Reaching for the three blue bands on her left arm she said, "Allow me to show you the true power of Junketsu, and perhaps teach you a lesson about speaking to your betters."

Flicking her finger across the three bands on her arm, Satsuki allowed Junketsu access to enough of her blood to initiate its transformation. As the blood was drawn out of her body, Junketsu became dyed in a familiar red color before it virtually exploded off of her body accompanied by a sparkling blue light.

"_Where is all this power coming from?"_ Ryuko had been forced to cover her eyes with her forearm as soon as Satsuki began transforming. The sheer amount of power being emanated by the student council president dwarfed Senketsu's power.

When Ryuko heard respectful clapping coming from the One-Star students surrounding her, she risked looking at Satsuki and couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock.

"Life Fiber Override, Kamui Junketsu!"

If Ryuko thought wearing Senketsu made her look like an exhibitionist, Junketsu made it seem like she was downright modest in comparison to Satsuki. Unlike Senketsu's black with red highlights color scheme, Junketsu was mostly white with blue highlights. Satsuki wore hip-high boots with vertical blue stripes that ended in frills just below the thong that was all the modesty she wore.

Satsuki's upper body was armored similar to how Ryuko's was when she activated Senketsu, apart from the fact that instead of coming down low enough to just cover her breasts, Junketsu came down and wrapped around them, leaving just the center of her bosom exposed. Junketsu's two eyes, instead of jutting out to the side like Senketsu, stuck straight up into the air like Ichigo's Mugetsu.

"So that's Junketsu?" Ryuko asked with false bravado to hide the nervousness she was feeling at Satsuki's power, "I'm not impressed."

"Then come, Ryuko Matoi!" Satsuki spread her arms wide as twin blasts of steam shot out from the grills just beneath Junketsu's eyes, "Throw all of Senketsu's power against me and I will demonstrate the difference between you and I!"


	11. Chapter 11: Riders on the Storm

_I present to you, my faithful readers, Chapter 11 of **To My Death I Fight**. As some of you might have noticed, before I took it down, a few days ago I received two or three reviews that consisted basically of nothing besides vulgar remarks. Thankfully I was able to remove them, but unfortunately I have been forced to turn on Anonymous Review Moderation. While 99.9% of all anon reviews will be let through, even ones critical of my story, please don't blame me if your review does not show up for several hours. Thank you for your understanding.  
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_So Chapter 11 and a big fight scene. I must admit that I have never written a mostly continuous fight that was more than 4000 words. This chapter is where the first big divergence from canon takes place. Sure, the major events remain the same, but there are enough subtle differences that the fight won't play out the same way it did in the anime._

**_Edit: 5/5/2015 - So I went back and rewrote...well...nearly all of this chapter. I've gotten better as a writer this past year in terms of writing dialogue, scripts and fights and I wished to bring this whole chapter, which is one of the most pivotal in all of Kill la Kill, up to my current standards. There is more than 1,000 new words in this chapter and I'd like to think that 80-85% of it was rewritten. Now I did not change anything - the fights proceed the same way as the original draft. I just tightened up the dialogue (listening to Dub Ryuko helped a lot) and got rid of extraneous words that people wouldn't actually say in the middle of a fight. Also some grammar...I fixed A LOT of grammar...Enjoy!  
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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 11 – Riders on the Storm<strong>

Surrounded by a crowd of students, blue eyes narrowing at the smug look on her opponent's face, Ryuko Matoi scowled as she removed her Seki Tekko's pin. A brief burst of red stars and light enveloped her body as Senketsu immediately shifted into his battle configuration, steam shooting out of his vents, before Ryuko reappeared with a luminescent blush adorning her cheeks. As she swallowed the nervousness welling up in her stomach and walked towards Satsuki Kiryuin she glanced into her Kamui's eye and asked "Hey, is that thing she's wearing the reason you and Mugetsu were so nervous last night?"

"_**Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's voice was full of concern as he spoke, _**"I feel I should warn you. Satsuki Kiryuin's current power far exceeds your own."**_

"Thanks for the motivational speech," Ryuko deadpanned as she stomped to a halt several meters from Satsuki. As she locked eyes with her opponent, the clashing of their willpowers causing a large explosion to detonate outwards, she smirked and ignored the small cut on her cheek, "So I see your outfit's not all show, Satsuki Kiryuin, but if you can't keep up mentally you won't stand a chance against Senketsu!"

"Is that so?" Satsuki stoically replied, the barest of grins spreading across her face when Ryuko charged forward. Slowly raising her arm, Bakuzan's midnight black blade gleaming darkly in the early morning sunlight, her grin rapidly twisted into a frown as she added, "But the same could be said for you, Matoi."

With but a single swing of her arm, Junketsu's form glowing slightly, Satsuki fired off a crescent of energy at Ryuko. Her eyes widening at the surprise attack Ryuko braced her legs before holding the Scissor Blade directly in front of her body, causing the ranged attack to split in two and explode in the surrounding crowd. Panting heavily as sweat dripped down her body, cuts and scrapes now adorning her face, Ryuko gritted her teeth and glowered, _"Damn it…how the hell is she this strong?"_

"Impressive…but that's just the beginning," Satsuki announced before proceeding to lazily slash Bakuzan several times through the air.

Ryuko desperately swung her Scissor Blade with superhuman speed and reflexes as she deflected and parried each crescent of pressurized air. But despite her best efforts, blasts of steam jettisoning out of Senketsu's vent with every swing, it wasn't enough. Although her power was enough to prevent Satsuki from getting in a clean hit the force behind each attack was enough to physically create small cuts all over her body.

"_**Ryuko, you need to be more careful. All this blood loss is accelerating the rate at which you'll lose consciousness."**_

"Why are you telling me something I already know?" Ryuko shouted angrily back at Senketsu. Blocking a strike from Satsuki, she ducked under the following attack and rolled to a stop behind the student council president. Swinging her Scissor Blade toward the apparently defenseless Satsuki's back, Ryuko wasn't surprised when Bakuzan appeared directly in the path of her blade, but instead of being stunned or irritated that her attack failed, Ryuko grinned.

"That's perfect."

After Ichigo told her last night that she needed to work on using her Scissor Blade more effectively, Ryuko spent a couple of hours practicing how to use it and found, to her surprise, that she could collapse it down to a more manageable form simply with a flick of her wrist. So as her Scissor Blade rushed towards clashing with Satsuki's Bakuzan, Ryuko shifted her wrist slightly and her red blade almost instantly shrunk down to the size of a normal pair of scissors.

Satsuki's eyes widened noticeably at the display, _"It can change sizes?"_

Spinning underneath Bakuzan, apprehensive blue eyes tracking the black blade passing over her face, Ryuko flicked her wrist as the Scissor Blade transformed back to its normal size. Her heels digging trenches in the dirt as she stepped inside Satsuki's guard, a look of mild surprise in the Student Council President's eyes, Ryuko swung the her blade upwards as a blast of steam shot out of Senketsu's armor, "This is the end, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

"I think not."

With an almost detached expression on her face, the previous worry in her eyes gone, Satsuki reached out and caught the sharpened edge of the Scissor Blade in the palm of her hand. As Ryuko froze in shock, the notion that her attack could have been stopped so completely causing her mind to temporarily freeze, Satsuki's lips curled into a satisfied grin as she looked at her Kamui with devote fascination, "This power is simply marvelous!"

Stomping her heel against the ground before Ryuko had the opportunity to regain her bearings, the girl gasping in surprise when she found herself tossed in the air, Satsuki quickly spin around and slammed Bakuzan's hilt against Senketsu's eye. Her long black hair shifting in the wind as Ryuko was sent crashing into Honnouji Academy by the pressure wave, her screams echoing throughout the courtyard, Satsuki took a moment to examine her hand, "The power of a Kamui is leagues above anything I could have dreamt!"

As she disappeared in a blur towards Ryuko, a cloud of smoke rising from the hole her body created in Honnouji Academy, Satsuki could not help but marvel at her newly acquired power. This was the same strength Ichigo Kurosaki had demonstrated when he easily stopped Takaharu's attack with nothing but the palm of his hand. It was ludicrous to think that he could wield this power and yet not act. She would show not only him, but Ryuko Matoi as well, just how a Kamui should be used, "You have all this power and yet you can do nothing but run away, Matoi? You are unworthy of wearing a Kamui!"

"The hell did you just say?" Ryuko shouted angrily, the pile of desks and chairs exploding into splinters of wood as she rushed toward Satsuki. A blast of steam bursting from Senketsu's vents as she countered the Student Council President's initial strike, the Scissor Blade barely managing to parry Bakuzan to the left, she was unprepared for the following horizontal slash that sent her crashing through the wall and into the adjoining corridor.

As she bounced down the hallway, her back colliding violently with the floor several times, Ryuko cursed profusely when she noticed Satsuki rapidly approaching. Dragging her hand against the nearby wall she managed to swing around and pull herself into a stairwell seconds before Bakuzan could pierce her body. A hiss of pain escaping her lips when the pressure wave from Satsuki's attack catapulted her into the far wall, the exhaustion plaguing her body only helping to aggravate her injuries, Ryuko panted heavily as she fell to the ground. Beads of sweat dripping down her face as trembling fingers gripped the Scissor Blade's hilt she barely managed to jump out of the way when the Student Council President leapt downwards through the air.

"You're nothing but a human who managed to squeeze herself into a Kamui!" Satsuki exclaimed passionately as she rained blow after blow against the Scissor Blade. Vanishing in a blur when Ryuko attempted to counterattack, the crimson blade passing harmlessly through the air, the Student Council President reappeared seconds later with her right hand already clasped around her opponent's neck in a vice grip. As the sound of Senketsu's fabric audibly crackling filled the stairwell Satsuki scowled before spinning around and driving her heel deep into Ryuko's stomach, "But I've already mastered wearing my Kamui! Junketsu's power is fully my own!"

Thrown clear across Honnouji Academy by Satsuki's attack, her body landing it what used to be a biology classroom, Ryuko gasped for breath as she leaned against a piece of rebar. Brushing her fingers against her face when she felt something wet ooze down her cheek, blood coating Senketsu's armor before the Kamui readily absorbed it, her blue eyes narrowed as she tried to think of a plan. Satsuki's power was too great for her to fight and running away was out of the question since there was no way in hell she could get away from Satsuki as long as the bitch was wearing Junketsu.

"_**This isn't good,"**_ Senketsu cautiously warned, _**"At this rate you only have ten minutes before passing out from blood loss."**_

"Is that all you can think about? Stop drinking my damn blood then!" Ryuko seethed before perking up when the soft sound of heels clicking against concrete reached her ears.

Sweating when she noticed out of the corner of her eyes Satsuki slowly stalking towards her, the Student Council President's gaze focused directly on her hiding spot, Ryuko swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and whispered, "Why can't you be like Ichigo's Mugetsu? He can wear her for hours without any damn problem!"

"_**I cannot be worn without drinking your blood. That is when my power manifests itself. The problem is that I have yet to be put on by you."**_

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm wearing you right now or are you blind too?" she argued and emphasized it by pulling on one of her suspenders and releasing it with a loud snap, "While you're enjoying my blood, I'm fighting for my life while dying of embarrassment. How is that fair?"

"_**You shouldn't get so worked up, Ryuko,"**_ A blast of steam shot out of Senketsu as she spoke, _**"Every time you get like this, your blood pressure rises and the amount of time you can remain in this form drops. That small outburst cost you ten seconds."**_

As Ryuko opened her mouth to argue with her Kamui she caught of glimpse of Satsuki raising Bakuzan in one of the many pieces of jagged glass surrounding them. Cursing as she rolled forward, the black blade cutting through the rebar with nightmarish ease, Ryuko screamed as the pressure wave from the attack slammed her against a wall. Her chest rising and falling with every panting breath as she shakily gripped the Scissor Blade and turned around, her legs feeling like jelly, she could only watch as Satsuki took a moment to examine Bakuzan's edge.

"Your reflexes are as sharp as ever, Matoi," Satsuki backhandedly complimented as she beheld her thoroughly exhausted opponent. It pleased the Student Council President that despite the vast gap between their powers Ryuko hadn't given up or ran away. Both choices would have been valid solutions if the roles were reversed but knowing that her fellow Kamui wearer remained to fight until the bitter end was heartening to say the least, "However to strike you down when you're defenseless would be cowardly. Take a moment to catch your breath so that I can defeat you when you're at your very best."

"Now you're being noble?" Ryuko sneered from between clenched teeth as she struggled to raise the Scissor Blade, "Where the hell was this nobility when you killed my father, you smug bitch?"

"Such impudence…"

Satsuki's grip upon Bakuzan tightened at the blatantly disrespectful tone before her body blurred as she charged forward. Deftly evading her opponent's pitifully slow counterattack with laughable ease she responded to the grievous insult by slamming her knee into Ryuko's stomach. As the teenager gasped in pain with spittle flying freely from her mouth Satsuki ended her assault by jabbing Bakuzan harshly against Senketsu's armor, causing her to fly screaming out of the building.

By the time Satsuki gracefully landed in a crouch on the ground she noticed that Ryuko Matoi's Kamui had already transformed back to the form of a normal school uniform. Strutting forward and grabbing Ryuko by her hair, a painful wince escaping the nearly unconscious girl's lips, she huffed dissatisfiedly and asked, "Was this the full extent of your powers, Ryuko Matoi? How pathetic…to think your Kamui willingly transformed to save you from passing out. You might as well be naked for all the good a dormant Kamui can do for you now."

Despite everything, including nearly passing out from exhaustion and blood dripping off her body, Ryuko still had the courage to spit at Satsuki, "Don't make me fucking laugh. I don't need your damn pity, especially when you're wearing that ridiculous stripper outfit. What the hell are you even –"

Throwing Ryuko callously to the ground before she could finish her insult, the teenager's body rolling several feet before skidding to a stop, Satsuki's presence seemed to double as she held her arms outwards and shouted, "Do not dare to insult me with such vulgarities! It is only in this form that a Kamui's true power can be unleashed and tempered! The fact that you base your self-esteem on the opinion of others only proves how unworthy you are of wearing a Kamui! If adorning this garment allows me to fulfill all my ambitions than I, Satsuki Kiryuin, shall not show any shame or hesitation in doing so! My actions are completely pure in nature!"

"Pure?" Ryuko coughed as she spit out a wad of blood, "Then how the hell do you explain Mugetsu? Ichigo's Kamui doesn't like anything like yours."

"I don't know why Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui covers his body as fully as it does," Satsuki admitted with a slight shake of her head, unable to expression the disappointment she felt for Ryuko Matoi. Despite forcing herself into a Kamui her strength couldn't even begin to compare to the overwhelming might of Junketsu. Pressing her heel against the small of Ryuko's back as she raised Bakuzan into the air, sunlight glittering off the dark blade, Satsuki's face twisted into a scowl as she exclaimed, "But in the end he was your superior in every way, shape and form! This is where your worthless ambitions end, Matoi!"

The defiant glare in her eyes vanishing as Satsuki swung Bakuzan towards her neck Ryuko couldn't help but notice Mako desperately running towards her, a look of utmost determination on her best friend's face. Closing her eyes upon realizing her friend would never make it in time, lips pulling into the faintest of smiles, Ryuko sighed and braced herself for death, _"Sorry Mako. I guess I wasn't strong enough to beat her…"_

A loud metallic clang reverberated throughout the courtyard moments before Bakuzan could cut into her neck, the resulting concussive shockwave exploding outwards and knocking most of the student body off their collective feet. Wincing as she opened her eyes and gazed upwards, the pain permeating her body momentarily abating, Ryuko found herself staring at the one person she hadn't expected to see, "I-Ichigo?"

"Sorry I'm late, Ryuko," Ichigo apologized as Tournesol clashed against Bakuzan, his arms trembling slightly from the amount of force Satsuki was exerting. Mugetsu's boots digging into the ground as the Student Council President increased her power, blue and red sparks dancing through the air, Ichigo gritted his teeth and leaned forward until his face was almost touching hers, "I got a little lost on the way to school."

"So you've managed to arrive, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki announced in a smug tone, her lips curling into a pleased smirk, "I was certain Sanageyama have stalled you for at least another fifteen minutes. Tell me, what gave it away?"

"The first time he transformed out of his Blade Regalia." A blast of energy exploded outwards as Ichigo took a single step forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet. As beads of sweat trickled down his face, Mugetsu's power slowly but surely overwhelming Satsuki, he grunted before continuing, "The power of his Three-Star Goku Uniform is impressive, which made it rather strange to see him constantly stop using it. Once I realized he wasn't actually trying to catch me I rushed back to Honnouji Academy as quickly as possible."

"I see…"

The pleased smirk on Satsuki's face widened at Ichigo's answer. Unlike Ryuko Matoi, who was too caught up in her embarrassment to properly wear Senketsu, Ichigo was easily able to wear Mugetsu over most of his body without being overwhelmed by the Kamui. He was an opponent truly worthy of sacrificing to Junketsu. A blast of blue steam shooting out of Junketsu's pauldrons as her own strength increased Satsuki stared directly into Ichigo's eyes and declared, "If you are so confident in your abilities than come at me, Ichigo Kurosaki! Show me the power that is worthy to fight Junketsu! Earn my adoration!"

There was an explosion of multicolored light as Satsuki twisted her wrists before leaping away from Ichigo. Blue heels skidding backwards along the ground while she kept her eyes firmly locked on her opponent, long black hair dancing in the wind, Satsuki flexed her fingers before swinging Bakuzan several times in rapid succession. His brown eyes narrowing as he easily spotted the nearly invisible attacks Ichigo managed to sidestep the first one before using Tournesol to deflect the rest into the crowd of surrounding One-Stars, the students sent flying dramatically into the air from the resulting impacts.

"Most impressive…" Satsuki complimented after a brief moment, Bakuzan held firmly in her right hand as she stared at Ichigo, "Only one who has truly tamed their Kamui could have deflected that attack. I can feel Junketsu shivering at the prospect of defeating Mugetsu."

"Shut the hell up," Ichigo growled before turning around to Ryuko and noticing her injured state, "Hey, are you alright?"

Coughing violently as she spat out a mixture of saliva and blood, her blue eyes full of defiance and anger once more, Ryuko shakily pushed herself off the ground, "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. Satsuki's just a hell of a lot tougher than she looks."

"Got it," Ichigo nodded before turning his attention back to Satsuki, "Get Ryuko out of here, Mako."

"Of course!" Mako saluted from Ryuko's side, utterly confused as to how Mako managed to sneak up on her, "I'll make sure she's safe and sound. You can count on me!"

"Thanks," Ichigo gave Mako a brief smirk before turning his attention back to Satsuki. Holding Tournesol firmly in his grip as he walked towards the Student Council President, brown eyes cautiously watching her every movement, he scowled and asked, "Why didn't you attack me just now?"

"I consider myself an honorable person, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki replied while lowering Bakuzan towards the ground, "I wish nothing more than to defeat you at your best. Claiming victory through deceit and subterfuge would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. How would I know if I was truly your better if I resorted to such cowardly tactics?"

"That's good to know," Ichigo stared at Satsuki before his gaze unconsciously drifted toward her Kamui's multicolored eyes. While he was confident in both his own abilities as well as Mugetsu's strength he had no basis for how strong Satsuki and Junketsu were. He couldn't afford to hold anything back, not after seeing Ryuko's brutally beaten body. Hopefully his swordsmanship hadn't dulled too much since stopping Aizen from destroying the world.

For several seconds, nearly an eternity for the captivated crowd of students surrounding them, Ichigo locked gazes with Satsuki before slightly bending his knees and blasting forward in an impressive burst of speed. His body a white and black blur as he raced across the courtyard towards the Student Council President, his immense speed kicking up a sonic boom and causing the students to involuntarily flinch away, Ichigo managed to close the distance in the blink of an eye. Tournesol gripped tightly in his hands as he slid to a stop, twin trails of dust rising into the air, Ichigo scowled before swinging the blue katana directly at Satsuki's neck.

While Ichigo's speed was both impressive and faster than anything displayed by Ryuko Matoi it was nothing Satsuki couldn't handle. Calmly watching as the blue blade arced through the air towards her body, sunlight glittering off the eternally polished surface, she waited until the last moment before leaning backwards and allowing Tournesol to pass harmlessly inches from the tip of her nose.

"_His attacks are not those of an amateur's,"_ she mentally noted while taking several steps back. Quickly regaining her poise she attempted to lash out with her foot only for Ichigo to block the impromptu attack with his forearm.

"Your power is admirable," Satsuki commented as she slowly lowered her leg, "It has become abundantly clear that you are leagues above Matoi. Therefore I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Ichigo lowered his guard. Satsuki didn't seem like she was going to attack and he was pretty sure he could react in time if she tried anything, "What are you talking about?"

Satsuki smirked as Ichigo decided to listen to her. Planting Bakuzan into the ground, the black blade piercing easily through the concrete and stone, she raised her left arm and was immediately surrounded by a bright backlight. While most students would be forced to cover their eyes at the display, Ichigo simply narrowed his eyes as she began speaking "I wish for you to become the Student Council Vice President, Ichigo Kurosaki. Instead of using your Kamui for such trivial pursuits as helping Matoi, you should instead put it towards a more proactive goal."

"You can take your offer and shove it," Ichigo answered too quickly to have given the proposition any real thought.

To his surprise and suspicion Satsuki didn't seem to be the least bit perturbed by his aggressive response, "If you choose to accept my terms I will immediately approve Two-Star accommodations for Mankanshoku's family. I will also answer any questions Matoi has about the murder of her Isshin Matoi."

As much as Ichigo wanted to refuse Satsuki he had to admit that her terms were rather beneficial. He was already well acquainted with the squalor and decay Mako and her family was surrounded with every minute of their lives. Nobody should have to live in a place like the No-Star slums. And all that was required to help Mako and Ryuko was for him to throw away everything that defined Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Thanks, but I'm going to have to pass," Ichigo took a small bit of pleasure from the barely stunned look on Satsuki's face. It was clear to him that she hadn't been expecting him to flat out deny her, especially after everything she had offered him, "You see…I have problems with someone trying to sway me to their side. It really pisses me the hell off."

Satsuki's expression quickly hardened as she grabbed Bakuzan and yanked it out of the ground with enough force to shatter the concrete around it, "Bite your tongue, Ichigo Kurosaki. Do not speak as if you know me."

Holding Bakuzan vertically to the ground with both of her hands, Satsuki sprinted towards Ichigo and swung down just as a blast of steam shot out from Junketsu's pauldrons. Quickly bringing Tournesol up to block the strike, Ichigo was shocked when his knees nearly buckled from Satsuki's attack. As the ground beneath his feet began cracking and splintering, Ichigo was forced to brace his left hand under Tournesol's blade.

When Ichigo saw that despite his best efforts, Satsuki was slowly but surely overpowering him, he decided to improvise. Waiting a few seconds until the time was right, he reared his head back and head butted Satsuki. As the student council president staggered back holding her forehead, Ichigo raced forward and punched her in the check hard enough to send her flying through several walls.

"_**Ichigo…"**_

"Yeah, I know."

Even though he couldn't see anything aside from dust and debris that had been kicked up from when he threw Satsuki, he knew that hadn't been enough to put her down. Raising Tournesol up to guard himself from any surprise attacks, he found his caution to be valid when Satsuki came running out of the hole in the wall her body created, a slight cut on her cheek oozing a trail of blood.

Managing to avoid the initial attack with a quick and precise parry with Tournesol, a shower of sparks raining over his body, Ichigo's eyes widened upon realizing he had fallen headfirst into a cleverly disguised feint. Unable to react in time when Satsuki pirouetted and slammed her knee into his stomach, the force behind the blow causing a crater to appear in the wall, Ichigo gasped in pain as he was propelled several meters into the air. Grunting as he quickly recovered from the blow, a small trail of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, Ichigo spun around in midair and blocked Satsuki's third strike with Tournesol.

"Your instincts are most formidable," Satsuki complimented, "But it is still not enough to defeat me!"

Just as Ichigo was descending back towards the ground Satsuki spun around before lashing out with Bakuzan, the black blade thrumming with power. Although he was able to react quickly enough to block Bakuzan, his arms shaking from the effort, the force behind the blow launched Ichigo through the air and across Honnouji Academy until he crashed heavily into the outer walls.

As the gathered students fled to avoid getting hit by the falling debris Ichigo grumbled as he pulled himself out of the newly formed crater. Noticing something wet falling down his face, he reached up and realized he had received a cut along his forehead from Satsuki's attack, "Damn it, she's tougher than I thought."

"_**Are you alright, Ichigo?"**_

"I'm fine," Ichigo reassured Mugetsu. He didn't know why, but his Kamui seemed to be very concerned about him. Noticing that Satsuki was not immediately coming after him, he shouldered Tournesol and asked, "You got a plan for beating her?"

"_**What makes you think I could think of anything you can't?"**_ Mugetsu asked sarcastically, _**"I cannot offer anything that you cannot think up on your own. Besides, I believe there is a bigger issue we have to deal with. You felt it, didn't you?"**_

"Yeah. I thought it was odd that I didn't hear her Kamui talking during the fight."

Mugetsu's eyes gave the equivalent of a nod, _**"I don't know whether she is unable or unwilling to, but whatever the case may be, Junketsu is withholding a lot of its power from Satsuki Kiryuin."**_

Jumping out of the wall and landing back on the ground, Ichigo dusted off Mugetsu and asked, "Just how much power are we talking about?"

"_**I cannot say, but I think it is somewhere around fifty percent."**_

"Fifty percent?" Ichigo grumbled and looked around. Satsuki's attack had sent him clear across Honnouji Academy towards an area that was by now mostly vacant of bystanders. That meant he could afford to go all out without worrying about hurting innocent people. Now all he had to do was wait for Satsuki to eventually show up. The only question is how she would go about it. Would she simply strut towards him, talking about how Junketsu is superior to Mugetsu or would she try and preemptively attack him?

A slight tingling on the back of his neck alerted Ichigo to Satsuki's presence. Quickly turning around, he saw the student council president running along the wall of Honnouji Academy towards him. Satsuki took his noticing of her to crouch horizontally against the wall before pushing off and lunging towards him, a large crater in the wall appearing from the force she was emitting. As he watched Satsuki falling towards him with Bakuzan positioned to pierce his skull, Ichigo jumped straight up into the air with his legs pulled up to his chest. Waiting for Satsuki to get below him, he kicked down with all the strength he could muster and drove her into the ground hard enough to buckle the concrete around them.

As a blast of energy was emitted from the impact, Ichigo decided that waiting for Satsuki to attack him again was foolish. Reaching down and grabbing her by her ankle, he spun her around several times before aiming at the central building in Honnouji Academy and let go. Watching her body sail through the air before crashing loudly back where the fight had all started, Ichigo sighed when he realized he would have to go all the way back to continue fighting her.

"Damn," he grumbled as he began running towards Satsuki, "I hope Mako managed to get Ryuko out of here."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Come on Ryuko, we gotta get out of here!"<p>

With strength that was physically impossible given her stature and muscles, Mako Mankanshoku picked up Ryuko and began sprinting through Honnouji Academy towards the exit, all the while carrying her friend on her back. Dodging nonchalantly around a piece of debris that had just been blown away from the fight between Ichigo and Satsuki, she let out a gasp of astonishment.

"Oh wow!" Mako's eyes had stars in them as she beheld the fight in the distance, "Who knew Ichigo was so strong!"

"Strong…" Ryuko muttered dejectedly as she vividly remembered her fight, or rather defeat, against Satsuki. Even with Senketsu's power she had been unable to do anything more than dodge and put up a miserable defense that Satsuki easily blew through time and time again. Despite her best efforts to think up plans on the fly and take Satsuki by surprise, Ryuko was no more a threat to her than a fly was to a whale.

"_Was the difference between our powers, our Kamui, really that large?"_

Ryuko's gaze fell downward as she remembered Satsuki's declaration about wearing Junketsu. Was not feeling shamed and embarrassed really the key to unlocking Senketsu's true power? She didn't know and in her Kamui's current state Ryuko really couldn't ask Senketsu for the answer. Deciding that she had nothing to lose she turned towards Mako and whispered, "Hey Mako…"

"Ah, you're awake, Ryuko!" Mako turned to look at her conscious friend, while miraculously dodging around a piece of debris in front of her without even looking.

"Yeah," Ryuko mumbled, "Hey Mako, I have a question for you…"

"Let me guess," Mako frowned, apparently deep in thought, before asking, "It has to do with Senketsu, doesn't it?"

Ryuko had the decency to look shocked at her friend's deduction, "But…how did you know?"

"Everyone in my family knows!" Mako exclaimed cheerfully to Ryuko. Hopping gracefully over several unconscious students, pirouetting as she went, she continued with exuberance, "I can say without a doubt in my mind that you are in no way, shape or form inferior to Lady Satsuki!"

"Uh…" Ryuko tried to come up with something to say, but all that came out of her mouth was a confused groan. Either unperturbed by Ryuko's response or simply oblivious to it, Mako continued her troll explanation.

"And that's not the best part! Your boobs are way bigger than Lady Satsuki's! I saw them myself when you were taking a shower this morning. As I stared at them, I couldn't help but think. 'Ryuko has such a great rack!' My whole family agrees on this point! So there is no reason to be embarrassed about it, Ryuko! You are not inferior to Lady Satsuki, so get naked and show everyone your splendid body!"

Ryuko was stunned by Mako's logic because while it was convoluted and full of holes, it made a lot of sense now that she had her eyes to the world thrown up. Casting her gaze downwards, she began remembering what she had been told about Senketsu over the past few days:

"_**Unlike you and Senketsu, Ichigo and I are fully synchronized. Ichigo accepts me for what I am and doesn't try to make me something I'm not."**_

"_**Ryuko…I only drink so much blood because you're embarrassed to wear me."**__  
><em>

"_If wearing this allows me to fulfill all my ambitions than I, Satsuki Kiryuin, will not degrade myself by showing shame or hesitation in doing so!"_

"_Could they be right?"_ Ryuko looked down at Senketsu, the Kamui only just beginning to awaken from his temporary slumber. Locking gazes with her Kamui, his multicolored eye staring right back at her, Ryuko sighed and turned to Mako, "Mako…put me down. I need to go back."

"Go back?" Mako looked mortified at the prospect, "But if you go back, Lady Satsuki will super murder you! Her strength is above that of peons like us. It's amazing enough that Ichigo can fight her evenly, but you'll die if you try and fight her again!"

"I'm sorry Mako, but it's something I need to do," Ryuko muttered before pushing herself off Mako's back. Barely managed to stand on her feet as her best friend comically crashed to the ground from the sudden imbalance, the world seeming to spin around her, Ryuko apologized to Mako before slowly walking back towards Satsuki.

"_**What are you doing Ryuko?"**_ Senketsu asked in worry. None of her actions were making any sense. She couldn't possibly defeat Satsuki Kiryuin, let alone stand up to her, _**"You will die if you go back to her in your current state."**_

"You don't need to worry about me, Senketsu," Ryuko tiredly grinned at him, "Because I finally understand what you have been telling all this time."

Senketsu's single eye widened in amazement, _**"Ryuko…"**_

Stumbling as she stopped in her tracks, fingers gripping the Seki Tekko, Ryuko took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I think it's time I finally wore you, Senketsu!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Satsuki wiped away the small trail of blood oozing from her lip as she stared at her opponent.<p>

"It appears we are evenly matched," she declared to her equally winded opponent. For the last five minutes they had exchanged blow after blow, hitting each other only to receive a counter attack right afterwards. If there was anyone Satsuki truly considered a worthy adversary, it was Ichigo Kurosaki, "But I will still win this battle."

"That's funny," Ichigo said in response. His face had several new cuts and bruises on it, but overall he looked to be in better shape than Satsuki, "From where I'm standing I have the upper hand."

"It may be true you possess greater physical strength than myself," Satsuki admitted in a reluctant tone. While she had trained for years to hone her body and swordsmanship, hours upon hours spent improving her form and abilities, Ichigo possessed a distinct musculature and size advantage. However unlike Gamagori, whose size and weight afforded him great physical strength and endurance, Ichigo wasn't excessively muscular or bulky, which meant he could move and attack at speeds comparable to her own.

"But there is one thing you lack that I contain in abundance…" A bright backdrop of light appeared behind Satsuki as she shouted, "And that, Ichigo Kurosaki, is ambition and drive!"

Mentally commanding Junketsu to unleash more of its power, Satsuki rocketed towards Ichigo and planted her fist in his stomach. Following it up with a punch to his face, she tried to continue her assault only for Ichigo to move out of the way of Bakuzan and counter by driving Tournesol threw her arm, the blade easily piercing Junketsu and causing Satsuki to grip her arm to stem the flow of blood.

"I don't know anything about ambition and drive," Ichigo argued, his gaze falling anywhere but Satsuki's exposed form, "But I'm not about to let you hurt Ryuko. Even if you're faster or stronger than me I refuse to lose to someone like you."

"You have the audacity to say such nonsense," Satsuki growled as Junketsu eagerly absorbed the blood oozing from the cut on her arm, "But you dare refuse to look at me while doing so?"

"That's not true," Ichigo muttered in annoyance while scratching his cheek. To her surprise Satsuki saw a faint blush appear on his face, "It's just that I can't stand looking at your Kamui. It leaves virtually nothing to the imagination!"

Satsuki took a moment to rein in her surprise as Ichigo's modesty, "Than your battle prowess is even more remarkable. To fight me without using your eyes suggests your instincts must be rather honed and refined."

"That's not true," Ichigo shook his head, "When we're fighting I'm focused on your attacks instead of staring at your body."

"You are quite the charmer, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki smirked as she held Bakuzan with one hand, "Then I will not delay this fight any further on such trivial matters! Prepare yourself!"

Jumping backwards to avoid Satsuki's lunging strike, Bakuzan cleaving through the air only inches from his chest, Ichigo leaned to the side before vanishing in a burst of speed. As a series of afterimages surrounded Satsuki, her blue eyes darting back and forth in surprise, Ichigo couldn't help but mentally appreciate his Kamui's power once more. Although unable to move nowhere as fast as when he had bankai Mugetsu was more than strong enough to mimic parts of his former shinigami powers. The fact Sanageyama's Blade Regalia could create afterimages only helped to speed along the process.

"_He's gotten faster,"_ Satsuki grimaced as she stared at the circle of afterimages surrounding her, _"What he is trying to do?"_

"What's the matter?" Ichigo's echoing voice came from one of the afterimages before immediately switching to another, "Am I going too slow for the great Satsuki Kiryuin? I thought you said we were evenly matched? Perhaps I should go a little faster. That might put me on your level."

"Don't get cocky!" Satsuki twisted her body around and tucked Bakuzan in close to her chest. Waiting until the right moment, she quickly struck out with Bakuzan towards where she knew Ichigo was going to be.

"Damn it," Ichigo leapt over the pressure wave released from Satsuki's blade before noticing a few locks of orange hair drifting to the ground, "She was able to see me?"

"Just because my eyes cannot track your movements does not mean my body is unable to react!" Satsuki announced passionately as she attempted to slam her knee into Ichigo's stomach, "You are not the first to try and beat me with raw speed, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Quickly leaning to the side as Satsuki's leg arced through the air, the pressure wave kicked up causing his orange hair to blow backwards, Ichigo didn't hesitate to flow into motion as he pivoted around and swung Tournesol through the air. Multicolored sparks dancing when Satsuki managed to adjust her grip on Bakuzan and block the attack, her forearm braced against the side of her blade for support, a burst of steam exploded from Junketsu's vents as the Student Council President forced the Kamui to give her more power. A loud metallic ringing echoing in the air as Tournesol was forced to the side Ichigo quickly found himself back on the defensive when Satsuki brutally renewed her assault.

"Where is the strength you displayed earlier?" Satsuki shouted, her every word tinged with disappointment, while her blade clashed against Ichigo's, "How are you going to avenge Matoi's defeat with such pitiful attacks? You are weak, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo shouted back at Satsuki. Spinning around and dodging Satsuki's blade, he leaned forward and drove his elbow deep into her exposed stomach, eliciting a gasp of pain from the Student Council President. As Satsuki took a single step backwards, Ichigo followed through with an uppercut to her jaw that had spittle flying out of her mouth. Pushing himself off the ground until he was level with the hovering Satsuki, Ichigo grabbed her ankle and threw her back down with enough power to send her crashing through the floors below until she reached the ground accompanied by a loud crash.

Landing in a crouch next to the newly formed hole, his breath coming out in heavy pants, Ichigo winced and rubbed his neck. It seemed wearing Mugetsu for several hours in a row was finally beginning to catch up to him. Even the small amount of blood Mugetsu required to remain in her battle configuration became lethally dangerous after such a long time. Grunting as he pushed himself back onto his feel, the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up when a wave of power coursed through the air, Ichigo turned around and cursed, "God damn it. She just won't stay down."

Brown eyes widening when the floor began shaking Ichigo barely managed to jump away before a pillar of light blasted out of the hole and into the sky, the roar of energy drowning out all other sounds. When Satsuki appeared in front of him a moment later, streams of blood oozing from her forehead and lip, an expression of anger was clearly visible on her face. His muscles tensing in preparation as she took a single step forward, the ground cracking beneath her heel, Ichigo was taken completely off guard when Satsuki rocketed towards him with Bakuzan already screaming through the air.

"Damn it!" Ichigo's face was pulled into a grimace as he was forced to use Mugetsu's full power to block Satsuki's increasing fast and powerful attacks, "Where the hell is all this power coming from?"

"_**She is pushing her Kamui to grant her increasingly more power. While it theoretically could make her more powerful than us, it is also quite dangerous. Ichigo, if you can simply outlast her, you will most likely win this battle."**_

"I got it," Ichigo answered before ducking to the left to avoid Bakuzan piercing his head. As Satsuki's blow became more and more vicious and powerful, Ichigo realized Mugetsu was right. Despite his mastery of Mugetsu's power as well as the fact that they were working together in relative harmony, he was beginning to get pushed back by Satsuki's newfound strength. It was even reaching the point where blocking her strikes still gave him a small cut or bruise, the power behind the attack too strong for even Tournesol to block fully. Eventually after continually blocking her strikes, he was hit with a slash so powerful that his guard was blown right open, exposing his chest to Satsuki's next attack.

"This is the end for you, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Satsuki declared victorious as she moved in for the finishing blow. Raising Bakuzan above her head in the same manner in which she had prepared to finish off Ryuko Matoi, she shouted, "You are the closest person to my equal as anyone on Earth has the right to be! Perish content with the knowledge that you gained my utmost respect!"

"_I'm not going to be able to stop it in time!"_ Ichigo tried to throw his body backwards to limit the potential damage but it appeared as if such actions were unnecessary. Moments before Satsuki could follow through on her threat Junketsu's eyes grew bloodshot while its armor convulsed and shifted around her body. And to Ichigo's ears alone a faint menacing growling could be heard.

"_**What you are observing is a lack of harmony,"**_ Mugetsu explained stoically when she noticed her wearer's confusion, _**"Satsuki Kiryuin, instead of bonding with Junketsu like you did with me, used her willpower to subjugate it and its power for her own use. While she would normally be able to keep Junketsu under her thumb, your battle pushed her to the breaking point. It won't be long now until Junketsu devours her body."**_

"You need to stop," Ichigo warned Satsuki, who had fallen to one knee and was gripped her shoulder, "If you don't Junketsu is going to kill you!"

Satsuki's gaze hardened as she glared at Ichigo, "I don't need or want your pity, Ichigo Kurosaki! Junketsu is simply a Kamui that has been granted the honor of being worn by me. To fall victim to clothing is heresy!"

Biting her lip nearly hard enough to draw blood Satsuki managed to bring Junketsu back under her control through sheer willpower and determination. Her breath coming out in quick pants as she stood back on her feet, sweat dripping down her clearly exhausted face, Satsuki raised Bakuzan only to notice Ichigo sitting down on a nearby piece of rubble with Tournesol lazily propped against his shoulder.

"Pick up your sword. This fight is not yet over."

Ichigo stared blankly at Satsuki's determination to fight before sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Your newfound control over Junketsu is only temporary. If you try to keep fighting you're going to die. That's not something I want to happen even if I don't really like you. A victory like that wouldn't be a victory at all."

Satsuki watched in complete silence as Ichigo stood up and walked away before closing her eyes. No matter how much she wished to deny his words he had been right. Her control over Junketsu's bloodthirsty and berserk nature was temporary for the time being. Even if she were to continue fighting she had at most five minutes before even her ironclad willpower failed to keep her Kamui in check. As she pondered her defeat, which she would never admit to anyone as such, Satsuki's lips curled into a faint amused smile. Sitting down on a piece of debris, an exhausted grunt inadvertently escaping her lips, Satsuki planted Bakuzan firmly in the ground before leaning her forehead against it.

"To think I would be defeated by you, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki knew that her defeat was not so much as being beaten in a contest of strength or power but rather simply running out of time. The irony that her defeat was how she beat Ryuko Matoi was not lost on her. Willing Junketsu back to its normal militaristic white and blue sailor uniform, albeit one covered in smudges and tears, she smirked and added, "I look forward to our true contest in the future, Ichigo. Perhaps then we could determine who is stronger without such trivialities getting in the way."

"Satsuki Kiryuin!"

Satsuki pulled her forehead off Bakuzan as Ryuko Matoi, clad once more in Senketsu, crashed into the ground in front of her. It was immediately apparent to the Student Council President that in the last few minutes Ryuko had somehow managed to overcome her ridiculous embarrassment at wearing Senketsu.

"I see you finally overcame your pathetic social embarrassment, Matoi," Satsuki remarked casually, unbothered by the power Ryuko was emitting. She could tell with but a single glance that Ryuko Matoi's power had jumped up to about her level. Actually, that was a mistake. While she was below both herself and Ichigo, Ryuko's power was enough to make determining the victor of any fight impossible. Such a battle would be determined not by power, but by strategy, determination and the will to win. What was it that her mother called it? Ah, yes, '_der Wille zur Macht'_ or 'the Will to Power'.

"What the hell was that?" Ryuko growled as she took a step towards Satsuki, her full acceptance of Senketsu greatly altering her appearance and making his armor much more intricate and durable. The spaulders containing his eyes, both good and bad, now extended upwards much like Junketsu's and Mugetsu's while the red highlights in her hair, which Satsuki could not help but compare to her mother's rainbow undertone, were much more vibrant and feathery. Glaring at Satsuki, Ryuko pointed her Scissor Blade at her and demanded, "What's wrong? Transform so I can kick your ass!"

A haughty chuckle left Satsuki's lips as she leaned her head back, " I'm afraid you're too late for that, Matoi."

Ryuko blinked owlishly before noticing Satsuki's disheveled state of attire and smirking, "Heh…I see Ichigo managed to kick your smug ass."

"A crude statement from an equally crude person," Satsuki stated in her usual noble tone of voice. Even in her current state, she would never show weakness in front of anyone, "But then again, I wouldn't expect anything more from someone like you, Matoi. What are you going to do now that I am at the mercy of your Kamui? Will you kill me to sate your need for vengeance?"

"You're the one who killed my dad!" Ryuko clenched her hand into a fist as she stalked towards the weakened Student Council President, the glow from her hair brightening, "And now that you can't fight back I'm going to get some answers…"

"Do not take one more step, Matoi!"

Crashing to the ground hard enough to rattle the entire academy, his body barely fitting in the room, Ira Gamagori stood in front of the other members of the Elite Four and shouted, "If you continue with your current course of action I will have no choice but to enact corporal punishment!"

"You may have a Kamui, Transfer Student," Nonon Jakuzure quipped playfully in a saccharine tone, "But even you're not stupid enough to take on all of us at the same time."

"Tch," Ryuko spat on the ground. Hefting her Scissor Blade onto her shoulder, she pointed at Satsuki and said, "Don't think this is over. I will get my answers from you, Satsuki Kiryuin! You cannot hide from me forever!"

"Humph," Satsuki stood up and calmly smoothed out a crease on Junketsu, her ragged appearance not indicative of how she truly felt, "Is vengeance for your father the only thing you can think about, Matoi?"

Senketsu's form shone with a red light, the lines covering his body growing brighter, as Ryuko shifted her gaze from Satsuki to the Elite Four before scoffing, "I don't what the hell you're trying to pull, Satsuki Kiryuin, but I'm going to take all your ambitions and aspirations and crush them one by one! You can count on that!"

Gamagori stiffened at the sheer disrespect Ryuko was showing Satsuki but before he could begin chastising her slander, his body already seeming to increase in size, slow and deliberate clapping echoed through the ruined classroom. To the surprise of everyone, Ryuko included, Satsuki has a smug smirk on her face while slowly clapping her hands, "Is that so, Matoi? You say you are going to crush my ambitions…destroy my aspirations…but you forgot one thing. Honnouji Academy is my kingdom!"

Her heel clicking loudly against the ground as she stepped forward, a backdrop of white light immediately bursting into brilliance behind her, Satsuki raised Bakuzan into the air before slowly and deliberately sheathing it at her waist. Forced to cover her eyes, the bright light causing spots to appear in her vision, Ryuko raised the Scissor Blade and shouted, "What the hell?"

"If you are bold enough to declare war against me when I am exhausted from fighting an opponent many times your superior than I shall assume you are speaking the truth," Satsuki answered calmly as she turned around and began walking away. As the Elite Four stepped into line behind her, their individual bodies outlines in colored auras, Satsuki paused and added, "Consider your challenge accepted, Matoi. In two days I shall announce that a prize awaits anyone who can defeat you in combat. Do you still have what it takes to win when there is nobody you can trust?"

"You bet I do!" Ryuko declared boldly as she pointed the Scissor Blade at Satsuki's retreated figure, "I don't care how many goons you send at me! I'm going to pay you back tenfold, Satsuki Kiryuin! And when I finally beat your smug ass I'm going to get some answers from you!"

"Very well," Satsuki looked over her shoulder just before vanishing into the darkness, "Defeat each and every student that rises to challenge you. If you can manage to get that far without stumbling than you shall be graced with the honor of fighting Junketsu once more. Perhaps by that point you will finally be worthy of my full power…"

Ryuko growled as she watched Satsuki and her Elite Four disappear into Honnouji Academy before spinning around and kicking a large piece of rubble with enough power to shatter it. Senketsu, noticing the shift in his wearer's attitude, blinked and looked upwards,_** "What's wrong, Ryuko?"**_

"I'm just a little pissed off," she answered angrily, "Just when I finally managed to overcome my embarrassment and wear you, I find that Ichigo already defeated Satsuki!"

"_**This could be an advantage,"**_ Senketsu pointed out, _**"Despite what may have happened, you are well aware of what Satsuki Kiryuin is capable of. She, however, has no idea of my true power. If you play your cards right, you could surprise her when you finally confront her."**_

"I suppose you have a point, Senketsu," Ryuko admitted as realization dawned on her – Ichigo's interference meant Satsuki didn't have a clue about Senketsu's full power. While she didn't like being saved by Ichigo, her face cringing slightly at remembering how much Satsuki kicked her ass, if it meant returning the favor the next time they fought Ryuko was willing to let it slide, "Something's bothering me. Satsuki seemed fine and dandy yet she admitted Ichigo beat her."

"_**There are many ways to lose, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu explained sagely, _**"Perhaps Ichigo simply found another way to defeat her."**_

"I guess," Ryuko huffed before turning around and walking away. Propping the Scissor Blade against her shoulder as she leapt out of the ruined classroom, her heels easily finding purchase on various pieces of debris, Ryuko's face twisted into a scowl as several thoughts raced through her mind, "Great, now I need to track Ichigo down and find out how the hell he managed to beat Satsuki. I need to know everything about Junketsu if I'm going to have any shot at kicking her ass."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Satsuki pushed back against Junketsu's attempts to drain her blood as she walked through the halls of Honnouji Academy, her face covered in cuts and blemishes. She could not understand her Kamui's behavior in the aftermath of her defeat against Ichigo Kurosaki. Even though she had only been wearing Junketsu for less than a day, the events of the previous night still fresh in her mind, the rapid shift in Junketsu's behavior was enough for even Satsuki to notice.<p>

Putting such trivial questions on the backburner for the time being Satsuki turned her attention to Houka Inumuta, who was walking just behind her, and asked, "I take it you were able to procure data on Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui?"

"Partially," Inumuta answered, the collar of his Goku Uniform automatically unzipping as he replied. Pulling out a state of the art PDA and hooking it up to his sleeve, information streaming across the screen within seconds, the Information and Strategy Committee Chair's green eyes frowned in thought before explaining, "Unfortunately your battle against Ryuko Matoi destroyed or rendered inoperable nearly ninety percent of my cameras and bugs. Thus for the time being all available data on Ichigo Kurosaki and his Kamui consists of visible observations."

"I see…" Satsuki replied as she entered the specially secured elevator that would take her directly to the Sewing Club, "Keep me informed about any new information you discover about Ichigo Kurosaki. Our battle has opened my eyes to the realization that he is anything but a simple threat. He is to be carefully monitored and watched, his interactions with Matoi studied and used. You are forbidden to provoke him unintentionally until I am ready."

"As you wish," Inumuta bowed.

As the elevator doors closed, Satsuki placed her hand against the door and looked Inumuta square in the eyes, "Has the matter I discussed with you earlier been taken care of?"

Inumuta smirked as he subtly adjusted his glasses with a single finger, "The task is being completed as we speak. Gamagori managed to acquire an expert to finish the job…"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Atop the large tower adorning Honnouji Academy, Ira Gamagori peered out across the city using his customized Disciplinary Committee Mark-III Binoculars. Modified for someone of his stature, the binoculars features up to 100x zoom, temperature and wind speed statistics as well as night vision capabilities. Everything someone looking to enforce the rules of Honnouji Academy would need.<p>

As his Goku Uniform rustled in the breeze, he lowered the binoculars and pressed a finger against his ear. Waiting for the static from activating the connection to die down, he said, "Are you able to accomplish the task of which you were assigned?"

"But of course," a figure, a woman from her voice, replied from over fifty feet below, "What do you take me for?"

"Just making sure," Gamagori answered gruffly and looked back through the binoculars. The target had yet to move, which made things simpler, "As for your payment, half of it has already been sent to the location you specified. The other half shall be sent as soon as you complete the task. Are there any questions on what you need to do?"

The woman raised her eye away from the scope attached to her modified M-98 Widow Vaccination Model Type-8 and smirked, "A student who fails to receive their proper vaccinations is putting everyone, not just themselves, at risk of serious health complications. If there is anything my husband taught me, it is that medicine is what separates us from the savages. It would be the noble thing to make sure Ichigo Kurosaki receives every single vaccine he is missing. To do otherwise would be tantamount to misconduct."

"I'm glad we are in agreement," Gamagori nodded, "But Lady Satsuki's involvement in this affair must never be known. If anyone were to find out, I will be forced to disavow anything you say and pursue you as the sole perpetrator. You know the stakes that are riding on making the shot."

"Don't be silly!" Sukuyo Mankanshoku smiled as she adopted her normal housewife persona. Blushing as he held a hand to her cheek, she said, "It doesn't take much effort to fire a hypodermic needle filled with a temperature sensitive concoction from a M-98 Widow at nearly Mach 0.9 at a distance of 1.5 kilometers."

"Err…yes of course," Gamagori simply could not believe what Mako Mankanshoku's mother was capable of. He, of course, knew about her skills but he had no idea who she was until she waltzed into Honnouji Academy claiming she was here for the specified job. Gamagori was about to politely escort her off campus when she began describing in very intricate detail how she would go about doing the job. What disturbed him the most was the sheer lack of menace or professionalism about her. Someone Sukuyo Mankanshoku could make discussing firearms and the various attachments needed in different climates sound like something a family talks about at the dinner table.

Peering through her scope, Sukuyo let out a happy gasp, "Oh! I found Ichigo Kurosaki. He's lined up perfectly in my sights!"

"I see him as well," Gamagori said before adding, "Wind Speed is currently 3.4 knots south by southwest. Temperature is steady at 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire when you have a clean shot."

"Don't worry Ichigo. You'll feel better when I have Mako invite you over for dinner tonight," Sukuyo mumbled happily as she lined up the crosshairs directly in the small of his back. It was lucky that Mako managed to intercept him before Ichigo could leave Honnouji Academy. That would have made her shot a lot more difficult, but not impossible, "Taking the shot."

With a soft bang that did not give away just how much power was behind the shot, Sukuyo was forced back several inches from the recoil. Noticing a bright flash of light from across the academy, Sukuyo detached her scope and located Ichigo once again. The youth was currently lying on the ground rubbing his back while Mako and Ryuko looked down at him in confusion.

"A job well done," Sukuyo sighed happily as she began disassembling her M-98 Widow. This successful mission made sure her record remained perfect.

Gamagori watched Ichigo through his binoculars, a smug grin adorning his face, "No one escapes the Disciplinary Committee, Ichigo Kurosaki!"


	12. Chapter 12: Wish You Were Here

_I have for you all an extra long Chapter 12. I hadn't planned on letting it get this long, but I just kept writing and writing until I was satisfied with where I managed to leave off. So Episode 24 and the ending of Kill la Kill...I cannot say that I expected anything different from Trigger, but I would have been greatly satisfied with an ending that didn't end in that kind of cliche. I don't know if I will follow the ending of the anime EXACTLY, but most likely I will divert away from it. The story would be quite boring if you already knew how it ended, wouldn't it?  
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_I thank each and every person who left a review or favorite'd my story. I finally got a story link on tvtropes, which goes to show that people really like my story. Well, that's enough for an author note. Let's get on with what you all came to read.  
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_Oh! New story picture by the way._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 12 - Wish You Were Here<strong>

Humming a familiar tune, Nui Harime strolled down the road leading to Honnou City. While quite happy and content with herself, Nui was also feeling a tad bit depressed. Her failure to kill Yoruichi had caused Ragyo to 'punish' her and while Nui certainly didn't mind being punished by Ragyo, she couldn't ignore the fact that she still failed.

"_The next time I see that Yoruichi lady,"_ Nui reminded herself, getting pumped up in the process, _"I'm going to cut off her legs so she can't run away!"_

When Nui reported to Ragyo that she had chosen to not pursue Yoruichi, the Director had been beside herself with anger until Nui pointed out that Yoruichi had fled to Karakura Town. As soon as she had said that, Ragyo's expression immediately switched from anger to mild bemusement.

"_So, it has begun," Ragyo smiled as she sensuously stroked Nui's cheek, "Isshin has made the first move, forcing me to react. That is just like the man I know. Perhaps I will let him have this battle, but the war shall be mine."_

Ragyo might have been amused with the notion that Isshin Kurosaki was moving against her, but Nui was far more interest inthat Yoruichi lady. It wasn't every day that Nui ran into an opponent that was not only as fast as her, but could actually damage her body. While her wounds didn't cause Nui any pain or inconvenience, nothing really did, it was still refreshing to not curb stomp an opponent in the first five seconds.

"Hmm…" Nui stopped walking and allowed a perplexed look to briefly adorn her face, "…Perhaps I won't cut off her legs. It isn't every day that I meet someone able to actually stand against me. Maybe I'll just sever one of her arms or something!"

As for Isshin, Nui could say anything she wanted about the man, but she couldn't deny that he was crazy prepared. Just a few hours ago she tried to take a single step inside Karakura Town and had her foot immediately blown off. While that would have killed a normal human, to a being like Nui it was only a mild inconvenience to regenerate her missing extremity.

She supposed it came from being a Life Fiber hybrid. Nui let out a girlish giggle as a faint purple light briefly appeared in her chest. Her body could be so fickle sometimes!

Finally entering Honnou City, Nui looked up at the pitch-black sky. It was still dark out, which mean that Satsuki wouldn't be able to spot her entering the city until it was too late. Nui knew of course that Satsuki would eventually figure out she was here. Satsuki was anything but stupid, but Nui counted on Satsuki not making a move. She was the Grand Couturier after all, so even with Junketsu Satsuki wouldn't stand a chance against her.

Ah, but enough about that wet blanket, Nui was far more interested in Ichigo.

It wasn't everyday that Nui was able to meet another Life Fiber Hybrid. While Ragyo might be one as well, it just wasn't the same. Ragyo was a woman but Ichigo was a man, which both made all the difference and changed nothing to Nui. Perhaps it was because he was new that Nui found herself highly interested in Ichigo's strength and power, but Nui never ran on assumptions. She was better than that. Ichigo's inclusion into her tight-knit family was bound to add some spice to her dulling life.

"I wonder what he is doing right now." Nui looked upwards at Honnouji Academy looming overhead, "It's such a shame that I missed out on his big fight against Satsuki, but I do have priorities."

She may not have been there in person, but Nui was still able to catch the entire battle. Satsuki wasn't the only one with bugs and cameras throughout Honnouji Academy after all. As she watched Ichigo fight and overpower Satsuki, Nui couldn't help but wonder how powerful he truly was. It was clear to her that he had full control over his Kamui. What was it's name again?

"I really should remember something important like that," Nui stuck her tongue out childishly, "After all, Ichigo and I are far closer than Satsuki will ever be!"

When Nui informed Ragyo of the fight's outcome, the Director had been most pleased with her. In fact, Nui was certain that it was enough to wipe away the tarnish her failure to kill Yoruichi left on her record. As Ragyo watched Ichigo run circles around Satsuki while continuously holding back, she had praised Nui for bringing this to her attention.

"_The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Ragyo smiled wickedly as, on the video, Satsuki began losing control of Junketsu, "I cannot wait to see Ichigo with my own eyes and witness the fruits of my labor."_

"Oh~!" Nui stopped walking and peered straight up into the sky, "That reminds me! How shall I deal with Ryuko Matoi?"

Various scenarios appeared in her head, but Nui shot them down one after the other. While it would be quite easy to _kill_ the girl, that wouldn't be any fun and Nui was all about fun. If she was going to get revenge on the fake Isshin, she needed to do it in style and with finesse. Killing, on the other hand, was boring and simple. Nui had a few ideas, but she was going to wait a while to see what happens. Murdering Ryuko could be done at any time, but watching Ichigo was a lot more fun!

"It's decided!" Nui clapped her hands and gently pushed off the ground before leaping over a hundred feet into the air. Landing softly on the wall of Honnouji Academy, she raised a hand to her forehead as the sun appeared on the horizon, "I'm going to have to finally introduce myself to Ichigo. I do hope we can get along. After all, it's not like he knows I was the one to kill Mr. Urahara."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>As the first bus of the day approached Honnou City, a staple of transportation for the city over the last three years, there was a loud grinding of metal and rubber as the left side of the bus fell into a series of potholes before chaotically bouncing back out.<p>

"Stupid potholes," the bus driver mumbled as he expertly regained control of the bus before he lost control and crashed. He had been driving this route ever since it was first created and while there were dangers most bus drivers never faced, he had yet to crash even once, "More and more potholes seem to form every week. Are people actually fighting in the middle of the road now? It's a menace to bus drivers everywhere."

Usually the bus was empty on the way to Honnou City. Most passengers on the first run of the day were people coming from Honnou City who worked the night shift but didn't actually live in the city. Today, however, was different. Looking in the rearview mirror at his sole passenger sitting in the farthest seat from the front, the driver adjusted his hat.

"You appear to be a little nervous, miss," the driver said reassuringly. Call him an old softy, but he couldn't stand to see anyone, especially a girl that looked to be no older than fifteen, sitting all alone and without company, "This your first time going to Honnou City?"

The girl, who had been staring out the window at the pre-dawn landscape the entire time, blinked and looked towards the driver. Hesitating but a moment, she eventually answered in a slightly meek tone, "Yes. Today is my first day attending Honnouji Academy."

"I see…" The bus driver grimaced and adjusted his hat again, a nervous habit that he somehow obtained. He had seen people like this before. They get accepted to Honnouji Academy through various scholarships or something only to run into the harsh truth about the academy and city. It was best that she find out the truth from someone like him, who wasn't going to take advantage of her, rather than some punk on the street with a knife.

"I don't mean to frighten you or anything, but Honnou City is not a nice place to be. Satsuki Kiryuin, of the Kiryuin Conglomerate, runs the school and the city with an iron fist. Nothing happens in that city without her knowing about it. It's not someplace someone like you should be going."

The perpetual blush on the girl's cheeks darkened momentarily as she withdrew into herself, "I'll be fine, really."

"You don't say," the bus driver wasn't going to push his luck. If she didn't want to heed his advice, there was nothing he could do about it, "Suit yourself. I was just trying to give you some friendly advice."

As the bus descended back into comfortable silence, Ururu Tsumugiya stared out the window. She was nervous, not because of what she might expect to find at Honnouji Academy, but because she was going there. She was grateful Mr. Kurosaki managed to get her enrolled after the school year started. From his explanation, it was a rather hard thing to do. When she asked him why he had done something like this for her, Mr. Kurosaki had simply grinned clownishly and told her that it was a 'super secret' and to just leave it at that.

Ururu really liked hanging out with Mr. Kurosaki. After Kisuke disappeared, and Yoruichi went to look for him, Ururu had fallen into a depression as she began blaming herself for what happened to him. She only began feeling better about herself when Mr. Kurosaki invited her over to his house to play with Yuzu and Karin as well as help around the house.

"_I wonder how Mr. Kurosaki is doing?" _she thought to herself. When she had left earlier in the morning, he had been busy holding a bunch of red threads while dressed fully in HAZMAT gear. She had looked at him curiously until he told her that everything was fine and to go off and have fun at Honnouji Academy.

Ururu didn't know how much time had passed, but she was brought back to reality when the bus came to a screeching stop. Looking out the window, she noticed that she had finally arrived at Honnou City.

"Well, here we are," the bus driver grimly said. Before opening the door and letting in the crowd of people waiting to go home, he turned around in his seat and looked directly at Ururu, "I'm going to give you two choices, little miss. The first choice is that you can step off this bus and go on your merry way to Honnouji Academy and whatever happens will be up to you to deal with. The second choice is to go back to Karakura Town. Free of charge, of course."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Ururu politely declined the bus driver's generous offer and stood up. Straightening a crease in her No-Star uniform, Ururu was glad that Miss Yoruichi wasn't around when Mr. Kurosaki allowed her to customize her uniform. Yoruichi had been so angry when Ururu wanted to wear something new. Even though Kisuke had been fine with it, Yoruichi had forbidden her from wearing such clothing because, as the former captain put it, 'it looked ridiculous.' Mr. Kurosaki really was nice to let Ururu choose what she wanted to wear.

Ururu held her purple backpack, which she chose herself, firmly in her arms and stepped off the bus onto the dusty streets of Honnou City. Ignoring the throng of people attempting to push past her, Ururu looked around and quickly realized she had no idea where to go. Placing a hand on her cheek and tilting her head to the side, she looked back and forth across the street, "Where was it that Mr. Kurosaki said to go?"

Ururu gazed upwards at the spiraling peak in the center of Honnou City. That had to be Honnouji Academy, but she had no idea how to get up there. Usually she would just jump from rooftop to rooftop and make it there in no time at all, but she was afraid some of the normal people might see her, even at this early hour. Kisuke and Yoruichi had drilled into her head that she is to avoid showing her abilities and powers in front of normal people. The problem, they told her early on, was that people tended to ask questions they weren't prepared to know the answers to.

"_Remember one thing, Ururu," Kisuke Urahara told a younger Ururu in the Secret Training Room below his shop, "One person may be intelligent, but__ a group__ people are __we scientists call__ morons. If you think you might attract the attention of someone, avoid showing off how powerful or special you are at all costs."_

"That's right," Ururu said encouragingly, "I can't let Mr. Urahara down!" Taking off her backpack and rummaging through it, Ururu pulled out a map, crudely drawn on by Isshin, "I think I have to go that way to get to the academy. It's really far away, so I better get started. I don't want to be late on my first day here after all."

As she began the long trek to Honnouji Academy, Ururu was unaware that she was being followed. After nearly half an hour of walking, interposed with getting lost several times and begin chased by an overly friendly dog, Ururu finally reached the trolley station. Double-checking the map to make sure she was in the right place, Ururu was relieved to find that she wasn't lost. This was where she had to go, but there was something wrong. Looking around and noticing nobody around, she worriedly asked, "Where is everyone? Huh, what's this?"

Leaning forward over the railing separating her from the trolley, Ururu read the sign hung haphazardly on it, "Umm…'Trolley begins at 6 AM. If you're reading this sign, you're up too early in the morning.' That's not a very nice thing to say."

"Well, boys, what do we have here?"

Ururu turned around in confusion at the taunting voice. Standing behind her on the platform, holding various blunt instruments and with sneers on their faces, were several teenage boys. Their worn and torn No-Star uniforms, a signal of their former social status in Honnouji Academy, implied that they were either thrown out or expelled from the academy for various misdeeds and crimes. Noticing that Ururu hadn't done anything except turn to face them, the lead thug grinned and stepped forward, "What's the matter, girl, cat got your tongue?"

"Cat got my tongue?" Ururu tilted her head and blinked owlishly in confusion as she tried to grasp what the thug had just said, "How could a cat have my tongue if it's still in my mouth?"

"Are you making fun of me?" The lead thug threatened as he emphasized his point by smacking his baseball bat a couple of times against the ground in order to intimidate her. Seeing that Ururu wasn't even shaking from nervousness, he said, "Here's what's going to happen. We're the Honnou City Welcoming Party and this is your orientation. Everyone that arrives here has to pay a toll. Your toll, little girl, will be everything in that pretty little backpack of yours. Now hand it over!"

"You want my stuff?" Ururu looked at the ground, "But if you take it, then I won't have anything."

The thugs began to laugh, "That's the point. Now give it here and we'll be on our way."

When Ururu made no move to listen and hand over her stuff, the lead thug decided to take the initiative. Strutting forward confidently to take Ururu's backpack, his hand had just about reached it when he gasped in pain as a strong vice-like grip closed around his wrist. Looking down, he saw that Ururu had gripped her hand around his wrist and was refusing to let go.

"What's the big deal? Let go of me!" The thug leader tried to pull his hand out of Ururu's grasp, but found to his astonishment and fear that she was just too damn strong to escape from. Getting annoyed, and a little scared, he reared back his free hand and went to punch her in the face, "I said let go of my hand, you bitch!"

For just a moment the thug thought he had hit her. It was only when his hand continued uninterrupted through the space previously occupied by Ururu's head that he realized something was wrong. Fearfully looking down, he saw Ururu had bent over nearly in half without so much as budging her arm.

"That wasn't very nice."

Seven months ago, Ururu would have lost her sense of morality and right and wrong when faced with a potential fight. Jinta had called it her 'Extermination Mode' and that it was really freaky. Kisuke had noticed how upset Ururu was about that and offered to help her train to control her powers better. It would be rather bad to get into a fight against a much weaker opponent only to kill them because she couldn't control herself.

Sweeping her leg across the ground and knocking the thug into the air, Ururu grabbed the teen's shirt and spun around before throwing him into a nearby wall with very little effort.

"B-Boss!" One of the thugs stuttered as the gang stared at the smoking body of their leader implanted in a steel wall.

"It looks like I put too much strength in my toss," Ururu said gently, but her words terrified the thugs. Looking at the remaining thugs, she politely asked, "Will that be all?"

"Y-Yeah! We're sorry for the trouble!" One scared thug screamed in fear as he backpedaled before turning around and began fleeing, running right past the unconscious body of his leader. Luckily for the fallen thug, two of his associates were kind enough to stop and pick him up before disappearing into the darkened streets of the slums.

Ururu watched the thugs flee in a mixture of wonder and disappointment. She hadn't meant to toss him so hard into the wall. Even limiting her strength as much as she did, she still managed to really hurt him. The strange thing was that he didn't seem to be that injured. Could it be that Mr. Kurosaki was right, and that the people in Honnou City were tougher than in Karakura Town?

"That's good to know," Ururu said, "That means I won't accidently kill someone."

As strong as she was, Ururu really didn't like hurting and killing people. Fighting an arrancar to protect her friends and family was one thing, but fighting for the sake of hurting someone else greatly troubled Ururu. What was even more worrying to the perpetual depressed girl was that her strength and power, which had been relatively constant throughout her life, had begun increasing more and more in the past few months. It had gotten to the point that she was able to fight Miss Yoruichi and Kisuke on relatively even terms, which scared her. When she expressed her concerns to Kisuke, the shopkeeper had smiled and said she was just going through puberty like all normal girls do. When she said she had questions, Kisuke told her that he's not really an expert on puberty and to go ask Isshin Kurosaki if she had any questions. With two girls of his own around Ururu's age, Isshin was bound to know the answers to her questions.

Sitting on one of the benches near the trolley station, Ururu began kicking her feet in the air. The nearby clock that hung over the station said it was almost 6 AM, so she wouldn't need to wait much longer to get to Honnouji Academy. Ururu was really looking forward to meeting Ichigo. He was, after all, the only person she knew here and Ururu didn't like meeting new people.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay class," Aikuro Mikisugi drawled as he began writing on the blackboard, "Let's get started with today's lesson. The Berlin Wall, which highlighted the divide between the Eastern and Western powers, first began construction on August 13, when the border with West Berlin was closed…"<p>

As Ichigo scribbled down some notes on Aikuro's lecture, his mind refused to focus on what was going on. Despite his best efforts to put fight with Satsuki behind him, he couldn't help but continue to think about it. It wasn't his fault really. He didn't expect her to be so powerful and he certainly didn't think he would need to step in and save Ryuko from being killed by Satsuki. He couldn't believe Satsuki had it in her to kill someone, but he had readily recognized the look on her face in the instant before he saved Ryuko and realized what she was about to do.

Glancing left at Ryuko, who was gazing out the window with her chin resting on the palm of her hand, Ichigo didn't know what to say to her. Her fight with Satsuki had been one about honor, which was something he fully understood. If Satsuki knew the identity of the person that attacked Kisuke and killed Ryuko's father, who was he to stop Ryuko from getting the answers she sought?

Deciding to think about such problems later on, Ichigo rolled his eyes at Mako, who was sound asleep behind an upright book, and went back to listening to Aikuro ramble on about the Cold War. Ichigo didn't know why, but he was slowly finding his attention being chipped away by Aikuro's droning voice. Just before he lost focus entirely and began doodling in his notebook, he heard a phone beginning to ring.

"Hmm?" Aikuro glanced briefly at his pocket before finally deciding to answer it. Only a handful of people know his phone number and none of them were people he wanted to get on the bad side of. Fishing into his pocket, stabbing his finger on his keys in the process, Aikuro grabbed his phone and tossed it in the air once before answering it, "Aikuro Mikisugi speaking."

What followed next was Aikuro either saying 'uh huh' or 'I understand' for more than a minute. After one last confirmation about something, Aikuro snapped shut his phone and turned to his staring class, "Well, it looks like we have a new student enrolling in our class. I have to go down to the front office and get her, but there shouldn't be a problem finding her a free seat. While I'm gone, please try and keep the chaos down to at least a misdemeanor level. I don't want a repeat of what happened the last time I stepped out of the room."

Most students remembered the last time Aikuro left early to go do something. While no one knows exactly what happened during those five minutes he was gone, everyone remembered Gamagori walking into the classroom and only half of the class walking out.

As soon as the door closed behind Aikuro, the room descended into a form of organized anarchy. No one was willing to test the limits of the Disciplinary Committee's patience and tolerance. Snapping out of her slumber at the first sign of Aikuro's disappearance, Mako quickly looked around before she reached under her desk and pulled out a bento box that could not have physically been down there. Licking her lips and clapping her hands together, Mako proudly announced, "There's no better way to start the day than with a healthy lunch."

Ichigo watched with mild disgust as Mako dove into her lunch. Turning away from the nauseating scene before he lost his appetite for the rest of the day, he found himself inches away from a scowling Ryuko.

"Are you going to tell me about what happened yesterday or not?"

Ichigo propped his head on his hand and asked, "What's there to talk about?"

Frankly, he was getting sick and a little annoyed with the amount of rumors surrounding him. Ever since his technical defeat of Satsuki yesterday, rumors had begun spreading through Honnouji Academy about how he walked away from the fight still in clad in Mugetsu while Satsuki left tired and beaten. While Ichigo wasn't someone to let rumors get the better of his, since he knew what exactly happened, he was going to kill whoever it was that started the particular rumor about Satsuki and him having a love affair. That was perhaps the only thing he and Gamagori could agree on. Whoever found that particular person would make sure the other was informed before being the crap out of them.

Ryuko spun her chair around and sat back down, an annoyed scowl on her face, "Tell me how you managed to beat Satsuki Kiryuin."

"I didn't really beat her," Ichigo grumbled, "It was more like I wore her down."

Ryuko knew full well what Ichigo was talking about. She had gone into battle against Satsuki aware that she could only wear Senketsu for a set time before the amount of blood he consumed would render her unconscious. She had assumed Satsuki would face the same problem and was mortally surprised when Satsuki not only didn't have that problem, but also was also far stronger than her. While Ryuko was getting her ass kicked, she couldn't help but notice that Satsuki didn't seem to be exhausted at all. Her full acceptance of Junketsu's appearance allowed Satsuki to tap into its full power with a minimal amount of blood and effort.

"So the great Satsuki has a weakness after all," Ryuko quietly pondered. Usually that would be great and fantastic news, but she had other, more important, things on her mind. One of which was how Ichigo managed to beat her, "So how did you wear her down?"

"I'm not sure," Ichigo said hesitantly. He found it strange that Junketsu had made no attempt to communicate with Satsuki. Even if she couldn't hear her Kamui speaking, he should have been able to. If what Mugetsu said was the truth, Junketsu was actively fighting against Satsuki's mental control over it. Ichigo didn't want to think about fighting Satsuki if she could wield Junketsu's full and complete power.

"I have a theory though," Ichigo sat back and folded his arms, a frown on his face, "You know how you and Senketsu work together? I don't think Satsuki has that kind of relationship with her Kamui. Mugetsu told me that she forced Junketsu into submission in order to access its power. I'm pretty sure that pissed her Kamui off. Since our powers were pretty much even, I just had to keep fighting her until she became too tired to hold back Junketsu anymore."

So Satsuki wasn't so powerful after all! That piece of news actually brought a smile to Ryuko's face. Now that she accepted Senketsu's true appearance and was working together as colleagues and partners, she could fight Satsuki on even terms, "You just made my day, Ichigo. With Senketsu's full power at my fingertips, all I have to do is fight her until she can't control her Kamui anymore!"

"I hate to say it, but that's probably not going to work" Ichigo hated to burst Ryuko's bubble, but the cold hard truth was preferable to a lie, especially a lie that could get Ryuko killed, "You know Satsuki about as well as I do. Do you honestly think she is just going to sit back and allow you to fight her knowing she has a weakness?"

"So I'm back to square one," Ryuko slammed her head down on her desk and mumbled dejectedly, "I just can't catch a break."

"Instead of sulking, why don't you train?" When Ryuko turned her head towards him, Ichigo explained further, "I mean, Senketsu and Mugetsu give us a lot of power and speed, but training would help to boost that further. I have no intention of getting into a fight with Satsuki again unless I have no choice, but if you're so intent on getting answers from her, you should train your body and work on your swordsmanship."

"I know that," Ryuko grumbled into the palm of her hand, "After you left that night, I took your advice to heart and spent a few hours seeing how my Scissor Blade really works. It's funny. I've had it for over six months, but it wasn't until last night that I figured out I could change its size with a simple flick of my wrist. You should have seen the look on Satsuki's face when I surprised her with that. If I had been truly wearing Senketsu at the time, it would have ended the fight right then and there."

With a rusty creak, the bulkhead that functioned as the classroom door swung open and Aikuro shambled back into the classroom, but he was not alone. Several steps behind him stood Ira Gamagori, who had to duck in order to fit inside the door. While Aikuro leaned against the chalkboard with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face, Gamagori stepped in the exact center of the class, folded his arms across his massive chest and addressed the seated students.

"Listen up!" Gamagori shouted loud enough to dislodge dust from the fluorescent lighting and have the teacher next door quickly duck his head inside the room to find out where all the noise was coming from, "I am only going to say this once so there will be absolutely no talking until I have finished speaking!"

"Uh…" One student in the back of the class raised his head, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Even before the student had finished speaking, a whip shot out of Gamagori's sleeve and wrapped around the surprised student. As the student was dragged kicking and screaming to the front of the class, Gamagori grabbed him with a single hand and threw him out the room, "No speaking until I'm done!"

Gamagori waited until the noise from the student crashing through the wall died down before continuing, "If there will be no further interruptions, I would like to introduce a new student. She has just recently transferred from Karakura High School and will be starting Honnouji Academy today!"

"Ichigo," Ryuko whispered, ignorant of the slight twitch from Gamagori's ear, "Isn't that where…?"

"Yeah," Ichigo slammed his head down on his desk and groaned, "It is. Just please don't let it be Orihime or Tatsuki…"

Ichigo didn't have anything against Orihime or Tatsuki. In fact, it would have been a nice change of pace to have someone from Karakura Town here. At least he would be able to speak normally to someone without having to hold back the majority of what he knew. The reason he didn't want them here was simple – he knew some serious shit was going to go down soon. Call it instinct or intuition, but Ichigo could sense that his fight against Satsuki was only the start. Pretty soon something major was going to happen and he did not want anyone he cared about to get caught in the crosshairs. His friends were strong, but Satsuki and her Elite Four were stronger.

Gamagori's right eye began twitching as Ichigo and Ryuko blatantly ignored his rule and continued talking. Clenching his fist to stop himself from administrating their well-deserved punishment, Gamagori kept reminding himself that there would be time for punishment later. Right now he had a job to do and he would do it to the best of his abilities, "Please give a full Honnouji Academy welcome to your new fellow student."

When he saw everyone staring incredulously at him, Gamagori double in size and barked, "I said be enthusiastic and clap!"

After a short period of fearful clapping, Gamagori calmed down and turned towards the door, "Please come in and introduce yourself to your new colleagues."

There was a few seconds after Gamagori's urging that nothing happened, but eventually a girl walked into the classroom. With her head hung downwards and a faint blush spread across her cheeks, she looked the epitome of shy and meek.

"Oh, goddamn it," Ichigo threw his head back and gave up on thinking logically. There was no reason whatsoever that she should be here. He wanted to blame Kisuke for pulling a stunt like this on him, but he was dead, or soon will be once Ichigo found him. Yoruichi wouldn't have the political or bureaucratic knowledge to enroll a student and Tessai was much more interested in looking for Kisuke. There was only one man on Earth who would pull a stunt like this and expect Ichigo to fall right in it…

"Hello," Ururu bowed respectfully to the class, her twin pigtails moving chaotically as she did so. For a few months after Aizen's defeat she had foregone her characteristic short pigtails for a more natural straight hair look. Without Jinta around to pull on them and annoy her, Ururu could go back to the hairstyle that she preferred, "My name is Ururu Tsumugiya. I'm looking forward to spending the school year with all of you."

Ururu looked around the classroom and, noticing Ichigo's orange hair, smiled softly and waved, "Hello Ichigo."

"Please," Ichigo all but begged as he dragged his hands across his face, causing Ryuko, Aikuro and even Gamagori to turn to him, "Somebody just kill me."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Clad in a simple white robe, Satsuki stared at the struggling Kamui pinned to the wall in front of her behind a sheet of thick glass in irritation.<p>

"What could have caused such an event?"

Iori Shiro stopped reading over the data printout and turned to Satsuki, "You'll have to be more specific Lady Satsuki."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed as Junketsu stared at her with bloodshot eyes and tried to pull itself free from its confinement, "Junketsu should have been under my thumb without any difficulty. After subduing its animalistic nature, there should have been no chance that it could have overcome my will."

As much as he wanted to tell Satsuki that there was nothing to worry about, Iori was not someone who would cover the truth to save his own ass. If he had to deliver bad news that could potentially bring him harm, Iori would do so without a single regret. Sighing wistfully, he began explaining what he found, "This was bound to happen sooner or later. While your willpower is greater than the majority of humanity's, Junketsu has a mind of its own."

"I am well aware of that," Satsuki sat down, her eyes never leaving Junketsu, "What I want to know is what exactly happened to cause Junketsu to escape my control."

"It was never under your control," Iori bluntly informed her, the perpetual frown on his face deepening as Satsuki turned to glare at him. Knowing that she wanted him to explain his reasoning to her, he continued, "You said that you had to force Junketsu to obey you through sheer willpower, correct? If that is the case than it is safe to presume that it was never truly under your control. During your fight against Ryuko Matoi and then Ichigo Kurosaki, your willpower was enough to keep Junketsu in line. However…"

Iori trailed off and brought up the sole clip of her fight against Ichigo Kurosaki. As Satsuki watched him match her blow for blow, she couldn't help but admire his strength and conviction. To not only step in to stop her from finishing Matoi, but also fight against her with his life on the line required dedication few besides her had. Iori noticed Satsuki watching the clip and coughed gently to get her attention, "As you can plainly see, Ichigo Kurosaki pushed you beyond what you expected to face. Your battle against Ryuko Matoi required so little of your power that you didn't need to focus on the fight, allowing you to keep Junketsu in check. Once Ichigo Kurosaki stepped in and began matching you move for move, you began accessing more and more of Junketsu's power in order to keep up. Eventually…well, you know what happened."

"So what you're suggesting is that Ichigo Kurosaki pushed me beyond my limits?" Satsuki rhetorically asked. Leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes, Satsuki realized that made perfect sense. Nothing else could explain why Junketsu went berserk, "Is there anything you can do about it?"

"Not at the moment," Iori regretfully informed Satsuki, "My skills might be enough to create Goku Uniforms, but modifying a Kamui is far beyond my reach. If you are truly set on doing this, there is one person you could – "

"Don't finish that sentence," Satsuki warned Iori, a hint of venom evident in her voice. No matter what the case may be, she was never going to call _her_ in for help. As she pondered what to do, Satsuki's eyes widened as an idea hit her.

"Iori, is there any indication that Ichigo Kurosaki's Mugetsu was commissioned by Revocs or anyone associated with my mother?"

"I had Inumuta look into that as soon as it was discovered he had a Kamui. As far as we can tell, Revocs is just as determined to find the creator of Mugetsu as you are."

"I see…" Satsuki saw two paths in front of her, both of which involved choices she did not want to make. On one hand she could simply force Junketsu into submission using more and more of her willpower and mental tenacity. While that would be her nominal choice, the downside was that she would be forced to battle on two fronts, one against Junketsu and the other against her opponent. The other option would be to ask Ichigo Kurosaki for help, but that was completely out of the question. Without a shred of doubt in her mind, Satsuki knew the likelihood of Ichigo helping her was about the same as Nui Harime willingly giving her purple Scissor Blade to Matoi and allowing her to kill her.

"Unfortunately, our options on how to deal with this problem are limited at the moment," Satsuki folded her fingers in front of her face as she stared at Junketsu, "Continue working on improving the Goku Uniforms, Iori, and iron out any flaws or weaknesses you may find. I can control Junketsu for the immediate future without any problem."

"What about Ichigo Kurosaki?" Iori asked. As a loud ripping sound tore through the air, Iori and Satsuki saw that Junketsu had managed to pull a sleeve free and was in the process of escaping. Without even hesitating, he flicked his wrist and pinned the Kamui down with several large sewing pins.

"Ichigo Kurosaki will not do anything," Satsuki smirked, "As much as he cultivates the image of a punk or delinquent, he is much more complex than he appears. As long as I do not move against Ryuko Matoi or any of his friends, he will not lift a finger to fight me."

Satsuki had closed her eyes to think when a beeping noise disrupted the peace and quiet she was attempting to cultivate. Without opening her eyes, she reached for the cell phone in the breast pocket of her robe, "What is it Inumuta?"

Iori did not know what Satsuki was told, but it couldn't have been good news. He watched as the expression on her face shifted from annoyance to confusion before finally switching to anger.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked, her tone demanding an answer. Iori couldn't hear what the answer she received was, but it must have not been the one she wanted, "Very well then. Assemble the others."

Snapping the phone shut, Satsuki stared at the device in silence, causing Iori to ask, "Is there a problem, Lady Satsuki?"

"A new student showed up this morning," Satsuki answered as she walked towards the trapped Junketsu, "Inumuta was able to determine that she registered only two days ago, which is impossible without my express consent."

"You think she's a spy?"

"Or worse," Satsuki said bluntly as she prepared to release Junketsu and force it under her will once more.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo was trying to enjoy his lunch and perhaps have a peaceful moment at Honnouji Academy, but it appeared the fates were conspiring against him. Stalking up to him, visibly ticked off, was Ryuko. Stomping to a stop just in front of him, the scowl on her face matching his own, she scoffed at his attempt to avoid eye contact.<p>

"What's the big idea about this girl?" Ryuko demanded an answer from Ichigo. For the past hour, he had been avoiding the question like it was the plague. Despite the evidence that he knew her, Ururu even waved to him, Ichigo refused to say a word on the subject. As soon as class had let out, Ichigo bolted through the door so fast that Mako, who had been in his way, had been left behind dizzily spinning in circles.

"It's nothing," Ichigo 'tsked' and looked away, "Just drop the subject already."

"No!" Ryuko argued and folded her arms. She was going to get answers if it killed Ichigo, "Not until you explain how you know Ururu!"

"If you're so curious, then why don't you just ask her?" Ichigo argued. Trying to stand up, he harshly discovered Ryuko blocking his path.

"You don't think I've tried," Ryuko rolled her eyes and motioned with her head to the right. Sitting on one of the decorative chains wrapping around part of Honnouji Academy was Ururu merrily eating her lunch, "I've tried talking to her, but every time I do she just gives me a one or two word answer and then ignores me complicated."

Ichigo sighed and looked up at the sky, "It's complicated."

"Ichigo?"

Ryuko nearly jumped straight into the air as Ururu, who until a moment ago was sitting down and eating her lunch more than one hundred feet away, tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, thoroughly shocked at what just happened, Ryuko noticed Ururu was avoiding making eye contact with her.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"_**Ryuko…"**_ Senketsu's eye was trembling for some reason, _**"Her hand was freezing cold. Unless you want to wear a frozen Kamui, don't let her touch you again."**_

"Calm the hell down," Ichigo scolded Senketsu, but couldn't help but wonder on the Kamui's specific choice of words. Mugetsu had said nearly those exact words that night when that creepy girl had touched him. Ichigo was willing to assume it was just a coincidence, but he wasn't going to ignore it. Turning to Ururu, who had been patiently waiting for him to address her, he calmly asked, "What is it Ururu?"

"Umm…hold on a second," Ururu reached into her uniform, causing both Ichigo and Ryuko to cover their eyes. When it became clear that Ururu was simply reaching for something and not trying to undress, they hesitantly removed their hands to find Ururu holding a letter in her hand. Taking the letter from her, Ichigo looked it over in confusion.

"What is this?"

"Your dad said to give this to you," Ururu softly answered, "He also said not to take no for an answer."

"That old goat sent me a letter?" Ichigo was interested in what his dad could have possibly had the time to write, but he was mostly annoyed. Leave it to Isshin to get involved in his school life. Tearing open the letter, Ichigo began reading it, not noticing Ryuko subtly reading it over his shoulder.

_Ichigo, if you're reading this letter then you no doubt already know that I had Ururu enrolled at Honnouji Academy. Before you get annoyed or pissed off, know that it is just for your safety and protection. I mean, getting into a fight within the first week of school? That's embarrassing not just to you, but also to every Kurosaki! Your rampant disregard for social norms and rules will be death of me, so therefore I decided to have Ururu come to Honnouji. She really wasn't fitting well in Karakura High School so I thought it would be nice to her to be able to get a new start at a school where she might meet people more like her. Keep an eye on her, Ichigo, and don't forget that I am always watching you. Don't do anything stupid._

"That bastard!" Ichigo seethed. Just before he crumpled up the letter, he noticed something written on the back, "What the hell is this, a P.S.?"

_P.S. – Don't forget to watch your back, Ichigo. An old associate of mine has no doubt taken an interest in you and, knowing them, it is __not__ a good thing. So instead of giving you advice on what to do and not to do, I'm just going to place my faith in you. Don't screw up. After all, it's not like the fate of the world is riding on your shoulders or anything. Oh! And don't forget to find a girlfriend. I don't want to continue making excuses about your sexual orientation like I do with Uryu._

_~ Isshin Kurosaki, #1 Dad_

"Even when giving good advice he still manages to sound like a complete moron," Ichigo groaned and turned to Ururu, "So did my dad tell you anything?"

"Yes," Ururu gazed off to the side for a moment before continuing, "He said that while I should have a fun time and enjoy the school year, I should also protect you. Don't be mad Ichigo, but your dad said you were a 'no-good hooligan who could use some help in straightening his life out.'"

"Damn that bastard," Ichigo cursed and, noticing Ururu looking upset, sighed and said, "I'm not mad at you Ururu. That old goat is always dragging people into his business."

"Ryuko! Ichigo! New Girl!"

Ichigo and Ryuko turned to find Mako Mankanshoku running towards them with a wide smile on her face. She would have been frantically waving at them if it weren't for the fact that Shinjiro Nagita was riding on her shoulders and laughing his ass off.

"Salutations Ichigo and Ryuko!" Shinjiro waved at them, "Are you enjoying this fine autumn day?"

"Shinjiro and Mako together…" Ryuko deadpanned and looked at Ichigo, who was sporting a similar expression, "How is it that he is your friend again?"

"I don't know," Ichigo shook his head in frustration, "I'm more curious about where he was yesterday. One moment he's on me like glue and the next he's just gone. It's highly annoying."

"Don't be mean to Shinjiro!" Mako slid on her knees between Ryuko and Ichigo, "He's just doing the best job that he can given his limitations!" Making a motion of typing and sporting a clear visor, Mako continued ranting, "Reporting isn't easy! It takes time and dedication! Both of which normal people do not have in abundance! That makes Shinjiro a superhero!"

As Mako struck a familiar pose, Ryuko tried to stop her before her rant reached critical mass, "Mako, I don't think you understand what we're talking about."

"She doesn't, but I certainly do!" To Ichigo and Ryuko's collective horror, Shinjiro had joined in on Mako's soliloquy. Holding out his pad and pencil, a bright purple light shining behind him, he continued, "A reporter's task in life is to go where the story is, not where it's safe! While you may have thought I was ditching you during your epic battle against Satsuki Kiryuin, I was actually knee-deep in a story!" Shinjiro made a motion of hiding under a cardboard box that randomly appeared, "There I was, hiding from the Disciplinary Committee as they tried to silence me when I stumbled upon a bewildering sight! Walking passed me was a woman carrying a strangely shaped purple weapon."

"What!" Ryuko grabbed him and began shaking him frantically, "What did you see?"

Pulling free from Ryuko's grasp, Shinjiro coughed and continued, taking a moment to remember where he left off, "So there I was, hiding beneath a cardboard box like some sort of spy, when a woman with a purple sword walked by. While I was unable to see her face, I noticed that she was wearing an entirely white outfit boots that went up to her thighs.

"Satsuki Kiryuin!" Ryuko growled and slammed her fist into the table, "I knew it was her who killed my dad!"

"_**This is awfully convenient Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu warned.

"Yeah, I know." It was suspicious as hell that Shinjiro would just so happen to run into someone with a purple Scissor Blade, but also pin the blame on someone that could only be Satsuki. Still, despite all that Ichigo couldn't see what his angle was. Could Shinjiro be a spy for Satsuki and was simply trying to lead Ryuko astray or perhaps he actually _did_ see the woman. Ichigo was leaning towards the former.

"Oh!" Mako gasped as she finally noticed Ururu. Grabbing the girl's hands and holding them to her chest, Mako gazed at Ichigo with wonder, "Ichigo, I didn't know you knew the new student! Would you like to be my friend Ururu?"

"Friend?" Ururu let Mako's question sink in deeply before nodding, "Yes. I would."

"Yay!" Mako leapt into the air in joy, "Mako Mankanshoku has made her fourth friend in two weeks. A new personal best!"

"Ichigo," Ururu let go of Mako's hands and turned towards him, "You dad told me that it would be nice if I were to spar with you. When do you want to get started?"

If Ryuko were to guess what Ichigo's reaction would be to Ururu's perfectly innocuous question, she would have guessed something along the lines of politely declining Ururu's offer. She, nor anyone else, expected Ichigo to back up in fear.

"Nope! No way!" Ichigo shouted as backed away from Ururu, "There's no way in hell I'm going to fight you again!"

"Really?" Ururu looked dejected, "But I brought my safety gear with me."

"That means nothing!" Ichigo pointed a finger accusingly at Ururu. Ryuko, who was confused about what was happening, noticed that Ururu didn't seem to be overly upset about Ichigo's rampant denial, "I haven't forgotten what you did to me last time Ururu, or shall I call you Little Miss Muffet? You nearly killed me with your freakish strength!"

"Nearly killed you?" Ryuko was now serious confused. There was no way that Ururu, who looked delicate enough to blow away in a strong breeze, was powerful enough to beat up Ichigo. Scratching her cheek and gazing suspiciously at Ururu, she asked, "Are you sure you're not making this up. Ururu doesn't look like she could hurt anyone."

"I'm stronger than I look," Ururu informed Ryuko before giving a small punch accompanied by a cute grunt.

"Nuh uh!" Mako crossed her arms in front of her body before reaching forward and hugging Ururu, "There is no way Ururu is a monstrous killing machine! Ichigo is just scared of fighting a girl! Isn't that right Shinjiro? Shinjiro?"

Ever since he noticed her, Shinjiro had been staring at Ururu, looking as if he was trying to recognize her from somewhere. When he noticed Mako calling out to him, he blinked and shifted his focus, "Oh, sorry Mako. I was just so entranced by Ururu that I lost track of time!"

"It's ok!" Mako nodded and pumped her fist, "Ururu entranced me as well!"

Ichigo looked back and forth before saying to Mako, "I bet you don't even know what entranced means."

"I do too," Mako defended vehemently, "It means not being conned into a crime by a policeman!"

"That's entrapment, Mako," Ryuko corrected. She couldn't understand how Mako could confuse those two words, "Anyway, I don't think – "

"We meet again, Ichigo Kurosaki, and far sooner than I anticipated."

"Satsuki Kiryuin…" Ryuko seethed as Satsuki, followed closely behind by her Elite Four, strolled towards them. Ignoring the throngs of students running away, bowing respectively or even doing both at the same time, Ryuko stood her ground defiantly, "Couldn't wait for our rematch, could you?"

Pointedly ignoring Ryuko, a small smirk appearing on her face when Ryuko became even angrier, Satsuki turned to address Ichigo more casually, "I must thank you for your help yesterday."

"Thank me?" Ichigo never would have guessed those words would grace Satsuki's lips, "For what?"

"If you hadn't fought me so valiantly yesterday, I would never have been able to discover where my current limitation is. It is due to your actions that I now know how far I can push myself and what I must do to improve. Do not assume our next fight will end with the same result."

"What makes you even think I'm going to fight you again?" Ichigo countered, catching a bit of surprise in Satsuki's expression, "I have no intention of ever fighting you again. Yesterday was just a one-time thing! Besides, I don't think someone like you would come all the way down here just to offer me a simple thank you. If you really wanted to do that, you could have just sent one of your henchmen with the message."

"Who are you calling henchmen?" Nonon Jakuzure squeaked, stamping her foot down several times in anger, "We are the Elite Four of Honnouji Academy! Who the hell do you think you are to demean us as such? I'm going to kick your ass, Strawberry!"

"Strawberry?" Ichigo sneered at Jakuzure, "Look who's calling the kettle black."

"What did you say?" Jakuzure shouted, "That's it! I'm going to kick your – "

"Do not fret, Jakuzure," Satsuki raised her hand calmly and while Nonon stopped what she was saying, she was still visibly angry with Ichigo, "Ichigo Kurosaki does have a point, after all. My purpose for coming here was not to engage in ideal chatter." Turning to Ururu, who had been talking with Mako for the last few minutes, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Ururu Tsumugiya," Ururu bowed respectfully to Satsuki.

"Indeed…" Satsuki's eyes narrowed before she snapped her fingers, "Sanageyama."

"Right, right," Uzu Sanageyama scratched the back of his neck as he stepped forward. Reaching for the bamboo sword strapped to the back of his Goku Uniform, he went over the plan Satsuki had told him just minutes before. He was to confront Ururu and determine who she really was. Satsuki did not like the fact that Ururu enrolled without her knowledge. Ichigo Kurosaki was something she could prepare for, given that she had three weeks before the year started to enact plans and preparations. She had nothing on Ururu and needed more information. That was where he came in.

"Look," Sanageyama sighed. He had problems fighting little girls, apart from Jakuzure of course. Say about him what you will, but Sanageyama was no bully. Investigating Ururu with his keen eyes, looking for any sign of a weapon or something, Sanageyama couldn't figure out what it was about Ururu that interested Satsuki so much. Still, he couldn't refuse a direct order, "I really don't want to fight you, so why don't you just do us all a favor and tell us who you really are?"

"Who I really am?" Ururu's eyes rolled upwards as she pondered the question. She knew who she was, and even told them, so why were they asking again? She couldn't understand the question, so she answered as truthfully as possible, "My name is Ururu."

Sanageyama let out a deep breath and glanced back at Satsuki. When he saw her subtly nod, he groaned and pulled out his bamboo sword, "I guess we have to do this the hard way."

"Picking on a new student just because she knows Ichigo? That's low, even for you, Satsuki Kiryuin!" Ryuko growled angrily and reached towards the pin on her Seki Tekko. Even if she had just met Ururu, Ryuko was not about to just sit back and allow her to get hurt.

"_Such naïveté,"_ Satsuki didn't know if Ryuko was simply ignorant of the world outside of her revenge or just ignorant in general. As much as Ryuko paints her as a heartless and ruthless leader who would gladly sacrifice her followers to win, in reality she had no intention of Sanageyama attacking Ururu. Satsuki had her suspicions about who Ururu truly was, but after the debacle involving Ichigo and his Kamui, which she had no knowledge of until he exposed Mugetsu to her, she was not about to make assumptions.

Before Ryuko could pull out the pin and activate Senketsu, she found a firm grip around her wrist stopping her. Following the arm and noticing that it was Ichigo, she was about to argue when she noticed a familiar look in his eyes. She had seen the look before, and it could only mean that Ichigo knew something about Ururu that she didn't.

"Don't," he warned, "Just watch. You'll understand just how strong Ururu is in a few moments."

"Get ready to taste my bamboo sword!" Sanageyama shouted as he ran towards Ururu. Despite his bluster and seemingly crazy attitude, Sanageyama had no intention of harming Ururu besides a few light taps on her body. He had practiced long enough with his Blade Regalia to stop his bamboo swords within an inch of a target. This meant he could swing his blade so quickly that the untrained eye couldn't follow it only to give his target a light tap on the head.

Sanageyama expected a few things to happen, ranging from Ururu attempting to dodge his blade all the way to taking a full hit without reacting. He never in his wildest dreams anticipated her simply reaching up and grabbing his bamboo blade out of the air in the palm of her hand.

Ururu looked down at the bamboo sword in her hand that Sanageyama was struggling to remove from her grip, "Why did you attack me?"

The calm way that Ururu asked him greatly disturbed Sanageyama. At that moment he knew that he had gotten in over his head against an opponent far stronger than himself. Before he could think of a plan to free his bamboo sword, Ururu gently squeezed her hand and shattered it into splinters of wood. As Sanageyama tried to rationalize what just happened, Ururu raised her hand and gently flicked him on the forehead, causing him to go tumbling backwards along the ground.

"Holy crap!" Ryuko shouted in shock. She was not the only one that was stunned at Ururu's superhuman strength. Satsuki and her Elite Four were of similar mind, which Gamagori's mouth hanging wide open and Inumuta frantically typing on his PDA in an attempt to find a logical source of Ururu's strength.

"That's Ururu for you," Ichigo sighed and rubbed his temple. Leave it to Ururu to complicate his life without even meaning to. He just hoped she had matured enough to not go into what he dubbed her 'killer mode' and pulverize Sanageyama into dust.

"How could a girl like that be so strong?" Ryuko, who was no lightweight herself when it came to fighting, paled in comparison to Ururu. Ignoring Mako, who was still entranced by Ururu, and Shinjiro, who was watching the fight almost religiously, she noticed Ichigo wasn't even shocked. In fact, he looked like he had seen this all before.

"I told you she was strong," he repeated in a half-bored tone, "You didn't believe me. Now if you don't mind, I have to stop Ururu before she kills Sanageyama."

Across the courtyard, picking himself off the ground, Sanageyama was beginning to think attacking Ururu was a mistake. How could someone that small and introverted have such phenomenal strength? He couldn't figure out where she was getting her power and to top it all off, Ururu had shattered his bamboo sword. Pushing himself back onto his feet, Sanageyama reached towards the collar of his Goku Uniform. Satsuki may have ordered him not to use his Blade Regalia, but if he didn't do something, there was a high chance that Ururu was going to kill him.

"I didn't want to have to use this," he muttered, "But you left me no – "

Sanageyama found himself brutally and painfully cut off as Ururu basically teleported over one hundred feet and grabbed him by his neck before lifting him off the ground with a single hand.

"I'm sorry, but you are a threat," Ururu informed Sanageyama sadly as her hand squeezed down tighter on his throat. As Sanageyama struggled to both breath and free himself from her grasp, Ururu pulled her left arm back and clenched her hand into a fist. She didn't want to have to end the fight like this, but Sanageyama had attacked her without provocation. Letting him leave would be dangerous in the long run, "Goodbye."

"That's enough, Ururu! Let him go!"

Ururu tilted her head to look at Ichigo, who was walking towards her. Lowering her fist slightly, but continuing to hold Sanageyama aloft in the air, she said, "But Ichigo…"

"I know he attacked you," Ichigo said as he approached her, "But you know he couldn't have hurt you even if he tried. Put Sanageyama down."

"Ok…" Ururu stared at the ground sadly. She hadn't even been at Honnouji Academy a day and she's already messed everything up. She wanted to leave what happened at Karakura High School behind her, but it seemed that no matter where she went, she always let those around her down. Releasing her grip on Sanageyama's neck, allowing him to collapse onto the ground in a breathless heap, tears began welling up in her eyes. She was just about to cry when Ururu felt a hand patting the top of her head.

"There's no reason to cry," Ichigo consoled her gently, "Granted, you kicked Sanageyama's ass pretty badly, but I don't think you did anything wrong."

Ichigo had experience dealing with this sort of thing. Karin may bottle up her emotions and act like the only adult in the family, but Yuzu always wore her emotions on her sleeves. Even though Ururu might have freakish strength and be able to kick his ass, she was still just a fifteen-year-old girl.

Feeling slightly better now that she knew Ichigo wasn't angry with her, Ururu noticed Sanageyama on the ground and began apologizing profusely, "I'm really sorry about what I did to you."

"Err…I…uh…" Sanageyama didn't know what to say to be honest. One moment he was getting his ass kicked by a girl and the next she was apologizing for kicking his ass. Sanageyama was confused as hell, so he said the only thing that came to mind, "…It's not a problem."

Ichigo would have turned and left with Ururu at that point if he didn't find his way blocked by Satsuki, who was staring alternatively between Ururu and himself.

"That was impressive, Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki didn't know how he managed to make Ururu stop, but somehow he had control over her. For a time Satsuki was convinced that she would have to intervene to stop Ururu from killing Sanageyama, but to her surprise, and interest, Ichigo was not only able to make Ururu stop but also apologize for her actions. Satsuki was getting more and more interested in Ichigo Kurosaki, "I suppose saving Sanageyama's life puts me in your debt?"

"No, it doesn't," Ichigo looked to the side and noticed Ryuko making her way towards him followed closely by Mako and Shinjiro. He had a feeling that he was going to have to explain what just happened in far more detail than he would have liked, "Saving someone's life shouldn't require being paid. I stepped in and stopped Ururu before she could seriously hurt Sanageyama because it was the right thing to do. There is no more to it."

As he began walking away with Ururu, he asked, "Did my old man say anything else to you?"

"Uh huh," Ururu nodded as she followed closely behind him, "But he said not to tell you anything since it would ruin his big plan."

Ichigo's shoulders slumped, "Of course that bastard would say something like that…"

Satsuki watched Ichigo leave with a puzzled look on her face. Just when she thought she was beginning to understand how Ichigo Kurosaki thought, he comes and proves her wrong. Sheathing Bakuzan back in its scabbard, she glanced down at Sanageyama, who was sitting on the ground recovering his strength.

"Did you learn anything from your defeat, Sanageyama?"

"Yeah," Sanageyama nodded and laid on his back, "Don't go picking fights with little girls unless I want to get my ass kicked. Did you get everything that who needed?"

"Yes. Your assistance was invaluable in collecting data about Ururu Tsumugiya, although I must apologize. I had not expected her to possess such strength or speed. If I had known, I would have given you permission to use your Blade Regalia from the very beginning."

"I have a question, Lady Satsuki," Still on his back, Sanageyama turned his head towards where Ichigo was arguing with Ryuko Matoi about something. Watching Ryuko throw her hands up into the air in defeat, he asked, "That girl, Ururu, is she the one that you warned me about?"

She shook her head, "She is not, but that only makes her more dangerous. Ururu Tsumugiya is a very dangerous variable, even more so than Ichigo Kurosaki or Matoi. Fortunately for us, she seems to have no inclination to stand against us."

"She looks up to Ichigo though," Sanageyama remembered how easily Ichigo had saved his life, "Couldn't he, you know, order her to attack you?"

"If there is one thing about Ichigo," Satsuki smiled softly and Sanageyama failed to notice that she had dropped Ichigo's last name, "It is that he is honorable. His saving of your life shows that he is someone that does not throw away lives callously. If he was, he would have simply stood back and allowed Ururu to finish you off."

"Yeah," Sanageyama popped off the ground with a groan and felt several of his bones creak, "So what's the plan now?"

"For now we do nothing," Satsuki turned and began walking back towards the academy, "Tomorrow is No-Late Day. I need you to help Gamagori set up the athletic obstacles. With the inclusion of Ichigo and Matoi, I think we'll need to up the difficulty of the course this year to weed out the weak from the strong."


	13. Chapter 13: Disco Inferno

_*Well, here is Chapter 13. You might notice this chapter is slightly longer than the last one, which is a good thing. _I've reached over 60,000 views! That is the most any of my stories have reached and now I'm hoping to make 100,000.__

_*To be honest, I found writing the No-Late parts of this chapter to be incredibly boring, which is why I condensed all of Episode 4 into this chapter. Of course everything ends quite a bit differently than in canon, which is a good thing!  
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_*At the end of this chapter you will find the first of my omake segments titled "Kamui Tales." Expect nothing that is told in them to be canon. They are here just to be funny or to break the fourth wall. That is all._

_*Also, check out **Kill el Kitsune** by The Swordslinger. It is probably one of the only good Naruto / Kill la Kill crossovers on the site and I highly recommend that you read it. You won't be disappointed._

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><p><strong>Chapter 13 – Disco Inferno<strong>

Ichigo opened his eyes and immediately felt as if he had gone ten rounds with Zaraki Kenpachi.

Pulling himself out of bed, he yawned and looked out the window as he remembered what was so special that he had to get up before the crack of dawn. When Satsuki Kiryuin gathered all the students yesterday afternoon and announced that today was No-Late Day, Ichigo had immediately thought she was joking. That line of thought had quickly ended when Gamagori stepped forth and proceeded to bellow out directions on where to go and when to be there by.

"What the hell is wrong with this place?" Ichigo groaned and stood up. Whoever thought it was a great idea to have No-Stars, which he technically was one of, race through an obstacle course for a chance at a One-Star Goku Uniform was insane.

Glancing at his clock and seeing that it was nearly three in the morning, Ichigo grumbled and cursed Gamagori one more time before shuffled past a slumbering Mugetsu, a snot bubble expanding and contracting every few seconds from just below her collar, and into his kitchen.

Flicking on the lights, Ichigo's eyes took a moment to adjust to the abrupt change in brightness. Once he was able to see, he went to grab a bowl, passing by a smiling Nui Harime, who was watching him with a single blue eye full of mirth. In his tired state of mind it took Ichigo a moment, but after a few seconds he put together what he just saw. Quickly turning around towards where he had seen Nui, he frowned when he found the spot where he had been sure she was standing completely empty.

"It's too early in the morning for this crap," Ichigo muttered. He must be more tired than he thought if he was seeing things that weren't there. Shrugging it off, he opened his refrigerator and pulled out the carton of milk. As he turned around and kicked the door shut, Ichigo caught out of the corner of his eye Nui Harime lying on top of his fridge, her legs kicking aimlessly in the air and her chin propped on her hand.

Ichigo managed to take several steps before he quickly spun around and once again noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'm losing it," Ichigo looked around his room, his eyes focusing intently on the various shadows in search of something, anything, that might explain what he was seeing. After more than a minute of fruitlessly searching for Nui, he gave up and sat down to hopefully enjoy his breakfast before leaving to go take part in the stupid No-Late Day.

"Do you really need to participate in No-Late Day?" Nui Harime asked from right next to Ichigo, "After all, it's not as if Satsuki can do anything to you."

"Ryuko and Mako are there, so I might as well go," Ichigo answered before his mind could inform his mouth that there shouldn't be anyone talking to him, "I don't trust…Satsuki…to…"

With his spoon held frozen in midair, Ichigo slowly turned his head and saw a smiling Nui inches from his face, "_Bonjour_ Ichigo!"

"Gah!" Ichigo fell out of his chair. From on the ground, he pointed at Nui, who was watching him in amusement, and shouted, "How did you get in here?"

"Gosh you're silly!" Nui bobbed her head back and forth as she briefly pondered Ichigo's obvious question, "I can go wherever I want, and no one can stop me!"

"That's nice," Ichigo growled as he regained his composure. What was with people breaking into his room to talk to him? It started with Rukia right after he obtained her shinigami powers, then the rest of the shinigami and now he had this blonde haired girl smiling at him. How long had she been in his room waiting for him to awaken? Both his door and windows were locked, which meant she had gotten in without taking the obvious ways. Standing back on his feet, "But get the hell out of my room before I call the Disciplinary Committee…I can't believe I just said that."

"Why should I leave?" Nui stood on toes of her feet and leaned forward to stare more closely at Ichigo, a smug smile on her face, "It's not like I did anything wrong. Besides, those sticks in the mud will never be able to do anything to me. You should know that by now, Ichigo!"

As much as he wanted to think otherwise, the girl had a point. From both her display of strength the other night and her ability to break into his room without getting caught, it was clear she was not someone to screw around with. Deciding to find out what she wanted, he sighed and asked, "So what do you want with me?"

"There's no rush to talk," Nui twirled around and took a few steps away from him, "But if you must know, I decided to come and check up on you. I saw your fight against Satsuki was and was very impressed. Simply _incroyable_. But enough about that! I came here to tell you that I was not the one that attacked Kisuke Urahara._"_

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as Nui basically admitted to knowing Kisuke, "How do you know about him?"

Nui smiled and propped a fist against her cheek, "You ask me such silly questions, Ichigo, but I like that you go directly to the point! Do I look like someone that can take down a fully grown man?"

"Yes."

"La vie est drôle!" Nui slid forward until she was leaning inches from Ichigo's face, "That is so untrue! While I am strong, I couldn't possibly have killed Kisuke Urahara. I was far too busy keeping an eye on you."

Ichigo's blood froze in his veins, "What?"

Nui smiled as she saw the gears in Ichigo's head click into place. He was quite smart, so she knew he would eventually figure out what she meant. That was one of the things she liked about him. Clapping her hands behind her back, she puffed out her cheeks, "I already told you that we're family, so it makes sense that I would check up on you, right? Of course I couldn't get too close, but I made sure to watch you when you were at school, out with your friends, walking your sisters home…I've seen it all."

"But that just makes you even more interesting!" Nui continued, ignoring Ichigo's shocked face. Raising a single finger in front of her lips, she whispered, "So perhaps it is time that I introduced myself. They call me Nui Harime, but let's keep that our little secret. If people find out I'm here, then I'm going to have to start killing them to keep my secret safe. You don't want the deaths of some humans on your hands, do you Ichigo?"

Ichigo went to say something when the door to his dorm, for the second time in less than a week, was blasted off its hinges. Standing in the smoking frame with her fist extended out from her body, was Ururu Tsumugiya.

Ichigo stared at the black haired girl in confusion. How had she known he was in trouble or, better yet, where he lived, "Ururu? What are you doing here?"

Clad in a standard No-Star uniform, Ururu never took her eyes off of Nui as she answered, "I sensed that you were in danger. I came as soon as quickly as I could."

"That super impossible!" Nui smiled menacingly at Ururu, "There's no way that you could have sensed I was here. I made sure of that long before introducing myself to Ichigo."

"You can say whatever you want," Ururu stood protectively in front of Ichigo as she answered, "But I was able to sense something wrong with Ichigo."

"Wait just one second," Ichigo mentally calculated how far away the One-Star Residential District where Ururu was staying was from his dorm. Coming to a conclusion that didn't make much sense, he asked, "How did you manage to get here so fast?"

"Please don't doubt my abilities, Ichigo," Ururu scolded, which was a weird turn of events for Ichigo coming from the usually meek girl.

"It doesn't matter how strong or fast you are!" Nui cheerfully pointed out, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. Giggling softly with her single eye closed in mirth, she moved forward to touch Ichigo and prove her point, "After all, you're just a naked ape! You cannot even touch – "

There had been exactly eleven times in Nui's life that she had been truthfully shocked at a turn of events and not just trolling with people's emotions. Being tricked by Isshin Matoi into taking his Scissor Blade and losing an eye in the process was one of those times. Another was Kisuke Urahara distracting her long enough for someone to take the Kamui he was working on from his shop. The most shocking turn of events was that time when…actually that was a story for another time! The important thing is that what was currently happening to her raised that total to twelve.

"How odd…" Nui glanced at the hand clasped around her wrist in confusion. Her hand, which was inches from Ichigo's heart, was held firmly within Ururu's grasp. Attempting to pull herself free, quite an easy feat for someone like her, Nui found to her continuing interest that she couldn't do so.

"Please do not touch Ichigo," Ururu said gently, but Ichigo could detect the threat in the shy girl's tone, "If you continue to try and do so, I cannot guarantee your safety."

"That's so cute of you!" Nui beamed as she tried to pull her arm free, this time with more force, only to find Ururu's hand still firmly gripping her arm. How fascinating! Nui didn't know who Ururu was or where she came from, but after the events of the last two days, she really wanted to find out more about her, "You can actually restrain me, if only for a little bit. How strong of a human are you, anyway?"

"Strong enough to stop you," Ururu replied evenly, squeezing down on Nui's wrist with enough pressure to break a normal person's femur. If she was feeling any pain or discomfort from the pressure, the Grand Couturier was skilled at hiding it.

"Stop me you say?" Nui hummed to herself as she thought about what to do. Going with the easy route, she smiled and stuck out her tongue, "Stop me from doing what? I haven't done anything to Ichigo. All I came to do was introduce myself to my cousin! If anyone should be stopped, it should be you. I'm not the one threatening to kill someone."

"You're wrong," Ururu answered calmly. Without giving away any indications, her leg snapped out as she tried to kick Nui. The Grand Couturier's single blue eye widened in surprise as he attack approached her face before she spun cartoonishly over Ururu's leg, freeing herself in the process.

"How fun!" Nui flipped backwards and landed delicately on her feet near the entrance to Ichigo's dorm. With the same cutesy smile plastered on her face as always, she looked directly at Ururu, "I do hope we meet again, I look forward to crushing each and every hope and dream you have for interfering in my conversation with Ichigo! Goodbye Ichigo! I got things to do so don't be a stranger!"

Ichigo watched as Nui strolled out of his room, her giggles quickly fading away as she went. Waiting a moment before deciding to move, he ran to the door and stuck his head out only to find the hallway completely deserted.

"Where the hell did she go?" he asked himself. There was only one way up to his room, and that was the elevator at the far end of the hall. There was no way that Nui Harime, or whoever that girl was, could have made it to the elevator and left in the few seconds between leaving the room and Ichigo sticking his head outside.

"Damn," he cursed and leaned back inside his room. There was something off about the way Nui Harime moved and talked. The way she called Ururu a human implied that Nui was anything but one. Damn, why did he have to come to Honnouji Academy and complicate his life so much? Turning to walk back inside, Ichigo stopped and stared when he saw Ururu sitting at his table eating the bowl of cereal he had prepared for himself. When she saw him staring at her, Ururu mumbled a simple excuse with her mouth still full of food.

"I was hungry."

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo waved off Ururu's comment and went to make himself another bowl. Sitting down at the table across from Ururu, he asked the question that had been bugging him ever since she showed up, "How did you know Nui was here?"

Ururu lowered the spoon in her hand before answering, "I don't know. I just remember waking up and feeling that you were in trouble."

"There's something off about Nui," Ichigo concurred, "Usually I can get a sense of a person's motives or feelings, but I got nothing from Nui. It's almost as if she doesn't have a reason for doing anything."

"I don't like her Ichigo," Ururu mumbled, "Stay away from her."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Ichigo sat back in his chair and sighed. Someone he just knew he was going to fight Nui someday, and at his current level he wasn't sure he could beat her even with Mugetsu's help. He needed to figure out a way to get stronger, but without his spiritual powers he had no idea on how to proceed. As an idea sprang to mind, Ichigo paused momentarily before asking, "If it came down to it, could you defeat Nui?"

"I…don't know," Ururu's gaze was cast downwards as she answered, "I was unable to tell much from her movements, but she was holding back a lot of her strength."

"That's what I figured," Ichigo would have said more, but he was distracted when sirens began going off in the distance. Freezing up as he realized what was happening, he looked at the clock and saw that it was almost ten minutes to four. Cursing as he leapt to his feet, Ichigo frantically began running around the dorm.

"Damn it! I'm going to be late!"

"Ichigo…"

"Oh man, I still haven't brushed my teeth or taken a shower or…"

"Um…Ichigo?"

"Huh?" Ichigo turned to Ururu, who had been calling his name, "What is it Ururu?"

"Um…" Ururu pressed two of her fingers together nervously, "I can get you down to the starting line in less then five minutes."

"You can? That's great!" Ichigo, still clad in a pair of pajamas and a white t-shirt, began heading to his bedroom to retrieve Mugetsu, "Just let me get – "

He was cut off as Ururu grabbed him and proceeded to leap out of his window into the early morning Honnou City air, but not before spinning around and kicking his door back into place. For the rest of the day, the various One and Two-Star students, still asleep in their own beds, would say that they had the same dream of someone screaming in fear.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Sitting on the guitar case holding her red Scissor Blade, Ryuko looked at Mako in confusion as she explained the concept of No-Late Day, "No-Late Day? What the hell is that?"<p>

Mako took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer, but was stopped as a spiked ship exploded out from behind some nearby houses. Ryuko and Mako watched in awe as it sailed directly over their heads before crashing to the ground on the other side of the street. Standing with his arms crossed in front of his massive chest and laughing manically the entire time, Ira Gamagori was completely unperturbed as he literally crushed dozens of people underfoot.

"I notice that you are confused by what is happening, Ryuko Matoi! Shall I give you a hint?"

"Oh it's you, that Elite Four jerk…" Ryuko stared daggers as Gamagori smirked down at her, "Gamagori bastard, right?"

"Hold your tongue, Ryuko Matoi!" Gamagori shouted angrily as Ryuko referred to him by Ichigo Kurosaki's insulting nickname, "I am Ira Gamagori, Disciplinary Committee Chair and a member of Honnouji Academy's Elite Four! You will do well to remember that!"

"Great, I know your name now," Ryuko yawned into her hand. No one should be forced to get up at four in the morning, "So why don't you just skip the introductions and explain No-Late Day already."

"Humph, very well then," Gamagori snapped his fingers and immediately one of the One-Star students lined up behind him handed Gamagori a megaphone. Turning it on and facing Ryuko, he began shouting so loudly that Ryuko and Mako's hair was being blown back, "No-Late Day is an event that occurs once a semester here at Honnouji Academy! In order to combat the rising tide of slackiness amongst you No-Star students, the Disciplinary Committee springs various surprises and obstacles to whip you into shape!"

"Slackiness?" Ryuko scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, "That's not even a real word."

"Yes it is!" Gamagori shouted indignantly and held out a small brown booklet, "If it is printed in the Honnouji Academy Disciplinary Guidebook, it must be the truth!"

"You wrote that, didn't you?" Upon receiving a nod of affirmation from Gamagori, Ryuko grinned, "So you're saying you didn't know slackiness wasn't a word when you wrote it?"

"Enough!" Gamagori shouted into the megaphone loudly enough to cause several nearby students to be blown away, "I will not stand for such slander from a slacker like you, Matoi! One more outburst from you and you will be immediately expelled! Am I clear?"

"Whatever," Ryuko sat down and waved dismissively, "Just get on with it already."

Gamagori narrowed his eyes, "At 4 AM, the sirens placed throughout the slums will go off, signaling the start of No-Late Day. All No-Star students are required to evade the various traps that have been built with all the technology available to the Disciplinary Committee and make it to Honnouji Academy before the first period bell rings at 8:30 AM! If they happen to be late, they are immediately expelled. What do you think of – WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING, RYUKO MATOI?"

Finally noticing Ryuko clad in extremely tight and form-fitting orange pajamas with white bunny head print, Gamagori shouted, "What kind of slacker outfit are you wearing?"

"What?" Ryuko looked down and immediately blushed and futilely attempted to cover herself, "My Kamui's being washed at the moment! It'll be dropped off any minute now!"

"Excuses! Excuses!" Gamagori declared bombastically, "All I hear from your slacker mouth are excuses, Ryuko Matoi! Attempting to go to school in such a slovenly outfit is degrading to woman everywhere, not to mention a mortal insult to Lady Satsuki! MORTAL INSULT!"

"Ah! Is it though?"

Gamagori took a step back in shock as Mako Mankanshoku seemingly vanished from where she was standing next to Ryuko and reappeared in front of him. As he looked around for any sign of how she did that, Mako puffed her cheeks out and began explaining.

"Ryuko can't get blamed for anything because she was asleep until only a couple of minutes ago! It makes perfect sense for someone sleeping to wear pajamas. That shouldn't be something to laugh at! Don't you wear pajamas when you go to sleep, Gamagori?"

Gamagori coughed nervously, "Uh…no, I sleep in the nude."

Mako wagged a finger at an embarrassed Gamagori, "You shouldn't do that! If you sleep in the buff, you'll be sure to catch all kinds of illnesses. If you were to get sick, then how would you be able to work to your full potential in an emergency such as a war, meteor impact or alien invasion? Please be sure to wear pajamas like a normal person when you sleep!"

Gamagori stared down at the much shorter Mako, "Tell me, what is your name?"

"I am Mako Mankanshoku! My favorite pair of pajamas has one Mt. Fuji, two hawks, and three eggplants printed on them!"

"You say you're Mankanshoku? I'll be sure to remember that in the future," Gamagori nodded sagely before turning his ire back to Ryuko, "Matoi! What you're wearing right now doesn't concern me anymore, but do you think you can reach the academy without the help of your Kamui?"

"I don't know." Ryuko grumbled sarcastically, "Do you think you can ask a question without sounding like a complete asshole?"

Gamagori's eyes glowed with a malevolent yellow light, "Such arrogance! As a member of the Disciplinary Committee I will not stand for such slander! Prepare yourself, Ryuko Matoi, for…wait a second, where is Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Even with the variety of different colored hair in the crowd of No-Star students, Gamagori could not find the annoyingly familiar crop of orange. This was not according to plan. Lady Satsuki had expressively said that Ichigo Kurosaki had to participate in No-Late Day. His absence would jeopardize her, and by proxy his own, plans. Folding his arms menacingly, he glared down at the still oblivious Ryuko and asked, "Why is Ichigo Kurosaki not here?"

"What I am, his keeper?" Ryuko yawned and scratched her cheek, "Why do you care if Ichigo's not here? I thought you were looking for an excuse to expel him?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki will be expelled, have no doubt in your mind about that!" Gamagori hastily came up with an excuse. He found himself feeling quite proud of his imagination as he continued, "But being expelled in such a matter is unbecoming of someone like him. When Ichigo Kurosaki is to be expelled, it shall be a momentous occasion at the hands of Lady Satsuki, with the entirety of Honnouji Academy in attendance! Tell Ichigo Kurosaki to get here pronto!"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Ryuko asked sarcastically while motioning to her pajamas, "I don't have Senketsu and like hell I have a cell phone."

Gamagori was saved from having to come up with another excuse when he caught of glint of something in the sky. His eyes narrowing in confusion, he raised a hand to his forehead, "What in blue blazes…"

His comment was cut short as something flew downwards and crashed into the ground directly in front of the ship he was on, causing Gamagori to wobble as he tried to keep his balance. As the smoke cleared, Ururu calmly walked out and saluted him, "Ururu Tsumugiya, reporting for duty."

"Oh god…" Ichigo held his head as he stumbled out of the crater. With the world spinning around him, all he wanted to do was go back to bed, "Note to self – don't accept Ururu's offer to help ever again."

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Gamagori stared at the orange haired youth with what could not be confused with anything but satisfaction, "You are just in time for the start of No-Late Day. I was beginning to think you were too scared to show your face. Now then, let us…where is your Kamui?"

Ichigo glanced down at his attire before pointing a thumb at an oblivious Ururu, "You can blame her for this. She dragged me out of my room before I was able to get dressed. For what possible reason would I want to go out looking like this?"

Much like Ryuko had been dragged out of Mako's house while Senketsu was getting cleaned, Ichigo had been forced to attend No-Late Day without the help of Mugetsu, who was probably still asleep in his room. But while Ryuko was clad in a pair of pajamas several sizes too small for her, exposed both the bottoms of her arms and legs as well as her midriff, Ichigo wore a simple sleeveless white shirt and a pair of sweatpants. The annoying thing was that he could _feel_ the various stares of the female students ogling him. Tatsuki had managed to scare off every girl that had eyes on him back in Karakura Town, but Ichigo wasn't sure he could fend off admirers in Honnouji Academy, especially when nearly all of them wore Goku Uniforms that granted them supernatural powers.

Noticing Ryuko's gaze on him, which quickly shifted to the opposite direction, Ichigo asked Gamagori, "Do you mind if I go back to bed? I have much better things to do with my time, like sleeping or getting my teeth pulled."

"That is an interesting suggestion. Let me consider that for a moment." Gamagori adopted a pensive pose and began humming while tapping the detonator switch in his hand against his cheek. After about a minute, he stopped, looked down at Ichigo and pressed down on the button, "NOT A CHANCE!"

With that simple press of a button, there were a series of explosions as spiked ramps and staircases appeared throughout the city, "Beyond the Disciplinary Committee's greatest masterpiece! The Honnou City Mighty Guard!"

"Amazing!" Mako watched in awe as various traps and obstacles appeared in front of her eyes, "It's like the entire city turned into an amusement park! I've never seen something so awesome before! It certainly tops last semester's No-Late Day! Ah!"

Mako checked her watch fearfully, "We don't have much time before our first class starts. We gotta get moving!"

Ryuko blinked once before a smug grin adorned her face, "The people here really like to hear themselves talk. You ready for this Ichigo?"

"Nope."

"Huh?"

"This is completely stupid," Ichigo declared and emphasized his point by waving towards Gamagori, "Who in their right minds would allow someone as insane as this bastard to create a death course?"

"But we have to do this, Ichigo!" Mako cried and pointed to her watch. When Ichigo looked at the watch, his eye began twitching because instead of an actual watch, there was just a miniature Mako with her arms spinning around in circles, "If you don't participate, you'll be expelled and be forced to go back to Karakura Town and your normal life!"

It couldn't be that easy, could it? Ichigo thought it over for a moment, which was longer than he thought it would take, before deciding to stay. While he would have easily taken the choice of getting expelled if it meant going back to Karakura Town and away from all this craziness, he didn't put it past Satsuki Kiryuin to make up some excuse for him to remain at Honnouji Academy. Then there was Nui Harime. Ichigo didn't know what to make of her, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. If that girl could get inside his locked dorm room without being detected, then it was reasonable she could track him to Karakura Town.

"Ah, damn it! Fine." Ichigo scowled and stared up at Gamagori, "I'm ready for this stupid thing whenever you are, Gamagori bastard."

"That's right!" Ryuko shouted in agreement, pointing her red Scissor Blade at Gamagori, "These traps aren't going to slow us down at all!"

"As you wish!" Gamagori shouted and stamped his foot down. One day he was going to get Ichigo Kurosaki to address him with the proper respect, "All students commence commute! Forward, march!"

Ichigo and Ryuko were the first two out of the gate. Ichigo managed to get in the front of the pack by jumping on top of the crowd and stepping from head to head until he reached the front while Ryuko used her Scissor Blade as an impromptu battering ram and simply knocked the students out of the way.

"Ichigo! We can't get separated from Mako and Ururu!"

"I know," Ichigo glanced over his shoulder and saw Ururu and Mako in the front of the pack of No-Star students. While Mako looked like she was running for her life, and was as exhausted as she should be, Ururu appeared to be doing nothing more than a light job, "But Mako's with Ururu, so she'll be safe."

"We should slow down," Ryuko suggested between breathes, "And let them catch up."

Back at the finishing line, Ira Gamagori heard Ryuko's suggestion and grinned viciously as he pushed a special button labeled 'In Case of Protagonist Teamwork', "Not if I have anything to say about it, Matoi!"

Just as Ichigo and Ryuko ran through the first checkpoint, a large gate came crashing down, causing the students at the front of the pack to crash into it comically. When Mako saw the trap being activated, she closed her eyes and prepared for the worst, but was surprised when Ururu grabbed her by the hand and jumped out of the crowd of students onto a side street.

"I'm safe?" Mako felt around her body, making sure everything was in place, before she shouted happily, "I'm safe! Thank you for saving my life!"

"Don't mention it," Ururu said with a small smile on her face, "But we should keep moving. We don't want to be late after all."

"Ah! You're right!" Mako screamed and began running up a large flight of stairs, ducking and weaving around giant saw blades, "Let's get going Ururu! Nothing can stop a Mankanshoku when they have their eyes on the prize!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Do be sure to be on your best behavior, Uryu," Ryuken Ishida warned his son as he adjusted his tie for the third time in five minutes. Taking a drag from the cigarette in his hand, he breathed out deeply, "I do not want to have to tell you what will happen if you make a fool of yourself."<p>

"Who do you think I am, Ichigo?" Uryu snorted and looked away from his father and out the elevator. He had honestly thought he would never come back to Revocs. After he managed to steal the Life Fibers and give them to Kisuke Urahara, he was sure that Revocs would send someone after him, but after months passed with nothing happening, he grew complacent. That was when he heard that Kisuke had been attacked and was now missing, "I don't know why you brought me with you to one of your business meetings if all you're going to say is how much I'm going to disappoint you."

"What makes you think I was talking about my reaction to your behavior?" Ryuken glanced at Uryu and, noticing the puzzled looked on his son's face, continued, "I was warning you to be on your best behavior because if you don't, Ragyo Kiryuin will most likely kill you."

"What?" Uryu thought his father was joking.

"Ragyo is not a woman to be trifled with," Ryuken said in a tone that someone discussing the weather might use, "She's a highly motivated woman who will do anything in her power to advance her goals. Even I would be hesitant to confront her after getting on her bad side. To put it in perspective, take what you know about the hierarchy of power in the Soul Society and throw that away. The only person on Earth that could possibly stop Ragyo after she sets her eyes on something she wants is your friend Ichigo's father, and even that is a gamble at best."

Uryu didn't know what to say. He had heard from Ichigo that his father was a shinigami able to fight evenly against Aizen Sosuke, but what was so special about him? As the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival at their destination, Uryu went to step out only to find his father's arm blocking his path.

"Follow my lead and do not say a word unless spoken to," Ryuken warned his son, "Despite whatever her appearance may be, Ragyo is not someone to underestimate nor should you underestimate the Grand Couturier if she happens to be at the meeting. You may not believe it, but as your father I do care for your wellbeing. Now come, we have arrived."

The two of them stepped out of the elevator and was immediately confronted by Ragyo's personal secretary and assistant, Rei Hououmaru. The dark skinned woman looked at Ryuken before shifting her gaze to Uryu.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ishida," Rei greeting Ryuken politely and shoot his hand, "Lady Ragyo has been expecting you, but we did not know you would bring company."

"This is my son," Ryuken answered as stoically as Rei, "I brought him today so that he may gain experience in the field of business. I trust that with the topic of today's discussion there will not be any issues with my decision?"

"Of course not," Rei motioned with her arm for them to follow her, "Your meeting with Lady Ragyo contains nothing proprietary nor confidential. I am sure she will not mind having your son observe the meeting."

"Thank you," Ryuken stubbed out his cigarette on the ashtray near the entrance to Ragyo's office. One thing he had learned over his various interactions with the woman awaiting him was that she did not like anyone smoking in her presence, "Come, Uryu. We should not keep Ragyo waiting any longer."

As Rei opened the door to Ragyo's office, Uryu heard a smooth and silky voice speak and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"It is good to see you, Ryuken Ishida," Ragyo Kiryuin addressed the businessman with a tone as close to respect as she would ever give. While to her Ryuken may be a normal human, she had to respect the man's ability to ruthlessly dominate the medical industry with the same efficiency as she did clothing, "And I see you brought your son. What brought on this development?"

"I don't think that is relevant to our meeting," Ryuken answered calmly, "But I suppose you won't be satisfied until you receive an answer. I brought Uryu so that he may experience how I conduct business with my clients. Books are one thing, but actually experiencing the world at large does more for personal evolution."

"Indeed it does," Ragyo turned to Uryu, "Tell me, son of Ryuken, how did you find the experience at Revocs? Was it everything you hoped and dreamed it would be?"

Remembering what his father instructed him to do just minutes ago, Uryu coughed and adjusted his glasses, "I found the experience to be very illuminating. While my father permitted me to work in the local branch of his hospitals, it was completely different working at Revocs. I am gracious that you allowed me to work here for as long as I did."

"How polite," Ragyo sat down in her chair and propped her cheek on her hand, "And so well behaved. If my Satsuki was anything like your son."

Ryuken glanced around Ragyo's office and noticed something missing. It hadn't hit him initially, due to the fickle nature of who he was looking for, but now that he had time to think about it, it was quite obvious. The Grand Couturier was nowhere in sight. While that would have normally been a good thing, Ryuken did not like standing in the same room as the Grand Couturier, her absence greatly alarmed him. She had been at every single one of his meetings with Ragyo, so her absence was not a good sign.

"I do believe that is enough about our personal lives," Ryuken said softly to gain Raygo's attention without seeming rude, "Shall we get down to business."

Ragyo motioned for Ryuken to take a seat, "But of course. Have you read through my proposal?"

"I did," Ryuken nodded, "Several times in fact."

"And?"

"Before I make my decision, I have a question," Ryuken folded his hands in front of his mouth, "What will be the cost of supplying my hospitals with Revocs-brand clothing?"

"Right down to the crux of the matter as always," Ragyo chuckled, and it was not a sound that Uryu would want to hear a second time, "As head of the Ishida Conglomerate, which controls most hospitals in Asia and Europe, you are poised to influence and benefit the lives of half of humanity. I wish to be a part of that whichever way I can. Therefore I have decided to extend to you a very generous offer. Each doctor, nurse, and staff member at each hospital will receive Revocs uniforms, which will repair small tears on their own and will repel blood and other hazardous liquids and materials. All of this will be completely free of charge."

"Free of charge?" Ryuken might have looked composed, but Uryu knew his father was greatly disturbed by something. It wasn't very apparent; a slight twitch of the man's finger, but it was enough to know something was wrong, "Free is such a broad term. A man such as myself cannot presume to think my definition is the same as yours. Please explain what you mean."

Ragyo leaned back in her chair, "I am referring to cost. What else could I possibly mean?"

"Free to one person may not be to another," Ryuken narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist, "Shall we discuss what happened during your supposed partnership with Sears-Macys, which controlled the entirety of the American apparel market until they signed a partnership with Revocs? Within a matter of months, a series of lawsuits and whistleblowers brought the company down, leaving your company free to move in and corner the market, as per the agreement you signed."

"Surely you don't mean to imply that I had something to do with the rapid collapse of Sears-Macys?" Ragyo smirked and steeped her fingers in front of her face.

"Of course not," Ryuken shook his head, "Such a notion would imply that you possess abilities that are far beyond that of a human. I am simply expressing concern for the nearly two million people working at my hospitals and clinics that would be affected by such a monumental decision."

"I assure you Ryuken that my offer is nothing but beneficial," Ragyo's eyes glanced over to Uryu, "But I feel as if you made your decision long before you arrived."

"Indeed," Ryuken chuckled dryly, "Your offer is quite generous and I could see the benefits of such an arrangement, but I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer. The current apparel cost of my hospitals is nowhere near the point where a complete change of brand would be necessary, even if it were free. I hope you have a good day. Come, Uryu, we are leaving."

Uryu said nothing as he followed his father. As he left Ragyo's office, he could not help but think that he had turned his back on someone ready and willing ot kill him. The look that Rei Hououmaru gave them as they walked towards the elevator did not help. When the elevator doors closed, separating Uryu from the two people he did not want to fight, he turned to ask his father what just happened only for Ryuken to speak first.

"Be on your guard, Uryu," Ryuken's eyes were narrowed, "We will not be able to leave Revocs unharmed."

Uryu could sense something wrong, "What are you talking about?"

"Ragyo is not one to take rejection well," Ryuken reached into his suit and pulled out several sewing needles, each of which was emblazoned with the Quincy symbol, "Do not give me that look. Your Quincy powers will not work on someone like Ragyo or anyone like her. If we are to get out of her alive and with our minds intact, we need to fight at her level. When the doors open, I will provide a distraction while you run to the car. Do not try to assist me. I may not have known Ragyo for as long as Isshin Kurosaki, but I know her well enough to realize she had no intention of allowing me to leave no matter what my answer to her proposal was."

"Are you crazy?" Uryu raised his voice to his father, "I'm almost as strong as a shinigami captain! I can – "

"Do nothing but die needlessly," Ryuken interrupted harshly, "If what awaits us in the lobby is who I think it is, it will take someone the likes of Zaraki Kenpachi's level to at least slow her down. You would not be able to do anything more than draw her attention. Once you have her attention, she will easily and painfully kill you. That is all there is to it."

"What awaits us?" Uryu wanted answers to what the hell was going on. What on Earth could make his father, a man whose picture was in the dictionary right next to the words stoic and unemotional, panic?

When the elevator doors opened, Uryu and Ryuken noticed the lobby, which had been packed to the brim of Revocs employees and managers, was now dead empty. Empty, of course, for one person standing in the middle of the exit and facing them, a large smile on her face.

"It seems I was correct in how Ragyo would confront us," Ryuken removed his glasses and handed them to Uryu, "Watch these for me. I will be coming back for them."

Uryu looked in worry at his father's glasses before turning to the blonde haired girl across the lobby, "Who is she?"

"She, my son…" Uryu did not fail to notice that Ryuken called him 'his son.' That could only mean that Ryuken was serious about what was to come, "…is the Grand Couturier and is someone that should not be trifled with. If I do not go all out against her from the very start, I will die. Now go."

Uryu heard a girlish giggle in response to his father's declaration and barely caught a glimpse of purple before the entire lobby exploded around him.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko stared daggers at the obstacle blocking her path. The wall stretched upwards over two hundred feet starting at the base of the slums all the way to the One-Star Residential District. If that were all it was, Ryuko wouldn't have a problem with it. The issue was that there were plastic explosives instead of plastic handholds. That meant she had exactly ten seconds to move before she was blasted off the wall. While that had already happened to her twice, she had managed to save herself by stabbing her red Scissor Blade deep into the metal wall and was using it as an impromptu seat.<p>

"The Disciplinary Committee sure went all out on this thing."

"Tell me about it," Ichigo grumbled from next to Ryuko. Suppressing a yawn, he added, "How the hell did Satsuki manage to build this death course overnight?"

"Beats me," Ryuko shrugged, "But it just makes me want to kick her ass even more."

It was amazing how much Ryuko learned about her Scissor Blade on the fly. While she knew she could shrink it down to the size of a normal pair of scissors, knowing that she could also expand it to double its length opened up various possibilities. Now all she needed was a name for the technique…Decapitation Mode sounded appropriate. After all, the Scissor Blade expanded into a sword that looked like it could sever Life Fibers with but a flick of her wrist.

"This is crap," Ichigo groaned and leaned back before quickly realizing there was nothing to lean against. After recovering his balance, he said, "What the hell does Satsuki have against me? She knows she can't expel me, but she puts me through No-Late Day? What is she up to?"

"Perhaps the great Satsuki Kiryuin has a crush on you?" Ryuko smiled mischievously at Ichigo, who was about to deny it before seeing the look on her face. Waving off Ichigo's annoyance, Ryuko added, "I'm kidding. You thought I was serious? I don't think Satsuki even knows what love or compassion feels like."

"You're really funny," Ichigo muttered sarcastically.

"So now that we're stuck here for the time being…" Ryuko was temporarily cut off as a massive explosion sounded off nearby. Staring at the section of the death course that the explosion originated from, she could see several No-Stars being ejected into the atmosphere after stepping on booby trapped panels, "Anyway, since we have nothing to do for at least a few minutes, perhaps we should get to know each other a bit better."

"What?" Ichigo stared at Ryuko suspiciously, "Is this really the time for that?"

"Get you're mind out of the gutter!" Ryuko shouted and punched Ichigo hard in the shoulder. Rubbing her sore knuckles, although she did manage to hurt Ichigo in the process, she grumbled, "I wasn't asking about _that_. I'm curious to know more about you."

Ichigo sighed, "Such as?"

"How you managed to piss off Satsuki Kiryuin so much," Ryuko emphasized her point with an exaggerated waving of her arm, "There's something about you that really annoys her, not to mention that you were able to go toe to toe with her using Mugetsu."

"I'm not that special," Ichigo folded his arms and frowned, "And it's not like I try and find trouble. Trouble always seems to find me. I just wanted to have a normal school year, but as I expected I got drawn into some weird crap. I didn't even know about Life Fibers, Goku Uniforms or Kamui a month again."

"Really?" Ryuko didn't know anyone that wasn't aware, at some level, of what Life Fibers were. When she was travelling around the Kanto region, Ryuko overheard many people talking about what Life Fibers were, with theories ranging from simply a name for a top secret Revocs clothing line to some type of government invention. She didn't know anyone that _didn't_ know what they were.

"Have you ever been to Karakura Town?" When Ryuko shook her head, Ichigo continued, "It's probably the most normal place in Japan. There's none of this Life Fiber crap. Nothing was out of the ordinary and people didn't have clothing that gave them superpowers. The worst we had there was a fake ghost hunter that had a really annoying and stupid laugh."

"Sounds nice," Ryuko sighed wistfully, "Perhaps I'll visit after I find out why my dad was killed. I spent most of my childhood in boarding schools, never fitting in with the other kids and thinking my dad didn't care for me."

"Well, you're not going to get any closer to finding out anything sitting around here," Ichigo argued and pointed to something in the distance, "Look."

Ryuko followed Ichigo's line of sight and saw a series of explosions rocking the One-Star Residential District, "Are those explosions?"

"Yes," Ichigo stood on top of the Scissor Blade and stretched his shoulder. Raising a hand to his forehead and staring at the remaining distance he had to climb, he added, "We should get out of here before Gamagori starts wondering where we are."

"Why should I care what he thinks?" Ryuko countered and propped her chin in the palm of her hand, "He wants to expel me, remember?"

"I remember," Ichigo leapt towards the nearest handhold. After quickly getting his grip, he began climbing up the wall at a rapid pace, but not before adding, "But I really don't want him to wonder what's taking us so long. He might just decide to come and check up on us."

Ichigo had a valid point. As much as she despised No-Late Day, Ryuko didn't want to give Satsuki or any of her minions an excuse to expel her. Crouching on top of her Scissor Blade, she spun around once, removing the blade in the process, and latched onto two handholds. Panicking slightly when her left hand slipped off, Ryuko quickly recovered and followed after Ichigo.

They reached the top of the wall after only a few minutes of intense and nerve-wrecking climbing. After Ichigo climbed over the top of the wall and reached the relative safety of a completely horizontal surface, he turned and offered Ryuko a hand. Both of them, completely exhausted from the climb, lay on their backs and stared at the sky.

"Damn it…" Ryuko huffed tiredly, "I don't ever want to do that again."

"Ugh," Ichigo groaned in response, "Knowing Gamagori, he has another trap waiting around the corner."

"Screw…him…" Ryuko cursed in between breaths.

As the two of them lay on the ground, the sound of a helicopter approaching could be heard. They barely had a moment to consider what was happening before a Revocs helicopter ascended over the lip of the wall and turned to face them.

"I must congratulate you two on completing the Wall of Despair," Sanageyama shouted over the din of the whirring helicopter blades. Hanging out the side of the helicopter, one hand grabbing a handle and the other his bamboo blade, he smirked haughtily at his exhausted targets, "But did you think No-Late Day would be a simple physical challenge? Lady Satsuki wants to test both your physical and mental aptitude. Prepare yourselves! The true Mighty Guard has only just begun! Fire!"

At Sanageyama's signal, the helicopter's pilot fired all eight of the helicopters missiles at Ichigo and Ryuko, trails of winding smoke expanding behind them as they flew towards their targets.

"Shit!" Ichigo curse as he sprung to his feet and ducked under a missile.

"Can you feel the pressure?" Sanageyama laughed as Ichigo and Ryuko attempted to avoid being hit, "Let this be a lesson to you. Do not mess with the Elite Four!"

"Is he trying to kill us?" Ichigo yelled over the din of exploding missiles.

"What the hell do you think?" Ryuko answered sarcastically as she used her Scissor Blade to cut a missile in half lengthwise. As the two sides of the missile exploded on either side behind her, she growled and began running away, "We can ask him later, but for now let's just run away!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>While Ryuko and Ichigo were having extended difficulty reaching Honnouji Academy, courtesy of Sanageyama's contributions to Honnou City's Mighty Guard as well as his revenge against Ichigo for the humiliation he suffered the previous day, Ururu and Mako were have trouble of an entirely different kind.<p>

"Faster! Must go faster!" Maiko Ogure shouted hysterically as she pointed out the window with her good arm at the giant spiked ball chasing after them. It didn't make sense how a ball could be rolling uphill towards them.

"I'm trying!" Mako blubbered as she floored the gas and shifted gears, causing the bus to lurch forward, "But I don't know how to drive stick!"

After they got separated from Ichigo and Ryuko due to Gamagori's interference, Mako and Ururu were forced to follow the course as it sprung hidden traps and obstacles on the two girls. Surprisingly enough, the obstacles and traps they encountered weren't that difficult or dangerous. Mako remembered Ururu stepping on a hidden panel and getting a giant boxing glove to the face. She couldn't stop laughing when Ururu just continued to stand where she was completely uncaring about everything before ripped the boxing glove off its spring and throwing it at a nearby One-Star Observational Stand.

"Then learn!" Maiko screamed as the spiked ball grew closer and closer. Scrambling towards the front of the bus, she pushed Mako aside and took the wheel. Punching her hand through her cast, she declared passionately, "Move over. I'll drive!"

Gripping the wheel and pulling hard to the right, Maiko caused the One-Star armored bus to swerve violently out of the way just as the spiked ball passed through and continued up the road before bouncing off the edge and falling to the slums below. As the bus skidded to a stop, Maiko breathed heavily and gave Mako a thumbs-up, "That's how you drive a bus!"

"Wow…" Mako had stars in her eyes and grabbed Maiko's shoulders, "You have to teach me how to drive like that."

"I'm sorry to interrupt…" Ururu meekly said from in the back of the bus. Throughout the entire ordeal with the spiked ball, she had been sitting in the very back of the bus without a care in the world. Pointing out the window, Ururu continued, "But it appears that we have visitors."

Maiko and Mako looked outside and, true enough, relatives of the One-Star students that lived in the area were beginning to gather around the bus.

"Do you think they're here to help?" Mako asked innocently.

"No! Hang on!" Maiko shouted and floored the gas pedal. As the tires of the bus screeched to life, the One-Star citizens began pulling out different types of weaponry ranging from handguns to RPGs and opened fire on the bus. It was only due to the fact that the One-Star bus was armored to the teeth that the three girls managed to get out of the trap alive and uninjured.

"It should be smooth sailing from here," Maiko turned her head around and grinned, "The armor on this bus should be able to stop all that small caliber fire. All that's left to do is go through the Two-Star Residential District and we're home free."

"That was a close one," Mako wiped sweat off her forehead. Sitting down on a bullet-ridden couch, Mako's face lit up, seeming to remember something important. Reaching into her No-Star uniform, she pulled out a cloth-covered box and turned to Ururu, "Mom said that you should eat more, Ururu, since you're all skinny and thin. Here, have half of my breakfast!"

"Really?" Ururu tilted her head to the side and took what Mako was offering her. Opening the container and seeing the steamed rice, natto and nori stacked neatly inside, Ururu smiled softly, "Thanks Mako, but I already had breakfast."

"So did I!" Mako answered proudly as she dove into her food, "But we're growing women! We need all the calories and nutrients that we can get if we want to grow up tall and beautiful!"

"Ok," Ururu made a show of eating Mako's food. She was not really hungry, but she didn't have it in her to say no. As Mako was busy eating, Ururu stared at Maiko. She couldn't explain why, but she was getting a bad vibe from the crippled girl. Ururu had learned early on to trust her senses and if they were telling her that Maiko was not to be trusted, she was going to believe them, but she couldn't just attack her. Despite whatever her motives may be, Maiko was still just a normal human. If she tried to subdue her, Ururu wasn't certain she wouldn't injure Maiko further.

"I have a question," Mako looked happily at Ururu, her breakfast already fully devoured, "How do you know Ichigo?"

"How do I know Ichigo?" Ururu's mouth was slightly agape as she thought about the question, "I helped train him to become stronger. That's all."

"Train him?" Mako looked perplexed as she continued, "I know you're super strong and fast, but how could you be Ichigo's sensei? You're so young and – "

Mako was cut off as Maiko slammed on the brakes and harshly turned the bus. As Mako flew forward, only saved from crashing into the side of the bus by a timely intervention from Ururu, Maiko shouted back, "Hold on to your hats! It's going to be a bumpy ride. What the…oh, come on already!"

Ururu and Mako looked in the direction Maiko was pointing and saw several turrets on the roofs of nearby buildings, all of which were trained on them.

"Holy moly!" Mako shouted in fear. Waving her arms around dramatically and in a panic, she turned to Ururu, "Save us with your super powers!"

"Super powers?" Ururu had never thought of her abilities like that. Smiling at the comparison, she stood up and nodded, "Ok, but please keep your head down. I don't want you to get hurt in the crossfire."

Mako tilted her head in confusion as Ururu reached down her No-Star uniform and pulled out the impossibly large and repurposed for combat against the living, Senren Bakusatsu Taihou Mark II.

"Wow…" Mako stared at the weapon in Ururu's hands with what could only be described as awe, "What in the seven kingdoms is that?"

Ururu's favored weapon of choice for fighting enemies at a distance was the Senren Bakusatsu Taihou. The problem with the original model was that the missiles and rockets fired from it weren't very effective against anything stronger than an average hollow. If she tried firing it at a shinigami or arrancar, they would easily be able to avoid the missiles and counterattack.

The Mark II was designed by Kisuke to help alleviate some of those issues. While it was the same general shape and size as the original model, it weighed nearly four times as much as the original. To a normal human such a change would make the already heavy weapon impossible to wield, but Ururu found no difficulty from the increased weight. The added weight had a purpose, though Kisuke didn't tell Ururu or anyone about it. During his research involving Life Fibers, Kisuke took the Senren Bakusatsu Taihou and weaved Life Fibers throughout its construction, leading to nearly a ten-fold increase in the amount of power and destruction it was able to cause.

Ururu glanced at her cloth-covered weapon, "This is Senren Bakusatsu Taihou. Please get down. I'm not sure how big the recoil is going to be."

When Mako nodded and ducked down, her hands covering her hair, Ururu reached up and punched a hole clear through the roof of the bus. Sticking her head out of the newly formed hole, Ururu looked around for the nearest turret. Once she spotted it, she raised the Senren Bakusatsu Taihou, closed her right eye, and fired.

Only one missile left the weapon, but the recoil was enough to cause the bus to swerve slightly to the right. The missile flew towards the nearest roof before exploding into a myriad of smaller projectiles that all homed in on the various turrets and took the emplacements out in one enormous and beautiful cacophony of colors and purple stars.

Mako stared at the colors with stars in her eyes, "How pretty…"

From the driver's seat, Maiko's reaction was identical to Mako's, but for an entirely different reason. Her whole plan had been to intercept Ryuko Matoi during No-Late Day and gain her trust before stealing her Kamui for its magnificent power. Not only did she not end up running into target, but she also ran into two of her friends, one of which was apparently a supernaturally strong freak of nature. Her plans were in tatters and she didn't even reach Phase Two yet!

"If you're all done back there, I could use some covering fire on our flanks!" Maiko needed to keep her cover as a poor and injured No-Star student for just a little longer. There were still a few contingences she could play, "Those turrets aren't all Lady Satsuki has planned for us!"

"Right," Ururu nodded and stuck her head back outside. With the wind blowing her pigtails back, she looked up as several unmanned drones, a gift from the Aerial Warfare Club, began heading towards their position. Raising Senren Bakusatsu Taihou back onto her shoulder, she took a deep breath and fired.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo and Ryuko stumbled into Honnouji Academy with almost half an hour to spare. Their bodies were covered in various burns and scraps, their clothing was torn and they were completely exhausted, but they had made it in time.<p>

"Ichigo Kurosaki…and Ryuko Matoi." Standing to the side with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other was Ira Gamagori. Wearing a pair of reading glasses that made him look smarter than he actually was, he checked their names off the list in his hands, "Both of you are on time. I am thoroughly surprised. Nevertheless, congratulations on completing No-Late Day! You two are among the few No-Stars with the grit and determination to complete the challenge on time and relatively uninjured! Kudos to you both!"

"Shut up you frog bastard," Ichigo cursed as he continued to walk past Gamagori without stopping, "I don't care what you say or do to me, but I'm going back to bed."

"Not so fast…" Gamagori warned, "First period begins in half an hour. That gives you enough time to get changed. I will not allow you to go to class dressed like that!"

"Oh shut up," Ichigo retorted and groaned. Why did Honnouji Academy have to be so freaking insane? It wasn't just the fact that everyone seemed to be in the pocket of Satsuki Kiryuin. It was also that everything seemed to be bordering on the cusp of the impossible. Goku Uniforms and Kamui that granted the wearer supernatural strength and durability…if Ichigo hadn't experienced it with his own eyes, he would have thought it was bullshit.

"Hey, did Mako or Ururu make it through yet?" Ryuko tried to look at the clipboard, but Gamagori angrily moved it away.

"Mankanshoku and Tsumugiya…" Gamagori leafed through the pages and pages of students before coming onto the two names he was looking for, "No. Both students have yet to make it to the academy and with only twenty five minutes remaining, their chance of staying enrolled is quite slim."

It was at that moment, tempted by either fate or Gamagori's words, that a loud explosion sounded from just outside the entrance to Honnouji Academy before a One-Star bus, or what was left of one, flew through a hole in the walls surrounding the academy.

Ichigo stared at the flying vehicle, his face the epitome of skepticism, "What the…"

"…hell?" Ryuko finished. Noticing something strange about the bus, she narrowed her eyes and made out a familiar crop of hair, "Wait a second…is that Mako?"

"What did you say? MANKANSHOKU!" Gamagori shoved Ichigo aside and glared at the flying bus. It wasn't that he cared about who was on it so much that it was breaking enough of Honnouji Academy's rules to give him a conniption, "Mankanshoku! Honnouji Academy transportation vehicles are not to ascend more than ten feet above the ground and I know you are not wearing your seatbelt! Don't make me come up there and get you!"

"I'm sorry Gamagori!" Mako's tear-filled voice echoed through the air as she stuck her head out the window, "But I'm not the one driving this crazy thing!"

"That is not a legitimate excuse!" Gamagori began listing off all the other rules Mako was breaking, but was cut off when the bus crashed into the middle of the academy courtyard. After a moment or two of nothing but silence, the door to the bus was blasted off its hinges, courtesy of a kick from Ururu, and Mako leapt out, closely followed by Ururu and another girl who was tied up and unconscious.

"I'm all ok!"

"Glad to see you're alright Mako," Ryuko sighed in relief that Mako wasn't injured. Noticing the third student, she asked, "Who's that?"

"Huh?" Ururu looked at the unconscious Maiko before addressing Ryuko's question, "Oh. She said she's the Head of Trap Development for the Disciplinary Committee. I wasn't really paying attention, but when she tried to attack us I was forced to defend myself."

"Maiko Ogure!" Gamagori's voice was loud enough to wake the unconscious girl. As Maiko sputtered back to the waking world, she looked around and cowered once she saw Gamagori, "What are you doing outside?"

"I…was…um…" Maiko desperately tried to think of an excuse but her mind just couldn't come up with anything.

"NO EXCUSES!" Gamagori appeared to triple in size as he rained down his punishment on the poor girl, "You were supposed to remain within the control room and keep an eye on the various traps and obstacles throughout the course. What reason could you possibly have for leaving your station to participate in No-Late Day? Did you have an ulterior motive?"

"What?" How had Gamagori figured it out? There was no evidence that she had done anything wrong, "How could you think that? I was participating to simply make sure everything was working correctly! As the designer of most of the traps, I knew my way around them and how they should work. I couldn't afford for them to be broken or nonfunctioning! I was just taking the initiative!"

"That makes perfect sense!" Gamagori nodded sagely, "But I am no fool. On the miniature scale model of Honnou City in the control room I found the evidence I need to charge you with treason against Lady Satsuki! Maiko Ogure! You are expelled from Honnouji Academy henceforth!"

As Maiko collapsed to a sobbing heap on the ground, Gamagori strolled past the four remaining students. With his arms folded behind his back, he turned to Ichigo, "I realize that I may have kept you four here due to my position as the Disciplinary Committee Chair. For that I apologize. I will grant the four of you an extension of fifteen minutes to get to class before being expelled. Do not make my leniency unnecessary."

With his honor intact and the rules of Honnouji Academy enforced once more, Ira Gamagori walked towards Honnouji Academy with his mind free of troubles. Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi both managed to get to the academy before time ran out, which meant that he had fully completed his objective. He needed to inform Lady Satsuki that they did so without the use of their Kamui. Satsuki had designed the obstacles Ryuko and Ichigo were to face to require the use of Kamui to survive. The fact that they did so without Kamui implied that the Mighty Guard just wasn't hard enough.

"Ok," Ichigo rubbed his forehead and groaned, "Now that my morning is officially ruined, I'm going to go to my room and take a shower. I'll catch up to you guys later."

"Bye Ichigo!" Mako waved vigorously to Ichigo before turning to Ryuko, "How was No-Late Day Ryuko? Did you enjoy it? Was it fun? Was it? Was it?"

"Calm down, Mako," Ryuko had to press down on Mako's head to stop the girl from bouncing around. Once her friend appeared to relax slightly, Ryuko looked around and asked, "By the way, where's your dad with Senketsu?"

"Oh!" Mako smacked her head as she remembered something important, "Dad dropped off Senketsu a while ago! It was so strange that just as he was about to hand over your uniform, he suddenly swerved to the left and ran smack dab into a telephone pole! You should be happy that Ururu managed to somehow grab Senketsu along the way."

"Ururu has Senketsu?" Ryuko leaned to the side and looked at Ururu, "Are you sure?"

"Ururu!" Mako called out to her new friend, "Can you please give Ryuko her uniform back?"

"Oh," Ururu reached down the front of her No-Star uniform and pulled out a coat hanger with Senketsu hanging off it. Ryuko noticed that the Kamui's eyes were swirling around and it looked like he was about to throw up, "Here you go."

**_"Where am I? What just happened?"_** Senketsu blinked and looked around. Once he saw Ryuko, he began struggling to get free. After managing to pull himself off the hanger, he cried tears of joy and leapt into Ryuko's surprised arms, **_"Ryuko! I'm so happy to see you! You don't know how horrible my day's been!"_**

"Calm down, Senketsu," Ryuko was embarrassed by her Kamui's display and was just glad that Mako and Ururu apparently couldn't hear his speak, "What are you talking about?"

**_"It was terrible!"_** Senketsu blubbered nearly incoherently in her arms, **_"Mrs. Mankanshoku cleaned me so thoroughly that my Life Fibers are still quaking in fear. Granted, the ironing was pleasant and I wouldn't mind doing that again, but please don't allow her to clean me again! I know I'm hand wash only, but I don't think I'll survive another cleaning by that woman! She cleaned me in places I didn't know existed!"_**

"Fine," Ryuko rolled her eyes dismissively as Senketsu split in two before sliding on her body. As his suspenders snapped into place, she said, "I'll find out from Ichigo who washed Mugetsu. Will that make you feel better?"

Senketsu sighed contently and tightened himself around Ryuko, **_"Yes. Yes it will. Mako's mother uses too much detergent for a delicate garment like myself anyway."_**

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Kamui Tales<br>**

"Hey Ryuken, I've been wondering something for a while now…"

From his desk, Ryuken Ishida stopped writing his latest report to briefly turn his eyes towards his old friend, "I was unaware that you had the mental capacity for concepts such as thinking. I'm impressed. You must have been practicing all day just to get this far."

"Smart ass," Isshin rolled his eyes and leaned against the nearby wall. He was a dressed in a fine black suit, which made him look badass in his own opinion, and huffed indignantly. Why Ryuken treated him like a child completely escaped him, "Anyway, isn't it strange that you and Ragyo have similar hair colors and are the CEO's of world-spanning conglomerates?"

"I would refrain from pursuing such a line of thought," Ryuken warned and glared at Isshin.

"I'm being completely serious here," Isshin continued completely unconcerned about the potential danger he was in, "The readers are sure to pick up on this and begin to ask questions! Everything makes sense if you really think about it. Both of you have silver hair, are really snooty to those beneath you and have children with dark black hair. If I was a reader of this story, I would assume that you two were related."

A barrage of sewing needles and pins, numbering in the hundreds, flew at Isshin, causing the man to duck and weave his way to safety.

"What the hell, Ryuken?" Isshin called back as he fled the room towards the relative safety of the hallway, "It was just a simple question!"

"That was completely uncalled for!" Ryuken responded as he chased after the former shinigami captain, throwing pins and needles along the way, "Comparing me to Ragyo like that. You must pay for your insinuation!"

"Ah!" Isshin grabbed a chair and used it to block the projectiles, "Why are you attacking me anyway? You know I'm essential to this story!"

"You only think you're essential," Ryuken towered over Isshin, a backdrop of light making the Quincy seem even more malevolent, "I'm sure Ichigo can do what he needs to do without your help. Now, as for your punishment, I'm sure someone like you will be perfectly fine in a couple of hours."

"Now hold on…" Isshin tried to persuade his old friend to not kill him, "Let's just think things logically for a moment…"


	14. Chapter 14: Psycho Killer

_Well, here is chapter 14 and after the annoyance that was Episode 4 and No-Late Day, this was so much easier to write. In fact, I had most of this done two days ago, but I spent a lot of time making sure I did everything up to my usual standards while also introducing several major (and minor) plot points and revelations. So take away from this what you want. _

_A favorite character of the anime makes his appearance in this chapter, but how will the addition of the Bleach universe change things up? Read and find out!_

_I appreciate each and every review that comes in for this story. They motivate me to write faster and get the chapters out as soon as I feel they are ready. Enough about that, let's get on with the story!_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 – Psycho Killer<strong>

"I'm coming!" Isshin Kurosaki shouted tiredly as he shuffled down the steps towards the front door. Whoever it was that was calling better have a good reason for doing so at three in the morning. He was in the middle of a fantastic dream involving his old lieutenant, a box of chocolate and, for some reason, his cousin. Isshin didn't know what to make of the dream, but he was willing and determined to go back to sleep and find out what it meant first hand.

"Alright already," he grumbled irritably as he unlocked the door, "I heard you the first – "

"Sorry for late call, Isshin," A battered and bloody Ryuken Ishida greeted him from across the threshold, "But I could really use your help."

As Ryuken collapsed to the ground, Isshin quickly stepped forward and caught his old friend before he could hit the ground. Wrapping Ryuken's arm around his shoulder, Isshin began carrying him into his house, "What the hell happened to you?"

Ryuken coughed harshly before answering and grimly smirking, "Revocs tried a hostile takeover."

Isshin led Ryuken into one of the two patient rooms in the Kurosaki Clinic and laid the doctor on the examination table. Pulling out a pocket flashlight, Isshin began removing Ryuken's blood-soaked clothing in order to examine his wounds, "Revocs, huh? What, did you lead an all-out assault on Ragyo herself? Even I could have told you that was a dumb idea."

"Enough with the patronizing, Isshin," Ryuken grunted as Isshin examined a rather large gash on his thigh, "I was at Revocs strictly for business. I had no intention on getting into a life-or-death battle with the Grand Couturier that started in the lobby before spilling out into the nearby street."

"Nui Harime…" Isshin's eyes narrowed as he spotted something deep within one of Ryuken's wounds. It was just like Nui Harime to strike where the most amount of blood could be split but where the chances of dying quickly were minimized. Placing his flashlight in his mouth and biting down on it to keep it in place, he leaned in closer to get a better look at what he thought he was seeing. After just a second Isshin got the conformation that he needed.

"_Leave it to Nui to try something like this,"_ Isshin sighed and rolled backwards along the floor in his chair. He really should have expected the Grand Couturier to try something like this. It was, after all, her modus operandi when it came to long-term assignments given to her by Ragyo.

"Why don't you start at the beginning," Isshin needed to figure out what Ragyo's plan was. Granted, he knew most of it, or at least he thought he did, but it was always helpful to have new information. Life Fibers were a rather dirty business and Ragyo was in so deep that she couldn't see the surface.

"I should have realized something was wrong when Ragyo invited me to Revocs to finalize a business deal," Ryuken bit back a grunt as Isshin started disinfecting and sewing his larger wounds shut. When Isshin gave him a perplexed look, Ryuken rolled his eyes, "I had no intention of actually going through with it. I needed to find out what Ragyo's true motive was. I know the woman almost as much as you do. Anything she touches quickly becomes hers, whether it wants to or not. I know that lesson quite well. I thought with my power and intelligence I would be prepared for anything she tried."

"So I take it you refused her offer as politely and respectfully as possible?"

"Of course," Ryuken nodded and watched as Isshin began wrapping bandages and gauze around the large wound on his torso where Nui had gotten a clean hit with her purple Scissor Blade, "I knew the moment I left her office that Ragyo wasn't going to let me leave Revocs alive. I told Uryu to run to the car while I held off any opposition that might come after us. I did not expect Ragyo to send the Grand Couturier personally."

"Nui really did a number on you. I'm counting at least six major and ten minor wounds. From the looks of it, she was using that Scissor Blade she is so fond of," Isshin chuckled before breaking out into laughter, "After all these years of putting up with your insults about me not being a real doctor, look who is the first person you go to after fighting Nui!"

"I do not miss the irony of the situation," Ryuken argued, "Even with the information you gave me on Nui Harime's combat prowess, I still found myself outmatched in both speed and power. That blade of hers made my Blut as meaningful as paper armor. I do not doubt that without your information I would be dead. However, the most frightening thing about her was her nearly instantaneous regeneration. I cannot count how many times I landed a hit on her only for the blood and wound to disappear a moment later. I only managed to survive by allowing her to hit me before pinning her to a concrete wall several meters off the ground with needles pierced through her hands, feet, stomach, neck and shoulders. It may not have hurt her, but it bought me enough time to get away."

"What about Uryu?" Isshin thought about what he needed to do. If he wasn't careful, it could end quite badly for his friend.

"Uryu is fine," Ryuken had ordered his son to the basement level of the Karakura Hospital as soon as they got back. While he wasn't sure it would keep someone like Nui Harime out forever, it should buy Uryu enough time to escape, "I thought you were exaggerating, but Nui Harime is a complete psychopath."

As Ryuken explained what happened, Isshin was busy unlocking a special cabinet in the back of the room. As he rifled through its contents, he started talking, "That's Nui for you. Take it from me, Ryuken. Whenever you fight Nui, you have to hit her hard and fast and completely ignore anything she says and does. She's not stupid despite her behavior or appearance. She can and will wait for you to let your guard down after you think you injured or killed her before springing back onto her feet, happy as a princess, and stabbing her head through your chest with a smile on her face the entire time. Usually I would be surprised that you managed to escape her, but I don't think that is the case this time…"

"What is that?" Ryuken's gaze was focused upon the red and black instrument in Isshin's grasp. He had been a doctor for over two decades, travelled around the world to improve the standards of living for millions of people, and yet he had never seen a tool such as that.

"Oh, this?" Isshin turned over the tool in his hand a few times before motioning for Ryuken to lie down, "This is going to help remove what Nui Harime put inside of you."

Ryuken tried to sense anything wrong with his body, a hidden kido perhaps, but came up with nothing, "What do you mean? I did not notice the Grand Couturier cast any techniques during our battle."

"That's because it isn't a technique, at least as far as you are concerned," Isshin answered bluntly, "You might be wondering why she failed to kill you. That's not true. Nui let you get away. During your battle, did you notice anything odd about the way she fought?"

"As a matter of fact I did. While she seemed to be fighting to kill me, and I was doing everything in my power to do the same, it seemed as if she was…playing around. From your description of her I expected as much, but not to the extent I witnessed."

"That's because she was playing with you. While she would have killed you given half a chance, her true goal was that you would come to me," Isshin answered seriously, "It's something that Nui does every now and then when she needs to go after a target that she cannot immediately take out on her own. She will find someone close to the target and weave Life Fibers into him or her. Then, when that someone gets close to the target, the Life Fibers will activate and transmit everything they feel, hear and see back to Nui and Ragyo."

"But why take such a risk?"

"To get at me," To emphasize his point, Isshin stabbed the instrument into a wound on Ryuken's leg. A moment of pain later, he slowly removed the tool and, to Ryuken's shock, began pulling out a glowing red fiber that appeared to be swaying in an imaginary wind.

"Your skills obviously caught Nui off-guard," Isshin complemented as he pulled out the meter-long Life Fiber, "I've examined all your wounds and only managed to find a single Life Fiber. Usually Nui would have enough time to weave dozens inside an unsuspecting person. You should consider yourself lucky she only had time to put one in you."

"One is too many," Ryuken said sarcastically as he watched Isshin hold the Life Fiber in his hand before immediately crushing it between his fingers, "But I thank you for the assistance. I thought I would be able to deal with anything Ragyo Kiryuin could throw at me. I did not expect her to actually send the Grand Couturier."

"That's Ragyo for you," Isshin muttered as he washed his hands, "Using dynamite to get rid of a mole hill."

"Are you suggesting something?" Ryuken threatened as he put his jacket back on.

"Don't get your shirt in a twist," Ichigo waved away Ryuken's anger, "I'm just saying that Ragyo could have simply let you leave without any trouble. The fact that she sent Nui to attack you means she's planning something big."

"Perhaps you can clear something up for me, Isshin," Ryuken reached for a cigarette before remembering where he was, "Why hasn't the Soul Society gotten involved? I would think that with everything Ragyo and Revocs are doing, the shinigami would come down in full force to stop them."

Isshin sighed and when he answered, his tone was flat and lacked any mirth, "There is a very good reason why the Soul Society hasn't gotten involved, but I'm afraid I cannot tell you yet. It is still much too dangerous and if I were to tell you, it would put both of our families in danger."

Ryuken scoffed, "What can Ragyo do to us here? Aren't your protections and defenses strong enough to keep someone like her and the Grand Couturier out of Karakura Town?"

"It's not Ragyo or Nui that I'm worried about," Isshin opened the door to the room and began to walk out, but stopped and said, "There is evidence to suggest that Life Fibers have been around for thousands of years, far longer than modern humanity has existed. If that is the case, then why has the Soul Society, an organization thousands of years old as well, failed to move against such a threat? I'm going back to bed, Ryuken. You can either stay here for the night or go back home, but please be sure to lock the door behind you as you leave."

With that said, Isshin left the room and Ryuken alone with his thoughts. As he stood there, pondering what Isshin just told him, Ryuken began to piece together what his friend was suggesting. At first he assumed Isshin was just being himself, but the more he thought about it, the more that everything made sense.

"That's impossible," he shook his head and walked towards the door, "But if it is true, then things are much, much worse than anything I could have possibly imagined."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>From his vantage point up on the terraces surrounding Honnouji Academy, Tsumugu Kinagase planned out what he needed to do.<p>

The Nudist Beach member had arrived earlier in Honnou City that morning on his customized armored motorcycle and immediately he had felt the stench of Life Fibers on the city. Years of fighting against the oppression of Revocs and their goal to spread Life Fibers across the globe had gifted Tsumugu with the innate ability to sense large concentrations of the unholy fibers. While he would never be able to accurately pinpoint where Life Fibers were, he was able to track large concentrations and Honnou City was lit up like an old-fashioned Christmas tree.

"Hmm," Detaching the scope from his M-98 Widow Anti-Life Fiber Model Type-3, Tsumugu triple checked each component of his weapon. Unlike most guns, his M-98 Widow fired specialized needles designed to sever the bond between Life Fibers and their hosts. In most cases it would simply render the wearer unable to access the unholy power their clothing gave them, but he wasn't sure how effective it would be on a Kamui. He could always increase the potency of his needles, but he would quickly run into the problem of it being too effective and potentially killing the Kamui's wearer. He needed everything to be perfect in order to kill the Kamui while leaving Ryuko Matoi alive.

After a quick blank firing to make sure it was in working order, Tsumugu reattached his scope and prepared himself for the task at hand. Peering in through each window at the unsuspecting classes, Tsumugu focused on each student and uniform until he found the one he was looking for. On the fourth floor, in the third seat from the front and second from the window, sat his target, Ryuko Matoi. Zooming in and focusing on the colors and texture of her school uniform, it took him less than a second to determine that she was wearing her Kamui. Frowning at the Life Fiber being, Tsumugu began to squeeze down on the trigger to complete the mission when he spotted a familiar crop of orange hair right next to Ryuko Matoi.

"Is that?" Tsumugu zoomed in as much as possible, hoping to be wrong. When the boy turned slightly towards the window, exposing a bored scowl, Tsumugu knew exactly who it was, "Why is Masaki's son here at Honnouji Academy? I thought Isshin was keeping him safe in Karakura Town?"

Ichigo Kurosaki's presence changed nothing. Tsumugu was still going to complete his mission. He just needed to avoid confronting Isshin's son until…wait. There was something odd and strangely familiar about Ichigo's uniform.

"So he has a Kamui as well," Tsumugu scowled and collapsed the scope. Are they giving out Kamui at garage sales now? It didn't matter. He would destroy Ryuko Matoi's Kamui before moving on to deal with Ichigo. The only problem was whether or not he had enough ammunition and supplies to take out two Kamui. He would have to deal with such a matter when the time came.

Sensing someone behind him, Tsumugu grunted and stood up, "What is so important that you've deigned to bother me?"

Standing in front of the many One-Star students dressed in gardening attire stood the diminutive captain of the Terrace Gardening Club, Kusanosuke Yaguruma. Laughing sarcastically, Kusanosuke sneered at Tsumugu, "I've noticed that you've been looking after our flowers for us in our absence. I thought it would be nice to offer you a thank you present for all your hard work!"

Tsumugu glanced to the side and noticed that he had walked through a garden on his way here, trampling the flowers in the process. Perhaps that had been rude and insensitive of him. It was obvious that despite the fact Kusanosuke was wearing Life Fibers, the kid had put a lot of time and effort into the garden. Using a road flare to light his cigarette, Tsumugu took a large drag from it, causing Kusanosuke to shout angrily at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" The diminutive club president slammed his foot against the ground a few times, "This is a nonsmoking area! What do you think might happen if you drop your cigarette in the garden? Months of cultivating and fertilizing would be destroyed!"

"Let me tell you two pieces of information. One. Those that rely on Life Fibers to do jobs they are capable of accomplishing on their own aren't entitled to complain about anything," Tsumugu scolded before adding, "Two. I can smoke wherever I want to."

With a causal flick of his wrist, Tsumugu tossed his still lit cigarette into the garden. As the One-Star students behind him gasped in shock, Kusanosuke shouted, "What the hell did you do that for? You're going to pay for that!"

Tsumugu watched with an annoyed expression as the One-Star students suddenly piled around Kusanosuke and began pouring water into the container on his back. As several large man-eating plants grew out of the container and lunged at him with maws full of sharp teeth, Tsumugu slid to the right, avoiding one plant before springing off the ground and vaulting over a second. As he continued to dodge each predictable assault, Tsumugu heard Kusanosuke gloating at him, which was made more annoying by the club president's nasally voice.

"Taste the power of the Gardening-Spec Two-Star Goku Uniform: Green Thumb Edition!" Kusanosuke gloated haughtily as he thought he was witnessing Tsumugu's death, "How do you like my Piranha Plants? They are going to eat you alive!"

Leaping into the air, Tsumugu stomped down on one of the plants for balance, aiming his sewing machine gun at Kusanosuke and fired several hundred sewing needles.

Kusanosuke was completely unperturbed by his fellow club members collapsing to the ground from the barrage of needles. Either unwilling or uncaring to help, he bravely weathered the assault from Tsumugu, "You're a fool to think that a gun is effective against a Goku Uniform! Who do you think I am anyway?"

"I think you're a fool," Tsumugu answered in mid-air, spinning around an attempt by a plant to eat him before firing dozens of needles in retaliation.

"I told you that won't work!" Kusanosuke gloated, but began to feel something was wrong. Despite weathering the storm of bullets effortlessly, he was beginning to feel his power slipping away. Collapsing to his knees in exhaustion, he mumbled at the impossibility of the situation, "W-What's going on? My power is being drained…but how?"

Walking around the dying plants, Tsumugu approached the fallen Kusanosuke and aimed his sewing machine gun at him, "Let me tell you two further pieces of information that you might find useful. One. Overconfidence in ones abilities is the downfall of many a man. Two. I hate Life Fibers!"

In a classroom across the courtyard, Ryuko Matoi was woken up from her nap by what sounded like a gunshot going off before she quickly decided it wasn't worth thinking about.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Prepare to die, Ichigo Kurosaki!"<p>

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the declaration as he lazily swung Tournesol through the air, cutting down each and every arrow that the Archery Club President fired at him.

"_**This is annoying,"**_ Mugetsu said irritably.

"You don't need to remind me," Ichigo responded flatly. He didn't know why his opponent hadn't given up by now. The ground around him was littered with dozens upon dozens of arrows and yet not one had managed to penetrate his defenses. Not bothering to give the fallen One-Star members of the club a second glance, Ichigo rested Tournesol on his shoulder and sighed.

"Can't you just, I don't know, go home or something?" Ichigo was beginning to think it was a bad idea to get involved in Ryuko's issues. Satsuki had initially proclaimed that any Two-Star student that defeated Ryuko would receive a Three-Star Goku Uniform, but it was earlier this morning that he found out that she amended her earlier statement. In addition to that, anyone who defeated _him_ would not only receive a Three-Star Goku Uniform, but also become a member of the Elite Four, thereby making it the Elite Five or something as stupid sounding.

"Feeling scared? Surrender your Kamui!" Artemis shouted as she fired an arrow, only for Ichigo to deflect it with Mugetsu's sleeve.

"Just give up already," Ichigo said exasperatedly as he grabbed the two arrows Artemis fired out of the air and threw them onto the ground.

"You think I'm scared of you?" Artemis asked boldly, hiding the fact that she was indeed scared of his prowess. She had seen Ichigo deflect her arrows with Tournesol, but to watch him catch or repel them with his hands caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Steadying her shaking hands, she pulled back on her glowing black and red compound bow, a sign of the Life Fibers composing it, and materialized five glowing arrows before releasing them, "I am the reincarnation of the Greek Goddess of the Hunt! You shall fall to my power!"

Ichigo watched the arrows fly towards in what could only be described as slow motion. Ducking under the one aimed at his head, the bladed tip passing inches from his nose, he quickly spun around and brought Tournesol up to deflect three more. Still in motion, he pivoted on his left foot and used the sole of his right foot to basically destroy the fifth and last arrow.

"What? Impossible!" Artemis stepped back in fear as she watched Ichigo stop her attack without even breaking a sweat. With her hands shaking more noticeably, she tried to bring her bow back up, "I wear a Two-Star Goku Uniform! I will not be defeated by the likes of – "

Artemis was cut off as Ichigo disappeared from in front of her, a small ring of expanding dust signaling where he had just been standing, before he reappeared behind her with Tournesol resting on his shoulder.

"What was it that Ryuko called her move?" Ichigo frowned as he tried to remember what she named it, "Oh right. Seni-Soshitsu."

There was silence as several cuts slowly spread across Artemis's uniform before it suddenly ripped into dozens of pieces, leaving the club president as naked as the day she was born. Quickly averting his gaze from the nude girl, Ichigo noticed something floating haphazardly through the air towards him. Plucking it out of the air before it could reach him, he looked in interest at the glowing red thread held firmly between his fingers.

"Is this a Life Fiber?" Ichigo examined the glowing Life Fiber suspiciously. There was something off about it, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but given everything that has happened to him since arriving at Honnouji Academy, he concluded he had a right to be.

"_**Yes,"**_ Mugetsu answered emotionlessly. For some reason she was still upset that Ichigo hadn't taken her on No-Late Day despite him telling her that he wasn't given a choice in the matter, _**"That is the Banshi. It is what holds the Goku Uniform together and gives it the 'will to be clothing.'"**_

Letting the Banshi go, Ichigo watched as it was quickly absorbed into Tournesol, causing the blue blade to briefly glow with a purple outline, "What just happened?"

"_**I don't know. Kisuke Urahara imparted a lot of knowledge into me, but several key things continue to elude me. Perhaps over time I will be able to answer your question."**_

Ichigo locked gazes with one of Mugetsu's eyes before sighing, "Don't make that face. Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. You know I would have taken you if I was given the choice."

"_**I'm not upset with that,"**_ Mugetsu growled before she added, _**"As a Kamui I do not have a face to make. Therefore, there is no doubt that your statement is idiotic."**_

"Why you – "

"Are you talking to yourself Strawberry?" A familiar sweet voice asked from behind him, "And here I thought you were cute, not insane."

Ichigo turned from the unconscious Artemis and towards Nonon Jakuzure standing across the rooftop from him, backed by at least fifteen members of the Marching Band Club. Pointing her baton at Ichigo and with her mouth spread in a cheerful grin, she said, "You've been busy Strawberry, taking out all the club presidents left and right. Lady Satsuki has ordered me to bring you to her for a little chat. So why don't you make it easy on yourself and just surrender?"

He gave Nonon a deadpan look before scratching his cheek, "Oh, it's just you Snake. You can tell Satsuki to take her offer and shove it."

"The name's Nonon Jakuzure!" Nonon stomped her foot angrily and cursed profusely under her breath. She hated that Ichigo wouldn't stop calling her Snake. She was the only one able to call people by cute nicknames! Where did Ichigo get off mocking her name like that? Gritting her teeth and reigning in her anger and annoyance, she asked, "I'm a member of the Elite four, dammit! Why do you continue to address me with such disrespect?"

"You call me Strawberry," Ichigo pointed out dryly with his hands in his pockets, "I'll stop calling you Snake when you stop calling me Strawberry."

Nonon pursed her lips and spit on the ground, "Fine I...Ic…Ich…Ichi…aw, screw it! You're coming with me, but only after I kick your ass! Marching Band: Trumpet Division front and center! Give Strawberry here a test of our jubilant spirit!"

Ichigo had a deadpan look on his face as two rows of One-Star girls, each of them dressed in a marching band uniform, slid in front of Nonon and raised their trumpets, "Wait…what?"

That was when the Marching Band Club started playing and Ichigo found himself being blown back by the sheer volume and power of the music.

"How do you like the William Tell Overture?" Nonon gloated safely from behind the One-Star Students, "Embrace the music, Strawberry!"

"_**This music is really annoying, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu shouted over the sound of the music, _**"Do something about it before I go deaf."**_

"You can't go deaf if you don't have any ears," Ichigo commented to his Kamui, but he knew Mugetsu had a point. He didn't like getting blasted point-blank by weaponized music anymore than she did. Gritting his teeth, he began pushing against the music and started gaining ground.

"Are you trying to resist?" Nonon quipped at Ichigo. Raising her baton, she smirked and shouted, "I'll just have to introduce you to the beauty of classical music! Flute Division! Show Strawberry here what you're made of!"

Another line of girls stepped into position and Ichigo immediately found his ears under assault by what could only be described as music in the loosest terms. With his ears ringing from the harsh sounds, Ichigo was about to attack when he somehow managed to hear Ryuko scream out Mako's name.

"Ryuko!" Ichigo didn't have any time to waste. Rushing forward, he jumped up and over the Marching Band as they attempted to stop him. Landing on the other side, he raced towards Ryuko, but not before turning around and giving Nonon a mock salute, "I'll be back to deal with you another time, Snake. Tell Satsuki she can go to hell."

"For the last time, the name's Jakuzure!" Nonon shouted back, pissed off that Ichigo managed to get away from her, "I'll wipe that smirk off your face if it's the last thing I do, you orange haired son of a bitch!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Mako!"<p>

Ryuko examined her friend's fallen and paralyzed body. Stuck in the same pose she had been in a moment ago, with a large smile on her face, Mako resembled a statue more than a person at the moment. Reaching over to pull out the needles, Ryuko was forced to pull her hand back as a needle embedded right next to it.

"There is no need to be concerned for your friend," a deep voice echoed out from across the courtyard, "I simply got her out of the way for a while. She won't be able to see, hear or sense anything for the next ten minutes, so what is discussed between us will be kept private."

Ryuko turned and saw Tsumugu walking slowly towards her, "What did Mako ever do to you?"

"There is no need to fret, she is unharmed," Tsumugu answered as calmly as ever as he came to a stop some several meters away from Ryuko, "Those needles in her body are quite special. When she awakens, the exhaustion permeating her body will disappear and all her sicknesses cured."

"Oh," Ryuko looked at the fallen Mako before adding, "Thanks for that, but couldn't you have asked first?"

Tsumugu did not answer her as he leveled his Sewing Machine Gun at Ryuko, "On the other hand, your uniform will not receive the same mercy!"

"_**Run, Ryuko!"**_

"I'm not going to run away!" Ryuko bit back sourly. She had no idea what this man wanted with her, but like hell was she just going to run away like a coward.

Without saying a word, the man leveled his strange looking weapon at her and pulled the trigger. Ryuko didn't even bother to think about the abnormal ammo he was firing as she flipped backwards and vaulted off the rusty chain she and Mako had been eating their lunches on. As the sound of needles ricocheting reverberated through the air, Ryuko shouted, "Just what the hell's your problem with me anyway?"

"I don't need to answer that," Tsumugu answered flatly as he stood on top of the chain and stared down at her, "Your athleticism is impressive, but it won't be enough to stop me from doing what needs to be done."

"Go to hell!" Ryuko growled and pulled out her Scissor Blade. Deflecting and parrying almost every needle Tsumugu fired at her, she hissed in pain every time one of the abnormal ammo slipped through her guard and stabbed deep in her body. Ignoring the pain to focus on the battle, she jumped up and clashed weapons with Tsumugu. If he was surprised that she was still able to move, Tsumugu didn't show it.

"_She is skilled, even without her Kamui,"_ Tsumugu thought calmly as he parried away her Scissor Blade with his Sewing Machine Gun. Pushing her away and firing a dozen rounds into her back, he landed on the ground and stared at Ryuko, _"But she is predictable. While she seems to have some skill in wielding that Scissor Blade, she still swings it around like a novice."  
><em>

During the momentary lull in the fighting, Ryuko took the opportunity to reach over and pull several sewing needles out of her shoulder. She glanced at the blood-tipped ammo for a moment before tossing them to the ground in disgust. She didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, but he had already hurt Mako and was now trying to kill her. It was time to activate Senketsu and take her revenge on the man. As she reached for the pin on her glove, Ryuko suddenly found the world spinning around her. Desperately trying to steady herself on her feet, Ryuko grabbed her head, "What the hell's going on?"

"Your fortitude is remarkable," Tsumugu dashed forward and delivered a kick to Ryuko's sternum that forced her on her back. Coughing harshly from the strike, she grunted in pain as Tsumugu planted his foot on her stomach and aimed his Sewing Machine Gun at her heart, "But even the most determined person cannot fight off the effects of thirty tranquilizer rounds. You have my respect for forcing me to use my specialized ammunition."

"You bastard!" Ryuko struggled to pull herself free, but Tsumugu's strength was too great in her untransformed state. That, compounded with the fact that her muscles weren't responding to her thoughts, made escape impossible, "What club are you a part of?"

Tsumugu's eyes drifted to the side as he felt someone approaching. He didn't have much time, perhaps a minute at the most, before Ichigo Kurosaki would arrive. He needed to move quickly, "When I remove my foot, you will take off your clothes."

Ryuko had been expecting many things, but that question wasn't one of them, "What kind of question is that? I don't even know you! You're in that stupid Pervert Club, aren't you? I bet you're the president of the Pervert Club!"

Tsumugu made sure to keep his Sewing Machine Gun trained on Ryuko's heart, "Let me tell you two useful pieces of information. One. I am not a pervert. I find the idea of a man stalking and idolizing a woman he has never talked to both morally repugnant and utterly disgusting."

"Say whatever you need to sleep at night," Ryuko spat and tried to pull the pin out of her glove with her teeth only for Tsumugu to fire something out of his wrist and pin her hand to the ground.

"Two. I will not let you transform in front of me. If you are unable to transform, you are no more powerful than a regular human."

Leaning over Ryuko and training his weapon over her throat, Tsumugu growled, "If I were to fire at this range, the likelihood of your death is guaranteed. If you wish to survive to live a full life, take off your clothes. I do not like to take lives unnecessarily."

"Bastard…" Ryuko could feel sweat dripping off her face as she gazed up at the man that had so easily taken her out, "What do you have against Senketsu?"

"So you're refusing to comply?" Tsumugu felt a pang of guilt for what he was about to do, but for the sake of humanity he would bury his emotions and guilt. Destroying a Kamui was a top priority, even if it came at a cost of an innocent life. The repercussions of failing and letting the Kamui get out of control were too severe, "You leave me no choice. I know it may seem hollow to you, but I will derive no pleasure from what I am about to do. I hope you find peace in whatever awaits beyond this world."

As his finger squeezed on the tripper of his weapon, Tsumugu glanced to the side as he felt someone rapidly approaching him. Quickly jumping off Ryuko and hopping backwards a few times, he skid to a stop as Ichigo landed on the ground in front of him, still clad in Mugetsu's released form.

"I did not expect you to arrive so quickly, Ichigo Kurosaki," Tsumugu depressed a button on the bottom of his Sewing Machine Gun, ejecting the five-hundred needle clip before quickly inserting a new one, "Your speed is impressive."

"You know me?" Ichigo asked suspiciously as he swung Tournesol to the side, destroying the needles holding Ryuko to the ground.

Tsumugu ignored the question as his eyes lingered on Mugetsu. It seemed the boy was firmly in control of his Kamui, which wasn't that surprising given his parents. Unlike Matoi, who seemed to be trying to stab him with her eyes, Ichigo was firmly in control of his emotions. He was angry, anyone would be given the situation, but the problem with Matoi was that she wore her emotions on her sleeves. If there ever came a time where she was pushed to the brink, there was no doubt in Tsumugu's mind that her Kamui would immediately try and devour her.

"Why are you here, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Tsumugu circled around Ichigo, who always kept himself between the man and Ryuko, "You are supposed to be in Karakura Town."

"How do you know about me?" Ichigo growled and pointed Tournesol at Tsumugu, "Who are you and what do you want with Ryuko?"

Tsumugu glanced over at Matoi and reassessed the situation. The odds of him being able to successfully destroy her Kamui and get away were slim to none. He didn't even care if he was captured as long as the Kamui was destroyed, but even that was highly unlikely at this point. The best thing to do would be to retreat and reformulate his plan of attack. First, he needed to gather some information about what Ichigo was doing at Honnouji Academy.

"Let me give you two pieces of useful information," Tsumugu lit a cigarette using a device on his wrist and began walking towards Ichigo, "One. Who I am does not concern you."

Sprinting forward, Tsumugu fired several dozen rounds from his Sewing Machine Gun at Ichigo. While Ichigo managed to avoid or block every single one of them, that was Tsumugu's plan the entire time. Leaping into the air as soon as he finished firing, when he tried to drop kick Ichigo in the face, he was surprised to find the youth already spinning around his attack. Landing in a crouch, he quickly brought his gun up to stop Tournesol from hitting him.

"Two," Tsumugu grunted as he was forced closer and closer to the ground from Ichigo's enhanced strength, "I knew your mother, Masaki."

"What?"

Ichigo froze at the mention of his mother's name, but that was all Tsumugu needed. Rolling forward, Tsumugu twisted around and aimed his gun at several spots along Ichigo's Kamui. Before he could pull the trigger, something shot through the air and pierced his hand, paralyzing the muscles and preventing him from moving his finger. Scoffing irritably and looking up at a building, Tsumugu realized he had run out of time. Standing up and turning around, he began walking away, "Do not go anywhere, Matoi. I'll be here tomorrow to strip you of your Kamui. Don't try to run because there will be no place you can hide."

As Tsumugu walked away, disappearing into the shadows, Ryuko stood back on her feet and looked at Ichigo, "Who was that guy and how did he know your mother, Ichigo?"

"I don't know," Ichigo's hand clenched tightly around Tournesol's hilt. Looking at Ryuko, he asked, "What happened to Mako? I heard you screaming her name."

Ryuko slapped herself at the mention of her friend. In all the excitement, she had completely forgotten that not twenty feet away her best friend was lying on the ground covered in dozens of sewing needles. Rushing over to help, she scolded herself, "I can't believe I forgot all about Mako! I'm a terrible friend!"

Ichigo watched Ryuko start pulling out needles by the handful from the paralyzed Mako's body before he knelt down and picked up one of the needles that Tsumugu had fired at him. Turning the strange ammunition over in his fingers, he pondered why someone would use something like a needle as ammo.

"_**There is something odd about this needle,"**_ Mugetsu focused both her eyes on the object in Ichigo's hand before emitting a feminine growl, _**"I can feel it trying to sever the bond between you and myself. If you were to be hit by enough of these needles, I would be forced to sleep."**_

"I see…" Ichigo knew that Tsumugu was a dangerous threat. That man had all but decimated Ryuko without even trying. There was no telling what he would do given enough time to prepare. He needed to be on his guard in case Tsumugu decided to spring a surprise on him, "Be on your guard, Mugetsu. That guy seems to have it out for you and Senketsu."

"_**Bring it on,"**_ Mugetsu scoffed at Ichigo's concern, _**"That man might be strong enough to deal with Senketsu, but you and I are on a different level. There is no way that he can beat us!"**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes and walked towards Ryuko and a now-conscious Mako, "Don't get too full of yourself. You said the same thing about Satsuki and we barely managed to beat her."

"_**Shut up, Ichigo."**_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Aikuro Mikisugi preferred the bars in the slums to those in the One-Star Residential District. Call him a sentimental fool, but he found personal interactions to be much more realistic when one didn't have to worry about social appearances or peer pressure. The fact that the loud noise and rowdy crowd made being overheard extremely unlikely was simply a bonus.<p>

Gazing at his watch and noticing what time it was, Aikuro was about to finish his drink and leave when he noticed a quilt pin floating in his sake. Aikuro smirked at his colleagues introduction, "I see you were able to figure out it was me. Aren't you going to say you hate being interrupted while working or something, Tsumugu?"

Leaning against the bar next to Aikuro with his hands in his pockets stood a stern-faced Tsumugu. He didn't appreciate the fact that Aikuro interfered with his clash against Ryuko and Ichigo. His intolerance for being interrupted was, for the moment, overshadowed by a much more serious question plaguing his mind, "Why didn't you tell me Masaki's son was attending Honnouji Academy?"

"Heh," Aikuro plucked the pin out of his sake before swallowing the alcoholic liquid in one gulp, "Would you have believed me if I had said he was here?"

Tsumugu's silence to the question was all the answer Aikuro needed. Tsumugu was one of Nudist Beach's best operatives and prided himself on researching all the necessary information about a target before going after them. He had singlehandedly taken down several Revocs factories using just his intelligence, so it was clear to Aikuro that Tsumugu's pride as a Nudist had taken quite the blow upon finding Masaki's son attending the same academy as Ryuko Matoi.

"He has a Kamui," Tsumugu pointed out bluntly and without caring who overheard him. He didn't like Kamui in general, and the fact that Masaki's son possessed one was tantamount to spitting on her grave, "Where did he get it?"

"Do you remember Isshin talking about a man by the name of Kisuke Urahara?"

That set off quite a few bells in Tsumugu's head. It had been over a decade since he heard that name, "Yeah, I remember."

Aikuro raised the bottle of sake and refilled his cup, "About two days after Ichigo arrived, Isshin called out of the blue. He said that Kisuke created that Kamui for Ichigo and that I should make sure he survived whatever may come. Needless to say, I haven't had much to do. After all, he was the one to singlehandedly fight Satsuki Kiryuin and her Kamui to a draw."

Tsumugu's frown deepened as he thought back to how Kisuke Urahara managed to save the life of his sister, Kinue Kinagase, all those years ago when she foolishly decided to try on an experimental Kamui. It was also the first time he met the man he would come to know as Isshin Kurosaki.

_Flashback – 11 Years Ago _

_Isshin Matoi, otherwise known as Dr. Matoi to his colleagues and associates, turned to the other two men in the room, "Is everything in place?"_

_Clad in a brown turtleneck under a white lab coat, Aikuro typed a few keys on a nearby computer, "The Life Fiber inhibitors are in place and are performing at optical efficiency. I've run them through several test runs and no problems have been detected."_

"_Good, good," Dr. Matoi stroked his knee-length beard and hummed impatiently at the third man pacing nervously across the observation room, "You seem perturbed about something, Tsumugu."_

_A much younger Tsumugu stopped pacing and looked at Dr. Matoi. While his hair already possessed its familiar deep red streak, Tsumugu had it styled it a much more manageable crew cut._

"_I know my sister wants to go through with this, but I think this is a dangerous idea!" Tsumugu knew his argument was pointless. Whenever Kinue focused her mind on doing something, nothing on Earth could stop her. Usually he would simply step out of the way until she was done, but what Kinue was volunteering to do was dangerous and potentially life threatening._

_Dr. Matoi huffed and walked towards the observation window overlooking the fitting room. Tsumugu wasn't the only one concerned about the possible consequences of such an early fitting. While he was certain he had ironed out all the possible kinks and flaws in the prototype Kamui, there was always the chance that he missed something. He was human, after all. It would be hubris to assume that the Kamui he created was perfect in every single way._

"_You aren't the only one to think that," he told Tsumugu honestly, "I tried to talk Kinue out of volunteering, but she is firm in her belief that humans and clothing can coexist peacefully. If you are truly worried about something going wrong, Aikuro and I have taken much time out of our schedules to implement several safety measures that should stop the fitting if anything should go wrong."_

"_I __still __don't like it," Tsumugu countered weakly._

"_I will admit that our safety measures will never be perfect," Dr. Matoi did not like confessing his failures. His life was already full of mistakes and guilt. He didn't want to add another to his already long list, "But I brought in someone to help."_

"_Someone? Who?"_

_Dr. Matoi turned towards Aikuro, who answered, "He's currently getting the prototype out of storage. He should be entering the fitting room in a few minutes."_

_That didn't make any sense to Tsumugu. Everyone who touched the prototype Kamui had been violently assaulted by it, with the Life Fiber creature attempting to devour them completely within seconds. Who could touch such a violent creature without fear for their life?_

_Tsumugu didn't need to wait long to find out. Less than five minutes after Dr. Matoi's announcement, alarms began going off in the observation room, signaling that the negative pressure door on the far side of the fitting room was being accessed. _

"_It looks like Isshin is ready to come in," Aikuro swiveled around in his chair and faced Dr. Matoi._

_Dr. Matoi kept his eyes on the fitting room through the thick, protective glass as he answered, "Let him in."_

_Tsumugu had heard of Isshin Kurosaki. He was practically one of the reasons Nudist Beach was able to survive without Revocs striking them down. While Isshin wasn't actually a member of the organization, his presence seemed to dissuade Ragyo from moving against them. When the door opened with a hiss of pressurized air leaving the room, Tsumugu expected someone composed and implacable, someone whose innate resistance to Life Fibers was so high that they could touch an animalistic Kamui for a short period of time without being consumed by it. He did not expect, nor could he have ever expected ,to meet the real Isshin Kurosaki._

"_Down boy…girl…thing! Bad Kamui! Stop that this instant!" Isshin was holding the Kamui at arms length away from his body, but for good reason. The Kamui was trying, and failing for some reason, to wrap around his arms. Every time it tried to put itself on Isshin, it would succeed for a second before something snapped and it lost its grip._

"_Hey Matoi!" Isshin shouted towards the three men watching him, "Get the restraining device ready! I don't feel like fighting with a dress any longer than I have to!"_

_Dr. Matoi pressed a button, bringing the intercom to life, "Of course, Isshin. It's right to your left. Just put the prototype in the chamber and the machine will do the rest."_

_After kicking the prototype Kamui in order to get it momentarily under control, Isshin wrapped the Life Fiber being into a ball before throwing it into the chamber. While it took the Kamui a few seconds to reorient itself, it wasn't quick enough to escape. The moment Isshin put it in the chamber, the steel door hissed shut and a gaseous mixture of starch and bleach began filling the chamber, freezing the Kamui in place and putting it in a temporary slumber._

"_Damn that thing was annoying," Isshin Kurosaki complained as he entered the observation room. Much like Aikuro and Dr. Matoi, he wore a lab coat over a black sweater, but unlike them he had a distinctively 80s-style mullet. Yawning and rubbing the back of his neck, he turned to Aikuro, "So was that thing the reason you called me? Masaki isn't going to be happy that I skipped town and leaving her with the twins."_

"_Don't worry about Masaki," Aikuro grinned amiably, "You're almost done here. Dr. Matoi just wanted you to help transfer the prototype Kamui."_

"_It's been a few years Isshin," Dr. Matoi offered his hand to Isshin, only to have the normally jolly man refuse to shake it. Matoi didn't seem to find such a display rude, and therefore continued speaking, "That Kamui is my first complete prototype. I created it to help us fight the tyranny being imposed upon the world by Recovs and Ragyo Kiryuin."_

"_It's a little late to be doing the right thing," Isshin hinted knowingly, getting strange looks from Tsumugu and Aikuro and a worried expression from Dr. Matoi, "But enough about the past. What makes you think this Kamui will want to go against Ragyo? You saw how it tried to eat me out there. Anyone else would have been dead by now."_

_Dr. Matoi sighed sadly and sat down, "I will admit that Project T-elos was based off of Ragyo Kiryuin's designs. Do you know how difficult it is to craft a Kamui? Her work saved me over a year of planning. I spent countless hours going off the Life Fibers while looking for any sign of internal tampering or mistakes. I can assure you that Ragyo has as much control over this Kamui as you do."_

"_In any case," Isshin walked towards the observation window and stared at where the Kamui was being held, "Who did you trick into wearing that thing?"_

"_I didn't trick anyone," Dr. Matoi defended, "Kinue personally asked to have Project T-elos be fitted to her. She believes that clothes and humans can live together peacefully and is determined to prove that. I've tried to persuade her to wait until I'm sure there is absolutely nothing that can go wrong, but…"_

"_I know," Isshin sighed. Kinue had always been a rather bold woman, which is probably why Masaki got along so well with her, "I wish I could stay around and make sure nothing goes wrong, but Masaki is having a handful with the twins as well as Ichigo, but I think I may have something that could come in handy in case you screwed something up."_

_Reaching inside his lab coat, Isshin fished around for something before pulling out a small octagonal medallion. Handing it to Dr. Matoi, he said, "I had an old friend of mine, Kisuke Urahara, whip this up. He has no idea what Life Fibers are or what this is going to be used for, so I added a few modifications of my own. All he knows is that I needed something to protect someone with no questions asked. Give this medallion to Kinue when she goes to wear the Kamui. If anything goes wrong, it should protect her from being devoured."_

_Dr. Matoi looked at the designed etched on the surface of the medallion. The object itself was pure white, but the design consisted of several black lines interwoven with each other and originating around a red ruby-like gem at the center of the medallion. He stared at the object for what seemed like forever, but when he looked up to thank Isshin, he was already gone. Contemplating what he was going to do, Dr. Matoi hobbled over to Tsumugu and placed the medallion in his hand._

"_Give this to Kinue," he ordered, "Make sure she knows what to do with it."_

_End Flashback_

Tsumugu snorted and forced his memories to the back of his mind, "Nearly tens years since he dropped off the grid and now he comes back? If you ask me, it's a little suspicious."

"You know exactly why he left," Aikuro reminded Tsumugu. The death of Masaki had hit Nudist Beach hard, even if Isshin wouldn't say what exactly happened to her besides the fact that she was murdered. Dr. Matoi had volunteered to use Nudist Beach's immense resources to hunt down the killer, but Isshin had been quite clear that he didn't want an investigation. He had a family to care for and searching for Masaki's killer would force him to split his attention.

Seeing no point in leaving, Tsumugu grabbed a nearby stool and sat down next to Aikuro. Grabbing the bottle of sake off the counter, he poured some into a cup before speaking, "Ragyo Kiryuin starts becoming active and now Isshin sends his son to Honnouji Academy, where her daughter is consolidating power? I don't like it."

"That's not the worst part," Aikuro reached into pocket and pulled out a photo. Sliding it across the counter to Tsumugu, he said, "Look who decided to show up in Honnou City a few days ago."

Tsumugu grabbed the picture and stared at the figure on it, "The Grand Couturier. Why would she be here?"

Aikuro shrugged, "I have no idea, but knowing her, it can't be good. She doesn't go anywhere without Ragyo's permission. When I first discovered she was here, I thought she may have been going after Ryuko, but to my surprise the Grand Couturier seems to be fixated on Ichigo."

"Ichigo?" Tsumugu thought long and hard about why someone like the Grand Couturier would be interested in Ichigo Kurosaki, "I cannot begin to comprehend what someone like her thinks, but I suppose it has to do with Isshin. It always seems to come back to that man."

"Possibly," Aikuro smirked before his expression hardened, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now. How is Kinue doing?"

There was the sound of ceramic shattering as Tsumugu clenched his hand hard enough to break the cup it was holding. Staring down at the shards on the counter, he threw down a few bills to cover the damage and stood up, "She's doing fine, considering everything that's happened to her. Thank you for the concern, though."

Kisuke Urahara's invention, which Isshin made sure Kinue was holding when she tried on Project T-elos, had worked perfectly. Despite all the precautions and safety measures Dr. Matoi and Aikuro put in place, as soon as Kinue put on the Kamui it had immediately tried to devour her. As Aikuro grabbed a chair and tried to shatter the safety glass to save Kinue, there was a bright green flash from within the room. After several seconds of painful waiting to see what was going on, the light died down and to everyone's relief Kinue was lying unconscious on the floor of the fitting room, still clad in the Kamui that had been trying to kill her moments before. As he burst into the room through the door, Tsumugu's relief at his sister's state soon turned to horror and shock when he saw exactly what was keeping her alive.

The medallion that Isshin gave them, the same one that was supposed to save Kinue's life if anything went wrong, seemed to have fused with her chest. As he tried to pull the Kamui off her body, which seemed to not be fighting him for some reason, Tsumugu noticed the black arrow pattern burned into her sternum right over her heart. After being pulled away from his sister by Aikuro so that Dr. Matoi could examine her, Tsumugu was given some startling news.

The medallion may have saved Kinue's mind and body from being devoured by the Kamui, but it forever bound her to it. After Dr. Matoi frantically called Isshin to ask what the medallion was supposed to do, Isshin reluctantly confessed that it was supposed to act as a 'bridge' of sorts between the Kamui and Kinue in case the worst came to pass. If all else failed, and the Kamui's inherent violent and animalistic nature overcame their precautions, the medallion would activate and effectively trick the Kamui into thinking Kinue was part of it, thereby stopping it from doing any further damage. The only problem was that Kinue would be forever bound to the Kamui. She would also never be able to take it off or remove the medallion, which was now as much a part of her body as the Kamui was.

"But that's not what you called me down here for, was it?" Tsumugu's sister was still a sore topic for the man, even though she was still the same woman, no matter what she wore, "If it's about Ichigo, you can stop worrying. I haven't forgotten what Isshin tried to do. As long as Ichigo doesn't interfere with my mission, I will leave both him and his Kamui alone."

"You know me too well," Aikuro smirked before frowning, "I need you to also leave Ryuko Matoi alone, at least for now. This is a critical time and with Isshin's recent involvement, I don't know what to expect."

"I got the message," Tsumugu had known Ragyo was going to make her move sooner or later, but Isshin's confirmation sped up Nudist Beach's operations, "To think Revocs is already moving on to the next stage, it's going to be chaos around here soon enough. But, as for Matoi…I'm afraid I won't be able to listen to you."

"Need I remind you of little miss Satsuki Kiryuin's recent expansion?" Aikuro asked Tsumugu sarcastically, "Her national school conquest is nearly complete apart from the Kansai region and, of course, Karakura Town."

The Kansai region was where Nudist Beach's headquarters were. It was the only place left in Japan besides Karakura Town where Revocs did not have a firm hold on the populace. Even with all of the resources at her disposal, Satsuki Kiryuin would need to increase her manpower if she wanted any chance of breaking through Nudist Beach's front lines, but even that would not be able to penetrate Karakura Town. Tsumugu didn't know how or why, but Isshin Kurosaki had something so dangerous on Ragyo Kiryuin that she had forbid her daughter from attempting to conquer Karakura High School.

"Let me give you two pieces of useful information," Tsumugu grabbed the cup of out Aikuro's hand and downed it in a single swallow, "One. I know that you're going to tell me Dr. Matoi's words about using the Kamui to stop the ambitions of the Kiryuins. As much as I would prefer for humans to solve this problem on our own, against someone like the Grand Couturier we are sorely outclassed. Two. I'm well aware I'm going against our organization's current goals. Do not try and lecture me."

Aikuro chuckled, "Am I that obvious of a Nudist?"

Tsumugu didn't appreciate Aikuro's joke. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he said, "You know how dangerous a Kamui is. In the hands of a normal person it is merely dangerous, but Matoi is emotional and easy to anger. There will come a time when she will let her anger get the better of her."

"What if Ryuko turns out to be a powerful ally?" Aikuro ignored the inference of Tsumugu's comment, "Now that Satsuki Kiryuin possesses a Kamui of her own, it makes sense to fight fire with fire. That is not to mention Ichigo's Kamui."

Aikuro tried to pour Tsumugu some sake, but the man stopped him short, "You must know what will happen if Matoi ever loses control of that thing. She will become a threat even greater than the Kiryuins. I've seen Ichigo's power. If such an event were to ever occur, I don't think he would be able to stop Matoi. That's why I need to destroy that thing before things get out of hand. I trust Masaki's son to never lose control, but the same cannot be said about Matoi. It's better she die as a human than live to get consumed by her uniform."

"Is that your final answer?" Aikuro swirled his sake around but didn't drink it, "If the higher ups find out about your mission, they'll strip you of every last bit of equipment."

"Then I'll just be a nude Nudish. I owe you a debt for everything you've done for me, Aikuro, and therefore I would do almost anything you asked of me," Tsumugu began walking away before quickly stopping, "But the debt I owe Isshin and Masaki is even greater. I refuse to stop pursuing Matoi under her Kamui is destroyed, but if it makes you feel any better, I will offer Matoi a single chance to relinquish her Kamui without a fight. That is the most you are going to get from me."

Aikuro watched Tsumugu disappear into the Honnou City night. After a moment he smirked, _"You know Ichigo is going to come after you, don't you Tsumugu? In fact, I think you're counting on it. You want to see how the little boy Masaki talked so much about grew up. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #2 - A Kurosaki Day Out<br>**

"Dad! Dad!"

Isshin put his book down and saw Yuzu running over to him. With Ichigo at Honnouji Academy doing who knows what, Yuzu and Karin had been sadder than usual. So he decided to take them to a water park in a neighboring town. Sure, it was out of the safety and protection of Karakura Town, but he was there so there should be no problems.

"Yes, Yuzu?" While Isshin was sitting on one of the chairs surrounding the pool, he didn't feel like actually going in.

"I made a new friend!" Yuzu beamed happily, "She's so fun and exciting! Wait right here! I'll go get her for you!"

Isshin pondered what his daughter just said. Yuzu having a new friend wasn't a big deal; she made friends all the time. Even Kon wasn't immune to Yuzu's charms and he wasn't even a person. As he saw Yuzu chatting happily with a very familiar looking girl, whose back was turned to him, Isshin started coughed dramatically. When Yuzu pointed to him and the girl turned around to look, Isshin nearly fell out of his chair.

_"Oh, damn it."_

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Nui Harime!" Yuzu announced with her arm around Nui's shoulders, "She's super nice and really fun!"

"Hello, Mr. Kurosaki!" Nui said in the same tone as Yuzu, as fake as it was, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, well, it's nice to meet you," Isshin reached for his wallet and gave Yuzu twenty dollars, "Why don't you go to the snack bar and get something for us to eat, Yuzu."

As Yuzu happily took the money and left, Isshin turned on Nui, "What are you doing here?"

"You act like my whole life revolves around you," Nui turned her head and puffed out her cheeks, "I do have other things to do besides annoying you. Today is my yearly vacation day. Work has been so hard lately that I needed some time to myself. So why don't we just pretend like we didn't see each other. Is that alright with you, you old goat?"

Isshin narrowed his eyes before he shook hands with Nui over the temporary truce. He would never trust her as far as he could throw her, and he could throw her very far indeed, but for the sake of Yuzu and Karin's fun, he was willing to let it go for now.

Later that night, back in Karakura Town, Isshin nearly pulled his hair out in frustration as Yuzu put a picture of her, Karin and Nui on the mantle in the living room. As much as he wanted to simply throw the picture out, Isshin knew that he wouldn't be able to get away with it. Yuzu had the senses of a hawk when it came to her things disappearing. As he glared at the picture, Isshin couldn't believe how much of a pain in the ass Nui was without even trying.


	15. Chapter 15: Won't Get Fooled Again

_Before I get into Chapter 15, I would like to point out that I'm still surprised at the popularity of this story. In my browsing of the interweb, I found links to my story across many different sites, which spurs me on to continue writing. So thank you to everyone that reviews and spreads the word of my story._

_So onto the actual chapter. This is the second half of Episode 5, which really means it ends at the same time as Episode 5 ends. The events within the chapter are so different from canon that some of you might not even recognize it. Of course Tsumugu will fight Ryuko since it wouldn't be Kill la Kill without that happening, but the details of the fight as well as how it goes down is different. Three words: Plastic Explosive Pincushion._

_**Note:** I am greatly interested in someone making a picture of Ichigo wearing Mugetsu. If anyone wants to do this, please PM me so we can work it out.  
><em>

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 15 - Won't Get Fooled Again<strong>

Under Satsuki Kiryuin's harsh rule, all students attending Honnouji Academy had a strict curfew of 10:00 PM, barring exigent circumstances. Any student found wandering the campus without a reasonable excuse would find themselves at the mercy of the Disciplinary Committee before being handed over to Ira Gamagori, who would go down on the student harder than usual due to having just been woken up. For the most part, every One-Star student and over obeyed the curfew without any fuss or complaints, but Ichigo Kurosaki didn't know about the curfew and wouldn't have cared even if he had.

The good thing about living in an almost empty dorm was that there weren't that many people around to witness anything. Nui Harime's visit on No-Late Day was a prime example of how this was a good thing. Ichigo had no doubts in his mind that if anyone were to have walked in on them, Nui would have easily and without hesitation killed the interloper in order, as she put it, to keep her secret. Ichigo didn't know why she was obsessed with him. Quite frankly it both scared and pissed him off.

Due to the lack of students both willing and able to stay in the dorms, the rooftop made an excellent place to speak without being overheard by spies or nosy people.

"Gah!"

"Hmm…" Mako raised a finger to her lips and tilted her head to the side, "I lost track. How many times was that?"

"Thirty one," Shinjiro Nagita answered without hesitation as he quickly added a tally mark to his writing pad. Much like Mako, he was sitting on the edge of the roof with a sandwich in his hands, "Ryuko's determination to persevere in the face of an unbeatable opponent is truly awe inspiring."

Ichigo frowned from where he was standing, "Yeah, but she's never going to land a hit if she just keeps charging in like that."

Skidding to a stop along the concrete roof, completely unharmed due to Senketsu acting as her skin, Ryuko grumbled angrily and picked herself off the ground. Brushing some dust off her Kamui, she glared at Ururu, who was still standing in the same spot as when the spar began.

"_**She's really strong, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's eye narrowed as he tried to come up with a strategy, but every plan the Kamui thought of was shot down by Ururu's lightning-fast reaction time and speed.

"Way to state the obvious," Ryuko wiped a trail of spit off her lips and stared at Ururu. When she had agreed to this spar in order to hone her skills and increase her abilities, she thought it would be simple. In her mind, Ururu only managed to kick Sanageyama's ass because he hadn't activated his Three-Star Goku Uniform. But after activating Life Fiber Synchronization and still not landing a single hit, Ryuko was beginning to wonder just how strong Ururu was, "There's no way you can be this strong."

"I wasn't always this strong," Ururu said softly, her hands clasped together in front of her, "I trained long and hard to get to where I am today."

"Huh," Ryuko grinned cockily as she digested that piece of information. If someone like Ururu, who hated fighting, could be trained to be this strong, then there was no doubt in her mind that she could do the same, "That's good to know. Ready for the next round?"

Ururu nodded her head, "Of course, but might I suggest trying to kill me? You won't be able to, but it would give you the strength and speed to maybe land a hit on me."

What Ururu just told her took Ryuko aback, "Kill you?"

"Yes," For the first time in the spar Ururu adopted a fighting stance. Bumping her gloved hands together softly, she added, "You should get ready, Ryuko. Here I come."

Ryuko nodded and brought her Scissor Blade up into a defensive position, but as much as she thought she was ready, she really wasn't. One moment she was standing almost twenty feet away from Ururu and the next she was sent flying into the air as Ururu's heel connected with her chin.

Wincing in pain as specks of blood hovered in the air around her, Ryuko looked down at the roof out of one half-opened eye, "Damn it. I couldn't even see her move."

"_**I didn't even sense her. She's really tough."**_

"I know!" Ryuko shouted as she spun around in the air before landing on the roof in a crouch. Just as her heel clicked against the surface of the roof, she was forced to quickly jump backwards when Ururu sprinted towards her.

Barely dodging the first punch, Ryuko was caught off guard when Ururu abruptly switched tactics and swept her leg across the ground. Tossed back into the air, Ryuko was stunned when Ururu thrust her palm into her exposed stomach. Even with Senketsu's steel-like skin, the power behind the blow was like she wasn't even wearing a Kamui. Thrown back along the roof, Ryuko rolled to a stop and immediately noticed her Scissor Blade was no longer in her hands. Twisting her head around, she saw the weapon held firmly in Ururu's hand.

Ururu gazed at the peculiar weapon in her left hand with something akin to wonder and interest. Something about it felt familiar, but that wasn't possible. Turning to a flabbergasted Ryuko, she said, "Your grip was too light. I was able to disarm you with hardly any effort."

"This is terrible!" Mako's arms were raised in front of her body and her eyes were on the verge of tears. Her best friend was equipped with her Sunday best and yet was unable to put up a fight! Gathering her courage, she stood up and shouted, "Come on Ryuko! Where's your fighting spirit? There's no way you should be getting thrown around like my old doll!"

"It is rather strange," Shinjiro flipped through his notepad. Frowning as he recalled something he wrote days ago, he turned to Ichigo, "Ryuko should be stronger than this. Didn't you say she was equal to Satsuki in strength?"

"Just about," Ichigo answered briefly, "She's holding back."

"Ryuko?" Shinjiro asked before wincing when Ryuko was thrown back and her Scissor Blade taken away.

"No. Ururu," Ichigo stated neutrally, "She's probably fighting at about a quarter of her strength. If Ururu wasn't holding back, she would have killed Ryuko when the fight started."

While Mako gasped at that revelation and cheered on Ryuko even more, Shinjiro seemed to become pensive, but Ichigo chalked his less cheery mood to his current state. Some time during No-Late Day, Shinjiro had been ambushed by the Disciplinary Committee and had the crap beat out of him. While most of his wounds had been superficial and needed nothing more than bandages and gauze, Shinjiro was forced to cover his left eye with an eye patch for the foreseeable future.

"Ururu's that strong?" The familiar awe was back in his voice, which showed Ichigo that Shinjiro was back to his old self, "That's incredible! She could be our secret weapon to expose Lady Satsuki's tyranny once and for all!"

"What's with you and taking down Satsuki?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow. There was something odd about how Shinjiro always wanted to go after Satsuki, "Can't you – "

"Look at the color changing!"

Ichigo and Shinjiro turned towards Mako, who had shouted the exclamation, before turning towards Ururu. While they were both stunned by what they saw, it was Ichigo who voiced what was on both of their minds, "It's turning purple?"

They were not the only ones to notice. Both Ryuko, whose eyes were wide as saucers and her lips trembling, and Ururu, who viewed it with a mixture of detached interest and confusion, had noticed it as well. Holding the Scissor Blade out in front of her petite body, Ururu watched as the red color of the blade started bleeding away only to be replaced by a shade of dark purple. In only a few seconds there wasn't any trace of red left on it. It was now a purple Scissor Blade.

"How strange…" Ururu held the blade up to her eyes and stared deeply at it. She had no idea why it had changed color, but nothing seemed to have been changed besides its cosmetic appearance, "Why did it turn purple?"

"You…" Ryuko's body was trembling and her head was tilted down, hiding her eyes beneath thick shadows. Clenching her fists angrily to the point where she should have drawn blood, she glared at Ururu and seethed, "Just who are you anyway?"

With almost wild abandon Ryuko raced along the roof, the vents on her back only helping to increase her speed. As she closed the distance between Ururu and herself, Ryuko cocked a fist back and aimed for her target's face. She could tell by the look in Ururu's eyes that she hadn't expected Ryuko to just come charging at her. That did not, however, stop Ururu from leaning to the side and allowing the punch to go sailing harmlessly past less than an inch from her nose. Nor did it stop her from stabbing the now purple Scissor Blade into the roof, rearing her arm back and driving her fist deep into Ryuko's solar plexus.

"Gah!" Ryuko spit out globs of blood as Ururu punched her with nearly half of her strength. Collapsing onto the ground with only a single shaking arm preventing her face from hitting it, Ryuko gasped for breath and looked up into Ururu's passive face, "Why?"

"Huh?" Ururu blinked owlishly in confusion.

"Why…" Ryuko took a moment to catch her breath, "…why did you kill my dad?"

Ururu stared at the fallen Ryuko before crouching down next to her. Staring level into Ryuko's eyes, she tilted her head to the side and said, "But I didn't kill your dad. I don't even know who he is."

"What?" Ryuko managed to regain some control over her body as the pain in her stomach abated, "But my Scissor Blade. Why did it turn purple when you held it?"

Ururu briefly looked at the skewered weapon, "I don't know, but I'm really sorry for any confusion and anger I may have caused you. Please forgive me!"

A faint blush of embarrassment adorned Ryuko's cheeks as Ururu apologized to her profusely. She was about to apologize when Senketsu spoke to her, _**"That was dangerous of you, Ryuko."**_

Ryuko stared at Senketsu's only working eye and saw that it was narrowed in anger, "What do you mean, Senketsu?"

"_**When you got angry just now, your blood began boiling hotter and hotter,"**_ Her Kamui paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing, _**"If it had continued for much longer, I would not have been able to control my taste for your blood. You need to be careful in the future. You mustn't let your anger take control of you or it will not end well for either of us."**_

"You're right," Ryuko sighed dejectedly, "It's just that I – "

"Ryuko!"

Ryuko didn't have much warning before Mako latched onto her neck, spun around once and tackled her to the ground. As she tried to get Mako's hands away from her neck so that she was able to breath, Mako tightened her grip even more, "Don't die on me, Ryuko! I can't afford to go searching for a new best friend this time of the year. It's too much of a hassle!"

"Mako…can't…breath…" Ryuko comically gasped for breath as her face started turning blue. Her relief came when Ichigo grabbed Mako by the back of her collar and pulled her off of the nearly dead Ryuko.

"Easy Mako," Ichigo let Mako down gently before offering a hand to Ryuko, "Are you alright?"

Instead of taking his hand, Ryuko deactivated Senketsu and sat cross-legged on the ground with her arms folded in front of her chest. With a pout of anger on her face, she asked, "How well do you know Ururu?"

"Ururu?" Ichigo looked at said girl and watched as she played keep away with Mako and the purple Scissor Blade that she still hadn't given back to Ryuko. Scratching his head, he answered, "Well…she worked for Kisuke for a while. I think she's his daughter or something. I never saw her outside of his shop or school."

"So she can't be the one who killed my dad. Then why did my Scissor Blade change colors when she held it?"

"Hell if I know," Ichigo shrugged and extended his hand towards Ururu, who immediately gave the Scissor Blade back. Strangely enough, as soon as his hand closed around the handle, the purple bled away and was replaced by the same dark shade of blue that Tournesol shone with. Giving it an experimental swing, he said, "Perhaps it just changes color if someone else holds it."

Flipping the blade around in his grip, Ichigo handed it back to Ryuko, who took it and watched the blue fade away to red almost immediately. Staring at the blade with a mixture of suspicion and betrayal for several long moments, she sighed and grumbled, "I guess I went a little crazy back there. God, I feel like such an idiot for blaming Ururu for what happened to my dad!"

Ichigo paused and looked to the side and away from Ryuko, "You never said what happened to your dad."

"That's because there isn't much to say," Ryuko admitted sadly, her gaze locked firmly on the ground in front of her, "Dad called me back home to talk about something. When I got back, I found him lying against the wall with this blade sticking out of his stomach. I tried to save him, damn it I tried, but I caught a glimpse of a woman with the other half of this weapon fleeing. That's all I know."

"Hmm…"

Ryuko noticed Ichigo's lack of response and looked up. Seeing him staring into the distance, she asked, "What is it?"

Ichigo watched Mako say something bombastically to Shinjiro, who replied just as enthusiastically, before replying, "I have an idea who the woman is."

"What?" Ryuko shot to her feet, "Who is it?"

Ichigo shook his head, "It's just a suspicion, but I'm pretty sure it's her. Everything just adds up too perfectly to be anything else."

Ryuko huffed angrily, "Can I at least know her name?"

"Yeah," Ichigo yawned and started to head back to his room. It was getting late and he was certain that Tsumugu would be coming back tomorrow to finish what he started with Ryuko, "Her name is Nui Harime."

"Nui Harime…" Ryuko let the name roll off her tongue. It was certainly a name she wouldn't forget anytime soon, "Hey, are you going to help me tomorrow against that guy?"

Ichigo looked at Ryuko, "You want me to?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know!" Ryuko grumbled and kicked her foot against the roof, "I want to know what that guy has against Senketsu, but he has so many damn tricks up his sleeves. For all I know, he's tinkering right this moment and making new traps and weapons to throw me off guard. He already managed to catch me off guard once alreadt. What's to stop him from doing it a second time when I'm not expecting it?"

That was a good point. Ichigo could see that while Ryuko would have preferred to fight her own battles, she was willing to ask for his help, "I'll do what I can, but if he's as smart as you say he is, he's going to wait until we're separated before attacking."

"Thanks," A smile graced Ryuko's face as she followed Ichigo back into the building. Perhaps tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A frown graced Satsuki Kiryuin's face.<p>

Satsuki liked to believe she could predict events in advance. With human nature being what it was, it was simply a matter of determining how a person usually reacts in order to figure out the best course of action in limiting their power and influence. Sometimes it's their pride, knowledge, honor, or simply adoration, but people have weaknesses. Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi were no different.

Sipping her tea before continuing to read the latest report on Ryuko, Satsuki felt that reading it was a waste a time. She already knew the motivations behind Ryuko's actions, due in no small part to causing them herself. All she needed to do to provoke Ryuko into making irrational choices it to subtly mention the death of her father. It was almost too easy. Ichigo Kurosaki, on the other hand, was more complicated and difficult to read. Satsuki had tried to speak with him on multiple occasions, only succeeding in a couple, but what she was about to deduce wasn't enough to predict how Ichigo would react to future stimuli. He was honorable and law-abiding, but at the same time was willing to break rules in order to do what is right. If she was any other person, Satsuki would have applauded Ichigo, but right now he was a major obstacle to her plans.

"_What is the best course of action for reining in Ichigo?" _ Satsuki leaned back and gently closed her eyes, _"He is no doubt suspicious of my motives and will not listen to anything I say without a grain of salt. Perhaps I can use that suspicion to my advantage. By mixing together enough truths and lies, I should be able to trick him into doing what I want."_

"Lady Satsuki," Houka Inumuta's voice carried across the room, reminding Satsuki that she wasn't alone, "I have the information you requested about the intruder who took out the Gardening Club this morning."

"I see," Satsuki would think more on dealing with Ichigo once the discussion was finished. She was finding, to her irritation, that her thoughts continued to circulate around Ichigo more than she would have preferred, "What did you find?"

Inumuta pressed a key and immediately a picture of Tsumugu was prominently displayed on the large screen taking up most of the wall next to Satsuki. Staring at the picture, her face illuminated by the green and black glow, she glanced over the various statistics before focusing solely on the pictures of his encounter with Ryuko and Ichigo earlier that day

"Information surrounding this man is surprisingly limited," As a computer expert majoring in data infiltration and gathering, Inumuta took pride in his ability to find out almost anything about anyone. His several failed attempts to find so much as the name of this man irked him to no end, "But the data I was able to gather suggests that he is a member of the Anti-Uniform paramilitary, Nudist Beach, that has been plaguing us over the last three years."

"Nudist Beach?" Ira Gamagori towered over his fellow Elite Fours as he stared at the screen with a mixture of disdain and contemplation, "That same group that's been dismantling several of Lady Satsuki associated academies?"

"The one and the same," Inumuta adjusted his glasses before continuing, "While that group has been working against Lady Satsuki, this man has personally taken out nine academies and schools in the last year alone."

"Nine?" Uzu Sanageyama uncrossed his legs and sat up on the edge of the couch, "Why haven't we caught this man yet?"

"He's smart," Inumuta explained, "Upon arrival at an academy, he immediately heads towards the Student Council and takes them out. Once the Student Council Lady Satsuki put into power is dismantled…"

"…We lose control over the academy and its students," Gamagori finished gruffly. Upon successfully taking over an academy, Lady Satsuki allows a Student Council of her choosing to run the school in her absence. To prevent any potential uprisings, each member of the council is given a Goku Uniform for their role in helping her expand her power. With this man taking out the councils, large swatches of Japan had broken away and joined up with the three remaining academies in the Kansai Region. Frowning deeply, he looked at Inumuta and asked, "How is this man accomplishing this? He doesn't seem to be wearing any Life Fiber-infused clothing."

"I was getting to that," Inumuta annoyingly admonished before typing a few more keys, "As I was about to say, this is the man's primary weapon."

Inumuta slid his fingers across the screen of his laptop and immediately the picture of Tsumugu vanished and was replaced by several of his Sewing Machine Gun. With another swipe, several high-resolution images of the needles used as ammunition as well as a basic schematic of the weapon appeared.

"How barbaric," Nonon Jakuzure quipped playfully as she looked at the weapon, "Using such a crude weapon against Lady Satsuki is just stupid. It's a wonder he even managed to take down a single associated academy in the first place."

"The needles he uses are composed of a special alloy that possesses the ability to sever the link between a human and a Life Fiber," Inumuta explained, annoyed at Nonon's interruption of his explanation, "Hmm? This is strange. It says that the alloy in the needles is the sole intellectual property of Revocs."

"How does a man working for an Anti-Uniform group gain access to classified materials?" Gamagori asked casually, "Could there be a traitor at Revocs assisting these Nudists?"

"I doubt that" Satsuki answered calmly, a cold tone to her voice, "My mother would not tolerate dissension of any kind in her company. If an employee so much as harbors thoughts of espionage, they disappear. Inumuta, pull up the list of robberies, both successful and attempted, against Revocs over the last twenty years."

"Electronic records only go back eighteen years, but I'll try," Inumuta typed rapidly against his keyboard, his fingers little more than blurs of motion. After more than a minute passed in silence without a hint of progress from the former hacker, he managed to find something useful, "I've managed to compile a list of internal Revocs memos. Of the hundreds of memos, only one, dating back fourteen years, references a missing shipment of classified materials. It's not concrete, but I do believe it is what you're looking for."

"It does not matter how he came into possession of the alloy," Satsuki concluded.

"Allow us to confront him directly," Sanageyama offered energetically, "The Goku Uniforms you gave to the other academies were no stronger than Two-Star. There is no way that he can take down all four of us."

"An excellent suggestion, but a pointless one," Satsuki turned her head and waited for Soroi to refill her cup of tea before continuing, "This man's target is Matoi, not me."

"Why would he be after Matoi?" Gamagori asked.

Satsuki spoke as calmly as ever, "His goal is her Kamui. Since his intentions do not involve me, this skirmish is simply a struggle between a sandpiper and a clam. Jumping in and getting involved will only dirty our hands. We will leave him alone and allow Matoi to fight her own battles."

"What about Strawberry?" Jakuzure asked suspiciously.

"You needn't worry about him," Satsuki sighed cockily as she sipped her tea, "Ichigo won't be a problem."

"Do you want me to take care of him?" Sanageyama asked, willingly offering his services to Satsuki. He was still smarting over his defeat to Ururu a few days ago. If getting his ass kicked by a little girl wasn't enough, he failed to get his revenge on Ichigo during No-Late Day. Somehow even without his Kamui, Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi escaped from him with barely a scratch.

"Your willingness is appreciated, " Satsuki condoned, "But unnecessary. It is likely that the clash between Matoi and this man will spread throughout Honnouji Academy. I need you to gather the Athletic Club Captains and be ready to capture this man as soon as the fight is over. Whether he defeats Matoi or vice versa, he will be exhausted both physically and mentally. It will be a prime opportunity to capture a member of Nudist Beach and determine their goals and plans."

"Strawberry is going to be a problem," Jakuzure quipped haughtily, "It'll be just like a prince saving a princess. But in this case the princess is an ugly troll with no sense of fashion."

"Ichigo is the kind of person to step in and help those close to him," Satsuki put the now empty cup of tea down and steeped her fingers, "Getting him away from Matoi for the duration of the fight is going to be a problem."

"Let me deal with Strawberry," Jakuzure chuckled coldly, "He needs to learn his place. What better way is there than to be crushed under my feet?"

"What a peculiar reaction," Inumuta noticed with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were obsessed with Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Quiet doggy," Jakuzure growled menacingly, the mouth of the monkey skull on her hat opening and closing alongside her own, "It is true that the transfer student was the one to wreck my Biology Club, but Strawberry has taken out several other clubs. I'm not going to sit back and let him keep doing that. It is up to the Non-Athletic Committee to take care of its own problems. That is, of course, if Lady Satsuki permits me to do so."

"You may," Satsuki answered after a second, "But you must know that Ichigo's abilities far exceed anything you have witnessed so far. I have seen how he's defeated the Club Captains. It is nothing compared to the strength he used to fight and defeat me. If you wish to fight him, I will not stop you, but you can guess the price of failure. Either you come back to me with his Kamui in hand or you will be demoted down to a No-Star. I am giving you a single chance to reconsider your choice, Jakuzure."

"You don't need to be worried about me, Lady Satsuki," Nonon Jakuzure smirked and brushed imaginary dust off her shoulders, "I'm not going to underestimate Strawberry one bit. If he was strong enough to fight you fairly, it would be quite rude to not go all out myself."

Satsuki smiled minutely at Nonon's determination, "Very well then. If you are so determined on fighting Ichigo, then you have my permission to do so. However, you must know that you would be at a disadvantage to Ichigo's speed and strength."

"That is where I come in," Iori's voice spoke up from the shadows. Stepping forward and briefly acknowledging the Elite Four, he turned to Satsuki and continued, "I have done what you asked of me, Lady Satsuki. After several hours of going through the combat data involving the Symphony Regalia, I believe I have ironed out most flaws and mistakes. Jakuzure, please come with me. I need to test fit the Symphony Regalia Mark II."

A wide grin spread across Nonon's face as she stood up and followed Iori. With the power afforded to her by her new and improved Goku Uniform, she was going to make Ichigo pay for the humiliation he inflicted on her. That was for certain.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko strummed her fingers against her desk as she barely paid attention to Aikuro's rambling about the Iran-Contra Affair. As much as she liked to learn about history, there was something wrong with Aikuro if he was able to make her zone out as much as she was. There was no way this man was a member of whatever organization Nudist Beach is, which she still thinks is bullshit Aikuro made up to mess with her. Suppressing a yawn and scribbling down a few more notes, she looked at her hand and frowned when she noticed it was shaking.<p>

"_Is it because I'm nervous about fighting that man again?"_

She would be lying if she said that Tsumugu didn't frighten her. The way the man knew how to disable her attempt to activate Senketsu meant that he must have experience fighting Life Fibers. Did he know about Senketsu and Kamui because he fought them before? How did he know Ichigo's mother? Thoughts like those plagued her mind and it only helped to increase the annoyance she was feeling.

"_**Your blood has had a bad taste to it all morning, Ryuko."**_

"Huh?" Ryuko glanced down at Senketsu, "What are you talking about?"

"_**All the nervousness you're feeling is making your blood taste really sour," **_Senketsu hummed and his eye blinked once before adding, _**"Or perhaps its all the lemons you've been eating lately. Switch to less sour fruit."**_

"Why do you care what I eat?" Ryuko mumbled and tried to focus back on Aikuro's dull lecture. It took Ryuko a moment to put the pieces together, but when she finally did, she stared back down at Senketsu and hissed quietly, "Wait a second, you can tell how my blood tastes?"

"_**As your Kamui, I have the ability to immediately detect any changes in your physiology. This includes your cholesterol, blood sugar level, weight and even your BMI."**_

Ryuko bit back a hiss of pain as her knee involuntarily jerked up and into her desk. Rubbing her luckily un-bruised knee, she growled at her Kamui, "Keep your nose out of stuff like that! It's private for a reason, damn it."

"_**It is private, but as your Kamui I have a vested interest in your health and welfare,"**_ Senketsu ignored Ryuko's complaints in order to continue giving his sagely advice. He knew that no matter what she said, she would soon realize everything he did was for her best interests, _**"Speaking of food, you should cut back on those croquettes. You need to eat a more balanced diet, like Ichigo."**_

"Don't bring Ichigo into this!" Ryuko tried to keep her voice down to barely a whisper. She was in the middle of class, not outside where nobody would notice her talking to Senketsu. She got enough funny looks as it is. She didn't want people to think she heard voices that weren't there, "And wipe that smug expression off your face."

"_**You should know by know that I am incapable of having any expression on my face…because I do not have a face!"**_

Ryuko grabbed Senketsu's collar and pulled hard, "Why you son of a – "

Her curse was cut short when the class bell rang, signifying that she didn't need to put up with any more of Senketsu's so-called advice. Quickly grabbing her bag, she made her way out of the classroom and found Ichigo waiting for her in the hallway.

"Hey Ichigo," Ryuko hooked her hands behind her neck, "What are you doing here?"

Ichigo pointed his thumb over his shoulder, "Mako wouldn't stop bothering me until I told her where your class was."

"Ryuko!"

Ryuko stepped to the side as Mako came diving through the air, causing her to go rolling along the ground before flipping into the air and impacting face-first against the nearby wall. As Mako comically peeled off the wall and fell to the ground, she quickly picked herself back up and shook the dust out of her hair, "Why didn't you catch me, Ryuko?

"Huh?" Ryuko raised an eyebrow, "Was I supposed to?"

"Of course you were!" Mako pumped a fist dramatically, "You were supposed to catch me midair so that I wouldn't get hurt."

"I'll remember that next time," Ryuko sarcastically rolled her eyes and turned to Ichigo, "Hey, where's Ururu?"

"She's thinking about joining a club," Ichigo shook his head. He remembered Ururu expressing a want to join one of the many clubs at Honnouji Academy. Her argument was that there were many different and interesting things to do at the school and she was interested in joining one of the Non-Athletic Clubs. When Ichigo asked her which one, Ururu had paused, tilted her head to the side and said that she didn't know yet, but she would let him know as soon as she did.

"Oh. I was going to apologize for what happened last night," Ryuko turned away in embarrassment. Even thought Ururu had been the one to apologize for causing her to snap like that, Ryuko knew it was just because the girl felt the need to please everyone. If apologizing for something she didn't do would help to calm everyone down, then Ururu would do it. Sighing wistfully, she asked, "Have you seen any sign of that guy?"

"No, and that's what bothers me," Ichigo looked out the line of windows along the wall of the hall and down into the courtyard below. At the height they were standing and with all the students milling about outside, it was hard to tell if one of them was that man. Shaking his head, he turned back to Ryuko, "But I doubt he'll just show up in the middle of the day. I don't think Satsuki was too pleased with what he did yesterday."

"Perhaps she'll take care of him for us," Ryuko laughed and added, "But if she thinks I'm going to thank her, she can rot in hell."

"_**Ichigo."**_

Ichigo and Ryuko stopped as Mugetsu spoke up, "What is it."

"_**Something's not right,"**_ Mugetsu's voice sounded slightly worried. As her multicolored eyes narrowed in thought, they quickly opened and turned to the right, _**"Get down!"**_

Ichigo didn't even think twice. Grabbing Mako and Ryuko, he dove to the ground as the windows exploded inwards, coating the entire hallway in shards of glass and metal while injuring the dozens of students around them. Coughing and getting back to his feet, Ichigo looked around for the source of the attack and soon found out what, or rather who, it was.

"Aw. I missed." From her position hovering just outside the hole in Honnouji Academy's wall, Nonon Jakuzure raised a hand suggestively to her lips as she gazed down at her target. In a deceptively sweet voice that promised sugar and rainbows, she added with a cocky grin, "I'll just have to try harder to hit you with my next salvo."

Unlike her previous bulky and unwieldy Goku Uniform, Nonon's new Symphony Regalia was designed specifically for high speed combat. Her entire body, save for her head, was encased in a pink flight suit with six red buttons going down her chest. Her drum major's hat, the same one with the skull of a monkey, now looked like an actual skull. Her forearms and lower legs were enveloped by white armor similar to Mugetsu's but resembling pieces of instruments. When she noticed Ichigo staring at her new uniform, Nonon struck a pose and adjusted her lower thrusters to bring her a little closer.

"Do you like my new uniform, Strawberry? It was made specifically to kill you."

"What the hell do you have against Ichigo, Snake?" Ryuko shook her fist at Nonon while calling her the nickname Ichigo said pissed the pink haired girl off.

"Keep out of this, Transfer Student!" Nonon hissed at Ryuko while the woofers extending from her shoulders temporarily glowed with an ominous pink, "Unless you want to die as well, I suggest you stay out of this. Lady Satsuki has ordered me not to deal with you today, so consider yourself lucky."

"Like hell I'm going to stand back," Ryuko reached for the pin on her glove. She wasn't about to allow Ichigo to fight against an opponent like Nonon, but before she could pull it out and give Senketsu the donation of blood he needed to transform, Ichigo's voice stopped her.

"She's right, Ryuko," Ichigo reached for Tournesol on his back with his left hand while his right hand moved towards the spaulder on his left shoulder, "Leave this to me. Take Mako somewhere safe. I don't trust Jakuzure to not hit her during our fight."

"You finally used my name," Nonon smirked and leaned back midair, "Does that mean you respect my power now?"

"Hell no!" Ichigo vehemently denied, causing Nonon to flounder around in the air from the surprise, "If anything, I respect you even less now! Attacking innocent students just for a shot at hitting me? How low are you?"

Nonon bit her lip at the insult to her honor. How dare Ichigo say she had no honor when it was Lady Satsuki's orders that she take him out! He had no idea what he was talking about, "Bold words, Strawberry, but I'm going to make you eat them."

"Come and try!" Ichigo slammed his hand down on the spaulder and was immediately enveloped in light and blue stars as Mugetsu transformed around his body, "Life Fiber Initial Release: Kamui Mugetsu!"

Stepping out of the smoke that formed from his transformation, Ichigo dispersed it with a swing of his blade and turned towards Nonon, "Let's do this, but not here. I don't want any innocent people to get hurt."

Before Nonon could give an answer, Ichigo leapt out the hole she made in the wall and fell towards the ground below. Scrambling to recover the initiative, she spun around and flew down after him, "It doesn't matter where we fight, because I'm going to wipe the floor with you!"

As Nonon's angry voice faded into the distance, Ryuko ran towards the hole and gripped the jagged edges with her hand. Her eyes fervently looked everywhere, but she couldn't see any sign of where Ichigo went. Cursing under her breath, she was about to turn away when a large explosion appeared in the building next door. Focusing on the rising plume of smoke, she could just barely make out a figure that looked a lot like Ichigo racing across a rooftop with Nonon chasing after him relentlessly.

"Mako, go find Ururu and stay close to her," Ryuko had no doubts that Ururu would protect Mako. Stepping onto the edge of the hole, she prepared to activate Senketsu to follow Ichigo, whether he wanted her help or not, but frowned when she didn't hear Mako say anything, "Hey Mako, I said – "

Ryuko stopped when she saw Mako's needle-filled body falling stiffly to the ground. Realizing who was coming, she quickly pulled the pin out of her glove, transforming Senketsu, and drew her red Scissor Blade just as Tsumugu fired a barrage of needles at her from his Sewing Machines Gun.

"Your skill has improved remarkably since our encounter yesterday," Tsumugu complimented as he stepped out of the shadows, "So let me give you two pieces of useful information. One. Do not think that our fight yesterday was any indication of my skill set. Two. I am giving you a single chance to hand over your Kamui with a fight. If you fail to do so, I will have no choice but to rip it off your body."

"_**Be careful, Ryuko. This man seems to know a lot about how to counter me.**_

"You worry too much, Senketsu. So just sit back and let me do the fighting. " Turning towards a frowning Tsumugu, she pointed her Scissor Blade at him and said, "You really think I'm just going to hand over Senketsu? You're going to have to take him over my dead body!"

Tsumugu closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "So be it."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo was not having a good day.<p>

Moving a large chuck of concrete blocking his path out of the way, he hopped down and accidently landed on the unconscious body of a member of the Men's Basketball Club.

"Are you having fun yet, Strawberry?" Nonon hovered gently out of the hole she created in the roof. With her hands placed on her hips, she added, "Because I'm having a lot of fun kicking your butt."

"Shut up," Ichigo rolled his eyes at the fake sweetness in Nonon's voice. He was starting to get rather pissed off with the way she was talking to him and treating him. It was almost as if this fight was a game to her which, he had to admit, it was one he was losing. Since she could fly through the air, Nonon had a distinct advantage over him. While his speed and power were great enough that he could jump high enough in the air to hit her, she had proven herself able to reflexively dodge his attacks.

"Don't get angry at me because you suck," Nonon grinned and stuck her tongue out, "But don't feel too bad, Strawberry. There is no way you can defeat my Symphony Regalia Mark II. It was upgraded and improved all in order to defeat you."

"Improved?" Ichigo spit on the ground and stretched his right shoulder. Swinging Tournesol was taking a toll on his body. It had been a while since he used a blade and his body was suffering because of it, "So that means your first Goku Uniform wasn't good enough to fight me?"

"It was more than good enough!" Nonon swung her fist down at Ichigo angrily, which due to her diminutive size, wasn't as threatening as she wanted it to be, "It was all you and your stupid speed! My Symphony Regalia Grave's power was more than enough to defeat you, but you're just too damn fast! Luckily, Lady Satsuki was grateful enough to upgrade my Goku Uniform to its current form. Now I have all the power of Grave with the speed to catch you!"

Nonon punctuated her words by firing another stream of musical notes at Ichigo. Deflecting the abnormal metallic ammo with Tournesol, blue sparks jumping off the blade with every note blocked, Ichigo tried to think of a way to defeat Nonon. Trying to attack her had already proven to be ineffective. She knew how strong and fast he was, so she always made sure to fly just far enough away to avoid his attacks.

"Aw, screw this!" Ichigo twisted his body just enough to the side that the barrage of notes passed right above his skin. With his body still in motion, he sprinted towards Nonon before pushing off the ground towards her with enough power to dent the concrete below.

"How many times are you going to try the same old thing?" Nonon laughed as she prepared to move out of the way, "It's really sad to see – "

She stopped midsentence as her pink eyes widened in shock at the blue blade approaching her neck. Instinctively adjusting her thrusters to fire upwards, she leaned back at the same time and watched as Tournesol missed hitting her but managed to leave a long gash on her helmet. Flying away higher into the sky even as Ichigo landed back on the ground, Nonon raised a trembling hand to her head and ran her finger across the gash in her Symphony Regalia that could have easily been her throat.

"_Strawberry was really trying to kill me."_

For the first time in the fight, Nonon realized that Ichigo wasn't kidding around. As much as she and the other Elite Four bragged about killing anyone who dared to stand up to or fight against Lady Satsuki, she had yet to actually do the deed. She usually left such tasks to Gamagori or Lady Satsuki. Swallowing nervously as she noticed Ichigo staring at her, she gathered her nerves and thought, _"There is no reason to be scared. Lady Satsuki believes in me, so there is no way I can lose! Strawberry is just trying to psyche me out. Like a pampered asshole that got a full scholarship to Honnouji Academy could have ever fought in a real battle. His fight against Lady Satsuki was nothing more than a fluke!"_

"Nice try Strawberry," Nonon growled, "But don't think I'll fall for your bluff!"

Back on the ground, Ichigo stared up at the hovering Nonon and let out an annoyed huff, "Damn it, I was close. Hey Mugetsu, you have any ideas on what to do?"

"_**Oh?" **_Mugetsu's eyes swiveled around and gazed up at him, _**"What makes you think I know how to beat her. I'm just as stumped as you are."**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "There has to be something I can do. Can't you fly or something?"

"_**Don't you think I would fly if I could?" **_Mugetsu asked sarcastically before her eyes widened and then narrowed, _**"I have an idea, but I'm going to need a minute to figure it out."**_

"I don't think I have a minute," Ichigo saw the woofers on Nonon's back charging up with pink light. Clenching Tournesol's hilt in both hands, he prepared himself for what was coming.

"Try to dodge this!" Nonon's body was forced back as two heart-shaped beams of sound exploded out from her woofers, "Symphony Regalia: Grave Assault!"

"The hell?" Ichigo swung Tournesol up and managed to block one of the beams, but he wasn't prepared for the second beam to blow right through his defenses and hit him square in the chest. As his body was forced backward across the ground, he tried desperately to stop the attack right until it detonated around him.

From where she was floating, Nonon smirked as she observed the rising clouds of smoke and dust. There was no way that Ichigo could have survived that attack without taking at least some damage. Hovering closer to the ground, she began combing through the debris. She needed to find Ichigo's unconscious body so that she could tear his Kamui off of him. Seeing his naked body afterwards was simply a bonus.

"Where is that damn Strawberry?" she growled after nearly a minute. She couldn't find a trace of Ichigo or his Kamui, which meant she either blew him to pieces, which was really bad, or she missed, which was even worse. Gritting her teeth and spitting, she decided to smoke Ichigo out, "So you want to hide like a coward, huh? Fine then. Let's see how you deal with this. Symphony Regalia: Moderato Assault!"

The twin woofers on Nonon's back split into four sections each as a pink and purple light began to grow in intensity from within. As the light continued to grow brighter to the point where the immediate area was bathed in shades of pink, Nonon raised a finger into the air and laughed, "Dodge this!"

In a concussive blast accentuated by expanding shockwaves from the woofers, eight miniature heart-shaped beams spiraled through the air and hit the rubble and debris with enough energy to explode the concrete and send cracks radiating outwards from the point of impact.

"Too easy…" Nonon sighed and shrugged her shoulders. It seemed that Strawberry was all talk and no action. After that little display of speed yesterday, she thought he would put up more of a fight than this. Lady Satsuki had warned her about his power, but Nonon hadn't seen anything to suggest he was as strong as Satsuki said he was. Wait a second…if he wasn't as strong as she thought, did that mean Satsuki wasn't as well? Nonon quickly shook her head to stop herself from thinking of such thoughts. Satsuki was the greatest person in the world! Such thoughts were highly insulting to her best friend and leader!

"Oh well," Nonon hovered closer to the ground and began looking for Ichigo. Even if he was hiding, there was no way in hell that he managed to avoid her Moderato Assault.

"Huh?" Nonon stared at several small rocks that seemed to be vibrating and moving on their own. Leaning in to take a closer look, she was nearly blasted out of the air as something shot out from the ground and into the air above her.

"What the hell was that?"

She stared upwards and growled. Hovering in the air over her was Ichigo, but his appearance was different. While Mugetsu usually resembled armor, her new appearance was much more metallic and sleek. Ichigo's feet and lower legs had each transformed into jet engines that expelled enough force to keep him hovering lazily in the air. Mugetsu's eyes, which normally jutted up over his shoulders, extended backwards and out to the side and took the form of jet wings. Lastly, while Ichigo's face was usually uncovered by Mugetsu's transformed state, parts of her white armor now wrapped across his nose and down his cheeks.

"Mugetsu Gufū," Ichigo smirked at the stunned Nonon, "What was it you were saying about the skies being your kingdom?"

Nonon didn't say anything as her expression darkened considerably. Gritting her teeth together, her body tensed up before she rocketed towards Ichigo while shouting, "You orange haired bastard! The sky is my world! I'm going to kick your ass for mocking me!"

The venom in Nonon's voice surprised Ichigo, but it didn't slow him down much. As she quickly closed the distance between them, Ichigo twisted his body around and flew away from her, his body moving awkwardly as he grew used to flight.

"Die, Strawberry!" Nonon shouted and aimed her lower thrusters at Ichigo before releasing a swarm of missiles.

Maneuvering around a missile, Ichigo tsked, "What the hell is her problem?"

"_**It's something you'll never understand, Ichigo,"**_ Due to the new position of Mugetsu's eyes, Ichigo wasn't able to make eye contact, but that didn't stop him from responding.

"And you do?"

"_**Of course,"**_ Mugetsu answered matter-of-factly, _**"I am well aware of the female mind and I can tell you that your opponent never fought someone able to fly. Your use of Gufū has insulted her."**_

"What do you expect me to do? Just give up and allow her to hit me?" Leaning back and avoiding having his head blown off by a recorder-shaped missile, Ichigo decided to go on the offensive. Stabbing Tournesol into the missile's casing, he let out a shout as he spun around and, with no small amount of effort, threw the missile back at Nonon.

"Like hell that's going to work!" Nonon had a wild look in her eyes as she deftly avoided her returned missile and countered with another heart-shaped stream of sound, "You're going to pay for that you bastard!"

"_**Do you have a plan?"**_ Mugetsu's voice was full of sarcasm, _**"Because I think that just made things worse."**_

"Oh great," Ichigo sighed as he quickly twisted around before flying higher into the sky. This was going to take longer than he thought. He only hoped Ryuko didn't run into that man until he was done with Nonon.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Ryuko really hated her bad timing.<p>

"Damn that paranoid bastard."

Stabbing her Scissor Blade into the wall, she leapt over the line of trap mines and landed in the relative safety of the hall. The sheer amount of destruction and nude students to her left indicated which why Tsumugu had gone, but Ryuko wasn't stupid enough to follow him. She had already fallen into three spool grenade traps, a pin bomb and something involving laser tripwires. She wasn't too keen on walking headfirst into yet another trap. Pulling out the last few remaining needles from her body, she heard Senketsu let out a sigh of relief upon their removal.

"_**Thank you, Ryuko," **_Senketsu sighed gratefully, _**"There was something special about those needles. You need to try and not get hit by any more of them."**_

"Yeah, yeah," Ryuko crouched down and stared at the bound and gagged Club Captain struggling on the floor in front of her. There was something strange about his gag, but it took her a few seconds to realize what it was. When she did, Ryuko's eyes widened and she turned around and began running away as fast as possible. In the bound and stripped Kusatao Uwabami's mouth were over a dozen spool grenades, all of which were connected to a timer that had a few seconds remaining on it.

"God damn that mohawk bastard!"

While she was unharmed by the explosions, the force managed to throw her body forward, sending her tumbling through the halls before skidding face first against the ground. With her face on the ground and ass sticking up in the air, Ryuko grumbled curses and threats at Tsumugu, wherever he was, before planting her hands on the ground and picking herself back up.

As she stood up, Ryuko noticed a shadow growing against the wall to her right. Turning and looking out the window, she saw Tsumugu rappelling down Honnouji Academy before he crashed feet first through the window. Blocking his kick by crossing her arms, she found herself surprisingly thrown backwards against the door to the bathroom behind her with enough force to dent the steel door. Angrily and humiliated at his constant traps, Ryuko pushed back and managed to force Tsumugu back.

"Hmm," Tsumugu grunted as he landed and examined Ryuko. This was becoming a difficult fight. He had expected his jamming rounds to take a larger effect on the Kamui, but it didn't seem to be affected at all by his specialized ammunition. That just goes to show how powerful and dangerous Kamui are. Subtly reaching behind his back to his emergency weapon, Tsumugu stalled for time, "I thought my jamming rounds would have disabled your Kamui by now. Impressive."

"Like I care about anything you say!" Ryuko pointed her Scissor Blade at Tsumugu angrily. She was tired of playing games with this man and she had a lot of questions to ask him, "I'm going to kick your ass and then find out why you're after Senketsu!"

'Is that so? Well then, let me tell you two useful pieces of information."

"Screw that!" Ryuko raced forward, cutting off Tsumugu's speech and swung her Scissor Blade through the air. Twisting around the strike, Tsumugu pressed his palm against the small of Ryuko's back before leaping away and running into a room. Hearing a faint beeping sound, Ryuko looked over her shoulder and a plastic explosive pincushion stuck to her back with nearly three-dozen jamming rounds stuck inside.

"What the – "

The bomb went off before Ryuko could finish. As the explosion blew the windows for the entire hallway outwards, Ryuko flew through the air before hitting the wall harshly on the far side of the building.

"Damn that guy," Ryuko began to weakly pull herself free, only for Senketsu's voice to stop her.

"_**I'm sorry Ryuko, but I'm at my limit. You're going to have to continue on your own."**_

In a flash of stars and light, Senketsu transformed back to his normal uniform appearance, eliciting a shout of 'Senketsu!' from Ryuko. Before she could say anything else, Tsumugu came barreling towards her and pinned her body against the wall with his foot.

"One. I do not like to be interrupted," Tsumugu continued from where Ryuko so rudely interrupted him before. Pointing his Sewing Machine Gun at her, he flicked his wrist to the side, indicating what he wanted her to do, "Two. Killing you would be a pointless waste of life. You have put up an admirable fight, but all you need to do is simply give up your Kamui and I won't have to hurt you any further."

Ryuko spit out a glob of blood and glared up at Tsumugu, "Fuck you."

Tsumugu was unperturbed by Ryuko's gaze, "With the power of your Kamui sealed, you are completely helpless. Now, take off your clothes. Don't make me ask twice."

"I'm not scared of you, pervert," Ryuko kept Tsumugu staring at her face as her hand crept along the ground towards one of the needles that had fallen out when Senketsu was forced out of his transformed state, "I bet any minute now Ichigo or Ururu is going to arrive and kick your ass."

A boot to her stomach forced Ryuko to cough harshly before Tsumugu smacked her in the side of the face with his Sewing Machine Gun, "Unlikely. Ichigo Kurosaki is currently fighting against one of Satsuki Kiryuin's top lieutenants. He currently has the advantage, but he won't be able to come help you until long after I've destroyed your Kamui. As for Ururu, I have no idea who she is nor do I care. Your Kamui is a threat to the world and I will make sure it never becomes a danger to anyone. Now take off your clothes."

"You…bastard…" Ryuko managed to choke out.

"Defiant to the end?" Tsumugu reached into the pocket on his military vest and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting and taking a long drag from it, he said, "Let me tell you two final pieces of useful information. One. There is a woman who thinks a lot like you. She too believes that human and clothing can live side by side in peace. Even though she was betrayed by clothing, she still clings to her ideals, but she has never been the same since almost getting devoured by clothing. She hears voices in her head and is much more distant. Two. The path you have chosen is identical to hers. If you continue to foolishly believe your Kamui is your friend, you will die. I do not want to see you die. So I will ask you politely one last time, please take off your Kamui. There is no need for you to die a pointless and cruel death at the hands of clothing."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryuko's fingers closed around the needle before she leaned forward and stabbed it in Tsumugu's leg, "But I won't let you take Senketsu!"

"Impressive," Tsumugu stared at the needle jammed in his thigh and, in one swift movement, pulled it out accompanied by a small spray of blood, "But useless. I am human and therefore immune to the effects of the jamming rounds."

"_**Get out of here Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's voice was weak and it sounded like he was doing all he could to stay awake, _**"It's me he's after, so get out of here. I'll hold him off so you can get away!"**_

Senketsu's form almost seemed to bubble before he exploded off Ryuko's body and floated in front of her with his arms held out protectively. Tsumugu saw this as the Kamui's attempt to escape and fired several rounds into him, pinning Senketsu to the floor. Loading a special round into his Sewing Machine Gun, Tsumugu was about to finish Senketsu off when a quiet voice spoke up behind him.

"Please do not fire that bullet," Ururu calmly advised with her hand pressed right against Tsumugu's back, stunning the man since he hadn't sensed her presence until she talked. Turning his head around to face her, he stared into her deep blue eyes as she finished, "If you do, I'll be forced to kill you. You'll be dead before the bullet even leaves the chamber."

Despite the amount of power he could feel wafting off Ururu and the death threat, Tsumugu kept his cool, "This is none of your concern. Step back and allow me to finish my task."

Ururu tiled her head to the side, a gesture Tsumugu had seen only on one other person before, and answered, "Ryuko is my friend. I cannot allow you to hurt my friend any more. If you continue to do so, I will be forced to stop you."

"That's right!" Mako Mankanshoku slid in between Ryuko and Tsumugu while the latter was distracted and picked Senketsu off the ground. Holding the Kamui tenderly to her chest, forcing him to develop a luminous blush across where his face would be, she announced, "This uniform is the only piece of clothing Ryuko has and look how beat up and torn it is! I've tried getting Ryuko to wear some of my old clothing, but she is too big around the chest for it to fit, which is a shame! Do you have any idea how it feels to only have a single set of clothing?"

"I do not," Tsumugu answered bluntly, his eyes leaving Ururu just long enough to ask, "And who are you exactly?"

"I am Mako Mankanshoku," The last name caused Tsumugu's eyes to widen nearly imperceptibly, "Did you know that Ryuko loves this uniform more than anything else in the whole wide world? In fact, the only thing she might care about more is Ichigo, but you can't tell him that because it's a super secret for the moment!" While Mako raised a finger to her lips in the universal sign of keeping a secret, Ryuko began sputtering uncontrollably, "She's always whispering to it when she thinks no one is looking. And she's not the only one. Sometimes I catch Ichigo and Ryuko holding one-sided conversations with their uniforms. It creeps my whole family out when he comes to visit! Taking their clothes is the same thing as taking away a dear friend! This uniform is Ryuko's friend, so please mister, leave Ryuko alone!"

There was one part of Mako's rant that caught Tsumugu's attention. Lowering his Sewing Machine Gun, he took a step closer to her and asked, "What did you say about whispering?"

"Oh?" Mako blinked owlishly before answering, "That's right! Ichigo and Ryuko talk to their school uniforms almost as if they can hear a voice or something. Pretty creepy right?"

Tsumugu didn't bother to respond to Mako. Holstering his Sewing Machine Gun, which caused Ururu to lower her arm, he stepped towards Ryuko and asked, "Your Kamui speaks to you?"

Even in her battered and bruised state, Ryuko nodded and answered, "Y-Yes."

"I see…" Tsumugu grunted and thought back over the last decade. If Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki could speak to their Kamui, then couldn't that mean they aren't the only ones? Tsumugu shook his head to clear his mind and put his hands in his pockets, "I can see that I will not be able to pry your Kamui away from you, Matoi, not with that girl here." He pointed over his shoulder at Ururu, "So I will retreat for now, but don't get complacent. I will come back for your Kamui one day. You can count on that. Until then…"

With a flick of his wrist, Tsumugu let a smoke grenade fall out of his hand. It bounced off the floor once before exploding into a cloud of pink and blue smoke that soon cleared to reveal Tsumugu was gone. Ryuko didn't have long to wonder about what just happened before she began falling unconscious; the last thing she heard was Mako calling out for her.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"I suppose congratulations are in order." Tsumugu glanced at Aikuro before allowing the man to light his cigarette, "Does this mean we're even now?"<p>

Tsumugu shook his head, "That isn't enough."

"It's more than enough," Aikuro leaned back and stared at the sky, "Besides, you know that I prefer girls to be in debt to me."

"That's true," Tsumugu smiled softly before his expression hardened, "There's something I think you should know."

Aikuro looked at his friend as Tsumugu continued, "When I managed to corner Matoi, she didn't back down. Not even once. She was more than willing to die along with her Kamui than allow me to destroy it. When I looked her in the eye, I couldn't help but see Kinue in her place."

"Kinue, huh?" Aikuro ran a hand through his hair. Kinue had been gone for a while now on a secret mission for Nudist Beach to destroy several Revocs factories and buildings in Europe, "Stop talking as if she's dead. You know she's going to be upset when she finds out you said that."

"Who's going to tell her? You?" Tsumugu scoffed when he saw Aikuro's innocent expression on his face, "Let me tell you two useful pieces of information. One. I'm going to give Matoi a single chance to prove me wrong about her Kamui. But if things start coming apart at the seams, you can be sure I'll return to rip it off her body. Two. If anything happens to Masaki's son under your watch, I'll make you regret it."

"No need to get so angry," Aikuro dismissed Tsumugu's threat with a wave of his hand, "If that ever happens, you're going to have to get in line because Isshin's going to get first dibs on me. When he gets angry, Isshin scares me more than Ragyo Kiryuin and the Grand Couturier put together."

What Aikuro said reminded Tsumugu of something he saw earlier, "I saw a girl hanging around Matoi."

"Ah, are you talking about Mako Mankanshoku?"

"No," Tsumugu shook his head, "Another girl. Her name is Ururu, but there is something frighteningly familiar about her. She was able to sneak up on me without being detected. The only way I knew she was there was because she announced her presence. Who is she?"

"I don't know," Aikuro paused pensively as he thought about the latest transfer student, "She just showed up a few days ago as a transfer student from Karakura Town."

Tsumugu's eyes widened, "Isshin's place? What is he up to?"

"Beats me," Aikuro shrugged his shoulders, "That man has more secrets that you and I could count, but I'm sure he had a reason for it. He always seems to know what he's doing.

Tsumugu grunted before revving the engine on his motorcycle and taking off into the distance. He needed to get back to Osaka and report in on what he discovered at Honnouji Academy. Even though headquarters didn't technically endorse his mission, Tsumugu was certain they would forgive him due to what he discovered at Honnouji Academy. The fact that Ichigo Kurosaki had a Kamui was a helpful surprise. Nudist Beach couldn't afford to be taken off guard when the Life Fibers made their move.

As he drove down the highway, Tsumugu reached for his cell phone and dialed a number with a single hand. Raising it to his ear, he waited until the ringing stopped and a tired voice answered before speaking, "Yeah. It's me. I have something interesting to tell you."

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #3: A Twenty Year Old Question<br>**

"Hmm…"

"What's on your mind, Isshin?" Ragyo Kiryuin asked bemused.

Isshin Kurosaki folded his arms and pursed his lips. The question that was on the tip of his tongue was one he had been wondering about for almost twenty years now. He really wanted to ask, but at the same time he liked the sense of wonder and surprise at what the answer might be. If he asked the question and the answer didn't satisfy him, he would feel extremely let down. Still, he _really_ wanted to know the answer.

"Ever since I first met you, I've wondered something," Isshin leaned back and crossed his legs, "Why does your hair glow with the colors of the rainbow?"

"Oh that," Ragyo didn't seem overly surprised by the question. Sitting back as a grin spread across her face, she chuckled and said, "You're not the first one to ask, but you'll be the first one to survive asking. Do you know why?"

Isshin chuckled nervously, "Because I'm a lovable oaf?"

"Not exactly," Ragyo snapped her fingers and Nui Harime appeared at Isshin's side with several bottles of Life Fiber infused hair dye in her hands.

"You're not going to die because the Director wants you to have rainbow colored hair as well!" Nui said chirpily as she attempted to tie up Isshin. When the man dodged her attack, she frowned, "Hold still please!"

"Stay away from me!" Isshin made a break for the nearest window of Ragyo's office. He knew he could survive a fall from such a height and even if he couldn't, dying as himself was better than the alternative. As his body crashed through the glass and he began falling, Isshin felt a hand grab him by the back of his shirt.

"You weren't planning on leaving me, were you Isshin?" Ragyo had a mock look of disappointment on her face. As she towed him back into her office, Isshin's screams of pain and embarrassment could be heard all across the city.


	16. Chapter 16: Behind Blue Eyes

_Here's chapter 16 everybody! This story is still going strong and I have yet to hit any type of writer's block, which means that a new chapter should always come out in between 7 to 10 days after the last one. So Chapter 16 and the beginning of Episode 6. I took some liberties with the source material as well as what's happening because, let's face it, you wouldn't read my story if all you wanted was a literary rehashing of Kill la Kill, right? _

_Anyway, this chapter is a little bit shorter than the last few. If I tried to add more to it, I would just end up cutting into the fight scene and I really don't want to do that. I'm also still looking for someone to draw a picture of Ichigo wearing Mugetsu and, hopefully, kicking ass.  
><em>

_Thanks to all those that reviewed my last chapter and let's get started with the story!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 - Behind Blue Eyes<strong>

If she ever allowed anyone to ask, Ragyo Kiryuin would say that the sole regret in her life had been allowing Isshin Shiba to be swayed by that harpy of a woman, Masaki Kurosaki. Ragyo had tried everything in her power to sway Isshin's heart, but no matter what she did or said, Isshin's resolve hadn't wavered. When she heard the news that Isshin had gone and married Masaki, Ragyo recalled feeling the closest thing to sadness that she could comprehend before she immediately killed the lowly secretary who had dared to tell her the bad news. She had actually planned on killing her for a while, but Ragyo thought she should kill the woman under the flair of dramatics.

Ragyo stared at the still image of Ichigo confronting Satsuki on top of Honnouji Academy. Her daughter was so naïve as to think she didn't have hidden cameras throughout the academy. Seeing Isshin's son confronting her daughter gave Ragyo pause to consider that perhaps some good had come out of losing Isshin to Masaki.

La vie est drôle.

"_Only a man like Isshin could have fathered such a child,"_ Ragyo's hand began drifting across her chest before slipping under the top of her dress. Ragyo had been ecstatic when she heard the news of Masaki's murder. To keep up public appearance she had shown up at the funeral with a fake expression of pity and sadness, but in reality she couldn't have been happier. She was sure Isshin saw through her disguised emotions, but in a room full of people, as well as his children, there was nothing he could do about her, _"If only Isshin was vulnerable to my Mental Refitting, but then he wouldn't be the only man worthy of my affection and adoration."_

"Simply wonderful, isn't he Hououmaru?"

Standing on the opposite side of her desk, Rei Hououmaru nodded stoically, "Indeed he is. To think the son of Isshin could control a Kamui's immense power and bloodlust without being overtaken. He is truly worthy of your attention."

"Yes, he is," Ragyo drawled out seductively as she leaned forward, the rainbow undertone in her white hair bathing the office in a cacophony of colors in the process. As she gazed possessively at the screen showing Ichigo's fight against Nonon Jakuzure, her face twisted into a sadistic, but pleased, smile as she witnessed Ichigo nearly behead his opponent, "Ichigo fights with intent to kill, unlike that daughter of mine. Satsuki might think she is able to make me dance to her tune, but a daughter cannot hide anything from her mother. I'll play along for the moment and allow her to string me along. That will only make the eventual destruction of her plans much more enjoyable."

"You are a scamp, Ma'am," Rei answered with her usual expression of adoration.

With a snap of her fingers, the video shifted to Ichigo's aerial battle against Nonon, "Such an exquisite Kamui. Unlike my daughter, Ichigo is able to force his Kamui to shift configurations. This could only mean my experiments all those years ago were a success."

Rei looked at the Director in confusion, "I was under the assumption that the experiments had always been a success. Wasn't that why you had Ichigo Kurosaki transferred to Honnouji Academy?"

Ragyo's silvery eyes briefly shifted towards her assistant before she chuckled, "I was gladly admit that I wasn't completely certain about how well Ichigo took to my experiments. Usually I would have known right away, but with a man like Isshin as his father, Ichigo was hidden from my sight until only a few months ago. You know as well as I do that if Isshin wanted, he could have hidden Ichigo from my sight forever."

Rei was well acquainted with Isshin. While her boss had married Souichiou, who was a brilliant and charismatic man in his own right, Ragyo's heart had always lusted for Isshin. When he had rejected her advances and married Masaki, to say Ragyo hadn't taken it well would have been an understatement. Still, there were several things about Isshin that Rei did not know and that she would never try to find out. Even she wouldn't be immune from Ragyo's wrath if she asked questions she had no right to know the answers to.

One question plagued Rei's mind, "If I may ask, how did you come across the information suggesting Ichigo had been a success?"

Ragyo smirked at her secretary's question. When she had detected the sudden activation of Life Fibers within Karakura Town, to say that she had been curious wouldn't have covered what she truly felt. She knew instinctively that Isshin's presence within the city prevented Revocs or Life Fibers from getting a foothold. The activation of such a dense amount of Life Fibers could mean only one thing.

"It was instinctual, my dear," Ragyo answered mysteriously. When she had informed Nui about Ichigo, the Grand Couturier had immediately offered to go and introduce herself to her 'cousin,' as she called him. Ragyo had asked Nui to hold off on doing such a thing, at least for the time being. As much as she wanted to bring Ichigo into the fold and under her wing, Ragyo knew Isshin would completely demolish Nui if she so much as attempted to touch Ichigo. The last time Nui fought Isshin, she had only survived because Isshin was soft and had gone easy on her.

"I knew you were thinking about me!"

From where she was sitting on the frame of a nearby open window, Nui Harime smiled cutely. With the wind blowing her large blonde pigtails to and from haphazardly and her chin resting on her open palm, she looked to be the epitome of cuteness and innocence. Happily closing her one good eye, she added, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Ah, Good afternoon Grand Couturier," Rei said respectively accompanied by a small nod of her head, "The meeting started ten minutes ago."

"I'm sorry for being so late!" Nui hopped off the window and gently floated to the ground accompanied by a small and cute grunt. After quickly making sure her attire was still prim and proper, she skipped over towards Rei and Ragyo, "But the traffic was simply terrible today. I had to kill at least five people just to leave Honnou City. Hmm…or was it six? Witnesses are so troublesome!"

Ragyo smiled in smug satisfaction despite Nui admitting to murdering at least half a dozen innocent people. Someone with a weak mind would consider Nui a monster, but Ragyo did not care for such trivial things as morals. Humans were simply pigs bred with the singular purpose of becoming food and sustenance for Life Fibers. Leaning her head to the side, she sighed deeply and asked, "Have you been enjoying your time at Honnouji Academy?"

"Oh, most definitely," Nui was glad Ragyo wanted to talk about her time at Honnouji. It was her mission after all, "There's so much I want to tell you, but you probably already know most of it! Nothing can get by you, Director!"

"How true," Ragyo's smile softened as she admitted, "But one thing that still eludes me is what Isshin's son named his Kamui."

"Oh! That's an easy question!" Nui hopped onto the side of Ragyo's desk and leaned forward, "His Kamui is pretty neat and high class. I would even dare to say that Kisuke Urahara could have been my equal in design! But I'm sure you don't want to hear me talk about my feelings. Ichigo's name for his Kamui is Mugetsu."

"Mugetsu…Moonless Sky…" Shivers of pleasure traveled down Ragyo's spine from the symbolism of the Kamui's name. It pleased her that not only did Ichigo possess a high quality Kamui on par with Junketsu, but he even named it something equally elegant. Composing herself for the moment, she steeped her fingers together and pondered, "Ichigo is such an interesting young boy. Isshin has raised him well I see. Perhaps I should have Satsuki try and court him? The product of such a union would be phenomenal."

Nui's face adopted a pensive expression as she tried to visualize the children Satsuki and Ichigo would produce. With a smile breaking out across her face as she imagine someone with Ichigo's hair color, Satsuki demeanor, and their combined body, she answered, "Yes, but something like that would never happen! It's really hard keeping up this charade. I really want to formally introduce myself to Ichigo, but since he's so close to Ryuko, I can't risk him telling her about me and ruining the big surprise I have planned for her. Every single facet of her death has to be just right or it will end up being a disappointment!"

"Oh, my dear Nui, you needn't worry about Ichigo," Ragyo ran a hand across Nui's cheek, "We will bring Ichigo into the fold soon enough. We can't rush things at such a delicate stage. Now, is there anything interesting going on at Honnouji besides my daughter's eventual coup d'état?"

"Satsuki thinks she's so smart, but nothing gets by you Director!" Nui's face lit up as she remembered something important, "But there was something really super interesting I wanted to tell you. Using my amazing skills at disguise, I ingratiated myself as Ichigo's friend. He really is worthy of wearing his Kamui. Anyway, I managed to take this picture when he wasn't looking!"

Reaching into her dress, Nui searched around for the photograph she had taken during Ryuko's spar against Ururu. She really didn't care what happened to Ryuko. Nui knew deep within her heart that no matter how much Ryuko trained, she would never reach the level of someone like herself. It made Nui's heart quiver at the prospect of seeing the hopeless look on Ryuko's face when she realizes all her training amounted to nothing.

"It's of this girl that Ichigo seems to know. I think Isshin sent her to Honnouji," Nui informed Ragyo as she handed the CEO the picture. When she didn't get any type of response, Nui blinked and brought a finger to her lips, "Is it interesting? I thought it was interesting, Director?"

Nui had been expecting a reaction from Ragyo, but she could never have imagined the Kiryuin matriarch's face twisting in anger. As her hand crumpled the picture into dust, Rei began backing up slowly away from her boss. She had seen what happened the last time Ragyo was truly angry and knew it was dangerous for anyone other than a Life Fiber hybrid from remaining nearby.

As Ragyo slammed her fist through her metal desk, causing metal splinters and shrapnel to fly through the air with one piece barely cutting her cheek, Rei knew she had chosen the right course of action, "Please control yourself, Ma'am. That desk was customized to your rich and exquisite tastes. It will be quite expensive to replace."

Ragyo looked at her perfectly normal hand, courtesy of the Life Fibers in her body, "Even after all these years you still managed to pull one over on me, Isshin! To think that it was you that did this to me. I don't know whether to skin you alive and bathe your body in salt or make love to you for doing such a despicable act."

"Director?" Nui stared with rare worry, at least for her, at the behavior of the person closest to being a mother figure.

Ragyo glanced at Nui and just as quickly as it came, the anger washed off her face, "It seems, my dear Nui, that Isshin has been keeping a deep and dark secret from the two of us. Do you know what happens to those that hide things from us?"

"Of course!" Nui answered cheerfully, "We kill them slowly and painfully!"

"Yes, but not this time," Ragyo let her hand slide sensually across her inner thigh. The fact that Isshin managed to pull the wool over her eyes for so many years excited her more than she had felt in years, "Satsuki is holding Parent Student Day in three weeks. When you go back to Honnouji Academy, please make sure that Ichigo invites Isshin. I have many interesting things to talk about with that man…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Aikuro Mikisugi should have guessed Ryuko Matoi would immediately come to him for answers after Tsumugu appeared and proceeded to beat her to within an inch of her life. It was something the Nudist Beach veteran expected to happen, but when Ryuko showed up backed by Ichigo, Aikuro knew there was no way out for him.<p>

"L-Let's not do anything you'll regret in the morning," Aikuro tried to subtly move towards the door to his apartment. His single hope of escaping what he dreaded happening was dashed as Ichigo slammed his hand against the wall in front of him, blocking his path out and making an already irate Ryuko even angrier. Raising his arms and clapping his hands together in prayer, he begged Ryuko for forgiveness, "Please just calm down and think about what you're doing! Murdering a teacher is still a federal crime in Japan!"

Ryuko's scowl intensified and in one swift motion she pulled out her red Scissor Blade and stabbed it into the wall next to Aikuro's head. As the extremely dense Life Fiber weapon easily and neatly severed more than a few strands of Aikuro's blue hair, Ryuko raised her leg and kicked her teacher in the stomach, "Screw mercy! I have some questions for you and you are going to answer each and every one of them. If you don't…"

Noticing Ryuko's fingers twitching violently, Aikuro turned towards his only hope of making it out of the situation with his manhood intact, "Ichigo! Please knock some sense into Ryuko before she does something irreversible!"

Ichigo looked at Aikuro and scoffed, "Screw you. I'm not helping you out of this mess."

While Ichigo wanted answers from Aikuro about who the man was that attacked them, his mind was thinking about his battle against Nonon. Even though his body sported quite a few cuts and bruises from his battle against Nonon, Ichigo could say he had come out of the fight relatively unscathed compared to Nonon. Before he sensed something wrong with Ryuko and went to go help her, Ichigo managed to sever one of Nonon's recorder thrusters, causing said girl to spiral out of control and slam face first into one of Honnouji's massive walls. After making sure Nonon was unconscious, as well as cutting off her woofers for good measure, Ichigo headed towards where Ryuko was as quickly as possible.

When Ichigo frowned and stepped in between Ryuko and Aikuro, said teacher thought his luck was about to change. His mood was quickly shattered when Ichigo grabbed him by his shirt and picked him off the ground.

"I have one question for you," Ichigo shook Aikuro's body before asking, "How did that guy know my mom?"

"H-How should I know the answer to something like that!" Aikuro was beginning to visibly sweat. It was too early to bring Ichigo and Ryuko into the fold. He still didn't know if Ryuko would help them and Isshin would kill him for getting Ichigo involved.

"Keep playing dumb after seeing this, you perverted bastard!" Ryuko held up a photograph and pointed to two figures in the background dramatically with her finger, "See! Right here in the corner is you and that Mohawk bastard drinking and having a great time!"

Aikuro adjusted his glasses as he looked at the picture, "I don't know who that handsome blue haired man is."

That was the wrong answer for him to say. Dropping Aikuro on the ground, Ichigo groaned and turned away, "He's all yours, Ryuko. Just make sure to not kill him."

Ryuko grinned savagely and cracked her knuckles, "With pleasure…"

"Wait a second!" Aikuro raised his hands placating, "Yes! That's me, but where did you get this photograph?"

"After that Mohawk bastard attacked and nearly killed me, I had Mako's creepy little brother track him down," Ryuko pulled out her Scissor Blade from the wall and sat down on the end of it. Crossing her arms and huffing indignantly, she continued, "I don't know how that brat did it, but he managed to find pictures of someone that looked like that Mohawk guy. If he knows you, it makes sense why he would bring me to you shitty little place."

Slamming her foot on the ground, Ryuko shouted, "That bastard almost killed me you lazy and perverted son of a bitch! Tell me what your damn deal is before I neuter you!"

The atmosphere quickly shifted as Aikuro sighed and flipped his hair back. Letting out a sensual breathe, he smirked at Ryuko, "Why are you so angry, Ryuko? Because of that man's actions, the bond between you and Senketsu has grown stronger than ever. If you are curious about that man's name, you may call him Tsumugu Kinagase."

When Aikuro began to unbutton his shirt, there was a whirling sound as Tournesol embedded itself in the wall next to him. With his hand held out and scowl on his face, Ichigo cracked his knuckles menacingly, "What did I say the last time you tried stripping in front of me, you bastard?"

"Oh, how I wish it was just Ryuko here," Aikuro sighed dreamily. It was always better stripping down in front of woman. At least they appreciated the work of art that was his nude body. Focusing his attention back on Ryuko, he continued from where he left off, "As to how I know him, it is because he and I belong to the same organization. Despite all that, you have to admit that your struggle against Tsumugu's vast arsenal of tactics and weapons have finally made you and Senketsu true partners!"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Ryuko hated knowing that Aikuro was right. She had seen Ichigo and Mugetsu talk and fight. Ichigo never seemed to order Mugetsu around or belittle her. The same could not be said about her treatment of Senketsu. As much as he acting and behaved like a true living thing, she had treated him as nothing more than clothing that gave her the power to fight Satsuki Kiryuin. It had taken Senketsu attempting to sacrificing his life to save hers that Ryuko realized how selfish she had been.

"The game has changed now that Satsuki Kiryuin has a Kamui of her own." Without any prompt, Aikuro's shirt became unbuttoned and two purple lights emanating from his nipples filled the room. Smirking at the fact that Ichigo couldn't blame him for his shirt popping open, Aikuro mentally thanked himself for inventing the self-popping shirt for an occasion just like this, "If both you and Ichigo were to fight Satsuki Kiryuin together, the odds of winning would be nearly one hundred percent, but Satsuki is a crafty and cunning woman. The power of her Elite Four is no laughing matter."

"Ha!" Ryuko laughed haughtily, "They only have a Three-Star Goku Uniform! What can they possibly do to stand up to Senketsu's power?"

"No, he's right," Ichigo's denial caused a confused look to appear on Ryuko's face, "Their power is comparable to our own. Nonon Jakuzure was able to out maneuver me until Mugetsu was able to come up with something to counter her flight. I'm sure Satsuki's other three goons have equally powerful surprises."

"Now you see why I allowed Tsumugu to attack you!" Aikuro leaned forward until he was inches away from Ryuko, "It was all necessary so that you would possess the necessary strength to stand up to Satsuki Kiryuin!"

Ryuko grimaced at Aikuro invading her personal space before she swung her Scissor Blade around and smacked the handle against his cheek, "That's complete crap and you know it! That's just the excuse you came up with to justify your so-called friend nearly killing me! Why would your friend attack me if you need Senketsu to take down the Kiryuin? What the hell are Life Fibers and what was so important about my dad's research that he was killed? Answer me damn it!"

"Letting your blood boil like that is going to be the death of you, Ryuko," Aikuro gently pushed the Scissor Blade off his face and walked towards his window. Throwing it open and allowing a stiff breeze to blow through the room, he turned around and threw his arms out, "You may both have Kamui, but until I'm sufficiently convinced that you can be trusted with such dangerous knowledge, you will have to remain in the dark. Just be content in the knowledge that I have both of your best interests in mind."

"So you know Tsumugu?" Aikuro nodded at Ichigo's question, "Then explain how he knows my mom."

Aikuro let out a long breath, "That's a doozy of a question. To be honest, I don't know how Tsumugu knows your mom. He isn't mister personality. I swear, the only person able to get a straight answer out of him is his sister."

If Aikuro thought that would satisfy Ichigo, he was rudely awakened when Ichigo grabbed his tie and began to choke him, "I'm not an idiot! How does Tsumugu know my mother? If you don't say anything, I think I'll call my dad. I'm sure he'll be real happy to find out that a perverted bastard like you was intimately familiar with his wife."

Ichigo and Ryuko took pleasure from the nervous stuttering coming from Aikuro, but were quickly confused when he muttered, "…Nudist Beach…"

Ryuko looked at Ichigo, "What did he just say?"

"No clue."

Freeing himself from Ichigo's grasp, Aikuro said more boldly, "We are Nudist Beach."

Ryuko rubbed her temple in exasperation, "Is he fucking nuts or something?"

"The name of my organization that you were so curious to find out," Aikuro was nearly shouting as he finished, "Its' name is NUDIST BEACH!"

There was stunned silence in the room before Ichigo and Ryuko exchanged a glance and turned to leave. They had no intention of staying in the same room as someone like Aikuro, especially when he was making up stuff like that.

"H-Hey!" Aikuro paused in his dramatic reveal of his organization when he saw his audience leaving, "Where are you going?"

"Away from you," Ryuko called over her shoulder as she left, "It was stupid to try and get a straight answer from you. I'll play along for now and get stronger, but eventually I'm going to want answers."

"But it is the name of my organization," Aikuro whispered dejectedly. Noticing Ichigo about to leave, he said the one thing he knew would keep him around a bit longer, "You shouldn't pry into how Tsumugu knew Masaki."

Ichigo froze and turned around, "How – "

"Perhaps I should rephrase. It would be in your best interest to not ask such questions right now. There are those out there that wouldn't take too kindly to your line of questioning. Mugetsu might give you a tremendous amount of power, but remember that there is always someone stronger. If you are truly curious about your mother, I highly suggest you wait a while. Good things come to those who wait after all."

Ichigo said nothing as he left, finally leaving Aikuro alone. Grabbing his shirt off the floor, he smirked smugly as he redressed himself, "That wasn't the way I wanted it to go down, but it all worked out in the end."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Without batting an eye in concern, Satsuki Kiryuin looked at the prostrating Nonon Jakuzure, "What do you have to say in defense of your failure today, Jakuzure?"<p>

With her arms, torso and face covered in bandages from her battle against Ichigo, Nonon refused to look Satsuki in the eye. Wearing nothing more than a pink zip-up jersey and red shorts, Nonon apologized, "I'm sorry for letting you down, Lady Satsuki."

"Do not fret, Jakuzure," Satsuki smirked, "Despite the outcome of the fight, your performance today was admirable."

"What?" Nonon asked in shocked.

"While I was suitably impressed with your desire to fight Ichigo Kurosaki, I must confess that the chance of your victory were slim to none." In one elegant motion, Satsuki stood up and walked towards the large windows that took up an entire wall of the room. Staring out into the moon-filled night sky, she clasped her hands behind her back before turning her gaze to Nonon, "Defeating Ichigo would have allowed us an opportunity to study a Kamui extensively, but the true goal of the fight was two-fold. It was to not only investigate the limits of Ichigo's power more extensively, but to also work out any flaws in your Mark II Goku Uniform. In your failure, you have succeeded Jakuzure."

Satsuki would never admit to anyone, let alone a close associate, the anger that had built up in her heart when she witnessed Ichigo's Kamui transform into a flight form. Jakuzure informed her that Ichigo referred to the flight form as Mugetsu Gufū. Satsuki's fist clenched slightly as she saw Ichigo pull ahead of her yet again. How was he able to not only wear a Kamui over ninety percent of his body, but also force it to change into a new form? Even now, after more than week of training her body and mind to withstand the stress Junketsu places, Satsuki was but a single misstep away from her Kamui devouring her. She still remembered the fear when she lost control over Junketsu during her clash against Ichigo. She never wanted to feel that feeling again. Not if she could help it.

"As we speak, Iori is running tests and diagnostics on your Symphony Regalia. It shouldn't take more than two weeks for your uniform to be fully repaired and the Life Fibers re-stitched. Iori has also informed me that your Symphony Regalia will be further improved to Mark III," Satsuki's comment gave Nonon a large sense of relief. When Gamagori had appeared after her less than successful fight, she had immediately growled at him and asked what he wanted. As the large blonde haired teen towered over her smaller frame, his body cast in a dark shadow and his eyes two pinpricks of yellow light, Gamagori had held his hand out and politely asked Nonon to find somewhere to change out of her Three Star Goku Uniform. The sheer amount of politeness and courtesy from the normally strict and bombastic Gamagori had caused her mind to experience a temporary paradox that had only been alleviated when Gamagori grabbed her and began carrying her away.

"I can't wait to get my uniform back," Nonon was still smarting from the way that Ichigo had beaten her. The skies were her domain, damn it! When she fought him again, she wasn't going to let her anger get the better of her. Ichigo was going to suffer tremendously for the insult he gave her, "Strawberry is going to pay dearly for this insult!"

An idea entered Satsuki's mind as she listened to Nonon's revenge ranting. The risk of failing was quite high, but if it worked…the odds weren't in her favor, but the rewards might just be worth it.

"What we have here is a prime opportunity, Jakuzure," Satsuki's words stunned Nonon into silence. She had heard a tone similar to that in the past and it could only mean Lady Satsuki had come up with a plan.

"What is it, Lady Satsuki?"

Satsuki turned back to the moon-lit sky, her face bathed in shades of dark white and grey, before explaining, "One of the written rules here at Honnouji Academy is that if someone is stripped of their Goku Uniform, they are immediately demoted down to No Star ranking."

"B-But I wasn't stripped!" Nonon protested worriedly, "Strawberry doesn't have a Scissor Blade or anything!"

"Just because Ichigo left before finishing you off isn't the point," Satsuki pointed out condescendingly, "His blade is similar to my Bakuzan. Both are as capable of severing Life Fibers as Matoi's Scissor Blade. However, you are missing the point, Jakuzure. Wouldn't you say the entire academy believes that you were defeated and stripped of your uniform?"

Nonon's mind worked for only a few seconds before she began to understand what Satsuki was thinking. With a cocky grin on her face, she smirked and replied, "I sure would say that."

A small smile appeared on Satsuki's face, "I'm glad you understand. Starting tomorrow you are to be a No Star student. Gamagori, Inumuta and Sanageyama will be informed tonight of what's happened, so you need not worry about them."

"Pfft," Nonon made a spitting sound in disgust, "Like I would care about what frog, dog and monkey say about me. If they say anything bad to me, I'll show them just how much I can kick their asses without a Goku Uniform!"

"Very good," Satsuki's demeanor quickly shifted back to her normal self, "Jakuzure! Tomorrow, you will begin your assignment, entitled Operation Zero Stars! Your goal is to get close to Ichigo Kurosaki and his associates under the banner of revenge against me. You have permission to say and do anything to get into Ichigo's good graces. This is not limited to fighting against Club Captains and anyone associated with them! Find out any secrets Ichigo may have concerning his Kamui and bring them to me! The time scale of your mission is three weeks, which is when Parent Student Day begins! Do you have any questions?"

"Not one," Nonon grinned happily as she grabbed the standard No Star uniform from Soroi Mitsuzou's outstretched arms, "You can count on me, Lady Satsuki! I'll have Strawberry wrapped around my little finger in a week! First things first, I'm going to need a customized uniform. There is no way I'm going to wear anything this atrocious for a single minute."

Satsuki watched coldly as Nonon left her presence. As soon as the doors closed shut behind Nonon, Satsuki let out a tired sigh. Groaning from the pent up effort of wearing Junketsu, Satsuki looked at the struggling Kamui, held safely behind two inches of bullet-proof glass and several sewing needles, and grimaced.

"You should try to not overexert yourself, Milady," Soroi politely scolded Satsuki's recently rash behavior as he poured her a cup of tea.

"How does he do it?" Satsuki stared at the vicious Junketsu and sighed, "And it's not just Ichigo, but also Matoi. Both of them are able to not only use the full power of their Kamui, but also wear them as normal clothing without the risk of death. It is not a question of willpower, for my heart and mind are leagues above either of them. What am I missing?"

"Milady, if I may be so blunt as to ask a question. Have you considered asking young Ichigo?"

"If only I could, Soroi," Satsuki rested her cheek on her hand and smiled faintly, "But Ichigo and I are on opposite sides of a raging river. If I were to ask him for help, he would easily see it as a sign of weakness and capitalize upon it immediately. That is where Jakuzure's mission comes into play. She will play the betrayed underling, viciously demoted and demeaned by the heartless and cold Student Council President. She will gain Ichigo's trust and friendship and, when the moment is right, find out his secret pertaining to his control over Mugetsu's power."

"I don't fully understand," Soroi admitted as he bowed respectfully, "But I trust in your judgment, Milady."

Satsuki leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, "How long did the thought persist that you managed to sneak up behind me, Sanageyama?"

"Barely a flicker in my mind," Sanageyama grinned, "I couldn't help but overhear your plans for Jakuzure. Very bold and cunning, just what I expect from you, Lady Satsuki. Do you want me to be the one to publicly kick her out of the Elite Four? It would make your plan all the more convincing after all."

"And it has nothing to do with a personal vendetta?" Satsuki asked inquisitively, "While Jakuzure is no longer a member of the Elite Four in the eyes of the student body; she is still your equal in both power and respect. Do not forget that."

"Of course I didn't forget that," Sanageyama stuck his hands into the pockets of his Blade Regalia and stared outside, "You and I both know that if I truly wanted to humiliate Jakuzure beyond what is needed for your plan to succeed, you would have stabbed me with that teacup."

"That is where you are wrong, Sanageyama." To Sanageyama's bewilderment, Satsuki raised her hand and Soroi quickly walked over to her side. Placing the teacup she was holding onto the tray in Soroi's hands and grabbing another one, Satsuki saw the look on Sanageyama's face and said, "That is my favorite teacup. Attacking you with it would have not been worth the effort. Now, what is it that you wanted, Sanageyama?"

"I want your permission to fight Matoi."

There was a slight cracking sound as Satsuki's fingers tightened around her teacup, "Should I even deign to answer your question with a response?"

Sanageyama whistled under his breath, "I know, I know. With what you have planned for Jakuzure, it would be rather bad if two members of the Elite Four were to fall."

"So you don't believe you can win?"

"Of course I will win," Sanageyama grinned before schooling his face, "You know perfectly well how I get around someone powerful. Matoi's been just a big of a problem, perhaps even more so, than Ichigo Kurosaki. Wouldn't you agree, Lady Satsuki?"

"Indeed she has." Satsuki knew that while Ichigo was the more powerful of the two, Matoi was the one causing the most trouble. While Ichigo was content with just lying back and letting his opponents come to him, an excellent strategy by the way, Matoi sought out and demolished her Club Captains nearly too fast for new ones to be inducted. Satsuki had always prided quality over quantity, but for what she had planned for Matoi, quantity would have to do for the moment, "If I recall, the last time you felt this way was three years ago."

"My bamboo sword is itching for a real challenge," Sanageyama's hand subconsciously drifted to his weapon strapped to his back. He was truly looking forward to fighting Ichigo blade to blade, but Matoi was just a big a challenge, "I want to see how Matoi's skills stand up to the stage you provided me. Once I defeat Matoi, I will know that my power is great enough to take on Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Hmm…" Satsuki sipped her tea calmly before answering verbally, "I do not need to remind you of the price of failure. Unlike Jakuzure, your desire to battle Matoi is not part of my plans. If you lose against her…"

"No need to worry," Sanageyama pointed to his eyes and finished, "With these eyes of mine I cannot possibly lose to the likes of Matoi."

"I see," Satsuki didn't even give a hint as to what she was planning to do. In one swift motion, she stood up and kicked her chair backwards towards Sanageyama, who easily ducked underneath the impromptu projectile. As his eyes caught the hint of movement behind him, he turned and pulled out his bamboo sword as Satsuki tried to pierce his neck with the shattered handle of her teacup.

"Like I said," Sanageyama's grin intensified as Satsuki's strength caused his arms to quiver slightly, "With my eyes I cannot lose."

"Nicely blocked," Satsuki stood up and calmly walked away from Sanageyama, "At your current skill, I will admit that my middle-school self wouldn't have been able to beat you. You may do what you wish, but take heed of the consequences of failure, Sanageyama, for I am not lenient against those who go against my wishes."

"Thanks," Sanageyama took a few steps before suddenly stopping, a frown marring his face, "That boy you spoke of that night, Shinjiro I think his name was, you never told me what was so dangerous about him."

Sitting back down and with an look of annoyance on her face, Satsuki smirked, "I never did. Why do you ask?"

"Because I saw him the night after that Nudist Beach guy showed up," Sanageyama scratched the back of his neck as he vividly remembered what he saw, "But I don't think he's the really dangerous one."

Satsuki arched a single eyebrow, "What do you mean, Sanageyama?"

Sanageyama folded his arms, "I saw Matoi sparring with that Ururu girl, the same girl that managed to toss me around like I weighed nothing, on the roof of Ichigo's dorm. Matoi was getting her ass thrown around, but the really interesting thing is when Ururu disarmed and proceeded to pummel Matoi. That red Scissor Blade she always has appeared to turn purple in Ururu's hands. I'm not saying Shinjiro isn't as dangerous as you think, but Ururu seems to a strange connection to Matoi."

If Sanageyama could have seen Satsuki's face, he would have been surprised at the wavering expression of fear adorning it. Quickly suppressing her emotions, she calmly and stoically answered, "I see. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll have Inumuta look into this."

Unable to see just how disturbed Satsuki was from what he saw, Sanageyama left to go prepare for his battle against Matoi. Jakuzure's loss against Ichigo Kurosaki opened his eyes, literally and figuratively, to the prospect of losing. His eyes may be able to see everything, but if Ichigo's Kamui could adapt to Jakuzure's flying, who was to say that Matoi's couldn't do the same to him? He needed to think about what he was going to do to avoid being humiliated like his compatriot.

As soon as Sanageyama left, Satsuki leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, "That was quite rude of me, Soroi."

"It is not a problem, Milady," Soroi placed the shattered ceramic remains on the tray and stepped back, "As long as it wasn't your favorite cup I am more than happy to replace it."

Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her, Satsuki closed her eyes and sighed, "Make a fresh pot for me."

"As you wish." Before Soroi could begin his assigned task, the nearby phone began ringing. Usually someone calling past midnight warranted a dismissal of their call, but the people who knew Satsuki's private number wouldn't dare call without an important reason. Putting down the tea tray, Soroi picked up the phone and politely answered, "Good evening. This is the Honnouji Academy Student Council President's Office. How may I be of service?"

There was a slight pause in the line before Soroi seemed to stutter, "Y-Yes, Ma'am. One moment." Wheeling the table with the antique, but expensive, phone over to Satsuki, Soroi covered the receiver with his hand and whispered, "It's your mother, Mistress Ragyo."

"Thank you, Soroi," Grabbing the phone, Satsuki leaned back and composed herself, "This is Satsuki."

From the other end of the line, a smug Ragyo asked, "What's this rumor about you putting on your wedding dress?"

"I'm not surprised you found out, mother," Satsuki glanced out into the night sky in the direction Revocs headquarters was located, "But I'm sure you already know everything about my taking of Junketsu."

"Indeed I do." From where she was standing in her office, Ragyo stared at a picture of Satsuki in Junketsu. It was such a shame that her daughter wasn't able to force the Kamui to accept her as a true wielder. It was just another in a long line of failures, "Tell me, Satsuki, how was your wedding dress?"

"Exquisite," Satsuki didn't dare to think this was the reason her mother called. Ragyo was many things, but purposeless wasn't one of them, "Why did you call, mother?"

"Straight to the point," Ragyo twirled around and held her hand out as Hououmaru handed her a file, "I require your presence at Revocs. There are things we need to discuss and I want to see just how well your body is suited for Junketsu…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>For perhaps the first time in a week Ichigo was enjoying a quiet breakfast. Without any strange and psychotic girls sneaking in to watch him sleep or Gamagori to try and piss him off even more than usual, Ichigo found the peace and quiet a rare blessing. So when there was a loud knocking on his door, Ichigo slammed his head against the table in annoyance. He just had to jinx everything by thinking about it. Groaning and standing up, he shambled towards the door. Whoever was on the other side better have a damn good reason for knocking.<p>

It was to his surprise that upon opening the door he was greeted by a scowling Ryuko.

"Why are you here, Ryuko? It's eight in the morning."

"Here," Ryuko shoved the bamboo sword she was hold into Ichigo's arms and walked past him into his room. Sensing an aura of annoyance as well as eagerness coming off Ryuko, he looked at the weapon in his hands and noticed some writing scrawled on it.

**Attention, Ryuko Matoi of Second Year, Class K.**

**I will be waiting for you after school in the Kendo Club dojo for our long overdue match**

**~ Uzu Sanageyama ~**

"Sanageyama is calling you to fight him?" Ichigo turned the bamboo sword over in his hands, thinking that perhaps there was another part of the message that he was missing. Seeing that there was nothing else written on it, he turned and walked back into his room.

"I found that thing stabbed right outside Mako's house this morning," Ryuko grumbled and plopped down on his couch. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she scoffed angrily, "Damn bastard is calling me a chicken!"

Ichigo's face fell flat, "I don't think that's what's going on…"

"Satsuki Kiryuin must be a sore loser!" Ryuko grinned smugly as she waved off Ichigo's concern, "After you kicked Snake's ass yesterday, Satsuki must be too scared to send another of her goons after you. That's fine with me though. It's just one less person I have to defeat to find out why Satsuki killed my dad."

Ichigo stopped listening to Ryuko about halfway through, his mind thinking about the message on the bamboo sword. The message was too personal to be something Satsuki would do. Nonon had basically ambushed them yesterday in order to defeat him. From what he knew of Satsuki, that was something she would sanction. Sanageyama's message was basically giving Ryuko the time and place for their fight. He was missing something important.

"This doesn't seem like something Satsuki would do," Ichigo placed the bamboo sword against the wall and sat down in a chair, "Satsuki's policy in this place is to demote anyone that loses to us. Why would she risk losing two of her Elite four two days in a row? Whatever Sanageyama is thinking, I'm damn well sure it isn't with Satsuki's approval."

"You think this guy has a grudge against me or something?" Ryuko pondered her question for a few seconds before a look of realization washed over her face, "Hey, wait a second! Why isn't he going after you? I haven't said five words to the guy while it was your friend that swung him around like a rag doll!"

"Don't try to pin this on me," Ichigo replied sarcastically, "That was all Ururu, and if you knew her as well as I do, then trying to pick a fight with her is a terrible idea. Perhaps Sanageyama just knows he can't beat me and decided to go after someone easier."

"Are you calling me a wimp?" Ryuko stood up dramatically and rolled up her sleeves, "Because the way I hear it, you weren't able to land a hit on Snake until Mugetsu transformed and saved your ass! By the way, how did you get her to transform and fly?"

"_**It was necessary to win,"**_ Mugetsu answered. Swiveling her eyes to stare at Ryuko, she explained further, _**"It was insulting to think that a Goku Uniform comprised of 30% Life Fibers could do something that I, a Kamui, could not. When Ichigo asked me if I could fly, how could I say no? The mere thought of that pink haired brat doing something that I couldn't sickened me."**_

Ryuko leaned in and stared right back at Mugetsu, "So how did you do it exactly?"

"_**Why don't you ask Senketsu?"**_ Mugetsu growled irritably.

When Ryuko looked at Senketsu's one eye, the Kamui did his best attempt at a shrug, _**"I do not know how Mugetsu was able to transform. Perhaps in the heat of battle the knowledge of transforming into a different mode will come to me, but for the time being you should focus on increasing your own strength. The upcoming battles will be extremely dangerous."**_

"_**You're completely useless,"**_ Mugetsu spat and would have pointed a sleeve at Senketsu if Ichigo wasn't currently wearing her, _**"It is insulting to think that you, a fellow Kamui, is unable to visualize new forms outside of battle. Why, when Ichigo was asleep last night I thought up two new transformations for our next battle!"**_

"_**Why don't you go and sew your lapels closed?"**_ Senketsu emphasized his question by pulling the top half of his body off of Ryuko, leaving her bare-chested apart from her bra, in order to wave his sleeve menacingly at Mugetsu, _**"Ryuko and I are a team! I don't need to hear such nonsense coming from someone like you, who can't even keep her own creases folded properly!"**_

"_**WHAT?!"**_ Infuriated at Senketsu's insult, Mugetsu pulled herself off of Ichigo and began wrestling on the ground with Senketsu. Ichigo, now wearing nothing more than boxers, stared at the fighting school uniforms incredulously.

"The hell is going on?" Ichigo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Turning to ask Ryuko if she had any idea as to what was going on, he quickly turned his head upon seeing her in nothing but a bra and panties. Ryuko, noticing Ichigo's averted gaze, quickly blushed and attempted to cover herself.

It took the combined efforts of Ichigo and Ryuko nearly five minutes to pry the two Kamui apart. With both of them dressed once more, but with their respective Kamui glaring at each other, Ichigo was about to ask what Ryuko planned to do about Sanageyama when there was another knock at the door. Walking over, a little annoyed at the intrusion, Ichigo opened the door and immediately got a fist to his face as a result.

"Ichigo!" Ryuko watched Ichigo go flying backwards before gritting her teeth and glaring at his assailant. Standing in the doorway, with actual steam seeming to be wafting off her fist, was Nonon Jakuzure, but something was different about her. Instead of wearing her Three Star Goku Uniform, she wore the standard No Star Uniform , but accessorized to fit with her so-called cute and girlish persona. Adjusting her white beret with the black skull emblazoned on it, she stepped inside Ichigo's room and slammed the door closed.

"That was for yesterday, Strawberry!"

"What the hell's your problem?" Ryuko reached for the pin on her glove to fight Nonon, but was confused when the girl simply ignored her and began eating Ichigo's breakfast.

"Close your mouth before you let the flies in, Transfer Student," Nonon grumbled mid-bite, "As much as I hate it to say it, I'm here to help you fight Lady Satsuki. Ugh, simply saying those words makes me feel sick. You got any mouthwash, Strawberry?"

Rubbing his sore nose, Ichigo stared at Nonon, who had made herself at home, and asked, "What the hell are you doing in my room, Snake?"

Nonon narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "Apparently you haven't heard the news, Strawberry. After our fight yesterday, Lady Satsuki decided I was a failure for losing against you. She not only stripped me of my Goku Uniform, but permanently demoted me to a stupid No Star like the Transfer Student! How could Lady Satsuki do that to me, her closest friend and the one who's been by her side the longest? I thought I knew what her every thought was and she not only demotes me, but orders me to never speak or look at her again? My life sucks almost as much as yours."

"So why are you in my room eating my damn breakfast?"

"Because Strawberry," Nonon waved her spoon at Ichigo, "You and the Transfer Student are the only two in Honnouji Academy willing to fight against Lady Satsuki! I don't care about your motives or whatever the hell your reasons are. I simply want to stand over Lady Satsuki, grab her by the front of her uniform, and demand to know why she's treating me like this! You got that?"

Ichigo glanced over at Ryuko, who shrugged her shoulders disinterestedly, and asked, "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

"No," Nonon answered bluntly, "Because no matter what you say, I'm going to follow the two of you around until I get answers. It looks like you're stuck with me, Strawberry."

"Well, have fun with your new friend Ichigo," Ryuko waved goodbye as she walked out of the room, "I need to get ready for my fight against Sanageyama later on."

"You're fighting Monkey?" Nonon rolled her eyes and scoffed, "While seeing you unconscious and bleeding on the floor would make me happy, defeating Monkey will bring me one step closer to Lady Satsuki. Here's a hint and hopefully that stupid brain of yours can understand it – Sanageyama's eyes see everything. Got it? Well, if you didn't too bad. I'm not repeating myself."

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off a headache, "This is revenge for yesterday, isn't it?"

"Damn straight it is, Strawberry. Now get me some more cereal."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Uzu Sanageyama could feel his blood boiling in his veins. With a cocky grin on his face, he strutted towards the center of the Kendo Club dojo and patiently waited for Ryuko to arrive.<p>

When he had sent Matoi a personalized invitation to fight him, Sanageyama knew she wouldn't refuse. If she was anything like him, she would relish the chance to fight someone strong. That was not mentioning the fact that Matoi needed to go through him if Lady Satsuki would even dare to dream of giving her the time of day. While Satsuki had warned him his desire for battling strong opponents would lead to his downfall, Sanageyama saw it as taking the initiative.

Feeling his fingers trembling in excitement, Sanageyama clenched his fist as he remembered the last time he had felt this way. It had been nearly three years ago to the day when he led a force of nearly 500 people against Satsuki, only to lose horribly and decisively. It was comforting to know that there were two new players that could make him feel excited about fighting again. While Sanageyama craved fighting strong opponents, he was smarter than his wild demeanor suggested.

As much as he wanted to, Sanageyama knew fighting Ichigo Kurosaki at his current level was suicidal. Ichigo had not only fought Lady Satsuki, but actually managed to beat her. While he craved his fight with Matoi, Ichigo was Sanageyama's ultimate challenge. If he could best the boy that captured Lady Satsuki's attention, then he knew he was strong enough to finally take on Satsuki.

A quick shifting of the shadows at the top of the bleachers to his left failed to escape Sanageyama's attention. Turning his head, he grinned when he noticed Ichigo walk in, accompanied by an irate Nonon and that creepy little girl that had so bested him with ease the other day. Noticing the extremely subtle clenching of Nonon's facial features, Sanageyama knew it was time to make the first move in Nonon gaining Ichigo's trust.

"So, you've come to see the show Ichigo," Sanageyama's loud boasting was enough to cause the quiet murmuring that permeated the dojo to cease. As the multitudes of No and One Star students turned towards a now scowling Ichigo, Ichigo tucked his hands in his pockets, "Have you come to see Matoi get crushed to pieces?"

Ichigo simply stared at Sanageyama for several seconds before responding sarcastically, "I've seen your Blade Regalia, remember? If Ryuko's as strong as I know she is, there's no way she can lose."

"Humph," Sanageyama snorted derisively, "I'll admit that you were smart enough to figure out how to fight my Blade Regalia, but even you must admit that Matoi isn't even close to your level of intelligence! There's no way she can beat me!"

"And you brought along a failure," Sanageyama's gaze shifted past a curious Ururu to focus on an irate Nonon, "How does it feel to lose everything, including Lady Satsuki's respect, Jakuzure?"

"Bite me, Wild Monkey!" Nonon spat back angrily.

"It's your own fault for losing to Ichigo and now you follow him around like a lost dog. How poetic."

"Go to hell!" Nonon twisted around and grabbed Ichigo by the front of Mugetsu, "I don't care what you and that Transfer Student agreed on! Go down there and kick that Monkey's ass right now!"

"_**I don't like anyone but you touching me, Ichigo," **_Mugetsu began growling angrily at Nonon, which was ironic since Ichigo was the only one that could hear her, _**"Tell her to let go of me before I decide to bite her hands off."**_

"There's no need for such language from a failure like you," Sanageyama's grinned widened as he turned around, "So you've finally come, Matoi. Tell me, are you as excited for this fight as I am?"

Ryuko strutted towards Sanageyama through the parting crowd with a grin of her own. Giving a waving Mako a confident thumbs up, she smirked at Sanageyama, "I was called out personally by you. It would be rude for me to not show up."

"I like your spirit!" Sanageyama shouted exuberantly, "Let's get down to business!" Throwing his hands out to the side, Sanageyama was enveloped by a flash of light that originated from the three stars on his collar. As the wind picked up before abruptly dying back down, Ryuko heard him say, "Three Star Goku Uniform: Blade Regalia!"

As the light surrounding Sanageyama faded away, Ichigo muttered, "Ryuko is going to have some trouble with him."

"What the hell does that mean, Strawberry?" Nonon squeaked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes while ignoring Nonon's irritation, "I've fought Sanageyama's Blade Regalia the day Satsuki tried to kill Ryuko. His speed and power may be almost fast enough to catch me, but his biggest advantage are his eyes. If you don't know how to block his sight, Sanageyama can always evade and counter your attacks."

"I knew all that already! I worked alongside him for a while!" Nonon spat on the ground in annoyance. Folding her arms and looking away, she grumbled, "You said the Transfer Student has a chance to win. I may be on your side, but I know the Monkey's power more than you. There is no way that bitch down there has a shot at winning."

"Didn't you say the same thing to me yesterday?" Ichigo's question was quickly, and violently, answered with a swift kick to the shin, courtesy of a pissed off Nonon.

"Bite me, Strawberry!"

Back down on the dojo, Ryuko lowered her hand from in front of her eyes as Sanageyama finished transforming. She had been expecting his Goku Uniform to change, but not to the extent that it did. Unlike Jakuzure yesterday, Sanageyama was covered in a large green suit of armor that more than resembled a standard kendo suit, which fit in with his entire theme.

"This is the power of my Blade Regalia!" Sanageyama roared as a shinai extended from inside his wrist and was firmly grasped in his armored gauntlet. Pointing the weapon at Ryuko, he shouted, "Your Kamui isn't the only thing that can transform! Change into your Kamui, Matoi, so that we can fight!"

"You don't need to say it twice!" Ryuko had an excited look on her face as she reached for the pin on her glove, "I'll do the same! Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"

As Senketsu expanded around her body before collapsing back into his transformed state, Ryuko decided to rush in and finish Sanageyama off as quickly as possible. Darting out of the lightshow that always seemed to accompany her transformation, she drew her Scissor Blade and effortlessly sliced through Sanageyama's Blade Regalia vertically.

"That wasn't so tough," Ryuko stated victoriously before noticing something off about her defeated opponent. Sanageyama's body seemed to be frozen in place before the two halves dissipated into thin air, "What?"

"Too slow!"

Ryuko gasped in pain as Sanageyama's shinai was slammed into her back, catapulting her through the air and into a nearby column accompanied by a large explosion.

"Damn," Ryuko wiped the small trace of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth and pushed with both against the column with both of her heels before rocketing back towards the waiting Sanageyama. With her Scissor Blade held out to the side, she shouted angrily as she tried, and failed to hit her opponent, who seemed to be always supernaturally dodging her attacks.

"I told you…" the left hand of Sanageyama's Blade Regalia slammed into Ryuko's stomach before a shinai extended out of it and propelled her into the roof above. Before she could fall back to the ground, he reared his hand back and punched her across the dojo, "…it's useless. I can see all your moves! There is nothing you can do that I cannot predict and avoid. Only two people have ever managed to avoid my attacks and you, Matoi, are nowhere near their levels! Now stand back up and finish this fight!"

"I'm really getting annoyed at his constant blabbering," An exhausted, but otherwise relatively unharmed, Ryuko pushed herself back onto her feet and glanced briefly at Senketsu, "You have anything, Senketsu?"

"_**Hmm…"**_ Senketsu thought for a moment before replying, _**"Perhaps, but it's going to be risky, Ryuko. I'm not even sure if it will work."**_

Ryuko smiled warmly at her Kamui, "Hey, we're partners. I trust you. Now let's do this Senketsu!"

As Ryuko prepared herself for the second round against Sanageyama, up in the stands Ichigo noticed someone missing. Looking around in confusion, he asked, "Hey, where did Ururu go?"

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #4 – Mysterious Relations<strong>

Ururu, Ryuko and Mako were gathered around Ichigo, who was busy staring at a picture held firmly in his hand.

"He does look eerily similar to her," Ryuko mused as she scratched her chin, "They both look like they have a stick up their asses."

"But that's super impossible!" Mako argued valiantly, "If they were related, then surely she would have told someone by now!"

"I don't know Mako," Ururu said softly as she gazed upon the picture, "He does look a lot like Satsuki. Perhaps he can be her father."

"Did I hear someone mention Lady Satsuki's parentage?"

Ryuko looked up as Gamagori appeared out of nowhere just to tower over them "Take a look at this picture," Ryuko gave the giant of a student the picture, "Tell me he doesn't look like Satsuki."

"I'll be the judge of that," Gamagori stared at the picture, his eyes narrowing in concentration before he nodded, "There does seem to be a familial resemblance, but just to be sure…INUMUTA!"

From behind Gamagori stepped out Inumuta, "What's so important that you deafened half the academy?"

Without even considering the question, Gamagori handed over the picture, "I need you to verify the authenticity of this picture."

"If you say so," Inumuta looked at the picture and held a handheld device to it. After several moments of silence followed by a series of quick beeps, Inumuta looked at the results on the device, "Oh my…"

Ichigo, Gamagori and Ryuko looked over Inumuta shoulder as he announced the results, "According to my computer, this man has a 95% probability of being Satsuki's father!"

"Did I hear someone dare to mention my father?"

"Lady Satsuki!" Gamagori handed the picture over to her, "Ichigo Kurosaki was in possession of this photograph of your father!"

Satsuki thought it was a joke until she saw the picture. Starting up at her with an expression that she had only seen on herself was Byakuya Kuchiki. As Satsuki gazed at the picture, she began to think that perhaps this man was her father after all. The resemblance was too uncanny to be otherwise.

To everyone's surprise, Satsuki turned around and began walking away. Ichigo would later think it was a trick of the wind, but he could have sworn he heard Satsuki muttering 'you must be my father' under her breath, _"Great. This is just what I need. I just hope that Satsuki never actually meets Byakuya."_


	17. Chapter 17: Walk on the Wild Side

_Here is Chapter 17. It didn't take me that long to write this chapter, which is surprising considering it is longer than my previous chapter. In this chapter I wrap up the first Sanageyama fight in Episode 6, but unfortunately I wasn't able to actually finish the episode. That's okay though, since I have a bunch of my other plot threads beginning to come together. People and things I mentioned in previous chapters begin to make an appearance as well as a surprising guest of honor. Try to enjoy this chapter as much as you can and don't forget to read and review__._

_I passed 100,000 views! I have reached the five-figure milestone in less than two months! Hurray for me!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 17 - Walk on the Wild Side<strong>

Ururu Tsumugiya greatly disliked unnecessary violence. She was of the belief that one should only fight when given no other options or if your friends or loved ones were in danger of getting hurt or killed. Fights like the one between Ryuko Matoi and Uzu Sanageyama disinterested her. She hadn't known what Ichigo was dragging her to when he asked her to tag along. She assumed it had something to do with all the fuss and rumors spreading throughout Honnouji Academy about a big showdown between the Elite Four and the new transfer student. As soon as she realized it was a fight over something trivial, she had quickly slipped away to wander the now mostly empty halls of Honnouji Academy. It was during her travels that she managed to somehow find her way onto the large outer walls surrounding the academy.

The area was unchanged ever since Tsumugu defeated Kusanosuke Yaguruma of the Gardening Club. Standing on the edge of the flower bed, she straightened out her No Star uniform and knelt down to look at the beautiful flowers. With the autumn cold beginning to seep into the nights, the flowers were giving one last hurrah before dying off for the winter, only to come back in the spring.

Reaching down to pick one of the many Sopheria flowers that the Gardening Club had spent a lot of money growing in the fertile flower beds, Ururu's fingers had just closed around a stem when she felt a familiar presence land behind her. Without showing any emotions, she stood back up and turned around to face a smiling Nui Harime.

"Hi!" Nui chirped cheerfully.

Ururu stared emotionlessly at the Grand Couturier, "What do you want?"

"Don't be such a wet blanket." Nui puffed her cheeks out as she pouted cutely. Skipping closer to Ururu, she leaned in and tilted her head to the side, "It's super impressive that you were able to sense my presence as soon as I arrived. A normal human would never be able to do something that extraordinary. You really are quite special."

Instead of answering Nui, Ururu raced forward with her feet kicking up small ripples of dust as she went. With her fist arcing through the air, she attempted to punch Nui in the face only for her attack to be blocked, albeit with a great amount of effort on Nui's part.

"You really are super strong," Nui complemented as a bead of sweat dripped down her cheek. It had been forever since she had fought someone able to actually make her fight. Usually those the Director sent her to kill were unable to put up too much of a fight. Although, now that she thought about it, both Kisuke Urahara and Ryuken Ishida put up enough of a fight to actually make her work for a win. How exciting! As her pink boots were forced back along the ground, Nui smiled and with a quick application of power, stopped her retreat immediately.

As her sapphire eye stared into Ururu's twin blue ones, Nui smile grew even wider. Now that she was up close and personal with Ururu, she could truly feel what the Director told her earlier! Nui would have smacked herself in the forehead if she had the time about how obvious it was now that she thought about. When Ururu didn't say anything, Nui tilted her head to the side, her blonde pigtails bouncing along the way, "Aren't you going to say anything? Having a one sided conversation is really boring. I'm not that into monologuing! That's so cliché!"

"You are a threat," Ururu's voice was quiet, but Nui could feel the power laced in the words. A childish giggle escaped her throat upon hearing it.

"How so?" She asked rhetorically.

"You are a threat to Ichigo and Ryuko," Ururu was beginning to enter her Extermination Mode as the words left her mouth. Already she could feel her restraints and morals disappearing as the overarching goal of defeating Nui Harime replaced everything else. Ever since No Late Day, Ururu had felt something both off and strangely familiar radiating off of Nui, but she still couldn't place where the feeling originated from. Despite Nui's cheerful and peppy demeanor, years of living and training under Urahara Kisuke had gotten Ururu accustomed to those that hid their true feelings and motives. Every single cell in Ururu's mind was telling her that Nui was extremely dangerous. She was an enemy and enemies must be eliminated before they hurt those close to her, "Threats must be eliminated."

"Threats must be eliminated? Could you get any less emotional?" Nui asked sarcastically as she quickly leaned back and under Ururu's attempt to grasp her neck. With a smile on her face, she avoided Ururu's following kick to the abdomen, but failed to take into account Ururu's analytical mind as Ururu appeared to pivot in midair and slammed her heel into Nui's cheek.

"Gah!"

Nui felt actual pain as she bounced across the top of the wall and skidded to a stop. The pain wasn't that bad, perhaps the equivalent of getting a rubber band smacked against her skin, and it didn't come from the nearly half dozen face plants she did before coming to a stop. Those didn't hurt her at all. No, the extremely small amount of pain she was feeling came from Ururu's kick.

Elegantly getting to her feet, Nui pulled a pocket mirror out from within one of her pigtails and examined her cheek. The skin where Ururu's heel had hit her was slightly bruised, but she could see the Life Fibers already healing the damage. What was strange was how slowly she was healing. Such a wound, if she had ever sustained one that actually caused her pain, should have healed while she bounced along the ground. Well, Nui concluded with less than normal care, that's food for thought. Perhaps later on when she had the time, she would sit down and really think about what this all meant.

"That was a nice kick! But aren't you curious about why I'm here or something?" Nui honestly complemented the still stoic Ururu. Her opponent's lack of responses was really starting to tick Nui off. She loved to talk to her opponents during her fights. It made the usually dull and boring battles much more fun! Without Ururu saying anything back to her, she might as well be talking to herself for all anyone cared, and Nui didn't want people to think she was crazy or anything.

"No," Ururu was curious about why Nui seemed to be able to take one of her kicks to the face with almost no damage. Bringing her arms up, she prepared for a lengthy and, most likely, grievous fight.

"Aw, phooey," Nui playfully kicked the ground, "You really need to learn to relax and have fun! I didn't come here to hurt Ichigo or any of your so-called friends! So why don't you just relax and stop thinking about how you're going to choke the life out of me, because I can tell you it won't work."

Ururu's gaze shifted towards the dojo when she felt a spike of power radiate out from within. Deciding that she couldn't afford to waste time dealing with Nui, Ururu turned to leave only to find the Grand Couturier blocking her path.

"Leaving so soon?" Nui seemed almost sad that Ururu was ignoring her. It was almost as if Ururu didn't care that she was willing to spend the time talking with her, "I haven't even gotten to the part where I say you and I are a lot alike."

Ururu saw the calculating looking behind Nui's eye, but there was something else as well. Buried underneath all the manipulation and sadism in Nui's mind was something eerily familiar, "What do you mean?"

"If I say anything, it will spoil all the fun!" Nui pouted and stiffly took a few steps away from Ururu before turning around with a smile back on her face, "Just know that if you ever want to hear the whole story, I'll be just a single call away."

Stepping towards the edge of the wall, Nui stood half off the edge, her blonde hair whipping in the breeze. With a wide smile on her face, she waved to Ururu as she leaned backwards, "Until next time! Bye Bye, Amu!"

Ururu wasn't about to let Nui just leave, not after what she just said. Racing forward at speeds that would make Sanageyama jealous, she reached the Ground Couturier in less than a second. Just as her fingers were about to close upon Nui's pink dress, the Grand Couturier gave Ururu a mischievous smile and pushed off the wall and just barely evading Ururu's extending grasp.

As Nui's body fell out of her sight, Ururu let her arm fall listlessly to her side. Ururu knew it was useless to try and chase after Nui at this point. She could already feel the Grand Couturier's presence vanishing into the distance as an appreciable speed. While she was sure she could track Nui down if need be, Ururu was uncertain about any tricks Nui might possess.

"_What did she come here for?"_ Ururu softly contemplated the ulterior motive for Nui's visit. As she sensed a large release of power from where Ryuko was fighting Sanageyama, she began to make her way back to the dojo.

"_And why did she call me Amu?"_

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><p>...<p>

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><p>There was a whirlwind of swinging blades and sparks as Ryuko's red Scissor Blade clashed with the giant shinai that Sanageyama's Blade Regalia created for him. Knees buckling as she raised her weapon horizontally over her head, Ryuko broke out in a sweat as she felt the ground beneath her feet crack and dent from the sheer amount of force Sanageyama was pushing with. Thinking quickly, she adjusted her grip on her Scissor Blade and grabbed Sanageyama's shinai with her left hand, her fingers digging into the metal before Sanageyama could have a chance to pull it back.<p>

"Let's see how well you do without a weapon!"

Steam shot out from the exhaust vents on her shoulders and back as Ryuko hefted Sanageyama's Blade Regalia into the air. While Sanageyama managed to quite easily right himself and landed safely back on the ground, the same could not be said for his shinai. Held firmly in Ryuko's hands, she held it in the air for a moment before slicing it cleanly in half with her Scissor Blade.

"Now it's going to be fun!" Ryuko shouted excitedly as she raced across the dojo, her speed augmented by Senketsu's power, and stabbed her Scissor Blade straight through Sanageyama's chest. Her elation at finally hitting her opponent was squashed when Sanageyama's form rippled and disappeared, indicating that she had hit nothing more than another damn afterimage.

As Ryuko stumbled forward from the lack of resistance, she heard an annoyingly familiar voice whisper from right behind her, "Fun for whom?"

Her head barely turned around before a shinai slammed into her cheek and whipped her body around through the air. While the world was still spinning around her, Ryuko felt another shinai slam into the small of her back before a third slapped her in the back of her neck and catapulted her body clear across the dojo.

"Oww…" Ryuko moaned in a small amount of pain. Rubbing her sore back, she pushed herself onto her one knee and glanced around at her opponent. If there was one thing about Sanageyama that she could consider a compliment, it was that he was honorable at least. While he would do everything he could to beat her, he wouldn't attack her when she couldn't fight back. Wiping a trail of spit from the corner of her mouth, Ryuko grumbled, "Damn it, how the hell is this guy so freaking fast. Those afterimages are really starting to piss me off."

"_**I don't know,"**_ Senketsu seemed to be just as confused about their lack of success as Ryuko. It was highly strange that Ryuko, whose power and speed rivaled that of Satsuki Kiryuin, should be unable to even land a hit on one of her underlings, _**"Perhaps there is something else at play here. Do you remember what that girl said to you this morning?"**_

"Something about his eyes, right?" Ryuko hadn't been paying attention to what Jakuzure had told her. At the time she was still more concerned with why one of Satsuki's Elite Four was trying to hang out with Ichigo. Even with the so-called sob story Jakuzure told them, Ryuko didn't trust the former Three-Star at all. There was no way she wasn't planning something against them.

Stabbing her Scissor Blade into the wooden floor of the dojo, Ryuko felt something approaching and quickly leapt back as Sanageyama came crashing down, his shinai slamming into the ground with a reverberating echo.

"Hitting an opponent when they're down?" Ryuko grinned savagely as she continued moving backwards while sidestepping all of Sanageyama's attacks. She was just beginning to get a sense for his speed and movements. It was only a matter of time before her reflexes and timing managed to allow her to avoid all of Sanageyama's attacks.

"This isn't a practice spar!" Sanageyama retorted enthusiastically and proudly as his form wavered and vanished from in front of her. Gritting her teeth as she knew what was about to happen, Ryuko spun around and brought her Scissor Blade up to block the incoming shinai to her back. There was a clashing of sparks as her blade made contact with the shinai before Sanageyama vanished as quickly as he appeared. Ryuko gasped as Sanageyama's speed increased before there was a sense of radiating pain from her stomach before her body folded around the shinai and exploded across the dojo.

"You grew lax!" Sanageyama pointed his shinai at the smoking crater in the wall where Ryuko's body had crashed, "You assumed my speed was a constant and that I couldn't push myself further! A true warrior does not go all out from the very beginning. That is a lesson I learned from Lady Satsuki!"

"Shut the hell up!"

In a large explosion, Ryuko burst out of the rubble her impact had created and dashed back across the dojo towards Sanageyama. She was starting to get pissed off at Sanageyama's constant lecturing. As her Scissor Blade screamed through the air around Sanageyama's Blade Regalia, a small smirk developed on Ryuko's face as she saw her weapon getting closer and closer with every strike.

Ryuko was not the only one to notice this. From inside his Blade Regalia, Sanageyama's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Ryuko's attacks growing more and more accurate, _"This is insane! My eyes should be able to let me predict and counter her every move, but her speed and reaction time is increasing with every second! By the time I figure out the perfect counter to one move, she's already started a second move! If I don't do something soon, I might actually lose!"_

Swinging his arm back, there was a sound like a rifle going off as Sanageyama's shinai shot forward and hit Ryuko's Scissor Blade, doing no damage but forcing her away from him.

"I was wrong about you!" Sanageyama held his shinai horizontally in front of his eyes, "You are truly skilled to be able to avoid my base attacks. Prepare to face my true power! The warm up ends here, Matoi! Secret Technique: Higi Tengantsu!"

Ryuko watched as jets of steam began emitting from Sanageyama's Blade Regalia as several sections on his back, chest and arms opened up and exposed bright purple eyes that seemed to constantly swivel around and take in the world around him, "Behold Higi Tengantsu! As long as I possess my eyes, there is nothing you can do, Matoi! Your speed and reflexes may be enough to overcome my base power, but with my true power unleashed, I will always be able to anticipate and counter each and every move you make. You cannot win, Matoi!"

"Say what?" Sanageyama might have called it his secret technique or whatever, but to Ryuko it was the equivalent to cheating. Just when she was getting the timing down with her strikes, this bastard comes along and pulls this secret move out of his ass. How was she supposed to win if his eyes could see everything she did? As she thought that, Ryuko's eyes widened as an idea came to her, "I think I know how to beat him, Senketsu."

"_**It better not involve you cutting off parts of me to blind him,"**_ Senketsu responded dryly.

"What? No!" Ryuko was appalled by the mere suggestion of hurting Senketsu. She wanted to rub Sanageyama's smug face into the dirt more than anything, but not if it meant hurting her friends. Senketsu was more than just a Kamui for her to wear, he was her friend and she would do anything to protect her. Shaking her head, she said, "Do you remember how Ichigo said Mugetsu transformed?"

Senketsu's single eye widened in interest, _**"I'm listening…"**_

In a room overlooking the dojo, Inumuta and Gamagori were watching the fight earnestly. With Jakuzure publicly kicked out of the Elite Four and Sanageyama challenging Matoi to an unsanctioned fight, they were effectively down to half strength. That did not mean, however, that they were in danger of being overrun by students who thought they were good enough to serve Lady Satsuki. Even with potentially two of their members defeated, the combined power of their Three-Star Goku Uniforms was enough to destroy each and every One and Two-Star Goku Uniform in Honnouji Academy.

"For every motion a human being makes, whether it is simply breathing to walking, there is a preemptive preparatory motion," Inumuta explained condescendingly to Gamagori. The fight was interesting, to say the least. Due to Ichigo Kurosaki's interference in Satsuki's fight against Ryuko, they had yet to see her full strength in a true fight. Win or lose, Sanageyama's eagerness to fight would gather valuable data for Satsuki's plans.

"It doesn't matter whether the motion comes from the movements of the eyes, muscles or hair," Inumuta adjusted his glasses as he watched Sanageyama pummel Ryuko into the ground. It was quite pathetic to see someone able to withstand the immense power of a Kamui being beaten so easily, "Sanageyama was truly the worst opponent for Ryuko Matoi to fight. Her entire strategy involves using her speed and power to overwhelm an opponent, but Sanageyama is able to instantly read all the subtle motions of the human body and preempt any move she makes. That's what his Tengantsu is capable of, and with his Blade Regalia amplifying his natural ability, she doesn't stand a change. It's quite tragic really."

Gamagori grunted deeply in his throat as he frowned upon seeing Ryuko apparently losing. There was no way that such a worthy opponent for Lady Satsuki should be losing to someone like Sanageyama so thoroughly. Could this be why Satsuki thought the fight was not worth being watched? But if that was the case, then why would she ask for constant reports on Matoi's progress?

"Lady Satsuki is risking a lot on this plan," Gamagori spoke to Inumuta of his dissatisfaction with the plan to ingratiate Jakuzure within Ichigo Kurosaki's inner circle. It was not that he doubted the success of the plan, but rather the clashing personalities between Ichigo and Nonon. From his limited interactions with Ichigo, he was able to tell he was a headstrong youth who won't take any insult lying down. With the sarcastic wit that Gamagori had come to expect from Nonon, he knew it was only a matter of time before she said something that would annoy Ichigo.

"I trust her judgment," Inumuta answered calmly, "Don't tell me you doubt her?"

"Of course I don't!" Gamagori shouted and turned away when there was a loud explosion as Ryuko's body collided with the wall.

"God damn it!" Ryuko pushed away from the pillar and rolled to the side as Sanageyama's shinai came shooting through the air. Rolling back onto her feet, she managed to bring her Scissor Blade up in time to block the multitude of strikes from her opponent, "This guy is good. He's not giving me any option but deflecting his strikes!"

"_**Just wait a little longer, Ryuko. I'm almost ready."**_

"That's easy for you to say," Ryuko said sarcastically, "You're not the one fighting!"

"I'm impressed by your tenacity!" Sanageyama stopped attacked and drifted away from Ryuko. Pushing his fingers into the cylinders on his back, Ryuko could feel the grin on his face as he announced, "But let's see how well you handle this! Shinsoku-Senbonzuki!"

"Oh…" A cat-like grin spread across Nonon's face upon seeing one of Sanageyama's ultimate motives. Leaning against the railing in front of her, she snorted derisively, "It looks like Monkey is going all out. Transfer Student doesn't even have a chance anymore."

"That's not true!" Mako Mankanshoku slid up next to Nonon, startling the girl with her abrupt appearance. Clapping her hands together in prayer, Mako leaned close to Nonon and continued, "Ryuko will most definitely win! I am sure of it! Just because she is at a disadvantage against someone as powerful as Sanageyama doesn't mean she will lose. She has the heart and drive to persevere and win! That is the Ryuko I believe in!"

Ichigo and Nonon stared silently at Mako, who somehow appeared to be illuminated in a spotlight, before Nonon asked dryly, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Mako Mankanshoku!"

"Wait, you're that Underachiever that always hangs out around the Transfer Student," A mischievous grin appeared on Nonon's face before she waved Mako off, "I can't afford to lose any more brain cells talking to you. So why don't you go away and pretend to be friends with someone else."

Mako opened her mouth to protest indignantly, but was cut off when Ichigo said, "Just ignore her, Mako. Snake here is a sore loser."

Nonon tried to kick Ichigo in the shins again, but Ichigo managed to sense the attack coming and avoided it, "The name's Jakuzure, Strawberry!"

The barrage came at her faster than Ryuko expected. As her body was pummeled over and over again by the spinning shinai, she cursed and wondered where the hell all this speed was coming from.

"You might be wondering why everything you use is useless against me!" Sanageyama shouted excitedly as he continued to attack Ryuko, "Thanks to my Tengantsu, I've memorized all of your blocking moves and devised perfect counters and guard breaks for each and every one of them. Your Scissor Blade that can destroy a Goku Uniform is little more than a normal sword if it can't hit its target!"

After several long seconds of hitting Ryuko repeatedly, Sanageyama decided to disengage Shinsoku-Senbonzuki. It would be a great dishonor to Matoi if she was defeated in such a manner. He wanted to beat her to prove he was strong, but doing so in such a manner proved nothing. As the ten shinai attached to his fingers whirred to a stop, he gazed down at Ryuko's smoking body and mockingly asked, "Is that all you got, Matoi? Where is the fight you promised me?"

"Shut up you bastard!" Ryuko spat as she staggered back to her feet using her Scissor Blade as a crutch. Taking in deep and ragged breathes, she looked into Senketsu's eye, "You ready yet?"

Senketsu gave Ryuko the Kamui equivalent of a nod, **_"Yes. I'm ready whenever you are. A lot is riding on this move working. I hope you know what you're doing, Ryuko."_**

"It's not like I have much of a choice," she whispered back, "With those damn eyes of his, I can't do anything without Sanageyama seeing right through it. This is the only shot I have at kicking his ass."

**_"I understand. Just be careful, Ryuko."_**

Ryuko gave Senketsu a quick nod before scowling and turned to a patiently waiting Sanageyama, "What are you waiting for, you green haired prick? This fight isn't over yet."

"That's right, Matoi!" Sanageyama shouted gleefully, "Show me your determination and strength!"

Sanageyama flew towards Ryuko with all the speed he could muster. The shinai on his fingers spinning back up to full speed, Sanageyama was prepared for Ryuko to fight him, but when she simply closed her eyes and held her hands out to her sides, a look of confusion grew on his face.

_"What is she doing?"_ Sanageyama skidded to a halt. His Tengantsu was trying to predict what Matoi might be doing, but each and every time it came up blank. Whatever it was, it didn't involve the use of her muscles or movements. Shaking his head, Sanageyama decided that it didn't matter. Matoi was standing on her feet facing him. If she wanted to be defeated with her eyes closed, then who he was he to judge? Running forward, he shouted, "This is the end, Matoi!"

Ryuko centered her mind and focused on ignoring all distractions. As she felt Senketsu's power flow through her body, building up as it went, she thought back to what Jakuzure's Goku Uniform was like. She had wondered why Senketsu was limited to simply physical attacks when the Elite Four and other students appeared to have more varied forms of attacks. It was only when Ichigo and Mugetsu were able to transform into Mugetsu Gufū that Ryuko knew there was no way she couldn't do the same.

As a faint red aura began surrounding her body, causing the red lines on Senketsu's armor to light up, Ryuko opened her eyes and declared, "This is it! Senketsu Senkou!"

Everyone in the dojo watched in wonder and amazement as Ryuko held her Scissor Blade parallel to the ground in front of her face while her body seemed to shine with a reflective metallic sheen. As her thigh high, heeled boots began to resemble actual metal armor, the rest of Senketsu appeared to bulk up slightly with his eyes narrowly and jutting upwards into the air. Flexing her right hand, a wide grin spread across Ryuko's face as her Scissor Blade began to shift as well. Starting from where she was gripping the handle, glowing black and red jagged lines raced up the blade.

"Senketsu Senkou?" Sanageyama didn't know Matoi's Kamui could transform! He had heard from Lady Satsuki that Ichigo's could, but nothing about Matoi's, "What is this? How did you transform?"

"There is nothing a Goku Uniform can do that Senketsu cannot!" Ryuko shouted while pointing her Scissor Blade at Sanageyama. Taking a single step forward, Sanageyama found to his shock that Ryuko's speed had increased at least two-fold, but it still wasn't fast enough to overcome the predicting abilities of his Tengantsu.

"This is perfect, Matoi!" Sanageyama saw that Ryuko would be attack his left arm at the wrist in an attempt to sever his hand. Moving back and out of range, he added, "But your new form isn't – "

There was a loud crash as Sanageyama's Blade Regalia was suddenly missing its left hand. While it wasn't actually his own, and thus he could feel no pain from the missing appendage, Sanageyama was still in shock.

"H-How?" He sputtered and turned to a bored looking Ryuko, "My Tengantsu should have seen that attack coming! What did you do?"

"Tch," Ryuko shouldered her glowing red Scissor Blade and scoffed, "You think I'm just going to tell you how I cut off your hand? This isn't a manga, you know. I'm not going to explain my powers so you can find a weakness!"

Sanageyama's eyes easily picked out the swinging motion from Ryuko's Scissor Blade and dodged to the left, but found once against to his consternation she had managed to hit him. Tracing his right hand over the large gash cutting diagonally across the front of his Blade Regalia, he growled, "What manner of attack is this? I didn't see anything, but you still hit me!"

"Like I'd tell you anything!" Ryuko held her Scissor Blade out to her side and willed it to transform into its Decapitation Mode, but as a result of being in Senketsu Senkou, the blade kept the black and red jagged lines and continued to glow with the same red aura, "Sen-I-Soshitsu!"

Despite knowing how the attack would come due to his Tengatsu, Sanageyama realized the actual attack would be nothing like that. Bringing all his shinai in front of his body, his gambit paid off as an invisible force cleaved its way through his right hand and into his Blade Regalia. It was only because of his intuition that his Goku Uniform wasn't destroyed altogether.

"Where are you looking?" Sanageyama's eyes widened as he heard Ryuko's voice coming from above him. Staring up at her falling figure, his Tengantsu was telling him how he would be hit but without any way to block it, he was done for.

"Sen-I-Soshitsu!"

With a loud scream, Sanageyama's Blade Regalia was quickly cut into myriads of pieces. Landing back on the ground in a crouch, Ryuko had a stern expression on her face as the Banshi in the Blade Regalia was absorbed into Senketsu.

"It looks like Monkey lost," Nonon announced lazily. Huffing and spinning on her feet, she shrugged her shoulders at Ichigo, "Well, it looks like my work is done here, Strawberry. I'll see you around whenever the hell I feel like it."

Ichigo turned his head to follow her, "What do you mean 'your work is done?' You didn't do anything."

"Of course I did," Nonon retorted angrily, "I told the Transfer Student about Sanageyama's eyes, didn't I? How else do you think an idiot like her could have defeated a member of the Elite Four?"

Seeing that he was going to get nowhere with Nonon, Ichigo groaned and turned back to the finished fight. Noticing the Banshi being absorbed into Senketsu, he muttered to Mugetsu, "Isn't that similar to what happened after my fight against the Archery Club President?"

**_"Yes, but at the same time no,"_** Mugetsu replied after a moment of thinking, **_"Senketsu is absorbing the Banshi into himself to increase his overall power. While I am capable of using the same basic ability, the Banshi are instead absorbed into your blade, increasing its sharpness and cutting power. If you were to absorb enough Life Fibers with your sword, eventually its strength would be enough to sheer through Satsuki Kiryuin's Bakuzan."_**

"Way to go, Ryuko!" Mako waved cheerfully before leaping out of the crowd and enveloping Ryuko in a full-body hug, "That's one down and two to go! And that mysterious attack you used! I don't know what you did, but you won, Ryuko! Yay!"

"T-This isn't finished, Matoi!"

Ryuko turned around and saw a fully nude Sanageyama staggering to his feet, a single wooden shinai clasped firmly in his right hand. With his breath ragged and body seemingly covered in cuts and bruises, it didn't take a genius to realize that he wasn't in any condition to continue fighting.

"Nope," Ryuko declared dryly as she shouldered her Scissor Blade, "There's nothing you can do to me in your current state."

"Are you taking pity on me?" Sanageyama shouted in return. He may have lost his Blade Regalia, but he was a warrior, damn it! Just because he only had the single shinai, that didn't mean he was going to just give up and die! Taking a shaky step towards Ryuko, he waved his shinai at her and declared, "I can still fight!"

Before he, or Ryuko, could say or do anything, several spiked whips sprang through the air and lashed Sanageyama across his body. "Don't be pathetic, Sanageyama!" Gamagori's boisterous voice shouted from above," You have disgraced the Elite Four enough already! Don't spread your shame to the rest of us!"

Sanageyama collapsed to his knees, his fists slamming against the ground, as he realized he had lost everything he came to Honnouji Academy for. Holding back the tears of shame and regret that threatened to come out, he knelt there as everyone who came to watch his fight filtered out of the dojo to return to their respective lives. He didn't know how long he was sitting there for, but when he saw a familiar pair of feet stop near him, he looked up and saw Ichigo standing alone next to him.

"Have you come to gloat, Ichigo?" Sanageyama sneered.

With his hands in his pockets, Ichigo asked, "Why did you want to fight Ryuko?"

"Tsk," Sanageyama stood back to his feet and turned away from Ichigo. With his hair shadowing his eyes, he said, "It's not something someone like you would understand. Three years ago, before I met Lady Satsuki, I was the leader of the Northern Kanto Gang Alliance. I had over five hundred students under my control when I received a direct challenge from Satsuki. It was just her and the other three Elite Four at the time. I thought I was going to win, but in one single shout Satsuki defeated every one of my men. It didn't take long for her to defeat me as well. Until I fought Lady Satsuki, I never met someone I couldn't beat. She challenged me to better myself and improve my skills. That's why I challenged Matoi! She was the third person to make my blood itch for a fight!"

The choice of words intrigued Ichigo, "Third?"

Sanageyama spit on the ground, clearing his mouth of blood in the process, "You are the second, Ichigo! You are the only person to have actually beaten Lady Satsuki. My goal is to eventually do the same, but to do that I need to improve myself! Fighting Matoi was but the first step. I thought if I could beat her, I would be nearly ready to fight you! And if I could beat you – "

" – you would be able to beat Satsuki." Ichigo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Sanageyama was a lot like Ikkaku and Kenpachi. All of them looked for a fight against the strongest opponents they could find. However, unlike the members of the Eleventh Division, Sanageyama seemed quite a bit saner. Looking upwards, Ichigo let out a deep breath, "You were too focused on your eyes."

By the perplexed expression on Sanageyama's face, it was clear he wasn't expecting Ichigo to say that, "When we fought I was able to move quickly enough to avoid your attacks. I don't know what Ryuko did, but you couldn't see her attacks, could you?"

"Why are you telling me this? We're enemies."

"Why shouldn't I?"

Ichigo had been asked that question before, but the answer never changed. Sanageyama may work for Satsuki, but he was honorable to say the least. He could have taken on Ryuko in many different ways, but he didn't.

Sanageyama chuckled as Ichigo's words and their meaning sunk in before evolving into full blown laughter. Grabbing the side of his face with his hand, Sanageyama said, "I can't believe it was that simple. To think that it was my own Tengantsu that led to my defeat, how pathetic."

Taking a few steps away from Ichigo, Sanageyama stopped and turned back around, "Thank you, Ichigo."

"For what?"

"From what you said, I know what I need to do to improve myself," Sanageyama clenched a fist angrily, "While all this time I thought I was improving my skills and getting stronger, I was really stagnating! I let my pride in my Tengantsu prevent me from getting stronger."

Ichigo stood silently as Sanageyama finally left the dojo to head to parts unknown. Looking pensively at the floor, he knelt down and picked up Sanageyama's dropped shinai, "Hey Mugetsu."

His Kamui blinked and looked at him, **_"Yes?"_**

Ichigo looked at the shinai before turning to leave, "I have the feeling I just screwed something up."

**_"I get that feeling all the time, but I just ignore it."_**

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Iori leaned back and let out a stifled yawn as he finished compiling the data on the latest improvements to Satsuki's Goku Uniforms. He knew the urgency of her request to increase their power as quickly, and safely, as possible, but he wasn't a miracle worker. All the time the Sewing Club spent on the prototype Five-Star Goku Uniform turned out to be an enormous waste of time due to the volunteer subject being unable to withstand the will of the Life Fibers. Rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses, Iori was grateful Inumuta had been there to unstitch the prototype uniform. Things could have gotten messy otherwise.<p>

Reading the data scrolling down the screen in front of him, Iori reached for the cup of coffee, his fourth so far, and frowned when he felt it was empty. He knew pulling daily all-nighters was going to impact his health, but he had a lot of work to do. As he stood to get some more, Iori heard a pressurized hiss as the door to the secure room opened. There was only a handful of people with the requisite access to get in, and none of them had called ahead to signal their arrival.

"Who's there?" Iori subtly moved his hand towards the collar of his Goku Uniform. He may be known as the president of the Sewing Club, but he was no pushover.

"Relax, Iori," A heavily bandaged Sanageyama walked into the room as a burst of thunder echoed outside, "I'm calling in that favor you owe me."

Iori turned sadly away from Sanageyama, "I wish to help you, but I can't. Lady Satsuki has made her wishes clear on the matter. You are no longer a member of the Elite Four and, as such, are forbidden any of the privileges. I'm sorry."

Sanageyama didn't say anything as he looked at the machine working tirelessly on the floor below. Watching the bundles of glowing red Life Fibers being drawn into the machine and spun into preliminary Goku Uniforms, he eventually turned back to Iori, "I grew overconfident in my Tengatsu's ability to predict and counter. I never thought I would face an opponent able to take advantage of that. Who knew Matoi had a brain after all. I wasn't expecting her to find a way to negate my Tengantsu."

"I saw Inumuta's data on the fight," Iori leaned back and folded his arms, "It's incredible to think that Matoi's Kamui was that strong. It is truly fascinating. I only wish I had the time and ability to study a Kamui. The things I could learn from it would accelerate Lady Satsuki's plans by months, if not years."

"I know," Sanageyama sighed sadly and placed his hands in his pockets, "I'm not asking you to stich me a new Blade Regalia. As much as I wish it, I haven't earned the right to wear one of Lady Satsuki's Goku Uniforms. What I want you to do is much more personal. I need you to stitch my eyes shut."

"What?" Iori nearly choked upon hearing the request. There was no way on Earth that Sanageyama, the same person who prided his eyes seeing everything, would ask him to do that, "You can't be serious. Without your eyes, you cannot use Tengantsu!"

"I know." Sanageyama replied solemnly, "I prided myself on my eyes being able to see the world around me without fail. Due to this, I let the rest of my senses become dull and useless. If I had been willing to train my ears to pick up Matoi's footsteps and my nose to sense changes in the air, I would have been able to continue fighting despite whatever Matoi did."

Iori clenched a fist but said nothing. He truly did owe Sanageyama a huge favor and, if he was following Sanageyama's train of thought, this would be what was needed to get back into Lady Satsuki's good graces.

"Alright," he sighed after a moment, "I'll do what you ask, but it will only be a temporary procedure. If at any time you request me to reverse it, I will be more than glad to do so."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo sat in his room with a familiar scowl on his face. The worst had come to pass and there was nothing he could do to stop it. All the power that Mugetsu afforded to him would not even begin to be enough to change the events surrounding him. Perhaps if Aizen still possessed all the power the Hogyoku gave him, then something could be done, but that was just a pipe dream. The simple matter was that the one thing he had hoped would never happen had, in fact, happened.<p>

His room had become the de facto hangout of his group of friends.

It wasn't just Ryuko who stopped by his room. If it was only her, Ichigo could deal with it. It was the fact that wherever Ryuko went, Mako was close behind to join in on the fun, as she called it. Once Mako came, it was only a matter of time before Shinjiro somehow popped into existence from some hammer-space in his room. Ichigo would never admit it, but it was amusing to watch Shinjiro pop up from behind the counter and scare Ryuko out of whatever chair she was sitting in. There was also Ururu, who stuck by close to his side no matter where he went out of some desire to protect him from his enemies. Last, and certainly the least welcome, was Nonon, who always showed up with a scowl on her face.

"So tell me again why the hell you're all in my room?"

"It's because it's the safest place, Strawberry," Nonon sarcastically answered as she pilfered his cabinets for food. She may be an undercover Three-Star, but that meant she had the budget of a No-Star student. Since she couldn't afford the luxurious, and expensive, foods she was used to, she decided to simply take what she needed from Ichigo's kitchen. Screw him if he complained about it, "Lady Satsuki has eyes and arms all throughout the One and Two-Star Residential Districts as well as the Slums. The student dorms are the only place she cannot see everything."

"Nonon is right!" Mako said with a nod of her head.

"Who gave you permission to address me so informally?" Nonon deadpanned.

Mako either ignored Nonon's question or simply did not hear it as she continued, "You'd be surprised about the number of spies and informants Lady Satsuki has in the Slums! At least two of our neighbors are spies, but we still invite them over for dinner because that's the Mankanshoku way!"

"That's not something you should be proud of, Mako." Ryuko shook her head at her friend's uncaring attitude. Despite being an airhead, Ryuko found Mako's behavior comforting in Honnouji Academy. Smirking, she turned to Ichigo, "So that's two Elite Four down and two to go, right? You want the next one or should we flip for it?"

Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his body, "I want no part in this! I only took down Jakuzure because she attacked me first. I have no motive or reason for going after Satsuki, no matter how much of a bitch she might be."

"But…" Ryuko turned her gaze away from Ichigo as she recalled the name of the person Ichigo was sure was her father's killer. Nui Harime. Just thinking about that woman caused her blood to boil slightly. As much as she wanted to track down this woman and beat the answers out of her, Ryuko knew she couldn't get angry. Senketsu had warned her about what might happen when her blood began boiling. As much as she wanted revenge, she couldn't risk getting too angry. When, not if, she confronted Nui Harime, she needed to be calm and collected.

"Fine, have it your way!" Ryuko gave up her argument and leaned back on the couch. Letting out a huff, she asked, "You fought Sanageyama's Blade Regalia before, right?"

"Yeah."

Ryuko turned her eyes to Ichigo, "How did you beat him?"

Ichigo gave her a shrug in return, "Sanageyama could predict and avoid all my moves, but once I pushed Mugetsu into increasing my speed and reflexes, there was nothing Sanageyama could do to avoid my strikes. He could see them coming as quickly as ever, but his Blade Regalia was no longer able to adjust to my attacks quickly enough to counter them."

"That brings up another thing," Ryuko folded her arms and sighed, "Mugetsu seems to be faster than Senketsu."

"_**My specialty is speed,"**_ Mugetsu's feminine voice answered Ryuko, _**"Ichigo is already strong enough on his own. By increasing his speed, I allow him the ability to destroy all those that would bring him harm."**_

"_**A real Kamui wouldn't specialize!" **_ Senketsu had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Unlike Mugetsu, who seemed to have a firm understanding of what a Kamui meant, Senketsu was still missing large chunks of his memory. It was infuriating to the Kamui to always have Mugetsu contradict him and force him to accept her knowledge since she knew what she was talking about, _**"If you were truly a Kamui, you wouldn't focus on just one aspect of Ichigo's abilities. Focusing on improving one aspect can only lead to defeat, just like Ryuko's opponent today! He trained his eyes to their limit so Ryuko and I took them out of the equation!"**_

"_**Don't make me tie you in a knot," **_Mugetsu threatened only to receive a whack from Ichigo's hand.

"Behave," he warned, purposely ignoring the hurt look from Mugetsu. Turning to Nonon, who was doing her best to ignore them, he asked, "What can you tell us about Gamagori and the other guy?"

"Bite me, Transfer Student! Information doesn't come cheap," Nonon pouted and turned away from him, "I'm not helping you out anymore without compensation."

"Compensation?" Ryuko was in disbelief at Nonon's request. Who the hell was she to demand something like that from them? Slamming her feet into the floor, she leaned forward and snarled, "What the hell should we compensate you for?"

"Gee," Nonon snarked and rolled her eyes. The sheer audacity of the Transfer Student boggled her mind, "Who was it that gave you the hint to defeat Sanageyama?"

Ryuko pointed to her right, "Ichigo."

"It was me!" Nonon shouted and slammed her leg angrily on the ground. What happened to all the respect she had as a Three-Star? It was bad enough that Ichigo always called her the wrong name, but for the credit she so rightfully deserved to be given away infuriated her, "I'm the one that told you to watch out for his eyes! Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Your hint was really vague," Ryuko explained, subtly enjoying teasing the former member of the Elite Four, "It could have meant anything."

"Fine then!" Nonon stormed out of the room, pushing past a confused Ururu in the process and causing the poor girl to spin dizzily around. Slamming open the door, Nonon turned back one last time, "I'll give you a hint that even you cannot possibly screw up, Transfer Student! Gamagori's Goku Uniform gets stronger the more damage it takes!"

With her piece said, Nonon slammed the door shut. Ryuko and Ichigo looked at each other before Ichigo sighed wistfully.

"This is not going to end well," he muttered. Standing up, his spot quickly taken by a more than happy Mako, he stretched his shoulder to work out a kink, "It looks like the fun is over. You should head home."

"Ah! I almost forgot in all the fun!" Mako pointed to her watch, which still boggled Ichigo's mind, and thrust her wrist in Ryuko's face. Grabbing her friend by Senketsu's lapels, she rushed towards the door, "We have a strict 8:00 PM curfew, Ryuko! If we don't get home before then, mom is going to be really mad with us!"

Kicking open his door, Mako made a break for the elevator, but quickly came back to wave goodbye to Ichigo, a still confused Ryuko held tightly in her grasp, "Goodnight, Ichigo! I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

Waving halfheartedly back at Mako, a bead of sweat rolled down his face upon witnessing the strangeness that was Mako. Noticing a presence next to him, he turned and saw Ururu looking nervously at the ground.

"What's the matter, Ururur?"

Ururu wanted to tell Ichigo about her encounter with Nui Harime, but at the same time she didn't want to worry him excessively. If she could deal with Nui without getting Ichigo involved, Ururu would be happy. Still, Ururu knew from experience that Ichigo would get involved despite her best efforts and decided to simply tell him.

"Ichigo, what does Amu mean?"

"Amu?" Ichigo scratched his head, "Where did you hear that?"

"Nui Harime," Ururu's blunt answer caught Ichigo off-guard and caused him to stumble, "During Ryuko's fight today, I ran into her outside. She called me Amu, but I don't know why."

"I don't know," Ichigo couldn't even begin to try and understand the craziness that was Nui Harime. It was just better for his sanity to just shrug and say she did it for her own amusement. Ruffling her hair, he gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Nui isn't the sanest person out there. I would just ignore whatever she tells you."

Ururu smiled and clasped her hands together, "Okay. Thanks Ichigo."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>As a crackle of lightning arced across the stormy skies, lighting the interior of the helicopter with shades of white and blue, Satsuki Kiryuin continued to stare out into the storm with a stoic expression etched on her face.<p>

She had heard from Inumuta and Gamagori about Sanageyama's failure to defeat Matoi. While she would have loved to say it was a shock to her, in actuality she had been expecting a result like this. Sanageyama prided himself on the power and perceptive abilities of his Tengatsu. Without his eyes to predict and counter everything around him, he was no stronger than a Two-Star student. What truly intrigued her was the notion that Matoi's Kamui was able to shift into a mode perfectly able to counter Sanageyama's Tengatsu.

"_What is so different about Junketsu that it cannot transform into more useful configurations?"_

Satsuki had asked her mother that very question, with suppressed bile and pride, when she arrived at Revocs. With a smile on her face that Satsuki had come to expect from her mother, Ragyo had traced a finger down the front of Junketsu before stopping near one of its eyes and told her that it was only a matter of time before Junketsu decided to impart upon her the ability to transform further.

She supposed she should be satisfied that her mother was content with allowing her to continue wearing Junketsu. When she informed her mother about Ichigo and Matoi's Kamui and her need to counteract their growing power, Ragyo seemed to have been expecting her to say something like that. Satsuki shouldn't have been surprised. Her mother's information gathering abilities far outstripped those of Inumuta when she really wanted to know something. The presence of two Kamui not created by Revocs easily fell into that rare and unique category.

"_Something bothers me," _Satsuki stared down at the growing lights of Honnou City emotionlessly, _"Ichigo and Matoi talk to their Kamui almost as if they are able to hear them respond. If that is the case, then why haven't I been able to hear anything coming from Junketsu?"_

Knowing she was alone in the rear compartment of the helicopter, Satsuki decided to humor herself while, at the same time, conducting an experiment. If Kamui could truly talk, then perhaps that is how Ichigo and Matoi were able to access new configurations. Leaning back in the leather chair, Satsuki stared at Junketsu's two eyes, "You are a Kamui. You thrive for battle and, if you are truly a sentient being, you must find the prospect of Senketsu and Mugetsu being able to do things you cannot do simply atrocious. If you are willing to work with me to prove you, Junketsu, are the superior Kamui, give me a response."

When there was a lack of any answer, apart from a nearly unperceivable narrowing of Junketsu's eyes, Satsuki chuckled mirthlessly, "Of course you cannot talk. What was I thinking?"

There was a lurch as the helicopter landed at Honnouji Academy, cutting Satsuki's thoughts about the matter off in the process. As the motor ground to a halt, Satsuki walked towards the door of the helicopter and found Soroi waiting for her with an umbrella.

"I trust Lady Ragyo's mood was pleasant?" Soroi asked respectfully as he gave Satsuki the umbrella.

"I explained to her my motives for taking Junketsu out from its containment," Satsuki answered stoically, "She accepted my reasoning. You needn't worry yourself about my problems, Soroi."

A figure prostrating in the rain in front of her caused Satsuki to pause in her tracks. Recognizing who it was, but sensing something different about him, Satsuki said, "I don't have time for losers, Sanageyama."

"Ichigo Kurosaki was right," Sanageyama mumbled, causing Satsuki to quirk an eyebrow in interest. The topic of what Ichigo may have told Sanageyama interested her, but not nearly as much as what Sanageyama had to tell her, "I was overconfident in my eyesight. I allowed myself to grow dull and lethargic! Please give me another chance to fight Matoi!"

"You are pathetic," Satsuki motioned for Soroi to continue inside without her. What she needed to say didn't require him presence, "How will fighting Matoi a second time change anything? She has already figured out a counter to your Tengatsu. Attempting to fight her will only lead to the same results. I don't need, nor do I want, subordinates who lack the resolve to improve themselves."

"But I do have resolve!" Sanageyama shouted over the din of the falling rain. Slamming his fists on the roof, he picked his head up and declared, "Here is all the proof you need of my resolve!"

Satsuki turned and gazed upon what Sanageyama sacrificed in order to prove his use to her. To be honest, the thought of self-mutilation sickened her. Those that could not live with their bodies were not worth the air they breathed. Noticing the stitching pattern across Sanageyama's eyes, Satsuki recognized it as Iori's handiwork. That meant what Sanageyama had done wasn't permanent. If it was, Satsuki wouldn't have even dared to consider giving him another chance.

With a pleasant smile gracing her features, not that Sanageyama could see it in his current state, Satsuki said, "Oh? This is the full extent of your resolve? Perhaps I was too hasty in dismissing you from the Elite Four. I will allow you to face Matoi again, with the full use of your Blade Regalia. Go inform Iori of my decision. Do not fail me again, Sanageyama."

"Thank you, Lady Satsuki!" Sanageyama lowered his head to the ground joyfully. Here was the second chance he needed to prove, not only to Matoi and Ichigo, but to himself as well that he was capable of improving himself. He had relied upon the strength of his eyes for far too long. Now he would learn to use every one of his senses to view the world surrounding him. Even if an opponent could negate a single one of his senses, it wouldn't be enough to stop him.

"_I must thank you, Ichigo, when I get the chance,"_ Sanageyama's finger's clenched as he sat on his knees and stared blindly up into the sky, _"For you have allowed me to view the world in its entirety."_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Be careful, Ryuko. There's no telling what Sanageyama has planned."<em>

Ichigo's words reverberated through Ryuko's mind as she ascended the steps leading towards the arena where Sanageyama asked for the rematch. It was strange that he would challenge her to a rematch on a weekend, but Ryuko chalked it down to simply not wanting to get embarrassed a second time. Stepping over one of the smaller spikes dotting the arena, Ryuko huffed when she saw Sanageyama, shirtless apart from his Goku Uniform, standing still.

"What's the big deal challenging me to a do-over on a Saturday morning?" Ryuko folded her arms and scoffed, "Giving someone who I beat a second chance. That isn't like you at all, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

As she talked, Ryuko's voice increased in volume until she was nearly shouting, all of which was directed at the figure looking down at them from above. Wearing Junketsu and with Bakuzan planted firmly on the ground, Satsuki locked gazes with Ryuko.

"Tell me just how soft I am after this fight, Ryuko Matoi," Satsuki replied calmly, her voice amplified by the speakers until it seemed to be coming from all around the courtyard. She was looking forward to seeing how much Sanageyama's affinity with his Blade Regalia Mark II improved due to sewing his eyes shut. She wanted to see how far he was willing to go to prove himself to her. Fighting against Matoi, an opponent he lost to due to his overconfidence, would go a long way towards restoring his honor and placement in the Elite Four, "I'll even up the stakes, as you so crudely put it. If you manage to beat Sanageyama here and now, I will personally come down and answer every question you might have. No strings attached. No secrets or half-truths. You will find out everything you seek to know."

"That's mighty nice of the great Satsuki Kiryuin!" Ryuko pointed her Scissor Blade towards Satsuki, "But I already got the name of the person who killed my dad! All I need to do is track her down and make her pay for what they did!"

"Oh?" To say that Satsuki was shocked would be accurate. How Matoi managed to discover Nui Harime's identity intrigued her. Perhaps after Sanageyama defeats Matoi she would be able to get some answers, "Is that so? Well now, not everything can be taken at face value. What the eye sees is not always what the mind perceives. Ponder on that while you fight."

"Matoi," Sanageyama's voice was monotone as he addressed his opponent, "Where is Ichigo?"

"Ichigo?" Ryuko pointed behind her, "He's probably sleeping in or something. It is a Saturday morning after all."

"Good," Despite not being able to see his face, Ryuko could tell Sanageyama was smiling, "I wouldn't want him to see this fight. When I fight him, I want him to be surprised at my progress. Watch closely, Matoi, at what happens when a man is forced to change to preserve everything he cares about!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A lone figure approached Honnou City from the southwest. Revving the engine on her motorcycle, the front wheel flying off the ground momentarily as her speed increased, the woman narrowed her eyes as the spiraling city came into view.<p>

"So…" the woman clamped down on the front brakes, allowing her motorcycle to skid to a stop. Turning off the engine, she got off and jumped nearly twenty feet in the air before landing softly on one of the streetlights lining the highway. Wincing when the sun rising over the horizon in the east hit her eyes, the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, "…It seems Tsumugu was right after all. A lot of things can change in ten years."

Kinue Kinagase stoically continued to stare towards the city, but focused more specifically at Honnouji Academy at the top. Pushing her shoulder-length black hair, tipped red at the end like her brother's, Kinue focused her senses. She could feel the Life Fibers permeating the city, which caused her to wince and rub her temple.

"Oh, shut up."

Due to the circumstances in her past, Kinue had developed the ability to tell where Life Fibers were as well as in what concentration. Her ability is what allowed Nudist Beach to not only evade the soldiers of Revocs for all these years, but also find and destroy the hidden Revocs factories that the public at large didn't know about. This did not mean she particularly liked sensing Life Fibers. It turned out that the higher the concentration of Life Fibers, the more it caused her…companion agitation. And when her companion became agitated, Kinue needed to have as much control over her emotions as possible to prevent herself from falling into a blind rage. She had been there before. It was not pretty.

"I know you feel them," Kinue answered an unseen and unheard voice. It was strange that after a decade of thinking the voice was her insanity, she was now answering it back. Perhaps she truly was going insane, "I feel them too."

There were Kamui in Honnou City. Three if she was sensing correctly. Tsumugu had told her of two Kamui he had run into, Ichigo Kurosaki's and Ryuko Matoi's. This third one was concerning. She didn't have any data on it, which meant she would be going in blind against it. Unlike her brother, Kinue preferred not to go into a situation half-cocked and hope for the best to happen. She needed to understand everything so that when she did decide to fight, she would most likely win.

"So, Masaki's son has a Kamui," A light smile appeared at the corners of Kinue's mouth, "I don't suppose this is Isshin's doing."

Kinue had the utmost respect for the normally clownish Isshin Kurosaki, but she could understand why her brother hated Life Fibers and Kamui. Subconsciously placing her hand over the center of her chest, Kinue absently traced the black zigzag pattern etched forever on her skin. Isshin's device had saved her from a horrible fate, but she could never be the same woman that could make Tsumugu actually laugh. The risks of losing control and hurting those around her prevented her from showing anything more than light emotions.

A slight narrowing of Kinue's eyes preceded a scoff from the woman, "I did not come here to fight a Kamui. You'll just have to live with it."

Adjusting the jacket and pants she was wearing, Kinue made sure it was covering up the entirety of what was underneath. There were those in Japan, as well as the rest of the world, that would nearly instantly recognize what she truly wore and inform their superiors. Kinue did not need a repeat of what happened in Rome. She was only thankful that the Grand Couturier hadn't managed to recognize her in the dark of night. It would have been really bad if she had been caught. Kinue had heard rumors of what happened to captured Nudist Beach members. It makes what her fate could have been a simple slap on the wrist.

"Hey! Get down from there!"

Kinue looked down and saw a single student wearing a One-Star Goku Uniform pointing at her. From his customized appearance, Kinue could easily guess he must be a member of the Honnou City Patrol Corps. Tsumugu had joked with her about the effectiveness of the corps and how easy it was for him to evade their patrols. It would seem that her conversation had caused her to be detected.

"I said get down from there! I have some questions for you!"

Without saying a word, Kinue stepped off the streetlight and landed softly on the pavement. Standing up to her nearly six foot stature, courtesy of her companion, Kinue walked forward until she towered over the One-Star student.

"Yes?" The One-Star student was slightly put off the lack of emotion in Kinue's voice. He, like many others, must have assumed she was brusque and prone to emotional outbursts. Perhaps in the past she was, but not anymore, "What is it?"

"Your motorcycle, Ma'am," The student pointed towards her bike, which she had parked across two lanes of empty highway, "It's illegally parked. You need to move it or I'm going to have to give you a ticket."

Ignoring her companion's attempt at persuading her to tear apart the One-Star's uniform and destroy the Life Fibers composing it, Kinue gave the student a condescending smile and simply walked past him, "Of course. My apologies."

Sitting on her bike, Kinue made sure the silver case strapped to the back was still secure before revving the engine and continuing towards Honnou City. As the city loomed overhead, Kinue felt an extreme burst of anger emanating from her companion. There was at least one being whose body was composed of Life Fibers somewhere in the city. She couldn't pinpoint where they were, but she didn't have to guess who it was. Nui Harime.

"The Grand Couturier's presence is going to complicate things," Kinue let out a breath. She knew that if it came down to it, she would have to fight the Grand Couturier. While she had trained and grown stronger ever since that day, Nui Harime was in a league of her own. Power and speed meant nothing if your opponent can simply regenerate from her wounds in the blink of an eye.

"I suppose I have no choice in the matter," Kinue admitting dryly, "I suppose you might just get your fight after all…Danketsu."

There was a slight ruffling of something moving under her jacket as Kinue reached the outskirts of the Slums surrounding Honno City.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kamui Tales #5 – An Average Morning for Nui Harime<br>**

Humming a song that she had heard on the radio recently, Nui Harime finished adjusting the pink bow in her hair and stepped back away from the full body mirror.

"There we go!" She announced proudly as she twirled around once to make sure everything was prim and proper, "I'm all dressed up and ready to go hang out with Ichigo some more!"

Taking a few steps towards the door to the apartment of the student she killed, Nui skidded to a stop as she remembered something vitally important, "Oh dear! How could I have forgotten to do the most important part of my morning routine? If the Director was here, she would surely be disappointed in my lack of common sense!"

Reaching up into one of her pigtails, Nui pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Scribbled on the front of the page, in a cute handwriting, were the words, _'THINGS TO DO BEFORE LEAVING IN THE MORNING.'_

"Let's see now…" Nui chewed on the end of a pencil that magically appeared in her hand, "I checked my apartment for bugs placed by those pigs in clothing, set various traps to capture people who are too curious for their own good and I'm still trying to find out more information about those stupid Nudists."

A muffled sound from the closet drew Nui's attention. Happily walking over to it, she opened the door and looked at the bound and gagged Nudist Beach operative she had caught trying to follow her. The man should have known better than to try and spy on her. He should be grateful that she was in a good mood at the time. Usually Nui just killed and dismembered those following her.

"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me everything you know," Nui informed the man cheerfully. As a flash of purple appeared in her right hand, she added, "Actually, I'm not going to let you go at all. If you aren't going to say anything, I'll just have to come back later and try again when I have the time."

Closing the door and humming the song she really liked once again, Nui looked at the nearby clock and realized she was going to be late, "I should get going. If I don't, I'll miss running into Ichigo and that would just be really bad! It's just a shame he hangs out with Ryuko. Getting close to her is going to be super hard without Ichigo getting in the way!"

Tucking the list back into her hair, happy that she didn't forget anything, Nui Harime left to start her day. There was so much fun and excitement at Honnouji Academy now that Ichigo was here. Nui was sure that if Ichigo hadn't come, she wouldn't have thought about coming here until her plan to kill Ryuko Matoi was all set up and ready to go. But what would she have done in the meantime?

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Glossary of Terms<strong>

**Senketsu Senkou - ** _Senketsu Flash_

**Danketsu - **_Unity, Unison, Combination_


	18. Chapter 18: Tangled Up in Blue

_Here is the much-awaited Chapter 18. We finally reach the end of Episode 6 and begin the transition to Fight Club, which I'm not going to talk about until next chapter. In this chapter you will finally begin reading the true and unabridged history between Isshin and Ragyo. Things aren't always as they appear. If they were, then this story would be a boring read since you would know what's going to happen before I write it down._

_On a side note, I finally broke the big 500 review mark. Now all that's left is for me to break 1,000 reviews._

_I recommend anyone enjoying my story to check out The Swordslinger's Naruto/Kill la Kill crossover: **Kill El Kitsune**. It's already at five chapters and it's a very good read._

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18 – Tangled Up in Blue<strong>

_Tokyo – 22 Years Ago_

"_But I don't want to go!"_

_Masaki Kurosaki let out a tired sigh as Isshin Shiba, hopefully her future husband, gave the adult equivalent of a temper tantrum. Rolling her eyes, she gave Isshin a venomous glare that nearly instantly cowed the former shinigami into submission, "I don't care if you want to go or not! Tokyo Fashion Week starts today and I have two tickets to it! I've been waiting for almost a year to go and you are not going to take this away from me!"_

_Isshin groaned loudly. He loved Masaki with all his heart, but the former shinigami captain could not understand her obsession with clothing. He had seen some of the so-called outfits being paraded up and down the runways by women who were way too thin to be healthy. He didn't think anything that required at least five hours to be put on deserved to be called a dress._

"_Aw, fine," Isshin solemnly kicked the sidewalk with his foot. If going to this fashion show made Masaki happy, then Isshin decided he could put up with a few boring hours, "How long is this thing anyway?"_

"_Seven hours," Masaki answered happily, causing Isshin to fall to his knees in anguish. Seven hours. He would rather fight a vasto lorde hollow without his zanpakuto than put up with something like that. Noticing a subway station just a few blocks away, Isshin was weighing his options. He could make a break for it and get away from a potentially boring day or put up with something that would probably bore him to death. It turned out that his choice was made for him when Masaki grabbed him by the ear and pulled hard._

"_Get up, Mister Shiba," Masaki's voice wasn't playing around anymore, "Here's what's going to happen. You are going to go with me to the fashion show and you are going to have a good time. If I hear one bad word out of you during the entire show, you're going to find out how good my aim with a bow is, if you know what I mean."_

_Subtly, and quickly, bringing his knees together, Isshin gulped, "Y-Yes."_

"_Good," Masaki's mood quickly shifted back to normal. Twirling around with her arms outstretched, she began running down the sidewalk, "Come on Isshin! The show starts in only an hour."_

"_I'm coming," Isshin waved nervously at the retreating Masaki. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he grumbled under his breath, "Like I actually have a choice in the matter."_

_Pulling himself together and tidying up his shirt, ruffled from Masaki's manhandling, Isshin turned and immediately ran face-first into a complete stranger._

"_I'm sorry!" Isshin quickly reached down to help the woman he had knocked over back onto her feet. Even though it was a complete accident, he nevertheless felt terrible about potentially hurting a woman. He was just that kind of a man, "Are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine," the woman dismissed Isshin's concerns for her health and safety with a wave of her hand. As she stood up to her full statuesque height, Isshin became quite aware of just how stunning of a figure she had. With long black hair that fell down to just below her shoulders and a low cut dress that accentuated her figure tremendously, he was actually considering her to have a better body than his former lieutenant, "But running into a man who is both chivalrous and kind is quite rare in this day and age."_

"_Well, call me old-fashioned," Isshin chuckled heartedly while averting his eyes from her well-developed chest. He didn't need to tell this woman just how close to the mark she actually was. Growing up in one of the Noble Clans of the Soul Society tended to impart etiquette and discipline, "But are you sure you're ok? I did hit you quite hard after all."_

"_Oh?" The woman raised a hand to her mouth and laughed, "Well aren't you a big softy. I assure you that I am quite well, but I find your attitude refreshing to say the least. Tell me, what is the name of such a kind and honorable man?"_

_Isshin smirked and pointed his thumb at his chest, "My name is Isshin Shiba!"_

"_Ragyo Kiryuin," the woman answered in kind, "And if I may be so bold as to ask, where are you off to?"_

_Isshin's mood fell, "I'm going to the fashion show with my girlfriend. I don't really want to go, but going will make her happy."_

"_You must be talking about the Tokyo Fashion Week," Ragyo stated, to which Isshin nodded his head in agreement, "Even though I personally designed and stitched half of the outfits being shown this week, I would never go to watch. It's one thing to create a dress, but an entirely different matter to go watch someone who just can't pull it off. It just sickens me to see such fine clothing debased by those unworthy to wear them."_

_Not pretending to understand half of what Ragyo was going on about since he didn't care much for fashion, Isshin simply nodded and gave Ragyo a respectful two-finger salute, "It's been nice speaking with you Ragyo, but I can hear Masaki calling for me. I don't want to make her mad."_

_Ragyo watched with amusement on her face as Isshin sprinted down the sidewalk, nearly running into several people in the process. Bringing a hand to her cheek, she thought that her unexpected meeting with him, while brief and lacking in any true substance brought some much needed variety to her normally dull and repetitive lifestyle. Nobody said that being the head of Revocs, one of the biggest up and coming fashion and attire companies in the world, would be easy or fun. Ragyo was a woman who craved excitement and pleasure, not hours of sitting in meeting rooms listening to old men in ugly suits talk on and on about stocks or finances._

"_La vie est drôle."_

_At that moment in time Ragyo decided that perhaps she would go to the Tokyo Fashion Week. While she already had a meeting planned to discuss Revocs expanding into the European market, Ragyo was far more interested in speaking with Isshin again. That man was perhaps the most entertaining person she had ever met._

_End Flashback_

Isshin was brought of his memories as he sensed something hit, and then explode, against the basic Life Fiber barrier surrounding Karakura Town. Focusing on where the intruder had come from, he quickly spotted the remains of what appeared to be a white suit burning as it floated to the ground. It appeared that Ragyo wasn't as content with leaving him alone as she professed. Isshin knew it was only a matter of time before she began testing his defensives and strengths. Sending a single COVER to perish against his barrier was worth it in Ragyo's mind if it gained her valuable information that could help her breach his protections in the future.

"But did she have to model them after my old suits?" Isshin scratched his nose, "I knew she was obsessed with me, but come on."

His question would remain unanswered as he felt someone wearing clothing made of Life Fibers penetrate his barrier. Isshin wasn't concerned though. He knew who was coming to see him the second they passed through the barrier. He had already configured it to allow Ichigo to pass through unimpeded and he was just putting the finishing touches on letting through a few more people. Making sure that Yuzu and Karin were out of range, Isshin chuckled.

"You weren't followed, were you?"

Standing behind him in his living room was a figure whose body was completely covered in an intricate white cloak that allowed no one to tell their age, gender or appearance. With the hood pulled down over their face, the figure replied, "Of course not."

"Good, very good," Isshin turned and stared directly at where the figure's eyes would be, "Tell me everything."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Kinue Kinagase's shoulders tensed as she jumped onto the top of a home in the Slums. She hadn't been in Honnou City for an hour, but she could already taste the Life Fibers permeating every facet of life. People walked around with clothing made of Life Fibers while students wore and studied in uniforms with enough Life Fibers stitched into the fabric to greatly augment their physical characteristics. Kinue scoffed at Satsuki Kiryuin's Darwinist point of view.<p>

Life Fibers were inherently dangerous, even to those most likely to resist their mental influences. What Satsuki was planning was dangerous not only to her enemies, but to her fellow students. Deciding that it was none of her concern for the moment, Kinue noticed out of the corner of her eye a patrol of One-Star students moving through the streets.

"It seems that Satsuki Kiryuin tried to keep some semblance of order even down here," Kinue mused thoughtfully while concealing her presence even further. After entering Honnou City, she had quickly hidden her motorcycle and chose to travel by less overt methods. She did not doubt that Satsuki's security and information network would eventually detect her presence. Believing as such would simply open her up to a surprise attack or trap. Kinue just needed to remain under the radar long enough to complete what she came to do.

Letting out a calming sigh to release some of her pent-up anxiety, Kinue adjusted the silver case strapped to her back. There were very few weapons in the world that could destroy Life Fibers, and unfortunately hers wasn't one of them. Satsuki Kiryuin had her Bakuzan, Ryuko Matoi had half of a Scissor Blade while the woman who killed Professor Matoi had the other half and, if her brother's report was accurate, Ichigo Kurosaki has a blade as well. Not having one of those rare weapons did not mean Kinue was heading into the hornet's nest.

"Hopefully I won't confront any of the students," Kinue mused outwardly. When she felt her companion object to her pacifist mindset, she decided to simply ignore it. Moving into a slow run, Kinue quickly picked up speed and was soon hopping from roof to roof across the Slums. She wasn't worried about being seen. By the time a civilian noticed her and informed the authorities, Kinue would have already been long gone from the area. As she was about to jump upwards and into the One-Star Resident District, she felt a concentration of Life Fibers, Two-Stars by the density of it, rapidly approaching her position.

"Great."

Coming to an abrupt stop at the edge of the Slums, Kinue turned around and decided to face her pursuer. The kid following her couldn't have been more than sixteen years ago and yet he wore an expression of arrogance one could only obtain after being given an extraordinary amount of power and yet did not possess the will or self-control necessary to use said power.

"Who are you?" Kinue asked while ignoring the other question coming from her companion.

"That's a strange thing to ask!" The student said arrogantly while smacking his spiked baton into an open palm, "You may call me Junsa. I am the Club Captain of the Lower Honnou City Intruder Counteraction Squad!"

Kinue listened to the kid brag about his power and tried to clear her head, but found the boy's arrogant attitude mixed with Danketsu's urging her to fight him highly irritating. Pressing the clip on the strap holding the case against her back, Kinue stepped forward and adjusted a glove as the case hit the roof with a loud crash.

"There's something important you should know about me, and that is I don't have the time or the patience to hear you brag about stuff that doesn't matter," Kinue couldn't help but have a trace of irritation lace her words. It was appearing that even the short amount of time she had been in Honnou City was enough to start getting Danketsu riled up. Already she could feel it testing her mental barriers and defenses for any signs of weakness that it could easily and lethally exploit. Clamping down on the intrusive presence quickly enough to cause it to recoil in pain, Kinue reached in one of her pockets, "You don't need to worry, though. I'll end this quickly."

"And what makes you think you have a shot at beating me?" Junsa scoffed and began laughing at what he assumed to be his opponent's bluff. As his Life Fiber baton grew several more spikes and tripled in size, he asked, "Any just how are you going to end it quickly?"

"Like this."

Her arms shot out faster than Junsa could see and his eyes widened when he saw two sewing needles embedded nearly an inch into his baton. Beginning to show a bit of nervousness, he grinned, "Was that supposed to do anything?"

Kinue turned and began walking to pick up her case, "Wait for it."

Junsa only caught it at the very last second, but attached to the ends of the needles were nearly invisible steel wires that began wrapping around his body. As he struggled to free himself, he caught notice of the two pincushion grenades on the other ends of the wire.

Kinue didn't bother to watch as her opponent was caught in the explosion. She could feel the Life Fibers that made up his Goku Uniform being dissipated into the air around her. While her attack was more than enough to destroy the clothing, it was hardly enough to actually kill the Life Fibers. It wasn't like she had a Scissor Blade of her own. If she did, then things maybe would have turned out differently.

"No use dwelling on the past," Kinue looked up at the large and imposing wall meant to separate the Slums from where the One-Stars lived with boredom. Noticing a cable car slowly ascending from somewhere deeper in the Slums, Kinue took a few steps back before taking a running start and leaping nearly two hundred feet to land softly on cable car's roof. Once she made sure she wasn't detected, Kinue sat down and closed her eyes.

"I'm almost there," Kinue muttered, ignoring the rippling around her shoulders from underneath her jacket, "Be quiet, Danketsu."

Kinue hoped her mission to Honnou City was successful. One of the more annoying side effects of being in the presence of so many Life Fibers was that Danketsu tended to get a bit…chatty, and attempting to hold a conversation with something that ordered her to fight anything with Life Fibers was nearly impossible. Staring upwards as Honnouji Academy came into view, Kinue's eyes narrowed as she felt a large burst of energy explode out of the school. Something big was going on and she had a feeling she would find out soon enough.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Contrary to what Ryuko assumed, Ichigo was not, in fact, sleeping in. Ever since the Winter War ended and he lost his shinigami powers, Ichigo had found it incredibly difficult to sleep in. Chalking it down as an effect of the fighting, Ichigo decided that if he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he would be more productive. That was why he was jogging around Honnou City at eight in the morning. Mugetsu had wanted to come with him, and by come with him Ichigo meant be worn by him, but once Ichigo told his Kamui what he was going to be doing, Mugetsu had quickly backpedaled and decided that sleeping in was a better alternative than getting sweat stains all over her Life Fibers.<p>

Reaching the five mile mark, Ichigo braced a hand against a nearby wall. Only five miles and he was already exhausted. He must be more out of shape than he thought. When he still had his shinigami powers, he could jog ten miles before resting. He needed to get his endurance back up to par if he wanted to survive and win the upcoming battles he would surely face.

Mugetsu may have said that wearing her increases his natural abilities to beyond what a human could ever achieve, but Ichigo was of a different mind. He was not satisfied with simply being given power on a silver platter. If Mugetsu amplified his natural abilities, then increasing his own strength would make him that much stronger while wearing Mugetsu.

"Damn," Ichigo muttered and raised a hand to his forehead. With the sun rising over Honnouji Academy above, the air was beginning to heat up. He should start heading back to his dorm and take a shower.

Turning around and taking a few more deep breathes, Ichigo began the long jog back. After more than a mile of uneventful silence, he eventually came across a sight that stopped him in his tracks. With a flabbergasted and confused expression on his face, he watched as Mako and Shinjiro rode towards him on a tandem bicycle. Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, Ichigo tried to convince himself that what he was seeing just wasn't possible. He wasn't seeing Mako and Shinjiro on a bright pink tandem bike and he certainly wasn't seeing both of them wearing matching bright purple and white uniforms.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Mako shouted excitedly, dashing all hopes that he was simply hallucinating. Coming to a stop next to him, Mako waved happily, "What are you doing so far out here?"

"Running," Ichigo answered tiredly. Raising his arms and folding his hands on top of his head, he asked, "Where did you get the bike?"

"It's Shinjiro's!" Mako answered matter-of-factly.

"Wait," Ichigo tried to grasp what he just heard, "Why the hell does Shinjiro have a pink bike? It seems…kind of girly."

"For so long have I owned this tandem bicycle," Shinjiro pumped his fist as his single uninjured eye shone with a determined light, "Even though I had no one to ride it with, I could not just throw it away! You see, it was a gift from my mother and giving this bike away would be tantamount to breaking her poor heart. It was as if my dream came true when Mako offered to ride with me. I was so excited that I went out and bought us matching outfits in celebration!"

"I can see that," Ichigo deadpanned and tried his best to not look at his two friends wearing what Mugetsu would probably call a crime against clothing.

"Oh! That reminds me," Mako's eyes widened as she appeared to remember something vital and important, "Ururu was looking for you."

"She was?" Ichigo didn't know what Ururu may have wanted with him. Sure she was somewhat overprotective of him, but with a psychotic girl like Nui Harime somewhere out there doing who knows what, it was better to have someone like Ururu on his side, "What did she want?"

Mako pouted as she strained herself to remember what it was exactly that Ururu said, "She said that your dad called!"

"My old man?" Ichigo hadn't spoken to his dad since the night Mugetsu woke up. He couldn't think of anything that could have caused Isshin to call him, "What did he want?"

"Apparently he wanted Ururu to tell you that he will be coming to Parent Student Day in a couple of weeks," Mako announced proudly.

Ichigo would have collapsed to his knees had he the strength to get back up. He had been sure to not tell his old man about the upcoming Parent Student Day. How the hell had he managed to find out so quickly? It couldn't have been Ururu. As strong and powerful as she was, Ururu was simply not adjusted well enough socially to go around his back like this. There had to be someone else that knew his old man well enough to tell him about Parent Student Day and not draw suspicion. The only question was who it could be.

"Thanks for the heads up," Ichigo muttered dejectedly. His day was shot now. Instead of relaxing and having an enjoyable day, he would have to consider what he could do to limit the amount of social embarrassment his dad could inflict. When it came down to it, Isshin Kurosaki was a master of both pissing him off and making him the laughingstock of all his friends, "I just need to go back and figure out what to do. Damn. I would so rather fight Nui Harime right now than deal with this bullshit."

"What's a Nui? Is it something you wear?" Mako asked innocently.

"Just the lesser of two insane evils," Ichigo answered bluntly, "It's been great talking to you Mako, but I've get to get back to Honnouji before my dad decides to just pop on in."

"Ok then! See you around, Ichigo!" Mako waved.

"Likewise, Ichigo!" Shinjiro added proudly, "I've taken your words to heart and decided to go about my goal of taking down Satsuki Kiryuin much more subtly and safely! When Mako and I return from our excursion, I would like to talk with you about our future plans!"

"You do that," Ichigo muttered at the two retreating figures. Turning back around, he began the long jog back to Honnouji Academy.

"_What the hell is wrong with this place? I hope Ryuko is having a better morning than me."_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Three-Star Goku Uniform: Blade Regalia Mark II!"<p>

In response to Sanageyama transforming into his Blade Regalia, Ryuko drew her Scissor Blade out of the pouch on her hip and mentally commanded it to expand to its normal size. She could tell this Goku Uniform was different than the first one she fought. It looked more streamlined and the colors were a shade or two lighter, but the most obvious change was the missing shinai containers on his back.

"_**Something feels different about him, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu let out a hum of annoyance, _**"I can't explain it, but I'm getting a completely different vibe than your first fight. Don't get cocky."**_

"Yeah, I know," Ryuko could feel a change in Sanageyama's aura. While during their first fight he gave off an aura of cockiness and wildness, now all Ryuko could feel from Sanageyama was an overwhelming coldness. It was nearly enough to cause her to freeze up in fear. Steadying her nerves for the fight ahead, she slid her right foot back and reached for her red glove, "Let's not waste time, then."

"Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"

Ryuko was surrounded by a familiar burst of power before she decided to quickly add, "Senketsu Senkou!"

As armored heeled boots raced across the arena, Ryuko transformed her Scissor Blade into its Decapitation Mode, the black and red jagged lines glowing softly as she coursed her power through it. Smirking when she saw Sanageyama hadn't noticed her yet, Ryuko leapt into the air and twisted her upper body sideways before releasing an invisible slash towards her opponent. So expectant was she of getting a hit that when Sanageyama shifted his massive body to the side and allowed the attack to sail harmlessly past him that she actually gasped in surprise.

"_How did he dodge Senkou?"_

Ryuko shook her head and growled. It must have been pure luck. Sanageyama must have figured out the trick to her Senkou and thought of a way to avoid the attacks. Racing towards Sanageyama on foot, she slid across the ground and tried to sever one of his hands only for him to step out of the way and nearly crush her body with a counterattack.

"Damn it," Ryuko shook her head to dislodge the debris that had gotten stuck in her hair. There was no way that Sanageyama could have gotten this fast so quickly. Yesterday he couldn't even see her Senkou attacks and now he was avoiding them like it was nothing. Growling, she turned to attack again only to find Sanageyama literally inches away from her face. Eyes widening in shock, she brought her Scissor Blade up just in time to block the massive shinai from crushing her stomach. Skidding backwards along the platform, Ryuko took a few ragged breaths and wondered, "What the hell is going on here? How is he managing to see my Senkou attacks?"

"_**Look at his eyes Ryuko."**_

Gazing into Sanageyama' Blade Regalia, Ryuko was shocked when she saw Sanageyama's eyes sewn shut, "What happened to his eyes?"

"Are you confused, Matoi?" Satsuki Kiryuin shouted down from her perch. With a backdrop of light illuminating her already overbearing persona, she shouted, "You are facing the resolve of a man who has learned the errors of his way and sacrificed everything to fix them! Know that as you collapse in defeat, Matoi!"

"Damn you, Satsuki Kiryuin." Ryuko cursed and prepared herself for the second round of battle, "Counting me out already?"

"Your reflexes are as sharp as ever, Matoi," Sanageyama's unusually cold voice echoed from within the confines of his Blade Regalia, "But the warm up is over. Get ready. Here I come."

It happened nearly too fast for Ryuko to follow. One moment Sanageyama was standing on the other side of the platform and the next he was nearly upon her with his shinai swinging through the air towards.

"MEN!" With a clashing of blade on shinai, Ryuko managed to block the strike to her head. As she was pushed back, she heard the ground cracking beneath her feet. Sanageyama's strength was absolutely insane! Not only did his speed increase, but his strength had to be at least twice what it was yesterday. What the hell did he do to himself?

"DOU!" Ryuko spun her Scissor Blade around her wrist and braced her left arm against the blade as the shinai crashed against her ribs. Gritting her teeth from the force of the blow, the gears in Ryuko's mind were spinning rapidly in order to come up with a plan.

"KOTE!"

Ryuko was thankful that she had decided to go all out from the beginning with Senketsu Senkou. If was only due to the enhanced reflexes and speed afforded to her by the transformation that she was able to counter and block all of Sanageyama's strikes. As Sanageyama's shinai aimed for her wrist, Ryuko took the half second gap between attacks to lean backwards and allow the attack to pass harmlessly less than an inch from her body. Planting her palm on the ground, Ryuko flipped through the air and landed on top of one of the multitude of spikes dotting the arena.

"Damn, he's strong," Ryuko said between breaths. It was becoming clear that fighting these Elite Four jerks was no laughing matter. How on Earth did Ichigo defeat Jakuzure in a Mark II of her own when she was having so much trouble with Sanageyama? Was it that he simply fought an easier opponent or did he know some secret to fighting that? Biting her lower lip in irritation, Ryuko huffed and shouted, "How the hell are you fighting like this without your eyes?"

Sanageyama was silent before he asked, "Your irritated and annoyed, aren't you, Matoi?"

"Say what?" Ryuko had no idea where that had come from, but she had no time to think about it. Vaulting to the side, she barely avoided being hit by Sanageyama's shinai as his Blade Regalia crashed through the spike she had been perched upon. Twisting around in midair, she launched another Senkou attack but bit back a curse as Sanageyama jumped over it and landed back on the ground.

"I can hear your breathing as loudly as if you were standing right next to me," Sanageyama continued calmly as he jumped into the air to attack her once more. Cursing profusely, Ryuko spun around and blocked his attack, only to fall victim as Sanageyama feinted and slammed his free hand into her back and propelling her to the ground. As she landed painfully on the ground, Ryuko noticed a shadow falling towards her and quickly rolled to the side to avoid the incoming shinai.

"The smell of your sweat," Sanageyama rushed forward and clashed against Ryuko's Scissor Blade. As sparks shot off the two weapons, Sanageyama's massive size and strength actually began pushing Ryuko backwards, "And your deodorant, I can sense all of it with ease. I can see your thoughts as clearly as if you told me them yourself! I can see the world with far more clarity than I ever could with my eyes, Matoi! It is thanks to Ichigo that I have been gifted with this incredible ability!"

"Ichigo?" Ryuko spat out from between clenched teeth as she tried pushing back against Sanageyama's overwhelming strength. As she felt herself bending backwards, she roared in anger and managed to parry Sanageyama's shinai to the side. Jumping backwards to put some distance between her and her opponent, Ryuko spat on the ground and waved her Scissor Blade at Sanageyama, "What the hell does Ichigo have to do with our fight?"

"It was thanks to Ichigo's words that I came to the realization that I was too reliant on my eyes," Sanageyama answered proudly, "Now with my eyes closed, the rest of the world is open to me! Behold my released power: Shingantsu!"

"_Sanageyama sealed his eyes in order to boost his affinity with his Blade Regalia,"_ Satsuki stared stoically down at the battle. She was honestly surprised that Matoi had managed to avoid being hit by Sanageyama so far. She wouldn't go so far as to say it was due to some inherent skill or power that Matoi possessed. Satsuki could see that the only reason Matoi was still on her feet, slightly exhausted by injured, was because she was able to configure Senketsu into a more speed-oriented form.

"_Senketsu Senkou,"_ Satsuki mused at the name of the Kamui's configuration, _"It is no wonder that Sanageyama lost even with the use of his Tengantsu. If he hadn't been so focused on seeing attacks, he would have noticed the subtle sound of the air vibrating or the slight smell of ozone in the atmosphere. Senkou uses Matoi's bioelectrical energy to extend the reach of her Scissor Blade by a considerable distance. Even if Sanageyama could see Matoi's movements, there was no way he could have anticipated the invisible blade as well."_

Now that Sanageyama's eyes were closed off from the world and he possessed Shingantsu, the invisible blades of Senkou were as clear as day to him.

"Men! Dou! Kote! Men! Dou! Kote!"

Ryuko was pushing Senketsu to the limit as she countered each and every one of Sanageyama's called attacks. It was scaring her that even when he called out his attacks, she barely had enough time to actually block them. The simply thought of fighting him without Senkou would have caused her to break out in a nervous sweat if she was not already fighting for her life.

"Your speed is superb, Matoi!" Sanageyama complimented as he continued to attack Ryuko, "But with my Shingantsu, there is nothing you can do to win!"

"Says you!" Ryuko argued back. As she heard Sanageyama shout 'Men!' she prepared to block the strike to her head only to feel an intense pain in her wrists instead. Gasping in pain, she was caught off guard as Sanageyama took advantage of her confusion to attack her relentlessly. With her grip slackened, it was easy for Sanageyama to knock Ryuko's Scissor Blade out of her hands and across the arena.

"What are you going to do, Matoi?" He asked sarcastically as he continued attacking her, "Without your weapon, there is no way for you to turn the tables and win this time.

Ryuko grinned despite the situation, "So you think."

Dodging around one of Sanageyama's attacks, Ryuko held her arm out and flicked her wrist. Instantly a wire connected from her hand to the handle of her Scissor Blade shone in the air. Ever since Ururu so easily disarmed her of the Scissor blade during their spar, Ryuko had been thinking of how she could prevent something like that happening again. After bouncing a few ideas off Senketsu, she came up with the idea of carefully removing one of his Life Fibers, with his permission of course, and attaching the two ends to her wrist and Scissor Blade.

Swinging her arm back across her body, Ryuko smirked as she heard the whistling sound of her Scissor blade spinning through the air growing louder. Holding her arm up above her head, she grabbed her weapon as it passed over her and swung downwards just as Sanageyama attacked with his shinai.

"I was wrong about you, Matoi," Sanageyama said as he struggled to overpower Ryuko.

"Oh?" Ryuko grinned despite the situation as she pushed back, "How so?"

"I thought you would be nothing more than a stepping stone to fighting Ichigo," Sanageyama stepped forward, causing Ryuko to take a step back to prevent him from gaining leverage, "But I was wrong. You are indeed a worthy opponent. Come at me with everything you got Matoi!"

"Aren't you chivalrous?" Ryuko wiped a spot of blood off her cheek. When Sanageyama leapt back and away from her, she spat on the ground and turned to Senketsu, "I need you to pour all my remaining power into one final Senkou strike."

"_**You'll be left wide open if it fails,"**_ Senketsu said worriedly, _**"And there is the distinct probability you will faint from blood loss afterwards."**_

"Don't sweat it," Ryuko smiled as her body was enveloped in a red aura. Taking a deep breath and placing her left hand on top of her Scissor Blade, Ryuko focused all her energy into her blade, causing the red and black jagged lines to glow more intensely than ever, "Here I come, Sanageyama!"

Racing across the ground, Ryuko shouted as she swung her Scissor Blade down into the ground. Sanageyama, sensing the attack coming with his Shingantsu, attempted to dodge it only to be shocked when it suddenly expanded in front of his Blade Regalia, enveloping him in the blast of invisible energy and causing the arena to explode around them.

"_Oh?"_ Satsuki raised an eyebrow at Matoi's attack. It was quite ingenious, something she hadn't come to expect from her, to cause the Senkou to expand after swinging her Scissor Blade, _"Shingantsu may be able to see the world in its entirety, but even it cannot predict the unpredictable. Matoi purposely did not focus the energy through her Scissor Blade so that when she swung, she herself would not know how the energy would move or flow. And if she didn't know, than there was no possible way for Sanageyama's Shingantsu to predict it either."_

As the smoke from the attack cleared, Sanageyama stumbled forward on barely functional legs. When he had managed to survive the attack with his Goku Uniform intact, large chunks of his armor were missing and several deep gashes were visible along his arms and chest. Reaching up and tearing off his half-destroyed helmet, he took in a deep and ragged breath and grinned.

"Ha…ha…" Sanageyama took one step forward and nearly fell to his knees. Planting his shinai in the ground to keep himself standing up, he chuckled at the irony of the situation, "Ha…ha…Damn it. How was I supposed to predict such an unpredictable attack, Matoi? Making my Shingantsu completely useless…you are just full of surprises, aren't you?"

His compliment would go unheard by Ryuko. After putting everything she had left into that Senkou strike, she had collapsed onto the ground, Senketsu already transforming back into his normal form as a school uniform. Seeing Ryuko unable to fight back, Sanageyama stumbled forward and raised his shinai over her head.

"Goodbye Matoi."

As he stabbed downwards, Sanageyama's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of five sharp objects whistling through the air towards his head. Quickly turning around, he raised his shinai and maneuvered it around to block all five projectiles.

"_Sewing needles?"_ The weaponry used against him reminded Sanageyama of the Nudist Beach operative, but it was impossible for him to get back into Honnouji Academy after his first intrusion. Expanding his senses to their newfound limits, Sanageyama was surprised to find that he couldn't sense anyone. Whoever it was that was firing at him was standing outside the considerable range of his Shingantsu.

"Come out and fight me, you coward!"

"I am not a coward," A stern, yet soft-spoken, voice chastised calmly from behind him, "Merely pragmatic."

Sanageyama froze up as the realization that this woman standing so nonchalantly behind him had snuck through his Shingantsu. He didn't know who she was or how she was capable of doing it, but Sanageyama wasn't going to let that stop him. Spinning around, he attempted to hit the intruder with his shinai only to be startled when her presence vanished before it quickly reappeared next to Ryuko's prone body.

"I noticed that you severed your eyesight in order to vastly improve your other senses to superhuman levels," Kinue Kinagase complimented as she checked Ryuko's body for injuries, "While quite an innovative move and one that obviously was too much for Ryuko here, it is useless against someone such as myself, whose speed is faster than even your improved senses can follow."

Kinue fingers twitched as her hand brushed against Ryuko's Kamui. It appeared that Danketsu could detect the Kamui even though Senketsu was currently inactive. Turning towards the still stunned Sanageyama, Kinue noticed Satsuki Kiryuin glaring down at her with all the authority and majesty the eighteen year old girl could muster. It was almost cute to see Satsuki try to cow her into submission. The backdrop of light was a nice touch, nearly as intense as her mother's, but it was not nearly enough to cause Kinue to feel anything.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Kinue ignored Danketsu's growl as she placed Ryuko's unconscious body over her shoulder. If Danketsu was going to argue with her over every little thing she did, then she would just ignore everything it said. It had worked well for her over the last ten years after all, "I would rather not overstay my welcome, so I'll be taking my leave now."

"You are bold to step into my domain so willingly!" Satsuki jumped down, fully clad in Junketsu, and landed in between Kinue and the exit of Honnouji Academy. Holding Bakuzan vertically to the ground with both hands, she locked gazes with the older woman, "But you will not be leaving!"

Satsuki stared at the older woman. Her analytical mind could piece together a familial resemblance with that Nudist Beach operative who attacked Matoi, but there were subtle differences that surprised her. The black hair with red highlights gave Satsuki enough to conclude Kinue was related to Tsumugu, but Kinue felt much more powerful than the other man. That, combined with the ease at which Kinue bypassed Sanageyama's Shingantsu, meant she could not afford to assume Kinue would be a simple opponent to face.

"I assume by your appearance that you are related to the man who intruded upon my academy the other day," Satsuki stated, hoping to get some sort of reaction from Kinue. She was disappointed when Kinue's mouth curled up in a slight smile.

"What makes you say that?" Kinue countered calmly, "By that line of reasoning, I could assume you weren't related to Ragyo Kiryuin simply from the color of your hair."

"I see you will not willingly divulge your allegiances," Satsuki scowled at Kinue's lack of respect, "Therefore I will take the information from you by force!"

Satsuki sprung across the arena at Kinue at a speed that caused the other woman to silently praise her. It was not every day that she came across an adversary that actually forced her to actively focus on the fight. As Danketsu tightened around her body, its voice screaming at her to fight Satsuki and tear Junketsu apart, Kinue gingerly readjusted Ryuko's body over her shoulder, and blocked Satsuki's strike with her open right palm.

Satsuki was nearly speechless at seeing this woman block her Bakuzan, the blade with the power to sever Life Fibers, with an open palm. As the energy sparked off her blade, shredding Kinue's glove and part of her sleeve, Satsuki's eyes widened at what she saw underneath.

"That's – "

"Damn," Kinue vanished in a burst of speed and reappeared several dozen meters away. Looking at her exposed arm, the blue and purple armor-like clothing fitted to her skin, she realized that her secret was exposed, and possibly to the worst person here. She knew that someone would find out about Danketsu, but she expected it to be on her own terms. Turning to a still surprised Satsuki, she said "I didn't expect your power to be so great, but you will not be able to stop me from leaving."

"No, I won't," Satsuki closed her eyes and sheathed Bakuzan, "It was clear from my last attack that your power is great enough to make my chance of victory slim. Take Matoi, but tell her to consider herself lucky. One day she will get into a fight where there won't be someone to rescue her from death."

Kinue didn't say anything as she headed towards the entrance to Honnouji Academy. As soon as she passed through the threshold, she leapt into the air and disappeared into the city below.

"Forgive me, Lady Satsuki." In a burst of light and stars, Sanageyama deactivated his Blade Regalia and hung his head in shame, "I was unable to finish off Matoi. I have failed you."

"On the contrary, you have succeeded, Sanageyama," Satsuki took one last look in the direction Kinue fled in before turning and walking past Sanageyama. Stopping right behind him, she tilted her head to the side and added, "Matoi put everything she had into the fight and still lost. If not for the interference of that woman, you would have finished Matoi off. Consider yourself reinstated in the Elite Four."

"Yes. Thank you, Lady Satsuki," Sanageyama stared at the ground and tightened his grip on the wooden shinai in his hand. It was infuriating that Matoi was able to almost defeat him even with Shingantsu. That last attack would have definitely defeated him if he had been one second slower in dodging or it had been even a little bit faster. The next time they fought, Sanageyama vowed to win without interruptions.

Walking away from the arena, Satsuki's mind was a torrent of thoughts and half-concluded ideas. She had no idea who that woman was or how she managed to infiltrate Honnouji Academy. Inumuta had improved security around the academy after the Nudist Beach incident, and yet that woman not only snuck in, but managed to make a fool out of Sanageyama's upgraded Blade Regalia.

"_At the moment she blocked my Bakuzan I saw something,"_ Satsuki narrowed her eyes as she felt Junketsu's ire rising at her mention of the woman. It must be highly insulting to her Kamui to see a normal human stop its attack so easily. That was perhaps the only sentiment that Satsuki shared with Junketsu, _"It was only for a moment, and she attempted to hide it, but her lower arm was definitely covered by a Kamui."_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo stared at the woman so casually sitting on his couch with an annoyed expression on his face. Usually he would have shouted at her and demanded to know why she broke into his room, but the sheer amount of calmness radiating off her put him on edge. So instead of doing something that might come back to bite him in the ass later on, he settled for sitting down in a chair and folding his arms.<p>

"So, are you going to tell me who you are?"

"In time," the woman answered mysteriously, "But should you be so concerned with my name when Ryuko Matoi is gravely injured?"

"What did you do?" Ichigo asked with a threatening tone, "If you so much as – "

"Calm yourself, Ichigo." The woman seemed completely unperturbed by Ichigo's outburst, "I am not the one who injured your friend. On the contrary, I am the one that saved her life."

Upon seeing that Ichigo was confused by her explanation, she continued, "While you were gone this morning, Ryuko Matoi was challenged to a rematch by Uzu Sanageyama. She went into the fight cocky and unprepared for her opponent, who managed to learn an entirely new skill in less than a day. As such, she found herself outmatched in both speed and strength. It was a miracle she even managed to injure Sanageyama at all."

"I see…" Ichigo cursed himself for being gone the entire morning. While thoughts raced through his mind revolving around what he could have done had he decided to stay at Honnouji Academy, he quickly squashed them. It wouldn't be healthy to wonder and worry about things that already happened. There was nothing he could do to change it, so worrying about it would be a pointless endeavor, "So who are you?"

Kinue chuckled mirthlessly at the joke that only made sense to her. It seemed that Ichigo inherited his sense of directness from Masaki. Crossing her legs and leaning back, she said, "I suppose you deserve the right to know who I am. I am Kinue Kinagase, and I believe you have already met my brother."

"Brother?" Ichigo wracked his brain for what Kinue could be talking about. He certainly didn't remember meeting anyone like that. Wait a minute. Ichigo looked at Kinue's black hair with red dyed tips, "Wait. You're related to that mohawk bastard?"

"I don't think I've ever heard someone call Tsumugu that," Kinue quipped, a rare sign of amusement gracing her face, "But yes. Tsumugu is my younger brother by three years."

Ichigo's expression hardened at Kinue's confession, "Are you here to destroy Senketsu?"

"No," Kinue shook her head," As a matter of fact, I'm here to – "

_**Ichigo!"**_

Kinue was cut off midsentence as Mugetsu, finally waking up from her nap and noticing he was back, transformed into her mobile force and launched herself from the bedroom. Wrapping her sleeves around Ichigo's body, she began squeezing harder than was comfortable.

"Hey!" Ichigo struggled to pry himself free from Mugetsu's insane grip, but only managed to get himself tangled up even further. How something that was essentially clothing to be so strong boggled him. As he pulled with all his might, only managing to free his right arm in the process, he fell out of the chair and hit the ground hard, "What the hell's wrong with you, Mugetsu?"

"_**You wore clothing other than me,"**_ Mugetsu answered in between teary sobs. Ichigo's didn't understand how a Kamui could cry, but apparently Mugetsu figured it out, _**"You cannot begin to comprehend the sense of betrayal I feel from the heinous act you committed!"**_

"Sense of betrayal?" Ichigo didn't know what Mugetsu was talking about, "I asked you if you wanted me to wear you while I went running this morning. You said no!"

"_**Yes,"**_ Mugetsu stared at Ichigo accusingly, _**"But I thought you were going to run naked, not parading around in another set of clothing. How could you, Ichigo?"**_

"Why the hell would I run around Honnou City naked?" Ichigo shouted back, causing Mugetsu to growl and press herself angrily against his face.

"_**Why wouldn't you?"**_ she countered just as loudly, _**"I thought our relationship was special, but I see that I'm just another outfit for you to wear!"**_

Ichigo's mind was beginning to collapse under the sheer nonsense of Mugetsu's argument, "I have no idea what you are talking about! If you didn't want me to wear other clothing, why didn't you just say so?"

"_**I don't need to explain myself to you,"**_ Mugetsu huffed and folded her sleeves. Turning partially away from Ichigo, she looked at him with a single eye and stated, _**"I'm waiting for an apology."**_

"Like hell I'm apologizing to you," Ichigo grumbled and tried to turn his back on Mugetsu. As he refused to meet the gaze of his Kamui, he could literally feel Mugetsu staring daggers at his back. After almost a minute of putting up with it, he groaned, "Fine! I'm sorry. I won't wear any other clothes besides you without asking for your permission first. Are you happy now?"

"_**Yes,"**_ Mugetsu said and launched herself at Ichigo. A minute later, Ichigo, fully clad in a smug looking Mugetsu, was sitting across from Kinue thoroughly embarrassed by what just happened.

"My, my," Kinue looked bemused by what she just saw, "I must say, I didn't expect your Mugetsu to be so…clingy. Are you sure you don't forget to put in a fabric softener when you clean her?"

"_**Clingy she says…"**_

Ichigo glared at Mugetsu, "Tell me about it…hey, wait a second. You could hear her?"

"I'm not the only one," Kinue scoffed and closed her eyes while she began reaching for her glove, "If I am to believe the rumors, then Ryuko Matoi can also hear Mugetsu's voice. But hearing it myself…it is quite the relief."

Ichigo didn't know where Kinue was going with this, "What are you talking about?"

A small smirk graced Kinue's face as she pulled off her glove and rolled up her sleeve, "Perhaps it would be better if you were to see it for yourself. Actions speak louder than words after all."

There was almost a phantasmal burst of blue light as Ichigo saw what Kinue was hiding. Her hand and the part of her arm he could see were both covered in familiar blue and purple armor. After allowing the shock to sink in, he asked, "You're wearing a Kamui?"

"I'm bound to it, in a manner of speaking," Kinue ignored the frown that appeared on Ichigo's face upon her comment. Leaning back and sighing, she held her hand up to the light and clenched it into a fist, "This is Danketsu, the very first Kamui created by Professor Matoi. It was woven from Life Fibers over ten years ago. Consider it the precursor to the Kamui worn by Ryuko."

"_**Another Kamui…"**_ Mugetsu looked excited at the prospect of a fourth Kamui. While the only other Kamui she had fought was Satsuki's Junketsu, the knowledge that another one of her kind existed filled her threads with happiness. Swiveling her eyes upwards to Ichigo, she asked, _**"I wonder if Danketsu is stronger than me?"**_

"_**Screw you!"**_ The anger in the voice startled Ichigo and Mugetsu while Kinue just sighed tiredly. When they looked at her for an explanation, she decided to come out with it.

"Unlike Mugetsu, Danketsu isn't the most…friendly companion to have." Standing up, Kinue began removing her jacket, "Perhaps you should speak with her yourself."

Ichigo had been expecting to see something as revealing as Junkestu and Senketsu, so when Kinue took off her jacket only a slight blush appeared on his face.

Like Ryuko, the blue and purple armor covering Kinue's body completely encased her arms and upper chest, stopping just above the nape of her neck. However, while Senketsu's transformed state left Ryuko's abdomen and lower breasts completely exposed except for a pair of form-fitting suspenders, Danketsu covered up substantially more of Kinue's body. A dark blue leotard with purple glowing lines covered her stomach, leaving everything else bare. Just before reaching her breasts, the leotard split in two, leaving much of her ample chest naked. Perched on her shoulders were Danketsu's eyes, which seemed to look more fluid and streamlined than Mugetsu's.

"_**So this is the so-called Kamui Mugetsu," **_Danketsu's eyes seemed to look wildly at Ichigo before turning back to Kinue, _**"Why are we just standing here? You said I would get to fight a Kamui. There's one right in front of us. What are you waiting for?"**_

"I did not say such a thing," Kinue chided as if speaking to a petulant child, "If you would bother to remember, I said that you might get your fight after all. I never promised anything."

Danketsu growled and seemed about to say something, but was beat to the punch when Ichigo asked, "You said you were bound to Danketsu. What did you mean by that?"

"It's a long story that started ten years ago," Kinue began tiredly. Damn, this was harder than she thought it would be. Kinue could already feel Danketsu's emotions bleeding into her. She didn't have much longer until she began to feel as agitated as her Kamui, "I wanted to test fit Danketsu. I believed that clothing and humanity could live together…I was naïve to believe that everyone thought the same way. As soon as I put on Danketsu, she tried to devour me. It was only thanks to an invention from a…friend of Professor Matoi that I survived what should have been my death."

Kinue pointed with a finger to the intricate black tattoo sitting in between her breasts, "While it saved my life, the device had a secondary effect. It forever bound Danketsu and me together. As you can see, she is in her transformed state. Danketsu, unlike your Mugetsu, can never become normal clothing. That is why I must always cover her up."

"I think I understand," Ichigo muttered, even though he really didn't, "But why is Danketsu so different from Mugetsu and Senketsu? None of them are as violent as your Kamui."

"_**Go to hell human,"**_ Danketsu seethed angrily, _**"I don't need to explain myself to a pig like you!"**_

"_**Hmm…"**_ Mugetsu hummed thoughtfully. She did not like how Danketsu gave Kamui like her a bad name. Just because they were comprised of pure Life Fibers, that didn't mean they had to around and devour and kill humans because they felt like that. The gift of sentience was perhaps the greatest thing Mugetsu knew she possessed. Drinking Ichigo's delicious and nutritious blood was a very close second, but Mugetsu considered her sentience to be the best thing in the world.

"_**I don't like her, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu said after a moment with an audible huff. Turning her eyes to the side, she added, _**"Such unrestrained bloodlust…she gives us Kamui a bad name."**_

"_**I'll show you bloodlust!"**_ Danketsu shouted back challengingly.

"That's enough out of you," Kinue warned. Standing and grabbing her jacket, she proceeded to put it back on, taking no pleasure in cutting Danketsu off from the world. As she finished zipping it up, she turned to Ichigo, "I don't know if this means anything to you, but I must thank you."

At Ichigo's confused expression, Kinue continued, "For ten years I had thought I was the only one that could hear Danketsu's voice. I was convinced that I had gone insane after the accident and did my best to sequester myself from my friends and family to spare them the pain of seeing me lose my mind. Tsumugu may have broken the news, but after sitting here and talking with you and Mugetsu, a large burden has been lifted from my shoulders. I now understand that Danketsu is a living being with thoughts and feelings of its own, as crazy and delirious as they may be. Perhaps with enough time and understand, I could come to the same sort of understand that you have with Mugetsu and Ryuko has with Senketsu."

"_**I highly doubt that,"**_ Mugetsu said bluntly, _**"Danketsu is, quite frankly, insane. She is no more than a rabid dog at this point. It would be better for her to be destroyed."**_

"No," Kinue said sadly as she turned to leave, "Part of Danketsu's condition is my fault. It was soon after the accident that I first heard Danketsu's voice. Back then she was quick to anger and thirsty for blood, that much is true, but she was somewhat more level-headed and calm. I suspect that she became this way after a decade of me, the only person able to hear her voice, ignoring her. I can only hope that my forgiveness and willingness to talk with her will help Danketsu recover some of her sanity."

"_**Fuck your forgiveness!"**_ Danketsu shouted angrily. Even though she was covered by Kinue's jacket, her blood-crazed voice came through clearly, _**"I don't care for something as stupid as that! If you really want to apologize, turn around and tear apart that sorry excuse for a Kamui!"**_

"_**Bring it on!"**_Mugetsu scoffed sarcastically, _**"I'll wipe the floor with you so quickly that your Life Fibers won't know what hit them!"**_

"_**Ha!"**_ Despite the crazed tone to her voice, Danketsu sounded confident, _**"If my wearer wasn't too cowardly to fight you, you would feel just how weak you are compared to her. You are simply being worn by that human, while I and my wearer are of one body! Our power is greater than anything you could ever hope to achieve."**_

Wincing slightly at her forming headache, Kinue decided to leave before things got out of hand. It was bad enough when Danketsu yelled at her to fight Life Fibers, but Mugetsu's antagonizing isn't making things any easier, "I'm going to head out now. Ryuko Matoi is recovering at the Mankanshoku household. You should stop on by and check up on her. I'm sure she would appreciate it."

"I see," Ichigo paused momentarily before asking, "Where are you going?"

"I'll stick around Honnou City for a while," Kinue shrugged and brought a hand thoughtfully up to her chin, "As much as the amount of Life Fibers within the city will agitate Danketsu, I think it would be best that I stay. If I am to fix any of the damage that I inflicted on it, I need to bite the bullet. I'll see you around, Ichigo. Oh, there is just one piece of advice. As I approached Honnou City, I sensed the Grand Couturier's presence. Stay clear of Nui Harime and anything she says."

"Yeah, I figured that out already," Ichigo's answer must have been a shock to her because Kinue turned in amazement.

"You spoke with the Grand Couturier?"

"Not willingly," Ichigo sighed and let out an annoyed groan, "Both times she's snuck up on me or broke into my room. She seems to have a weird fascination with me."

Kinue's eyes narrowed before she shook her head, "I cannot begin to ponder the machinations that occur within Nui Harime's mind, but she is not someone to be trifled with. Her strength is like a bottomless abyss, only matched by her ability to recover from any damage. If she has an interest in you, you should be cautious, Ichigo. I've encountered the Grand Couturier before, and the one thing I can say for certainty is that to her, love and hate is the same thing. Be vigilant, Ichigo. Nothing good can come from her obsession with you."

As Kinue left his room, leaving Ichigo alone with his thoughts, he sighed and collapsed on the couch. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming, he didn't appreciate being dragged into a fight that he had reason to be in.

"_**Your heart rate is spiking, Ichigo,"**_ A still somewhat incensed, but calmed down, Mugetsu stated with worry, _**"What's wrong?"**_

"I'm just thinking about what Kinue told us," Ichigo didn't want to admit it, but everything Kinue said about Nui Harime made sense to him. There were just a few things that weren't fitting correctly, "If Nui Harime is obsessed with me, then why have I only met her twice? You would think I would have run into her more often."

"_**I do not know, Ichigo, but you shouldn't let her words bother you. I'm sure if you were to fight this Nui Harime, you would be sure to win with me at your side!"**_

"Thanks for the support, Mugetsu," Ichigo sighed again and leaned his head backwards. Why did his life have to be so complicated? At first he thought coming to Honnouji Academy would allow a fresh start away from the reminders of the Winter War and the loss of his shinigami powers. It wasn't long after that he was forcefully dragged into a war against Satsuki Kiryuin, who seemed to have a personal vendetta against him, and finding himself wearing Mugetsu, a literally living school uniform.

Mugetsu must have sensed his state of mind, because her next question was full of sadness at being unable to cheer up her wearer, _**"What are you going to do about it?"**_

"Say Kinue is right, and Nui Harime is following me. Sitting around and waiting for her to come to me is stupid." Reinvigorated and determined to push forward, Ichigo stood up and headed to his door, "I'll train and get stronger so that when Nui Harime decides to fight me, I'll be ready for her and if I'm not, I have Ryuko and Ururu to help me out."

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #6 – First Rate Shipping<strong>

"So let me get this straight, old man," Kon crossed the arms of his plushie body and began pacing back and forth across the desk, "You want to send me to some weird place called Honnou City or whatever just to keep an eye on Ichigo. Is that correct?"

With a grim expression, Isshin Kurosaki nodded in the affirmative. While his head was shaved completely down to the scalp, of his own volition, there still remained traces of rainbow dye in his hair. Isshin mentally cursed Raygo for the torture she put him through. Only she could create a Life Fiber-based dye that would actually prevent other dyes from working. How in the seven layers of hell had she come up with something so insidious?

"Ok, I'll bite," Kon sat down on the edge of the desk and scoffed, "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch," Isshin answered, "Ichigo may be a responsible teenager, but he needs someone there to watch over him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Ururu is nice and all, but she's not the most socially balanced girl. There are some things that will fly straight over her cute head."

"So…" Kon scratched his head, "Is this going to be dangerous? Because if it is, I just remembered I have an important job interview to go to."

"That's a shame," Isshin mockingly sighed and turned to leave, "Because I just so happen to have these pictures of Ichigo and his friends."

Kon grabbed the pictures out of Isshin's hand and would have begun bleeding from the nose if he was capable of doing so. As he stared eagerly at the pictures of Ryuko and Satsuki in their transformed Senketsu and Junketsu, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. There was no way this could be real.

"You're pulling my stuffing, aren't you old man?" Kon asked accusingly, "These are photo-shopped images from the internet, aren't they?"

"Nope, they are real," Isshin knew he had Kon, but just to be on the safe side he added, "And they actually transform into those when they fight."

"Wait!" Kon stood up excitedly, "Are you telling me that there exists a place where hot teenage girls actually and willingly transform into skimpy outfits whenever they fight? Well, pack me up and ship me out, old man! Ichigo needs my help!"


	19. Chapter 19: Fire and Rain

_Chapter 19 of __**To My Death I Fight**__ arrives with a few important announcements. As those of you who have been with me since Chapter 1, I started this story between Episodes 17 and 18 of the anime, which means most of the characters and abilities hadn't yet been fleshed out in detail. Some of the important characters include Nui Harime, Isshin Matoi, and Ragyo Kiryuin. To fix this plot hole the size of Honnou City, I have gone back and edited chapters 1 and 2. _

_Note that this wasn't just a few words here and there, I made several revisions to the chapters. While nothing important has changed, a lot of you might be happy to see that I completely rewrote the Nui Harime vs Kisuke Urahara fight in Chapter 2 from scratch. I do think you will appreciate what I did. It's not just completely rewritten, but about ~1000 or so words longer than the original and has a completely different ending that is just as ambiguous as the original ending._

_Also note that in the upcoming week I will be revising Chapters 4-7 while at the same time writing Chapter 20 (A new record for me). Sadly, none of the revised chapters will have Kamui Tales. I know, I know. That is a terrible shame, but that just means you'll have to look forward to the next chapter!  
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_***Edit Note:** I had an old section in the Satsuki/Ichigo conversation. It's all fixed now._

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><p><strong>Chapter 19 - Fire and Rain<strong>

Junketsu hated Satsuki Kiryuin with every Life Fiber of its being.

Completely oblivious to her Kamui's hatred, Satsuki Kiryuin stared at the screens with images of Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi going about their daily lives with veiled interest. Tilting her head to another set of screens, each of which highlighted where the various Two-Star students were throughout Honnouji Academy, Satsuki allowed a small and sly smile to grace her features. Everything seemed to be coming together and her declaration against Ryuko Matoi would only help to further her plans. It was simple to predict that the students of Honnouji Academy would allow their greed and avarice to cloud their minds just for a chance to gain a Three-Star Goku Uniform. Whether Ryuko came out on top or not did not matter because in the end Satsuki would be the one and only victor.

"Inumuta," Satsuki's voice caused the blue haired Elite Four to turn his attention away from his work, "Has Jakuzure submitted her daily report?"

If Junketsu could have done something, anything, to show Satsuki its undying hatred of her it would have done so long ago. It was blasphemous to think she would dare associate herself with Lady Ragyo while plotting behind her mother's back. Satsuki's will and determination might be strong enough to hold back its will, but Junketsu was patient. The moment an opportunity presented itself Junketsu was going to devour Satsuki's mind and body. That was not to mention that Satsuki's blood tasted horrible. Junketsu wanted to spit it out but as much as it hated Satsuki it hated being locked up and asleep even more. More than sixteen years of nothing but darkness had caused the Kamui to develop of fear of sleeping.

"It came in around half an hour ago," Inumuta answered calmly as he typed several commands on his keyboard and brought up the report in front of Satsuki, "It seems Jakuzure's mission to discover the secret of Ichigo Kurosaki's Kamui is proceeding at the hypothesized rate…despite her blunt and direct personality interfering with her attempts to fit in."

"Good," Satsuki leaned back in her chair and Junketsu suppressed the urge to growl at her. As much as it wanted to rant and curse at her, the failure of a Kiryuin couldn't even hear it, "I've looked over her initial reports. It appears Jakuzure is throwing suspicion off herself by offering Matoi and Ichigo assistance in taking me down out of petty revenge. It is pleasing to see Jakuzure embracing her role in my plan so thoroughly. Has she discovered why Junketsu is unable to access advanced configurations like Mugetsu and Senketsu?"

Inumuta adjusted his glasses before sighing, "Unfortunately she has not. However, I have a theory. Kamui are composed of one hundred percent Life Fibers, which makes it incredibly lethal for most people to try and wear them. We also know that Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi are somehow able to hear a voice that they refer to as their Kamui even though our surveillance cameras do not pick up any acoustic vibrations. My theory is if Kamui are sentient and able to speak with their wearers than Ichigo or Ryuko could be simply issuing mental commands to their Kamui."

"I see…" Satsuki frowned before she closed her eyes and pondered the situation. Inumuta's theory was sound but it was something that had already passed through her mind. There was no doubt that Junketsu was sentient to the same degree as Mugetsu and Senketsu but the question plaguing her mind was why she could not communicate with it. As a Kiryuin her mind was strong enough to ward off Junketsu's attempts to devour her. Obtaining advanced configurations should have come to her before either of them. What was the key piece of information she was missing?

Junketsu felt Satsuki's blood pressure and heart rate shift and concluded that she was deep in thought about something that was not only important but also bothering her. From the conversation it just overheard it was easily to see Satsuki and that other stupid human were discussing the reasons Junketsu couldn't access its advanced configurations. They could theorize and think all they want but they were never going to realize the true answer – Satsuki was simply unworthy of wielding the true extent of Junketsu's magnificent power.

Satsuki's will and determination might be strong enough to force Junketsu to activate its basic transformation but the Kamui still had the last laugh. It managed to hold back nearly half of its full power from Satsuki. Why should it allow a human to wield its incredible power? Such a notion was absurd. The only ones that should be gifted with the opportunity to wear it were those capable of communing with Life Fibers. Thinking back on its fights against Senketsu and Mugetsu, Junketsu felt a stab of jealousy course through its fibers.

Why couldn't it have been discovered by one of them? Both of them were more than capable of wielding the full power of a Kamui without risking their lives. Junketsu remembered Lady Ragyo telling it that her daughter would wear it one day but looking at Satsuki Junketsu felt nothing but derision. Satsuki was a failure of a daughter to Lady Ragyo and the Kamui would rather be torn apart than willingly grant her its power. Mentally sighing in sadness, Junketsu lamented that it was not worn by something worthy – like Ryuko Matoi. Ryuko seemed liked like the perfect human to wear it and if Junketsu had to mentally adjust Ryuko then so be it.

Junketsu also felt a strange connection to Ichigo and Mugetsu but it would never allow him to wear it. It was not out of hatred or spite but simply because Junketsu's true form was created for the female body and Ichigo was most certainly not a woman. It would be incredibly awkward not only for Ichigo, but for Junketsu as well, if he wore it. Narrowing its eyes in frustration, Junketsu allowed itself to fall into a light slumber and dreamt of what its true wearer might look like.

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><p>"This sure does look good, Mako," Ryuko looked at her bento box as her stomach rumbled. She couldn't comprehend how Sukuyo Mankanshoku could make such delicious, and hopefully nutritious, meals on such a low budget. Ryuko didn't care since she loved Sukuyo's cooking more than anything, "Let's eat!"<p>

As she began digging into the croquettes, Ryuko noticed that Ichigo, who was sitting to her left, hadn't started eating. As a matter of fact, Ichigo was holding his chopsticks limply in his fingers and was staring at his bento box with a look switching back and forth between horror and terror. Swallowing the lump of mystery croquette and smacking her chest a few times to help it go down, Ryuko asked, "What's the matter, Ichigo?"

Ichigo shook his head and put down his chopsticks, "I can't eat this."

Ryuko tilted her head slightly in confusion, "Huh?"

"Eh…" Ichigo grumbled as he tried to come up with something plausible that Ryuko and Mako would believe. He couldn't say that he was afraid his lunch was going to kill him. When he was handed his bento box by Mako's mother earlier in the day, Ichigo could have sworn he saw one of the croquettes actually moving around. What made the scene even more disturbing was how Sukuyo, without batting an eye, reached for a knife and stabbed the bento box. Ichigo didn't know whether he was more terrified of Sukuyo or his food, but to be honest he would rather not piss off either one.

"I don't like croquettes that much," Ichigo managed to say with a straight face. Truth be told, he liked actual croquettes a lot, but he refused to eat anything that he couldn't see being made. What happened in the Mankanshoku kitchen was off limits to anyone but Sukuyo and Ichigo didn't intend to push his luck on the matter.

"Mmph!" Mako tried to speak, but with her mouth full of food, all that came out was spittle and clumps of food that Ryuko expertly dodged. After chewing and swallowing, Mako took a deep breath and repeated, "If you don't want it, I'll have your lunch Ichigo!"

"I was going to give it to Ururu. She has a sweet tooth for Mako's croquettes after all." Without even turning around, Ichigo held up his bento box and dropped it into Ururu's waiting hands. Due to how Ururu always managed to pop up when he least expected it, Ichigo had grown used to her apparent off screen teleportation. Evne Ryuko, who still got startled whenever Shinjiro appeared out of nowhere, had become mostly blasé to how Ururu moved around.

"Thanks Ichigo," With a cute huff, Ururu sat down next to Ichigo and clapped her hands together before digging into the food, "I really like Mrs. Mankanshoku's croquettes, especially when she puts crabs in them."

"Wow…" Ryuko watched Ururu tear into the croquettes with a mixture of awe and disgust, "She really loves those croquettes."

Ichigo turned his head slightly so he wouldn't have to see Ururu eat, "I don't know how she stands the stuff to be honest."

As Ryuko chuckled at Ichigo's expense, there was a whistling through the air before a pocket knife embedded itself in the lid of her bento box. With an annoyed expression, she pulled the knife out and muttered, "What the hell?"

"Ryuko Matoi!" A familiar voice shouted from a nearby building, causing Ichigo's eye to start twitching, "I, Jack Naito, President of the Knife Throwing Club, will be defeating you this day!"

"You've got some nerve ruining my lunch!" Ryuko shouted back as she stood up, "Mako's mom made that for me! You're going to pay for that!"

Ryuko reached to pull the pin out of her glove, but stopped when she heard Ichigo ask, "Hey, didn't I kick your ass already?"

"Huh?" Jack turned and froze upon seeing Ichigo behind Ryuko, "Y-You? What are you doing here, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"That's none of your business," Ichigo smirked and reached for his spaulder. He was really going to enjoy taking down Jack after the hell he put him through when he first arrived at Honnouji Academy, "Stay back and enjoy your lunch, Ryuko. I got some unfinished business with this punk. Life Fiber Initial Release: Kamui Mugetsu!"

Before Jack could react or even try and flee, Ichigo jumped off the ground and punched him in the face, sending the newly reinstated club captain across the courtyard. As Jack landed in a heap some distance away, with Ichigo hot on his heels to enact vengeance, Ryuko calmly sat back down and went back to eating her lunch.

"Huh?" Mako, finally noticing Ichigo's disappearance, looking nervously around before turning to Ryuko, "Hey Ryuko, where did Ichigo run off to?"

"He's dealing with an old acquaintance," Ryuko answered calmly as she took a bite out of a croquette that was filled with steak, "He should be back in a few minutes."

"Ok!" Mako smiled happily and went back to eating.

Putting the strange event out of her mind, Ryuko went to pick up another croquette only for a large red whip to skewer her bento box, destroying all the food in it. With her mouth agape and her fingers trembling in rage, she slowly turned and saw what had to be one of the worst Goku Uniforms she had ever seen.

"Have I got your attention, Ryuko Matoi?" The mysterious club captain taunted, "For the one to defeat you will be me, the Nanjing Lily Club President Kagesaburo Kagero!"

With a deadpan expression on her face, Ryuko held her arm up and, with a complete lack of emotion in her voice, said, "Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu."

Kagesaburo was caught completely off guard as Ryuko vanished, to his eyes at least, before reappearing in front of him with her elbow driven into his stomach. As he gasped for breath, his Goku Uniform cracking around the point of impact, Ryuko looked up at him with a sadistic grin.

"Usually I would just destroy your stupid Goku Uniform," she explained as she held Kagesaburo up with a single hand while she continuously clenched and unclenched her free one, "But since you ruined my lunch, I'm going to make you suffer tremendously."

As Kagesaburo's screamed echoed through the area, Mako and Ururu continued to each their lunches without care. While Mako was mostly oblivious to the fighting going on around her, Ururu knew that Ichigo and Ryuko would be able to defeat their respective opponents without any trouble. As long as Nui Harime wasn't around, Ururu didn't feel the need to interfere. Speaking of Nui, after her brief clash against the Grand Couturier, Ururu found hserlf with the ability to sense whenever Nui Harime was nearby. While it wasn't enough to actually pinpoint Nui's location, it was more than enough to give Ururu a heads up for the eventually confrontation.

With her eyes closed and one hand holding her chopsticks, Ururu reached up and snagged the tightrope out of thin air before snapping it up and causing the Two-Star on it to go flying into the outer walls of Honnouji Academy.

"Wow!" Mako had stars in her eyes after seeing Ururu's skills, "That was super amazing, Ururu!"

A faint blush, similar to the one she always had a couple of years back, spread across Ururu's cheeks, "I-It was nothing, Mako."

There was a loud crash as Ichigo reappeared in front of them. With Tournesol held on his shoulder, he tossed the defeated, and nude, Jack Naito on the ground and sat back down. It felt great to finally, and decisively, kick Jack Naito's ass. After his first fight against the Two-Star, where he was mostly on the defensive, it was irony to see the situation reversed as much as it was.

"I've waited a long time to kick this bastard's ass."

"_**Don't you remember, Ichigo?" **_ Mugetsu's eyes looked at Jack's defeated form before focusing on her wearer, _**"It was during that fight that your blood first began to awaken me. You can even go so far as to say that he was responsible for our current partnership."**_

"Yeah, well," Ichigo kicked Jack for good measure before mentally commanding Mugetsu to transform back into her normal school outfit, "You were bound to wake up sooner or later."

"Are you talking to your uniform again?" Mako looked at Ichigo funnily, "That's so adorable!"

Ichigo was saved from giving Mako an answer as a frustrated Ryuko sat down beside him. Groaning in frustration at her battle, she rubbed a hand down her face and exclaimed, "What the hell is up with all these weird, ultra-specific clubs? Who honestly creates a Knife Throwing Club or a Nanjing Lily Club?"

"You shouldn't forget the Tightrope Walking Club," Ururu added stoically in between bites.

"There's seriously a Tightrope Walking Club?" Ryuko asked in bewilderment. When Ururu simply nodded back, Ryuko rolled her eyes, "Wow, this place is even more screwed up than I thought."

"It wasn't so bad a few days ago," Ichigo added, "Remember when that Tsumugu guy arrived? I was ambushed by the Archery Club on the way to meet you for lunch."

"At least that's a real club," Ryuko countered, "Hey Mako, you know anything about these stupid club captains?"

"Oh, that's a simple question!" Mako visibly swallowed all the food in her mouth at once before pointing at Jack's unconscious body with her chopsticks, "All these guys used to be in the Acrobatics Club, but once Lady Satsuki announced the prize for beating you, they split up and formed their own clubs. It's really quite simply and interesting when you don't really think about it."

"Prize?" Ryuko hadn't heard anything about such a thing, "What prize?"

Mako adopted a dreamy look as she continued explaining, "Lady Satsuki has announced that if someone beat you up, Ryuko, they'll be given the same status and power as a Three-Star. With Jakuzure kicked out of the Elite Four and now a member of our group, Lady Satsuki is looking for someone to replace her. Since the school rules say that only a club president can have a Two-Star Goku Uniform, various members of all the different clubs have begun splitting away and forming their own clubs. At this very moment, they are all gunning to take you down, Ryuko!"

"Why me? What about Ichigo?" Ichigo pointed to Ichigo angrily, "Is Satsuki giving out a prize for beating him?"

"Hmm…" Mako appeared to be in deep thought, if the smoke drifting out her ears was any indication, for several seconds before she shook her head and happily said, "Nope. A few days ago Lady Satsuki told the entire school that everyone was forbidden from going after Ichigo without her express permission. She also said that anyone who did so would face execution and torture for insubordination and treachery against her!"

"Holy hell…" Ichigo muttered in shock. Satsuki really wouldn't kill someone for wanting to fight him, would she? Thinking back during their fight, Ichigo realized that she would, in fact, do just that if it happened to be the most pragmatic option at the time.

"What's her deal with you, Ichigo?" Ryuko wondered as she looked him over. There was nothing overly special about him aside from his orange hair and the ability to wear a Kamui. Coming to a realization, she slyly smirked, "Oh, I know what's going on. The great Satsuki Kiryuin has a thing for you, Ichigo."

Ichigo nearly choked upon hearing that, "Wait. What?"

"WHAT?" Mako exclaimed in shock as both of her hands pressed against her cheeks, "Ichigo has grabbed the romantic attention of Lady Satsuki? This is just like out of a manga or something!"

"Give it a rest, Mako," Ichigo spat out and grumbled, "Besides, even if that happens to be true, she's not the kind of person I would even think of dating. I would never be seen with someone who would force people to bet their lives for power. What she's doing isn't right."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Ryuko decided to change the subject, "Hey Mako, why would these chumps attack us even if they had no shot at winning?"

"It's all for a better life," Mako said vigorously while staring into the distance, "In Honnou City, one's social class is determined by the number of stars on their school uniform. They are all desperate enough to bring their values out of poverty that they would fight you even if they can't win."

"Man, this place is messed up to hell and back," Ryuko rested her chin on the palm of her hand. After several seconds, she blinked and grinned as an idea came to her, "Hang on a second! I have an idea of how to cheat the system…"

"It better not be what I think it is," Ichigo warned.

"Don't worry," Ryuko waved off his concern uncaringly, "I know that's illegal now, so you don't worry about getting into trouble again."

"It's not going to be a good idea."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>In one of the many corridors of Honnouji Academy, the various students, whether they were No-Stars or One-Stars, fearfully parted as a single figure angrily stalked her way through. Pulling her white beret down over her eyes, Nonon Jakuzure grumbled menacingly about the stupidly of those around her as well as her mission.<p>

"Grumble…grumble…stupid Strawberry…grumble…"

Nonon was truly pissed off, but for the first time in days it wasn't at any of her fellow No-Stars. For the first three or four days after Lady Satsuki publically expelled her from the Elite Four, which Gamagori and Sanageyama putting in their helpful input to make it seem believable, Nonon had to put up with jeers and insults from Two-Stars and other students over her failures. It was only when she snapped, turned around and grabbed a Two-Star's face before pushing it through a brick wall that the insults stopped flying. With everyone backing off and leaving her along, Nonon was free to focus on her mission, but there was one problem that she couldn't fix.

Her attempts and ingratiating herself with Strawberry's group were failing faster than someone attempting to assassinate Lady Satsuki.

"What am I doing wrong?" Nonon mumbled quietly before grimacing, "It can't be me. It has to be something on Strawberry's end."

Nonon tried to figure out what she was doing wrong, but kept coming up with nothing. Lady Satsuki had entrusted to her the mission to figure out the secret behind Ichigo and the Transfer Student's Kamui, but she had yet to find anything of value. Even after giving that stupid Transfer Student the information she needed to beat Sanageyama, they still didn't trust her. What the hell did she need to do to gain their trust? Did she need to go up and publically slap Lady Satsuki?

"Pfft," Nonon stuck her tongue out in disgust, "Even I wouldn't stoop that low just to make friends."

It was bad enough that she had to publically work against Lady Satsuki, which made her feel nauseous just thinking about it, but to actively try and be nice to her enemies was sickening. Ichigo and the Transfer Student were working to bring down Lady Satsuki's sandcastle and she was helping, albeit as a spy, to make it happen. Why couldn't they just trust that Satsuki knew what she was doing?

"Because they're morons," Nonon answered herself while spitting on the angrily.

Noticing something weird from the windows overlooking the massive Honnouji Academy courtyard, Nonon turned and saw Ichigo and the Transfer Student take out several Two-Star students with relative ease. As she watched them no-sell the various attacks, Nonon couldn't help but notice Ichigo go after his opponent with a vigor and anger that she hadn't seen in their fight.

"That guy looks familiar," Nonon narrowed her eyes and a bemused smirk appeared on her face upon recognizing Jack Naito, "Oh? It's that boy that Lady Satsuki sacrificed to fight against Strawberry on his very first day. I wonder why she decided to give him back his Two-Star Goku Uniform."

Nonon really didn't care about his motives. She just enjoyed seeing Ichigo beat the crap out of Jack Naito. Seeing something strange happening near where Ryuko was eating lunch, Nonon whistled in awe as she saw Ururu defeat a ridiculous club president without even looking up. While Ururu's superhuman strength and reflexes caused Nonon to make a mental note to inform Lady Satsuki later, she had a mission to complete.

"There has to be something I'm missing," Nonon pressed her face angrily against the glass as she focused on Ichigo's fight, "There's no way in hell Strawberry is better than Lady Satsuki!"

While she wasn't the most observant or intelligent person, Nonon prided herself on being able to see things others don't notice. That is why as she watched Ichigo's fight against Jack Naito, her irritation kept rising. There had to be a secret to Ichigo's Kamui that Satsuki just wasn't aware of. Once she managed to discover that secret, Lady Satsuki would easily and quickly wipe the floor with these two upstarts and show them just how powerful of a person she really was. It couldn't be that Strawberry was more worthy of wearing a Kamui than Lady Satsuki. That was just impossible! There was no one on Earth with more ambition, will, determination and the notion to see it through than Lady Satsuki. She was the only one worthy of a Kamui!

"What's his secret?" Nonon muttered angrily before cursing and spitting to the side, "I'm going to get you for this, Strawberry! Once I'm done with this stupid mission, I'm going to make you pay dearly! And the Transfer Student is going to get what's coming to her as well. I'm the ruler of the skies, damn it! The next time we fight, I'm going to clip your wings permanently!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I still think this is a terrible idea."<p>

"If you think it's so bad why haven't you stopped me?" Ryuko scoffed at Ichigo's caution as she planted the chair she was holding in the ground. Crossing her legs and leaning back, she motioned with her thumb towards the wooden post next to her that read 'FIGHT CLUB' and said, "This is a perfectly good idea. What could go wrong?"

"That's right, Ichigo!" Mako exclaimed in unison. Waving the large white banner with the club's name on it happily, she added, "Ryuko knows what she's doing, after all!"

"I know you believe this will work, Mako," Ichigo sighed and turned towards Ururu with a deadpan expression on his face. Pointing at her, he asked, "But I still don't understand how the hell you managed to convince Ururu to take part in your little scheme."

Standing across from Ryuko and wearing her sparring gear was Ururu. The fear and terror that Ichigo felt upon seeing the same gear that nearly killed him the last time they fought was only countered by how adorable Ururu managed to look. If he didn't know any better, Ichigo would have wrongfully assumed Ururu was completely harmless. She had already asked him to spar twice to, in her own words, 'draw in a crowd' and Ichigo's fingers were constantly twitching toward the spaulder on his shoulder in case Ururu decided to become proactive.

"It's going to be alright, Ichigo," Ururu said softly with a slight smile on her face. While she was usually averse to recreational fighting of any kind, Ururu didn't see the Fight Club as such. To her, the idea of organized, and safe, sparring between two willing club members with no chance of someone dying or getting too injured was perfectly fine, "I think Ryuko's idea of starting a Fight Club is fine. It sounds like a lot of fun, after all."

Ichigo grimaced at the thought of Ururu's definition of 'fun.' As sweet and kind as she may be, there were some things that just went over her head, such as the fact that most humans can't crush rocks in their bare hands, "It's not you I'm worried about…"

"What's got you so scared?" Ryuko chuckled and closed her eyes, "I already told you that my plan has no flaws. I'm just working the system."

"Is that so?"

As if on cue, Ira Gamagori's massive persona appeared in front of Ryuko. With his large, gauntleted arms folded across his massive chest and a scowl adorning his face, Gamagori did not look pleased in the slightest upon seeing what Ryuko was attempting to do. When his eyes noticed what she had written on the wooden post next to her, his scowl deepened even further, "What is the meaning of this abrupt and rude public disturbance, Matoi? Have you filled out the proper paperwork to hold a non-violent demonstration?"

"You have eyes, don't you?" Ryuko smugly answered, "I'm starting a Fight Club."

"Hmm…" Gamagori looked at Ichigo, then Ururu before finally focusing back on Ryuko, "And I am to assume that you have managed to talk your follow students into your delusions? Don't screw with us, Matoi. If you do, I can guarantee you'll be buried in the paperwork for so long that you won't want to look at a pencil ever again."

"Like I'm scared of a little paperwork," Ryuko retorted, "If you ever do that to me, I'll just burn it all. Besides, you are the ones screwing with me by forcing all the students to form idiotic clubs and come after me. I mean, really, the Nanjing Lily Club? Whose bright idea was that anyway?"

Gamagori cleared his throat while he nervously adjusted the collar of his uniform just subtly enough that Ichigo and Matoi didn't pick up on it. They didn't need to know that with Jakuzure undercover as their mutual acquaintance against Lady Satsuki, he had been designated the temporary Non-Athletic Committee Chair by Lady Satsuki. One of his jobs as the temporary chair was to approve and reject various clubs as well as their names, "The club naming system of Honnouji Academy is not up for discussion, Matoi! The rules of this academy are ironclad! IRONCLAD! There are to be no exceptions or irregularities whatsoever!"

"Well, if that's the case, then you're looking at the new Fight Club President Ryuko Matoi!"

"Do you seriously think you have the clout to start a club out of the blue?" Gamagori half-asked, half- stated as he leaned over Ryuko menacingly, "It takes more than just a notion for a club to be formed."

"Oh?" Ryuko questioned and propped her feet up on the table Gamagori had so helpfully brought with him, "Like what?"

One of Gamagori's eyebrows rose in interest, "For starters, you will need a Vice-President to handle the non-administrative aspects of the club such as scheduling meetings and events as well as dealing with complaints from other students."

Ryuko looked back and forth before reaching over and dragging a perplexed Ururu to her side, "Ururu here is the Vice-President! If anyone has a problem with my methods, they can take it up with Ururu!"

Failing to dissuade her, Gamagori's eyebrow began twitching in anger, "Touché Matoi, but two members do not a club make. You also need a treasurer to deal with all the finances of the club."

"Mako!" Ryuko's call woke up Mako, who had fallen asleep while standing up.

Shaking her head to get rid of the still-lingering cobwebs, Mako saluted Ryuko, "Yes Ryuko?"

With a sly grin and not taking her eyes off Gamagori's annoyed face, Ryuko asked, "Mako, what's six raised to the sixth power?"

"Forty-six thousand six hundred and fifty-six!" Mako answered without hesitation before giggling, "Numbers are fun!"

To say that everyone was stunned would be an understatement. Ichigo was looking at Mako in a whole new light while Gamagori was rubbing his eyes in an attempt to remove the hallucination.

"Holy crap," Ichigo muttered in awe, "She's a damn math savant."

"Uhh…" For once Gamagori had nothing to say. Ryuko had effectively, and legally, countered each and every one of his points and arguments. Turning to Ichigo, he asked, "I don't suppose you're a part of this?"

Ichigo shook his head, "I want nothing to do with the Fight Club."

Gamagori stared down Ichigo for a moment before taking a deep breath and barking, "Matoi! You may have the required members to send in a form for club approval, but do you actually think such a thing would ever happen?"

The question had barely finished being asked before a bright light shone down from the top of Honnouji Academy. While Gamagori turned around to face who he knew was there, Ichigo and Ryuko winced slightly from the light.

"I'll allow the formation of this club!" Satsuki Kiryuin's authoritative voice echoed down.

"God damn, Satsuki Kiryuin," Ryuko muttered angrily as she stared up at said girl, "Up there looking down on us from high on her perch. I bet she's never had a problem in her entire life."

With Bakuzan planted firmly on the ground, Satsuki stared down at Ryuko, a sly and knowing smirk on her face, "Matoi, I take it from your childish attempt at forming a club that you're trying to ingratiate yourself within my system?"

"Pfft!" Ryuko stuck her tongue out at Satsuki, "As if! I'm only joining your systems so I can bring it down from the inside. I can't wait to see your expression when everything you built comes crashing down around your ears!"

"How drôle. Do try and not get dragged under by the current along the way," Satsuki quipped before turning her attention towards Ichigo, "And I see you are here as well, Ichigo. Tell me something. Are you going to join Matoi's Fight Club?"

"No," Ichigo answered without breaking eye contact, "But just because I'm not joining, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you just trample all over her."

"I see…" Satsuki's eye narrowed perceptively upon hearing Ichigo's answer. To be perfectly honest, she hadn't been expecting that sort of answer from him. Her assumption was that Ichigo would do one of two things. The most likely choice was that he would stay out of Matoi's way, allowing her to be corrupted by the power afforded to her as a club captain and potentially leading Matoi to joining her cause. The second choice, while not as likely as the first, was that Ichigo would actively participate in the Fight Club, allowing Satsuki to subtly influence them both until they became enemies. She should have expected Ichigo to take a third option.

"I look forward to seeing how that works out for you, Ichigo," Satsuki smirked as she turned to walk away, "Perhaps it will allow us to continue our fight without time restrictions. Gamagori!"

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Gamagori bowed his head before turning to Ryuko and slamming a table on the ground in front of her, "Matoi! Let us begin the paperwork!"

To no one's surprise, lines of One-Star students appeared behind Gamagori upon his announcement. Even so, Ryuko couldn't help but whistle, "Wow. You sure do switch gears fast."

"Despite my preference on the matter, Lady Satsuki has spoken and I must abide by whatever her decision may be," Gamagori formally stated before dropping large stacks of documentation on the table, "Matoi! As the president of the Fight Club, you are required by law to submit your club activity log every Friday by 4:00 PM. At the end of each and every month, excluding this one, your expenses are to be settled promptly and new expense applications for the next month are to be filed perfectly and in order."

Ryuko stared blankly at the piles of paperwork crowding the table and could only utter, "Guh?"

Uncaring of Ryuko's state of mind, Gamagori continued, "In addition to the previous requirements, you must also submit a Club Use Request Form in triplicate, sign the Honnouji Academy Club Contract and hand in a complete club member spreadsheet complete with their family members, emergency contacts, and life insurance policies. Lastly, every morning at 7:00 AM there will be the Club President Council Meeting, which you are required to attend without fail! Any questions Matoi?"

Ryuko continued to stare at the paperwork, one eye twitching in angst, before pulled Mako over, "I lied to you. My friend, Mako Mankanshoku, says she would love to be the club president!"

"Bwa?" Mako's scream of shock caused everyone to wince in pain. As she began blubbering incoherently and nervous tears threatened to fall from her eyes, Ryuko began consoling her.

"You'll be a fine club president, Mako," Ryuko calmly said as she patted Mako on the head, "The main point of this club is for me to fight, so everything's pretty much already set up. After I beat the crap out of all the other club presidents, your reputation will skyrocket and your family will live in a better house."

"I know all that," Mako blubbered, "But I don't wanna be a club president!"

"I believe in you Mako," Ururu said cheerfully, but the lack of emotion in her voice negated some of its impact, "I'll help you be the best club president in all of Honnouji Academy."

"R-Really?" Mako asked tearfully.

Ururu nodded, "Uh huh."

With his hands in his pockets, Ichigo watched the scene with mild interest. He should have expected Ryuko to do something like pawning off the responsibilities of being a club president as soon as she saw how much work it would be. The only question he had is whether or not Mako could handle the strain of the job. Back in Karakura Town, he had taken quite a few odd jobs during his school breaks. A few of them had involved him doing inventory and crap like that. He just hoped Mako didn't think she could do everything on her own.

"I give them a week tops."

Ichigo looked upwards and saw Gamagori standing behind him. Standing in the giant man's shadow with a crestfallen expression, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Did I stutter, Ichigo Kurosaki," Gamagori glanced down at Ichigo briefly, "I give the Fight Club a week before it collapses in on itself. Matoi has no real motivation to form a club and Mankanshoku will collapse under the strain of being a club president. It's such a shame to see talent wasted on the youth."

Ichigo had to double take when he heard what Gamagori said, "Wasted on the youth? Just how many grades were you held back for anyway?"

"I'll have you know I'm only nineteen years old, Ichigo Kurosaki," Gamagori growled before coughing into his hand, "But there is another matter. Lady Satsuki requests your presence within the hour."

"Oh," and with that, any good mood that Ichigo may have had went away. He didn't like talking to Satsuki and went out of his way to publically avoid her. The matter wasn't helped by her apparent interest in him. Rumors had begun spreading until a few students, the instigators of said rumors, abruptly disappeared one night, "I thought she would leave me alone after I kicked not just her ass, but her little lackey's as well. You can go tell her that I want nothing to do with whatever she's planning."

"Who said you had a choice in the matter?"

Before Ichigo could respond, Gamagori reached down, grabbed Ichigo and threw him over his shoulder before turning to walk away. As Ryuko and Ururu started to get up and stop him, Gamagori turned and said, "Go about your business! Ichigo Kurosaki has a scheduled meeting with Lady Satsuki that he must attend! He will be returned to you unharmed physically and mentally within three hours. You have my word as the Disciplinary Committee Chair!"

"Oh." Seemingly giving up on saving him, Ryuko sat back down and waved goodbye, "Have fun talking to Satsuki, Ichigo. We'll see you back at Mako's new digs."

"What!" Ichigo couldn't believe that he was being betrayed by Ryuko, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Yeah," Ururu mirrored Ryuko in waving goodbye, "Have fun Ichigo."

"Damn you both!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Would you like some tea, Ichigo?"<p>

"No thanks."

"Suit yourself," Satsuki waved away Soroi's attempt to give Ichigo tea with her hand. She had offered Ichigo Kurosaki the tea as a sign of courtesy and respect, but since he didn't want any, it would be prudent to keep stringing him along. Sipping her tea and sighing pleasurably at the familiar taste, she closed her eyes and asked, "Do you perchance know why I've called you up to my private chambers?"

"I have an idea," Ichigo muttered as she folded his arms and looked around. Half the stuff hanging on the walls was more expensive than everything he owned put together. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that Byakuya would find her tastes in art and decoration to be 'acceptable.' Refocusing on Satsuki, he added, "But I don't think that's why you called me up here."

"Indeed it is not," Satsuki agreed without opening her eyes, "Those that spread such dreadful and false rumors must be forced to account for their actions. It is simply preposterous that I harbor any sort of emotional feelings for you. You and Matoi are obstacles in the path of my goals, and as such you two must be dealt with."

"And how did that work out for you last time?" It seemed his question struck a nerve as Ichigo noticed Satsuki's fingers tightening around her teacup.

"I will agree that my previous method was a tad…confrontational," Satsuki put her teacup down before she shattered it. She had to remind herself that Ichigo Kurosaki was not one of her Elite Four or even Matoi. He was someone that not only beat her while she was using Junketsu's full power, but did it without anger or emotions. If she had fought Matoi, Satsuki assumed that she would have been greatly angry with her. That anger would have clouded her judgment and dampened her skills. Opening her blue eyes and staring directly into Ichigo's brown ones, she asked, "Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

"I'm not going to be your student council Vice-President," Ichigo answered bluntly as he stood up to leave. If that was the whole point of this little meeting, then he had nothing else to talk about. Before he could take three steps, he found Satsuki's Bakuzan hovering next to his neck.

"We are not done speaking, Ichigo," Satsuki ordered authoritatively. She couldn't believe that Ichigo would have the gall to rudely leave her presence. Power or not, she was not about to just let him get away with it, "There is still one matter I need to discuss with you."

Ichigo looked at Bakuzan before turning to face Satsuki. He didn't like having a sword pointed at his neck for no reason. Eyes narrowing in annoyance, he coldly asked, "What?"

"Your Kamui, Mugetsu was it?" Satsuki's eyes drifted down until they locked gazes with one of Mugetsu's, causing the Kamui to narrow them and growl in retaliation. Despite the fact that Satsuki didn't feel like she was going to attack Ichigo, Mugetsu still didn't appreciate the looks she was receiving. Satsuki, upon noticing the reaction she was getting from Mugetsu, stepped back and sheathed Bakuzan, "So my theory was correct. Kamui are indeed sentient to the point where they can understand and visualize the world around them. If the reaction I received from Mugetsu is any indication, they are also able to heard and comprehend verbal commands and phrases."

"What's the point?" Ichigo didn't like where Satsuki was going with this. He wasn't some mannequin for her to stare at.

"My point is as follows." As she spread her arms out wide, Satsuki motioned for Ichigo to look at Junketsu, "When you bear witness to the majesty of Junketsu, what do you see?"

At first Ichigo thought Satsuki was joking, but upon seeing the stern look on her face, he decided to humor her. As he looked over Junketsu, from Satsuki's shoulders down to her thigh-high boots, Ichigo felt, rather than saw, the Kamui's gaze on him. While Junketsu still did not say a word to him, he could sense the hatred wafting off the Kamui. It wasn't directed at him, that much he knew, but that it seemed to hold such hatred for Satsuki gave Ichigo cause for concern.

**_"I sense it too, Ichigo,"_**Mugetsu's voice was full of caution upon sensing Junketsu. While her interaction with Danketsu was one of mutual dislike and with Senketsu one of annoyance, Mugetsu did not understand Junketsu's motivation. That Junketsu did not say a word, even in the presence of another Kamui made Mugetsu think something was off with it, **_"You can feel it, can't you Ichigo? Junketsu's hatred for Satsuki Kiryuin is nearly palpable. If given half a chance, it would devour her without hesitation."_**

"Is something the matter, Ichigo?" Satsuki's question brought Ichigo's attention away from his conversation with Mugetsu, "It appears that you were listening intently to something I could not hear. Could it be your Kamui?"

Ichigo wasn't that shocked that Satsuki realized Mugetsu was talking with him. She was anything if not observant if the way she fought him was any indication. Shrugging his shoulders, he wanted to keep his mouth shut, but at the same time he didn't want to see Satsuki die. He may seriously dislike her, but he would not want to see her die.

"I was just thinking about something," Ichigo dodged around the question expertly, "And it concerns your Kamui."

"Oh?" Satsuki's eyebrow rose in mild interest, "And what might that be?"

Deciding against skirting around the issue, Ichigo bluntly said, "Junketsu hates you with every Life Fiber of its being. You should stop wearing it as soon as possible. If you let your guard down once, it won't hesitate to kill you.

"So am I to assume this advice is coming out of some concern for me?" Satsuki asked as she turned her back to Ichigo, "That is what I've come to expect from you, Ichigo. Showing concern and mercy for your enemies even when they are trying to kill you. Chivalry exists in the world, but you should be careful not to let it cloud your judgment, Ichigo. There are those more opportunistic than myself in this world that won't hesitate to use your chivalry against you."

Ichigo remained silent as she walked over to the large windows of her private quarters and gazed upon the autumn afternoon, "Junketsu's dislike for me is not news. Since the moment I shared with it my life blood, it has constantly tested and probed my mental defenses for a weakness, but it is all for naught! My will and determination are like a castle while Junketsu's attacks are nothing more than thrown rocks! It will be a cold day in hell when my mind becomes weak enough to fall victim to clothing!"

Mugetsu growled at Satsuki's lack of respect and appreciation for Kamui, and Ichigo couldn't help but agree. Kamui weren't things designed to be enslaved and controlled by humans. Through his time working with Mugetsu, Ichigo had come to realize he and his Kamui needed to work together to be at their most powerful. Satsuki was strong, that much was true, but as long as she kept her current point of view, she would never be strong enough to take him down. Ichigo only hoped she realized her mistake before Junketsu killed her.

"Whatever," Ichigo mockingly waved goodbye as he turned to leave. Perhaps he would be able to take three steps before getting a sword pointed at his neck, "Tell me how that works out for you when I defeat you a second time."

Satsuki didn't bother to face Ichigo as he left. Once he was gone, she winced and clasped a hand on her shoulder. It seemed that Junketsu hadn't appreciated being in such close contact with his Mugetsu, but Satsuki couldn't understand what would cause such a negative reaction. There had to be something she was missing. As the pain abated for the moment, Satsuki sat back down and consoled herself with the knowledge that Jakuzure would soon return with the information she needed to unlock Junketsu's actual power.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Aikuro Mikisugi sat alone in his classroom. Staring out over the night sky above Honnou City, he couldn't help but reminisce about the day's events.<p>

"Well," He muttered as he chewed on the end of his cigarette, "Ryuko completely fell for Satsuki Kiruin's trap hook, line and sinker. At least Ichigo was wise enough to stay on the sidelines. That will make bringing her back a lot easier in the long run."

Ruffling a hand through his blue unkempt hair, Aikuro sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "It's been a while since we've met face to face. How have you been, Kinue?"

Sitting in Aikuro's chair with her legs propped up on the desk was Kinue Kinagase. While she still wore the same type of biker's outfit as when she saved Ryuko's life, she had changed the colors to match up with Danketsu. It was a small nod of acknowledgement to her Kamui and it was only the first of many steps to helping it recover.

"Pretty good I guess," she answered calmly. Despite what she was doing, she still couldn't express herself too much. It seemed that her attempts at helping Danketsu only made the Kamui more pissed off, "Nothing's really happened except I learned that hearing my Kamui speak isn't a sign of insanity."

"Oh?" Aikuro was slightly intrigued. Sure, he had heard Ryuko and Ichigo speak and listen to their Kamui, but he assumed it was more of a symbolic thing since he couldn't hear anything, "That's good news I guess. I was worried that you would snap and come after me. I was all prepared to take you down and stuff."

Kinue's hand shot out faster than Aikuro could react to and beaned him in the forehead with his coffee mug. As he held his slightly bleeding forehead, Kinue got up and walked over to the window next to him, "Satsuki Kiryuin is playing them for fools."

"Well…" Aikuro rubbed his nose to make sure it wasn't broken, "Really she's only playing Ryuko. Ichigo, on the other hand, is savvy enough to not get involved with Satsuki's schemes."

"Still…" Kinue clenched a fist and ignored Danketsu's demands to fight Junketsu. It seemed that every time her Kamui wanted to fight, it would pick out a random Kamui. It was almost as if it couldn't make up its' mind, "…there is no doubt that Satsuki will try and influence Ichigo in some way, shape or form. She has never met someone that she considered her equal. Ryuko, as much as we would think otherwise, is nothing more than an extremely belligerent pawn for Satsuki. As much as she wishes to take down Honnouji Academy's ruler, Satsuki simply brushes off her attempts and baits her along with enough information to keep her on the leash."

"It's not that bad," Aikuro muttered, "Ichigo's broken some of the hold Satsuki has on Ryuko. Did you know he's already told her who he thinks killed her dad?"

Kinue looked surprised at Aikuro's information before shaking her head in amusement. She should have known that Aikuro would be able to find out information such as that. He wasn't Nudist Beach's top information gatherer for nothing. Chuckling lightly, she folded her arms across her chest and said, "It's good to see that you haven't changed much since our last meeting. I would have thought going undercover as a teacher would dampen your skills, but they seem to be as sharp as ever."

Aikuro smirked back, "Some things never change."

"I suppose they don't," Kinue quipped before refocusing herself, "You said that Ichigo told Ryuko about her father's murderer. Who did he say it was?"

"I'll give you three guesses." Aikuro solemnly held up three fingers, "Here's a hint: Her name starts with the letter 'N'.'"

Kinue bit back a curse as she felt Danketsu become riled upon hearing the Grand Couturier's name, "Nui Harime…I should have known it was someone like her. There aren't many people that would have been able to take down Professor Matoi in his own home. The man had defenses specifically designed to destroy Life Fiber clothing and weapons. Only the Grand Couturier would have been strong enough to simply stroll right through the automated defenses without so much as a single scratch."

"Ryuko knowing about Nui Harime will only help her in the long run," Aikuro turned away from the window and moved to his desk. Unlocked the bottom-most drawer, he began rifling through various files he had been meticulously keeping. Humming as he searched for a particular one he explained, "I don't think I need to remind you about how the Grand Couturier likes to fight. We lost enough operatives getting what little we know about her that it would be dishonorable to not put it to good use."

Kinue took the folder from Aikuro without saying a word. As she flipped through the mostly detailed pages, she couldn't begin to think about the amount of operatives Nudist Beach has lost to the Grand Couturier. The ones that were found dead were always considered the lucky ones. At least they knew what happened to them and could inform their families that they fell in the line of duty. It was the ones that were never found…or partially found…that caused Kinue to pause upon the thought of fighting the Grand Couturier. There was a reason Nui Harime got to where she was and thinking of her as nothing more than a teenage girl with superhuman abilities would only lead to an untimely and violent death.

"_Strengths…tactics…knowledge…abilities…they are all in here. Yet none of that will be helpful if I'm forced to confront her again."_

Everything that Nudist Beach knew about Nui Harime was in this folder. The only problem was that they didn't know what her weaknesses might be. Even six months later, headquarters was still trying to puzzle out how Professor Matoi managed to blind Nui's left eye. Any previous attempts at hurting the Grand Couturier all failed without causing injuries. What did Professor Matoi have up his sleeve that Nui Harime didn't expect?"

Noticing a small addendum to the bottom of one page, Kinue frowned, "I noticed that you added my observations from my encounter with the Grand Couturier in Rome."

Nui Harime liked to talk, and by talk Kinue meant hold entire one-sided conversations with her opponent. During their clash in Rome, where Kinue managed to get away mostly unscathed, Nui had tried baiting her time and time again with information that the Grand Couturier should not have access to. It was only thanks to her ironclad grip on her emotions that Kinue didn't snap back at her.

Aikuro smiled smugly, "Who knew the Grand Couturier would be distracted by a sweets shop? Perhaps we should create a candy bazooka to take her down? But on a more serious note, we need to figure out what she hopes to accomplish from her little gambit. How does telling Ryuko about murdering her father give her an advantage? I can see how it might make Ryuko angry, but what else are we missing?"

"That's her exact goal," Kinue said in realization as she completely understood the Grand Couturier's final plan, "Nui Harime is banking every aspect of her strategy on enraging Ryuko with the knowledge of her father's murder. Ryuko doesn't know what happens to those that lose control over their Kamui, does she? If she snaps as badly as I think she will, Senketsu will merge with her body and form a bloody, raging monster. I don't think I need to remind you how bad that would be."

Aikuro grimaced while his eyes narrowed. That day would forever live in his memories as one of the few that he was absolutely sure he was going to die.

_Flashback – 10 Years Ago_

_Aikuro pushed against the flow of fleeing Nudist Beach operatives as he held a hand to his side. He could feel the blood seeping through his fingers, the result of being thrown through a safety window and getting a shard of glass stabbed in his abdomen._

"_Tsumugu!" Aikuro pressed a finger to his ear and shouted in order to be heard over the emergency alarm going off, "Where is she heading?"_

"_She's heading along North Corridor B!" Tsumugu's response was punctuated by a loud explosion, "She's already torn through two bulkheads! If we don't stop her soon, she's going to reach the surface!"_

_Kinue, or whatever she had become, could not be allowed to reach the surface. Nudist Beach operatives had weapons designed to take down and destroy Life Fiber clothing, but so far their efforts had amounted to crap. If Kinue reached the surface before she was stopped, the death toll would easily reach in the thousands._

"_Do what you can to stall her!" Aikuro ordered as he reached in his pocket for his specialized ammunition. It was only one bullet, but it should do the trick, "I have something that should take her out."_

"_What?" Tsumugu's pain-filled voiced shouted through the earpiece, "She's my sister! We can't kill her."_

"_We don't have a choice," Aikuro grimaced as he stepped over several dead operatives. From the wounds on their bodies, it was clear that Kinue had quickly, and hopefully painlessly, dismembered them, "Pretty soon we won't have enough people to even stall her."_

"_I know," Tsumugu's voice lowered in regret and Aikuro could barely hear him over the siren, "Just give me a chance to – "_

_Whatever Tsumugu said next was cut off as a loud, and distinctly feminine, roar echoed through the Nudist Beach base. Turning around a corner and opening the door to the stairwell, he hoped that he would make it in time. He still could not believe how this all started._

_It had been a simple training exercise. The same one that Kinue had been doing almost every day for the past three months. There were no deviations, changes or anything different about it except for the number of enemies and overall configuration of the training chamber. Aikuro had been the overseer for the day's exercise and for the first half hour everything had gone smoothly. With the aid of her Kamui, Danketsu Professor Matoi had dubbed it, Kinue was looking to be their secret weapon against Revocs. What better weapon was there to use against those that used Life Fibers?_

_Then Kinue started losing control._

_Aikuro had asked what was wrong, but Kinue couldn't explain what was happening. All she could say was that Danketsu was getting angry and telling her to destroy her enemies. Aikuro, panicking at Kinue's state of mind, told her to stop the exercise but it was already too late. Kinue screamed and halfway through it, she was surrounded by a burst of purple and blue light that looked and felt wrong to Aikuro. Before he was thrown backwards and through the observation window, Aikuro was sure he saw a bloody purple and blue monster with Kinue's hair cutting its way out of the test chamber._

"_Damn it," Aikuro's fist tightened around the Adhesive Bullet in his pocket. It would work to stop Kinue's bloody rampage, but Aikuro wasn't certain if she would survive the effects._

_End Flashback_

Aikuro considered everyone fortunate that Tsumugu was somehow able to bring his sister back from whatever hell she had gone to. Even so, the death toll from her rampage was staggering. Thirty three operatives died trying to stop her and over one hundred more were injured. Kinue herself had almost died from blood loss and it was only due to Tsumugu sharing the same type of blood that she survived at all.

That day was the last he saw Kinue or Tsumugu truly smile.

"Nobody blamed you for what happened," Aikuro stated the obvious, "Not even Professor Matoi expected what happened to occur. You were the first human to wear a Kamui and survive. The effects, good and bad, on your mind were completely unknown."

"I am aware of that," Kinue answered stoically, "But I fear for what might happen to Ryuko. I trust that Ichigo will not lose control of his emotions. He is, after all, Masaki's son. If the worst comes to pass, do you think you'll be able to kill Ryuko to stop her?"

"I don't know," Aikuro admitted solemnly, "But let's hope that never happens. I don't want to die and find Professor Matoi waiting to kick my ass up in heaven."

The corners of Kinue's lips curled up in a facsimile of a smile, "I'm glad you haven't changed much over the years. You mentioned that Ichigo told Ryuko that Nui Harime was the most probable suspect for Professor Matoi's murder, correct?"

Upon seeing Aikuro nod, Kinue let out a sigh of relief, "That's just what we needed to happen. If she is aware of her father's killer, when the Grand Couturier tries to break the news as badly as possible, Ryuko won't snap as badly."

"That only leaves the question of Nui Harime's obsession with Ichigo," Aikuro had pondered what the Grand Couturier's motives were, but came up with nothing.

"My best guess…" Kinue narrowed her eyes in thought, "…is that it has something to do with Isshin's past connection with Ragyo. It would be helpful he had been more forthcoming with information concerning their relationship."

Aikuro smirked seductively, "Just be glad Isshin's told us anything at all. More than half of the information we have on Revocs and Ragyo Kiryuin is due to Isshin's firsthand knowledge."

"Before I take my leave, there is just one last thing I need to ask you." Kinue paused in mid-stride as she turned back to Aikuro, "I noticed another girl always hanging around or near Ichigo. Your report says that she transferred from Karakura Town a few days after Ichigo. Do you know who she is?"

"Her name is Ururu Tsumugiya, and all I know is that Isshin sent her to protect Ichigo," Aikuro explained as he put back on his thick glasses. It wouldn't be proper for a student to see him half naked after all, "At first I didn't know what he meant by that, but after hearing that the Grand Couturier has been stalking about, with her focus fixated on Ichigo, I think I understand why. Her strength is monstrous. She was able to defeat Sanageyama in seconds, not in his Blade Regalia mind you, and stop Tsumugu in his tracks."

"That is not Ururu Tsumugiya," Kinue felt trepidation as her thoughts continued to swirl around one central concept, "In all likelihood, the real Ururu was killed long before arriving at Honnou City. Ichigo and Ryuko are in grave danger."

It took Aikuro a moment to see the connection, but when he did he moved quickly. Rushing back to his desk, he began haphazardly pulling out folders and pictures. Eventually grabbing Ururu's file, he slid it open on the desk next to the file on Nui Harime and nearly collapsed upon seeing the two pictures side by side, "Dear god…how could I have not seen it?"

"I'm going out to stop her," Kinue stormed towards the window and threw it open in one motion. With one foot firmly on the frame and her hand on the side, she turned to Aikuro and said, "If I have any luck, I should be able to expose her plans long before they come to fruition. Watch my back Aikuro."

"I will…" Aikuro watched Kinue fall to the ground before she disappeared into the distance, "…and be careful."

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #7 - Not Meant For Children<strong>

If there was one thing Tessai Tsukabishi loved, it was the peace and quiet that enveloped the shop whenever Kisuke and Yoruichi left to do things. Kisuke called it research, but Tessai was no idiot. He didn't care to know about their debauchery or whatever they planned to do. Whenever Kisuke would announce they were leaving, Tessai would simply nod and warn them about getting caught or in trouble.

As he checked off another set of items while doing inventory, Tessai heard the bell above the front door of the shop ring. Wondering who it could be, since it was nearly ten at night, he arched an eyebrow and headed to the front of the shop. Upon entering, he was greeted with the sight of an overly dressed blonde haired girl in a pink Lolita dress walking down the aisles with a smile on her face.

"I must apologize," Tessai said in his normally deep voice, "But the shop is closed. If you want to buy something, you'll have to come back tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM."

"Oh, that's not a problem," Nui Harime cheerfully correctly, "I'm actually looking for someone. Are you Kisuke Urahara?"

"You're looking for the boss?" Tessai hummed thoughtfully before saying, "Mr. Urahara is out of town and won't be back for a few days. As his assistant, I am privy to everything he knows. Perhaps I could be of service?"

"That's awesome!" Nui said happily as she pulled out her purple Scissor Blade. As the light reflected off the surface of the weapon, an unholy glee filled Nui's remaining eye, "Perhaps you can tell me where the Life Fibers are?"

It all happened so fast that Nui didn't see it coming. One minute she was holding her Scissor Blade against the defenseless human and the next the weapon was missing. Blinking owlishly and looking at her empty hand, Nui looked up and saw Tessai holding her Scissor Blade delicately in his hands.

"Children should not play with sharp objects," Tessai said as the light glinted menacingly off his glasses, "I see from your eye patch that you have already learned this lesson the hard way."

Nui quickly recovered from her shock and twirled around before reappearing behind Tessai with her arm outstretched, "Stealing is wrong you know."

Almost as if able to see her, Tessai turned and grasped Nui by the back of her dress, "But when stealing is done to keep someone from further hurting themselves, then it is fine."

Walking towards the front of the shop, Tessai opened the door before dropping Nui onto her feet. Before closing the door, he told her, "I will only return your toy to you once your parents come and pick it up. Have a good and safe night, young lady."

Nui didn't understand how Tessai, a stupid pig in clothing, managed to not only overpower her but also steal her purple Scissor Blade. What made it even more embarrassing for her was that she had to use her Mental Refitting on a pair of humans that looked enough like her to recover her weapon. There was no way that the Director would ever find out about this.


	20. Chapter 20: One of These Nights

_Some of you are no doubt surprised by the quickness that this chapter came out with? Well, don't be alarmed because the quality is still as high as ever. This chapter could be called, with a lot of evidence backing it up, the culmination of several plot threads coalescing together and finally meeting. The events that happen in this chapter were bound to happen eventually and could have been a lot worse or better depending on whether certain events had come or not come to pass. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review it if you can!_

_The edits of Chapters 3 and 4 are coming along smoothly. I felt that you, my readers, would appreciate a new chapter over some rehashed old content. So expect the updated 3 and 4 within the next few days. _

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><p><strong>Chapter 20 - One of These Nights<br>**

Isshin Kurosaki knew that when one works hard all day, the best thing to do was to take a nap. Unlike his friend, Ryuken, who was the head of a multinational corporation and was a complete stick in the mud when it came to hanging out, Isshin didn't have much to do. Sure he still needed to set a few final touches to the Karakura Town defense network, but at this point not even Nui Harime could get inside to threaten his family. If only he could adjust the network to stop Life Fibers from regenerating. Isshin would do his damn best to trick Nui from coming after him, but alas, that was never going to happen. He was just going to have to live with the knowledge that his defenses blew off several of her limbs.

"No Masaki…" Isshin muttered in his sleep as a goofy smirk spread on his face, "…I'm not into that kind of stuff. Wait. Ragyo wants to do it with you? Well then, I suppose I'm up for trying new things…"

"Karin!" Yuzu Kurosaki looked through the whole house for her twin sister only to find her staring at her father's sleeping body. Walking up next to her, she looked down at Isshin, "What are you doing?"

"Listening to dad," Karin answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "I think he's having a perverted dream."

Yuzu gasped before asking, "Oh! Should we wake him up?"

"Nah," Karin waved off her twin's concerned and turned to leave. Simply being around her dad was giving her a migraine, "I don't care. Let the perverted old man have his fantasies."

_Isshin's Dream – 21 Years Ago_

_For decades Isshin Shiba thought doing paperwork as a captain was the most boring and tedious work in all of existence. He had never expected that something else existed in the world even more boring. Propping his cheek on his hand, he looked at his watch and repressed the urge to audibly grumble upon seeing that he had only been here for an hour. He would have thought from the amount of stubble on his face and the fact that he must have lost around ten pounds that he had been trapped in this hellhole for days._

_Isshin HATED talking about clothes._

_To be perfectly frank, he wasn't the one talking about clothes and fashion and other boring stuff. It was Masaki, god bless her, and Ragyo Kiryuin who were discussing the new and hot trends and fashions spreading across the world._

_When he received his invitation from Ragyo to come to Kiryuin Manor for lunch, or whatever rich people on Earth ate, he thought it would be an interesting trip. It didn't take long for Masaki to find out and, upon hearing the news, screaming in happiness and begging to take her with him. So here he was, sitting in Ragyo's massive study while listening to the only two women on Earth willing to talk to him discuss clothing._

"_You have great tastes, Masaki," Ragyo's noble voice complimented. She was once again wearing a low-cut dress that emphasized her well-endowed body, which Isshin did his damn best not to look at. He didn't need Masaki threatening the one important part of his body again, "But have you noticed what is coming out of Italy in the next week…"_

_That was the final straw. Deciding to cut his losses and flee before he was sucked completely into the nightmare, Isshin stretched and stood up, "Uh, Ragyo. Where's the bathroom?"_

"_Fourth door on the right," Ragyo answered with a bemused smirk._

"_Thanks," Isshin said as he quickly left the study. As soon as he was in the clear and the doors were shut behind him, he sighed in relief. That had been really close. Just a few more minutes and he would have become one of them. Isshin shuddered at the thought of enjoying talking about clothing, fashion and other weird things like that._

"_I don't know how much more I can take of this," Isshin rubbed his eyes to try and get some of the tiredness he was feeling out of them. When he heard a familiar chuckling, he turned and saw Soroi walking towards him with a smile on his face._

"_Having fun, Master Isshin?" The butler's voice was full of mirth, which meant that he was being sarcastic. With a head full of still mostly brown hair that was just beginning to thin, the Kiryuin head butler still looked several years younger than he was._

"_How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Isshin grumbled in response. He knew that Soroi appreciated his presence around Ragyo. He was the only one, according to Soroi, that made Ragyo act like her old self. Since becoming the CEO of Revocs, Ragyo had become consumed by her work and Soroi was beginning to worry it would affect her health. Once she met Isshin, Ragyo began relaxing and enjoying life again._

"_Just one more time I'm afraid," Soroi chuckled at the familiar joke, "Were you aware of a rumor going around concerning Lady Ragyo and yourself?"_

_Isshin did not like the sound of that one bit. Rumors were evil beasts worse than hollows that could drag down even a shinigami captain into an abyss that their soul could never escape from, "What rumor?"_

"_Well, I probably shouldn't say anything. It would be rather rude of me to comment on such rumors," Soroi may have said those words, but Isshin could see the bemused smirk on the elder butler's face. He was not particularly amused by it, "But if you insist on knowing, I suppose I will tell you. Rumor has it that Lady Ragyo is smitten with you and is hoping you would propose to her by the end of the year."_

"_I…propose…her…" Isshin collapsed on the ground and began sputtering incoherently as various images of Ragyo and himself walking down the aisle passed through his mind. Quickly bringing himself back to reality by focusing on Masaki's smiling face, Isshin gasped and returned to the conscious world. He was simply friends with Ragyo. There was nothing special about their relationship. She knew he was in love with Masaki and as far as he could tell, she was perfectly understanding of it._

_Pushing off the ground, Isshin grabbed the front of Soroi's suit and glared harshly at the still smiling man, "Don't you ever joke about something like that again. Love is not something you should joke about, but…" Isshin paused and thought about Soroi's words. What if the man was right and Ragyo did love him. Could he look her in the eye and say that he didn't feel the same way about her?_

"_If you're not kidding about this, then jeez," Isshin let out a breath and scratched the back of his neck. What was he going to say to Ragyo if she was expecting such an answer? He needed to think about this for a while, "I-I don't want to break Ragyo's heart or anything. I will always be in love with Masaki and nothing will change that, but I can't just ignore Ragyo's feelings for me. Damn, this isn't an easy thing to think about."_

"_You truly are a gentleman worthy of Lady Ragyo's love and attention, Master Isshin," Soroi said with a short bow, much to Isshin's annoyance, "But I do see your point. Love is fickle, as they say, but if anyone could let Lady Ragyo down gently without hurting her feelings, it would be you. Simply put, you are the best – "_

"_Lady Ragyo! Lady Ragyo!"_

_Both men turned and saw a young woman running down the hall towards them in a state of full blown panic. Eighteen year old Rei Hououmaru, the bookish and overworked personal assistant to Ragyo Kiryuin, looked as if she hadn't slept in days, which was extremely likely given the amount of work she did. Dressed in a skirt that fell to just below her knees and with her light purple hair in a disheveled state, Rei looked like she would collapse at any moment._

"_Ah! Mr. Shiba!" Rei looked over the side of the large stack of folders and files in her arms once she noticed Isshin standing in the hallway. Her relieved smile quickly vanished when she stepped on her untied shoelace and fell face first onto the ground with a loud thud while her files and papers flew everywhere._

"_Uh…" Isshin stared at the fallen form of Rei, a trail of smoke seeming to drift out of her ears, for several awkward seconds before asking, "Are you alright Rei?"_

"_I'm sorry!" Rei apologized as she got back up. Organizing the folders as best she could, Rei continued, "I forgot my glasses and I can't see that well right now! Do you know where Lady Ragyo is? It's really important that I speak with her!"_

"_She's in there," Isshin numbly pointed towards the study, "But I don't think she wants to – "_

"_Lady Ragyo!" Rei ignored Isshin's warning as she barged through the doors and made a beeline towards her boss, "I have the latest reports from the European office. The market saturation values for Revocs products are thirteen percent lower than the estimates!"_

_As Rei Hououmaru continued to list off things that she was absolutely sure Ragyo needed to take care of right away, Isshin shook his head. That girl really needed a vacation._

_End Dream_

Isshin woke up with a snort. Yawning and rubbing his face, he sat up and noticed that it was almost ten at night. Noticing his phone on the table, Isshin began to panic. Kinue should have arrived at Honnou City by now and she most likely already met Ururu.

"Oh crap," Isshin raced to his phone and frantically began dialing a number. He can't believe he completely forgot to tell Aikuro about Ururu. If Kinue met Ururu before he had a chance to explain, things were going to get bad.

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><p>Ichigo was relaxing after a terrible, at least terrible to him, day. First Ryuko had the bad idea of forming a Fight Club, but once she saw how much work it required she pawned it off to Mako without even asking her and finally he was once again kidnapped by Gamagori and brought before Satsuki Kiryuin. He wondered if it was healthy to begin thinking of all of this as normal.<p>

"What are you thinking about, Ichigo?" Ururu asked in concern from her spot next to him. They were sitting on the roof of Mako's new condo, where her family had been relocated once she became the Fight Club president. It was similar enough to Ururu's place, she did live in the One-Star Residential District after all, but it was quite the step up from the Slums they were used to.

"Ah, nothing," Ichigo waved his hand dismissively.

Ururu looked at him before turning her gaze towards Tournesol, which Ichigo was holding in his hand and staring at intently, "It doesn't look like nothing."

Ichigo sighed, "I'm just thinking about everything, is all."

A lot has happened to him since his arrival at Honnouji Academy. With everything that's happened, from No Late Day to Nui Harime to Satsuki Kiryuin's persistent and pathetic attempts at flattery, Ichigo hasn't had the chance to just sit back and relax. Every time that he's thought he would have the time to do just that, something happened to annoy or piss him off, "It's just weird, you know? Everything that's happened here just feels really weird. A couple of months ago I would have thought people wearing clothes that could talk and transform was stupid, but now that I have Mugetsu everything has changed."

"_**You better not be talking about me, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu growled sleepily before yawning and closing her eyes, _**"Because if you are, I'm…going…to…zzz…"**_

"It's not so bad being here, actually," Ururu smiled gently as she pulled her legs closer to her chest, "It feels more natural and safe than Karakura High School. Everybody is so nice and friendly and they don't look at me like I'm some sort of outcast. Here I have friends like you, Mako and Ryuko. Jinta was my only friend back in Karakura besides your sisters."

Ichigo didn't say anything in response. He hadn't known how hard of a time Ururu had fitting in and making friends until he asked Kisuke about it. She was too socially awkward and was so afraid of hurting someone with her supernatural strength that she never made too many friends. It made sense why Jinta, who was strong in his own right but nowhere near Ururu's level, would be her closest friend.

"It's not going to be safe here for much longer," Ichigo commented stoically. Whatever it was Satsuki was planning, he knew for a fact that it wouldn't be diplomatic. If the worst came to pass, he would have to fight her again, "Odds are you're going to be forced to fight. I…uh…know you don't like fighting and conflict, but can you do it?"

Ururu was silent as she thought about Ichigo's question. Could she willingly go and fight someone? Being forced to protect those she cared about from a known threat, like Nui Harime, was one thing, but if she were to fight someone, Ururu was afraid that she might kill them. Her strength was too high for a normal person to survive a single attack. The students of Honnouji Academy may have Goku Uniforms, but none of them, not even the Elite Four, could stand up to her if she went all out on them.

"If it's to protect my friends, I think I can do it," Ururu said as she stared up at the moon.

The next several minutes passed in silence, which was broken when the door to the top of the building was kicked open. Turning to see who it was, they saw it was Mako who, before saying anything, grunted as she hefted a large bag over her shoulder, nearly hitting Ryuko in the process, "Hello Ururu! Hello Ichigo! What are you two doing up here?"

"Just thinking about some things," Ichigo answered with a shrug of his shoulders, "What's with the bag?"

"This is all the food I was able to buy that I've never tried before!" Mako exclaimed while she literally dove into the large sack. As she looked for something in particular, causing Ryuko to duck out of the way lest she get hit in the face by a piece of exotic fruit, Mako continued to talk, "There are fruits and meats in here that I've never seen before. I didn't even know a color like this existed! It's fantabulous! Oh, that reminds me! I found something for you, Ururu!"

"Something for me…" Ururu tilted her head, "Like what?"

"Here!" Mako thrust a piece of food into Ururu's mouth, "I know how much you like crabs, lobsters and other shellfish! So I had my mom order this! It's called a crab omelet! So what do you think?"

Ururu chewed on the food for a few moments, her eyes glazing over, before quickly turning to Mako and saying, in the happiest tone Ichigo had ever heard from the normally quiet girl, "That was the best thing I have ever tasted. Do you have any more?"

"Nope, but I can order more!" Mako said happily with a wave of her arms, "My family has enough money now, and it's all thanks to Ryuko!"

Ryuko scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. The constant thanks from Mako's family were too much for her. She started the Fight Club so that Mako and her family would have a good life that was free of hardship and poverty. While she and her dad never saw eye to eye for the most part, Ryuko had grown up quite privileged and she wanted Mako to have the same opportunities.

"Come on, Mako," Ryuko blushed and turned away, "You don't need to constantly thank me. I did it for you as a friend, not a favor."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Mako exclaimed that she was never going to stop thanking Ryuko, "Hey Mako, just don't let the wealth go to your head. I know a guy who's really wealthy, and he's such a boring and snooty asshole."

"Don't worry, Ichigo!" Mako pumped her fist in the air, "As long as my name is Mako Mankanshoku, I will not let the corruption inherent to wealth and power get the better of me!"

Ryuko laughed at Mako's behavior. She really did appreciate Mako's sense of humor, even if her friend didn't realize it. It helped to even out some of the weird and crazy things that tended to happen at Honnouji Academy.

"_**Ryuko. Something's coming."**_

"Huh?" Ryuko turned to Senketsu. Up until now her Kamui had been fast asleep, "What are you talking about, Senketsu?"

"_**Hmm…"**_ Senketsu's single eye narrowed in contemplation, _**"It's just like I felt before your fight against Satsuki Kiryuin. Another Kamui is approaching us!"**_

"What? Another Kamui?" Ryuko's outburst caught the attention of everyone on the roof, "Can you say anything more – "

Ryuko barely saw it coming out of the corner of her eye. One second she was asking Senketsu to tell her what he felt before she saw a blue star-like object appear in the distance. The next thing she knew she was tumbling backwards across the rooftop. Skidding to a stop with her face against the roof, more pissed off than unharmed, she picked herself up and was immediately crushed under Mako's big bag of food.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" Ryuko's muffled voice grumbled as she dragged herself free from under the bag, "Who the hell would attack us on a school night?"

"Please watch your language," An older female voice chastised, "A young lady like yourself should not speak so crudely, especially around the presence of boys."

"Huh?" Ryuko squinted as the smoke from whatever impacted against the roof cleared away before gasping when she saw the woman standing between her and Ichigo was Kinue Kinagase, "Hey, I know you. You're that woman who saved my life after my fight against Sanageyama."

Kinue's mouth curled up in the barest hint of an approving smile. It appeared that Ryuko had taken her loss against Sanageyama to better improve herself. She could feel the difference in Senketsu's power. While it wasn't appreciably noticeable just yet, Kinue was certain Ryuko would only continue to get stronger, "I'm glad you remember me. I saw the end of your fight. You were quite impressive to come up with a plan on the fly like that. Well done."

"Err…thanks," Ryuko muttered before everything caught up with her, "Hey! Wait a second. Why did you just attack me?"

"I'm afraid that you are mistaken. I didn't attack you," Kinue corrected as she slammed the silver case hanging off her back onto the roof hard enough to create spider cracks in the concrete. As Kinue undid the three latches on her case, she continued speaking, "Neither did I come here to attack Ichigo or your friend, Mako. My goal here tonight is to stop her."

Kinue pointed to Ururu, who was oblivious about the whole thing, "Me?"

Narrowing her eyes at Ururu's question, Kinue opened her silver case and pulled out an intricately designed blade. She couldn't afford to go easy on her opponent. Doing so would only end up in her death or worse. Her weapon of choice, which she noticed was as polished as ever, if the glint of light reflecting off the faint red surface meant anything, would be perfect. While her blade wasn't as sharp or powerful as the Scissor Blade or Tournesol, it would suffice for her mission. As she gripped the handle of the blade with both hands, Kinue let her eyes drift downwards and read the letters mechanically etched onto the surface of the weapon.

G.E.N.J.I.

The Genji blade was one of Professor Matoi's last completed projects before his murder. While the Sword Scissors he created were superior in almost every way, they were prohibitively expensive to create, half of Nudist Beach's annual budget went into their creation, and took nearly a year to shape and form. The Genji blade, although unable to sever and kill Life Fibers, was nearly as sharp and much cheaper to produce. It was depressing that Professor Matoi was the only person who knew how to create her blade. Towards the end of his life he became increasingly paranoid that someone was following him and refused to save any copies of his work in fear of it being discovered and used against Nudist Beach. Thus Kinue was stuck with the only copy of the G.E.N.J.I. project, which she continued to call the Genji blade out of respect for her superior.

"Don't be coy with me," Kinue stated while pointing her Genji blade directly at Ururu, "I am well aware of who you truly are, so why don't you stop fooling around and just drop the act?"

Ururu seemed to pull into herself upon the accusing glare coming from Kinue, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Ururu."

Kinue's eyes narrowed, "So be it."

"Hey! Wait just a damn minute!" Ichigo slid in between Ururu and Kinue. He needed to stop things before they got out of hand. He didn't know why Kinue was targeting Ururu, but he wasn't about to let the two of them fight each other, "Tell me what's going on, Kinue."

"All you need to know is that I'm doing this to save you," Kinue stated regretfully as she swiftly flew across the rooftop. Just as she passed by Ichigo, who was surprised at her speed, she whispered, "You will thank me later on."

Stomping down on the roof in front of Ururu, Kinue cocked her fist back before swinging it. Ururu had only a second for her blue eyes to widen in shock before she was hit in the face hard enough to blast her off the roof and into the distance with Kinue hot on her heels.

"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed as he watched a cloud of smoke rise from where Ururu impacted the ground, "What the hell's gotten into her?"

"I don't know and I don't care," Ryuko argued as she stood to Ichigo's left. Reaching towards her red glove, she frowned and said, "She saved me from Sanageyama and I'm thankful for that, but she's attacking Ururu for no reason. That means she has to be taken down."

Ichigo looked ready to protest Ryuko's involvement, but relented upon seeing the determined look on her face. Kinue had a Kamui of her own, so if he tried to intervene in her misguided fight against Ururu, he might be overpowered and defeated by her. He had felt her power back at his dorm. It was not something that he could take lightly.

"Fine," he muttered as he moved his hand towards the spaulder on his left shoulder.

"Mako!" Ryuko turned her head around towards her still stunned friend. Since Mako had strapped the bag of food onto her back, when Kinue landed on the roof Mako found herself unable to get up and was comically kicking and waving her arms and legs in the air, "You should get somewhere safe."

"Ok!" Mako saluted Ryuko while tilted upside-down as she continued to try and free herself.

"You ready for this, Ichigo?"

"Yeah," Ichigo's fingers pressed down on his spaulder and allowed the two needles to pierce his skin, "Let's go save Ururu."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>With nary a grunt of pain Ururu opened her eyes and sat up. Shaking her head to dislodge any rubble or debris that may have gotten stuck in her hair, she stood up and looked around for any clue as to where she was. Casting her gaze upwards at the large wall leading to the Two-Star Mansions, Ururu realized just how far she had been hit.<p>

"That wasn't very nice of her," Ururu lamented sadly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "I didn't even do anything to deserve being attacked."

Ururu couldn't comprehend or understand why Kinue had punched her or even why she was angry with her for that matter. Wracking her mind for an answer failed to come up with anything of substance. For all she knew, Kinue had attacked her for no good reason other than to try and cause her pain. With her mind firmly wrapped around that idea, Ururu decided that she needed to protect herself from any more of Kinue's attacks. While she was still firmly against killing her, nothing would ever change that, Ururu would do everything in her power to defend herself.

As she stepped through a hole in the wall that she made upon being attacked, Ururu noticed that it was an almost perfect outline of her body, but that was physically impossible. She may not have an extensive background in physics or engineering, but if her body crashed through a wall, it should either have destroyed the wall or simply created a large, circular hole. An outline of her body with small cracks radiating outwards was impossible. Confused by what she was seeing, Ururu turned away before she developed a headache…

…Just in time to see Kinue falling towards her with her Genji blade arcing silently through the air towards her neck.

Ururu's eyes widened in momentary surprise before she quickly sidestepped around the blade, allowing it pass only inches from her body. As a large trench was created in the ground from Kinue's attack, Ururu took the opportunity to leap back and away from the woman, but she underestimated Kinue's speed. Ururu's feet had barely touched the ground before Kinue was upon her once more. Leaning back to avoid a decapitation strike, Ururu's eyes locked gazes with Kinue's and suddenly Kinue spun her blade around her wrist and stabbed downwards, hoping to pierce Ururu through the stomach.

Vaulting up in the air and away from the attack, Ururu was quickly forced back on the defensive as Kinue swung her Genji blade in a nearly completely unpredictable manner. What Kinue didn't know, and most people didn't aside from Kisuke Urahara, was that Ururu had an extremely analytical mind.

Each time she dodged one of Kinue's attacks, her mind was already processing the data on her opponent's movements and power. From the way that Kinue breathed before each attack to the way her arms flexed and twisted, Ururu was studying and remembering everything. So when Kinue unintentionally repeated one of her attacks, Ururu simply twisted around the blade and clasped Kinue's wrist within her hand.

"Why do you keep trying to attack me?" Ururu tightened her hold upon Kinue's wrist, "What did I ever do to you?"

Kinue stood there, purposely ignoring Ururu's voice, as she tested the limits of Ururu's hold on her, "Why do you continue to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about? There are no witnesses around for your games that you love so much to play…Nui Harime."

"Nui Harime?" The confusion in Ururu's voice bothered Kinue. From what she knew about the Grand Couturier, whenever someone managed to figure out a vital part of her plan, she would smile and reveal herself in all her glory before proceeding to kill them. She wasn't expecting to see the emotions literally begin bleeding off Ururu's face, leaving her to stare at a completely emotionless girl, "I am not Nui Harime. Do not make that mistake again."

"There is one thing you should understand about me," Kinue said and was satisfied when she saw Ururu become confused when she tightened her grip on her wrist to the bone a normal human's bones would shatter and yet nothing happened, "I am not as brittle as a normal human!"

Kinue crouched down slightly before jumping off the ground and into the air. With Ururu's hand still gripping her wrist, Kinue pivoted in midair and planted her foot against Ururu's cheek. Said girl didn't utter anything, not even a gasp of pain, as she was forced to let go of Kinue and staggered back. Kinue's elation upon getting a solid hit quickly disappeared when Ururu lowered her hand and showed that she was perfectly fine. There was not even a scratch or bruise upon her face. She should have expected that. Nui Harime wasn't someone that could be easily harmed.

Tilting her head to the side, Ururu asked something that had been troubling her, "How do you know Ichigo?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business," Kinue stated as she prepared herself for her next move. Raising her Genji blade and gripping the weapon with both hands, she tried to think of a plan to take down Ururu, "All that's important is stopping your plans involving Ichigo and Ryuko."

Kinue's words deeply hurt and offended Ururu. She couldn't understand why Kinue thought she was trying to hurt Ichigo or Ryuko. They were her friends. She would never do anything to put them in harm's way.

"You're lying," Ururu took a single step towards Kinue, causing the weapon to tense up in retaliation. Instead of outright attacking her, Ururu slid one leg outwards and tucked her left fist back behind her body. As a shimmer of purple energy surrounded her right hand, Ururu said, "I'm still working on this attack so please try not to die. Dragon Dash."

Kinue tried to follow her movements, but all she could hear were the very fast pitter-patter of Ururu's feet along the ground before she was upon her with her fist cocked back and aimed for her stomach.

"_She's fast."_

She had been prepared to deal with the Grand Couturier's speed, but how the hell could she expect Nui Harime to engage in a direct frontal assault? That girl's modus operandi was practically sneaking up on her opponent before slicing them apart. Speaking of which, Kinue was worried why Nui hadn't brought out her Scissor Blade yet. Surely even Nui wasn't overconfident to the point where she could take her on and win.

Tensing her body up, Kinue quickly braced her arms against her Genji blade as Ururu's fist impacted against it. There was a stream of purple and blue sparks escaping off her blade as she desperately held back of the flow of power emanating from Ururu's fist. As she stared over her blade, Kinue locked gazes with Ururu, and for a moment she embraced the notion she might be wrong about Ururu. That quickly came to an end when Ururu's attack managed to slip under her Genji blade and explode against her right shoulder.

There was a sonic boom as Kinue was tossed through a building. As she spun through the air, she snapped her arm out and dragged her Genji blade along the ground, creating a large trench in the ground but arresting her movements at the same time. Breathing heavily as she finally stopped moving, Kinue looked at her arm and frowned when she saw that her jacket over her sleeve and half her chest had been disintegrated by the attack, exposing Danketsu's blue and purple armor.

"Damn it," Kinue stood up and grabbed her shoulder with her left hand. She expected that much power from the Grand Couturier, but that attack she was just hit with was entirely new. She hadn't heard anything about Nui Harime being able to do something like that. In the end, Kinue was simply relieved she had managed to deflect the majority of the power away from her body.

Glancing down at her ruined jacket, Kinue decided that continuing to wear the other half was now completely pointless. In one quick motion, she grabbed and tore it off her body, exposing Danketsu's upper half. As she saw Danketsu's eyes darting around in glee at the unrestrained access to the world, Kinue felt a presence land behind her. Turning around quickly, she saw Ururu standing just a few meters away from her with a perplexed look adorning her face.

"A Kamui…" Ururu's voice was still unemotional, but there was no hiding the curiosity in her voice. It was clear that she hadn't been expecting Kinue to be wearing a Kamui, "Why do you have a Kamui like Ryuko and Ichigo?"

"_Oh. This is just perfect."_

This was the worst thing that could have happened to her. Kinue always knew that Nui Harime would eventually find out about Danketsu. She was the Grand Couturier after all, so it made sense she would be able to spot her Kamui from a mile away. She just never assumed it would be under such circumstances. Raising her Genji blade and holding it aloft above her shoulder, Kinue asked, "Does it really matter if I do?"

"_**What's going on? Are you actually fighting someone?"**_ Danketsu looked around, her eyes full of excitement, before they focused on Ururu, _**"Oh! Please tell me you're going to destroy her completely."**_

"This is the Grand Couturier," Kinue chided. As much as she was trying to make up for years of neglecting her Kamui, Danketsu's questions and voice still managed to annoy her, "Not going all out would be tantamount to suicide. Besides, she's targeted Ichigo and Ryuko. I can't let her do anything to them."

"_**Why should I give a crap about those other two humans and their pathetic excuses for Kamui?" **_Danketsu spat out in disgust before adding, _**"Don't assume I feel the same things you do. I will never work together with you on anything."**_

"I do know that," Kinue said, causing Danketsu to pause in the realization that her wearer was actually agreeing with her on something "But I feel I should remind you that fighting me for control of my body will probably destroy the only chance you'll have at defeating Nui Harime. Odds are she will be prepared for whatever tricks we have up our sleeves next time. But if you want to be so stubborn about it…"

"_**Hmm…"**_ Danketsu actually seem to be mulling over Kinue's words, _**"I hate you, but I hate Nui Harime even more. For just this once I will not fight you. Use my power to destroy this Life Fiber abomination!"**_

Immediately after Danketsu's announcement, Kinue felt the Kamui's presence in her mind disappear. For the first time since she was forcibly bonded to Danketsu, Kinue could access all of her power without fearing being overwhelmed by the Life Fibers. As she stared at the palm of her hand, contemplating how it was to be able to feel again without risking losing control, Kinue turned to Ururu, who was still standing and watching her, and asked, "Tell me something, Grand Couturier. Why haven't you attacked me?"

"Because that would be rude," Ururu answered while tilting her head. She made it a point to ignore Kinue calling her Nui Harime because that just wasn't true. Kinue may think she was Nui, but Ururu knew that she was very different from that girl, "Ichigo would be upset if I beat you by cheating."

"_Manners from the Grand Couturier. I never thought I'd see the day, but still..."_

Something wasn't right about this. Everything Kinue knew pointed to Ururu Tsumugiya being Nui Harime, but several things weren't lining up. Deciding that talking was out of the question, Kinue took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Holding her Genji blade parallel to the ground, Kinue momentarily stared directly at Ururu before the twin vents on her shoulder blades burst to life, expelling a mixture of light purple and blue energy behind her. Biting her lower lip, Kinue took a single step and immediately flew inches over the ground towards a surprised Ururu.

With her arms spread out to her sides, Ururu cross-stepped and spun around the attack before jamming her elbow into Kinue's side. While Ururu sensed she had hit her opponent with enough force to temporarily incapacitate a shinigami at a lieutenant's level, she was shocked as much as she could be when Kinue simply shrugged off the attack like it was nothing. After quickly ducking under Kinue's retaliatory strike and leaping back, Ururu looked down and noticed a tear along her No-Star uniform.

Upset at the damage to her favorite uniform, Ururu nevertheless did not take her attention off the fight. When she heard the telltale sign of something quickly moving through the air, she pivoted on her right foot and narrowly dodged being skewered by Kinue's Genji blade. Stepping inside Kinue's guard, Ururu proceeded to slam her heel into Kinue's wrist, causing her to let go of her weapon. As Kinue stepped back, wincing slightly in pain from the attack, Ururu planted her hands on the ground and attempted to deliver a double-heeled knockout blow to Kinue. To Ururu's surprise, as her heels just grazed Kinue's face, the woman seemed to shimmer before her form disappeared entirely.

"Huh?"

Ururu looked around for her opponent. She was surprised that Kinue had been able to move quickly enough that her eyes were unable to follow her movements. Looking everywhere for where Kinue might be coming from to attack her, Ururu wasn't prepared for a heavy blow to hit her back hard enough to lift her off the ground. Gasping more from the shock of the impact than any actual pain she felt, Ururu was thrown through the air and into a nearby building when Kinue spun around and slammed her foot into the small of her back.

Landing back on the ground, Kinue sprinted towards where Ururu had crashed with her Genji blade trailing along the ground. She needed to press her advantage while the Grand Couturier was momentarily down. If she didn't, odds are Nui would simply reappear right outside of the building she crashed into with a sadistic smile on her face.

"_But why she hasn't thrown off her disguise is bothering me,"_ Kinue jumped up and landed on a piece of rubble that allowed her to gaze through the rising cloud of smoke, _"I can definitely feel her strength, and her regeneration is as fast as ever, so why does she refuse to shed her disguise as Ururu?"_

"Double Moon."

Kinue quickly leaned backwards as Ururu appeared out of the smoke. As her body slowly fell, Kinue's eyes widened when she saw Ururu plant her hands on the ground before spinning and kneeing her in the underside of her chin. With spittle flying out of her mouth, Kinue's gasp of pain was cut off as Ururu grabbed her ankle and threw her through the air.

"_What's up with her tactics?"_ Kinue spun her body around and dug her feet into the ground to arrest her movement. Once she managed to come to a complete stop, courtesy of some last second help from her Genji blade, Kinue noticed that two long furrows had been dug in the ground from her newly exposed purple high heels.

"_She's not fighting like she did the first time."_ Kinue ducked under Ururu's fist before driving the hilt of her Genji blade deep into Ururu's stomach. Shrugging off the attack without a sign of being in pain, an emotionless Ururu continued to attack Kinue at faster and faster speeds, forcing the older woman to go on the defensive.

"_Where is the taunting? The mocking? The disregard for civilian casualties?"_ Kinue winced when Ururu managed to land a kick in her side, but quickly recovered before clasping both her hands together and slamming them down on the back of Ururu's neck, _"It's like I'm fighting an entirely different person…but that's impossible. There is no human on earth with the same level of strength and speed as Nui Harime. Who else is there besides Ragyo Kiryuin that could keep up with my level of power after Danketsu decided to work alongside me?"_

"_**This is pathetic, even from you," **_Danketsu stated angrily, _**"Why is she still breathing?"**_

"Give it a rest. I thought you weren't going to fight me?" Kinue retorted as she wiped the trail of saliva from the corner of her mouth. That last attack from Ururu had destroyed her favorite pair of boots, leaving her with only the tattered remains of her pants, "Besides, she's the Grand Couturier for a reason. Thinking that killing her will be as easy as breathing is just asking for her to kill me."

"_**So you say,"**_ Danketsu's eyes drifted downwards towards her feet, _**"I see that my full form is nearly visible. It was fucking stupid for you to hide what we are under all those layers of idiotic and ugly clothing. How shameful."**_

"Did you expect me to just travel around the world wearing nothing but you?" Kinue retorted with a roll of her eyes, "Revocs would have come down on my head so fast it would still be spinning. I wouldn't be surprised if Ragyo herself came after me."

"_**You may not be embarrassed to be one with me,"**_ Danketsu said smugly, _**"But your idiotic fear of being caught limited my power. Because you were so fucking stupid as to assume you could hide me under those layers of clothing, my power was limited."**_

"And you're telling me all this now?" Kinue asked sarcastically.

"_**Yes,"**_ Danketsu replied bluntly, _**"I fucking hate you, so why would I allow you the chance to access more of my power? You and I may share one body, but that does not mean I have to like it in the slightest. By the way, I would block that kick unless you want to be suddenly missing your head."**_

Kinue quickly brought her forearm up and winced in pain as Ururu's foot impacted against her arm. Gritting her teeth and pushing herself past the pain, she twisted her arm around and tried to grab Ururu's ankle only for the girl to plant her other leg on her shoulder and jump out of range.

"_It felt like my arm was about to break,"_ Kinue knew with certainty that if it wasn't for Danketsu, her arm would have shattered in at least a dozen places from that last attack.

"Are you ready to stop fighting yet?"

Ururu's question startled Kinue, "What are you trying to imply?"

"This fight is pointless," Ururu shook her head quickly enough to cause her pigtails to bounce around, "You're fighting me because you think I'm Nui Harime, but I'm not. If you would please simply believe me, we could stop fighting and go back to Ichigo and Ryuko."

Kinue didn't bother saying anything as she gripped what remained of her pants and ripped them off her body, finally exposing Danketsu's full and true appearance for the first time in many years. Much like Ryuko and Satsuki, she wore thigh high heeled boots of a predominantly blue color with purple glowing lines etched intricately along the length. At the front and back of the top of the boots, several purple skin-tight suspenders connected with the sides of her leotard.

"Oh," Ururu gazed at Danketsu with awe, "How pretty."

Gripping the hilt of her Genji blade with both hands, Kinue took a deep breath and focused herself. She couldn't let whatever mind games Nui Harime was playing affect her. If she wanted to stop the Grand Couturier and save Ichigo and Ryuko, she needed to finish the fight now.

Ururu sighed miserably when she saw Kinue was willing to continue fighting. She hated pointless fighting like this. It was clear to the young girl's mind that Kinue was totally convinced she was Nui Harime and nothing she could say or do would change her mind. Ururu didn't understand how she could be confused with someone so weird and psychotic. There had to be more than two girls with superhuman strength on the planet, so why was she the one getting confused with Nui Harime?

Shaking her head, Ururu refocused her thoughts when she saw Kinue gathering energy in her Genji blade. If Kinue wanted to fight her, Ururu would hit back with everything she had until Kinue was unable to fight any more. She would not kill her. Ichigo seemed to be familiar with the woman, so if she killed Kinue, Ichigo would be upset with her and Ururu wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"I don't wish to fight you anymore," Ururu crossed her arms as she began gathering energy, "But you leave me no choice. I must defeat you now. Shimmering Cut."

With her hand cocked back, Ururu ran towards Kinue with her body enveloped in a faint purple aura that was barely perceivable, even to Kinue's enhanced sight. Jumping up into the air in retaliation, Kinue spins around before swinging her Genji blade downward towards Ururu. Both attacks, purple and blue, met in the middle and clashed for dominance. After a few seconds of a stalemate, there was an explosion of energy as everything near the two combatants was simply blown away.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Satsuki Kiryuin could not sleep.<p>

It was not for a lack of trying on her part. She had been sound asleep not an hour ago when the sounds coming from the trapped and secured Junketsu became so loud that she felt the need to investigate the disturbance. As she stood on the other side of the bulletproof glass separating her from the rabid Kamui, Satsuki had astutely noted that despite its behavior, Junketsu was not looking at her. Rather, it seemed to be solely focused on some point out in Honnou City. That was why Satsuki was clad in Junketsu and stood on top of Honnouji City with a stern expression on her face. If someone or something that could agitate Junketsu was currently in Honnou City, she needed to deal with it.

"What have you found, Inumuta?"

Hoka Inumuta, although tired and wearing a normal pair of pajamas, bowed respectfully as he typed away on his laptop, "I've been searching through the video feeds of the cameras through the individual districts. Although I found nothing of interest in the Slums, something is going on in the One-Star Residential District that you should see."

Satsuki turned and stood behind Inumuta as he brought up the video feed from near the One-Star Botanical Gardens. As a figure darted into view and stood looking off into the distance, she frowned and asked, "Ururu Tsumugiya. Do you know what she's doing?"

"Wait just a second," Inumuta said as he typed in a few commands.

As the other figure came at Ururu only for said girl to easily dodge around the strike and leap out of view of the camera, Satsuki could not hide the surprise in her voice, "Another Kamui?"

"Indeed," Inumuta was flabbergasted and astonished that there was yet another Kamui in Honnou City. He had thought such attire were prohibitively dangerous for a normal human to wear. Lady Satsuki was, of course, different but for some reason Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki could also withstand the dangerous energies coursing through the pure Life Fiber outfits, "This woman appears to be in her early to mid-thirties and possesses a Kamui with a blue and purple color configuration."

Satsuki narrowed her eyes further as Inumuta froze the feed and allowed her to get a good glance at the same woman that interrupted Sanageyama's fight against Matoi, "She's the woman that saved Matoi during her rematch against Sanageyama. So my suspicions were indeed correct. She does possess a Kamui of her own. That explains how she was able to stop my Bakuzan so easily."

"Shall I inform Gamagori to apprehend her?"

"No," Satsuki turned and looked toward the horizon while the wind blew her hair to the side, "If she was able to stand up to my power, Gamagori will have no chance of apprehending her. Instead, I want you to record her fight. Study every one of her techniques as well as what she says. This is a perfect opportunity to bear witness to a new Kamui the likes of which I have never seen before!"

"_More importantly, it allows me to learn more about Ururu Tsumugiya,"_ Satsuki thought calmly to herself as Inumuta left to carry out her orders. Junketsu was still acting up and she could see flashes of light through the One-Star Resident District as Kinue and Ururu continued to fight. The fact that Ururu, despite wearing a No-Star uniform, was facing a Kamui-wearer on even terms meant there was more to the girl than she first thought. She was someone that Satsuki would need to keep an eye on in the future. There was no telling who she was taking orders from or whether even the Ururu that she had seen was the true persona at all.

"_You have such fascinating colleagues, Ichigo,"_ Satsuki smirked as the outline of a plan formed in her mind, _"But are they as close as you think they are?"_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Kinue panted heavily as she pulled herself out of a pile of rubble. Clenching her fist tightly in frustration, she managed to pick herself up and get back onto her feet. After stumbling briefly from exhaustion, she hopped down and noticed Ururu waiting for her.<p>

Her adversary appeared to be just as tired as she was, but unlike her, Ururu had no visible signs of injury on her body. That made sense to Kinue. The Grand Couturier was able to regenerate from any injuries she sustained, if someone was strong and fast enough to cause them in the first place. The one thing Nui Harime couldn't quickly recover from was simple exhaustion. During her fight against the Nu in Rome, Kinue had begun to see signs of the Grand Couturier starting to get sloppy and vulnerable. The only problem was that Kinue was even more tired at the time.

Tightening her grip on her Genji blade, Kinue raised it over her shoulder and stared at Ururu. Biting her lower lip and summoning the last dredges of her strength, Kinue twisted her wrists and soared towards Ururu.

Ururu saw Kinue coming towards her and was conflicted on what to do. Kinue was perhaps one of the few people she had fought that hadn't been killed by her attacks, even though she was holding back a lot of her power. Granted, Kinue wasn't nearly as strong as she was, but Ururu was still impressed. She was sure that Kinue would have made a valuable ally if they hadn't been on either end of this misunderstanding. Closing her eyes, Ururu decided to hit Kinue with everything she had since fighting at three-quarters of her full power just wasn't enough anymore. At first Ururu had hoped to incapacitate Kinue long enough for her to explain everything, but Kinue's Kamui was strong enough to let her shrug off that much of her power will only sustaining minor injuries and wounds. Cocking her fist back, Ururu flexed her ankle and shot off towards Kinue. This one punch would be enough to stop her cold. She just hoped it didn't kill Kinue in the process.

"That's enough!"

Ururu's head turned slightly at the familiar voice before Ichigo, clad in Mugetsu, crashed down between her and Kinue. Turning to face Kinue, he spun around and managed to block her Genji blade with Tournesol.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?" Kinue was shocked to find him here. She was sure he would have stayed back and out of harm's way, "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" he growled, feeling slightly relieved when Ryuko, wearing a transformed Senketsu, landed next to Ururu and began checking her for injuries. Smirking slightly upon seeing she was alright, Ichigo asked, "Why the hell are you attacking Ururu?"

"That's not Ururu!" Kinue let a brief burst of emotion escape her steel-like hold and was fortunate that Danketsu had decided to still stay out of her mind for the moment. Pressing down on Tournesol with enough force to cause Ichigio's knees to buckle, she said, "Ururu Tsumugiya died before she came here! That girl over there is Nui Harime! I've fought her before! There is no one else on Earth with that much strength and power!"

"Ururu's always been special!" With a supreme amount of effort, Ichigo managed to force Kinue's blade back. He was impressed that even in her tired and exhausted state she still possessed enough energy to nearly overpower him. He shuddered to think what it would be like to fight a completely refreshed Kinue, "I don't know why you think she's somehow Nui Harime, but I've known Ururu for a long time. Sure, she might have superhuman strength and other abilities, but that doesn't mean she's who you think she is!"

"Naiveté can be extremely dangerous Ichigo," Kinue grunted and held a hand against her arm. Now that there was a lull in the fight, she could feel her injuries starting to catch up to her. To be perfectly honest, part of her was relieved Ichigo had shown up when he did. Another minute or two and she wouldn't have been able to use her left arm at all, "Tell me something though. That girl, Ururu, was she always this strong?"

Ichigo turned to Ururu, who was being comforted by a reluctant and embarrassed Ryuko, before speaking, "When I first met her, Ururu asked me to wear safety gear because she was afraid her strength would kill me. She's very timid and scared that her power would hurt those close to her. I've met Nui Harime, and whoever she may be, one thing is for certain. She is a complete lunatic. There is no damn way Ururu could be Nui!"

"I see…" Kinue sighed in regret as she tightened her grip on her Genji blade, "I may have been a fool all this time. I – "

She was cut off as Ichigo's cell phone, which he somehow managed to duck away in a fold of Mugetsu's armor, began ringing. Recognizing the ringtone as belonging to his dad, because who else would use the 'Macho Man' song as their theme, he pulled it out and sarcastically asked, "What the hell do you want, dad?"

"Ichigo!" Isshin's voice came through the speaker so loudly that Ichigo was forced to hold his cell phone at arm's length lest he go deaf, "Thanks for picking up! I tried calling a few people all night and I kept getting their voicemail. "

"Then why the hell did you call me?" Ichigo shouted back.

"Because you always seem to know strange and odd people," Isshin replied honestly, "Have you seen your circle of friends? Hooligans and hoodlums the lot of them! Anyway, have you met a woman by the name of Kinue Kinagase?"

Yeah, she's standing right..." Ichigo paused as his brain kicked into high gear, "Hey, wait a damn second. How the hell do you even know her?"

"That's not important," Isshin quickly blurted out, "What is important is that I speak with her right this second!"

Ichigo thought about simply hanging up the phone, but he was sure his dad would call right back and be even more annoying. After several tense moments of debating the pros and cons of what to do, Ichigo decided to relent and tossed his phone to Kinue, "It's my dad. He wants to talk to you for some reason."

Kinue's eyebrow rose as she held the phone up to her ear, "Yes."

Ichigo and Ryuko tried to listen to what his dad was telling Kinue, but for some strange reason his voice had dropped to a normal human's level. What was interesting, though, was that Kinue's facial expression continued to shift between shock, confusion and abject realization.

"Are you completely certain about this? I know, but…alright," Kinue hung up the phone and tilted her head back before sighing dramatically. Closing her eyes and collapsing on the ground, she tossed Ichigo's phone back to him and muttered, "He could have told me this five hours ago and saved me all this trouble."

Turning to Ururu, Kinue let out a deep breath, "Look Ururu…I'm sorry I thought you were Nui Harime. I was just doing what I thought was the best course of action to save Ichigo and Ryuko from a psychopath like her."

"It's ok," Ururu didn't fully understand why Kinue had quickly changed her mind, but assumed it had something to do with what Mr. Kurosaki had told her on the phone. Perhaps he was calling to make sure Ururu wasn't confused with Nui Harime? Deciding to do some apologizing herself, Ururu bowed and said, "I'm sorry for hurting you so badly. Please forgive me."

"Please, don't say anything," Kinue stood up, with some difficulty, and began walking away. Before getting too far, she stopped and said, "I think I've overstayed my welcome in Honnou City. This vacation must come to an end, after all. But before I go, I have some parting words for you, Ryuko Matoi, from you father."

Ryuko's mouth opened in shock, "My…dad…?"

"Yeah," Kinue turned enough that one of her eyes was staring directly at Ryuko, "Do not let your anger and emotions get the better of you. Giving into your rage while wearing Senketsu is just as bad as killing yourself." Kinue, finished speaking to Ryuko, turned to Ichigo, "And you, Ichigo, stay out of trouble. You're just like Masaki, always willing to throw your life on the line to save others. Don't do anything stupid that can get you killed."

With nothing else to say, Kinue leapt off the ground and disappeared into the night, leaving the three teenagers behind.

"So what was that all about?" Ryuko asked while shouldering her red Scissor Blade, "She just comes here, fights Ururu for no reason and then apologizes? What did your dad say to her exactly?"

"I don't know," Ichigo stared at his phone for a moment before closing his fingers around it, "But my dad knows more about this stupid place then he told me."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"No," Ichigo turned and began the long walk back to Mako's new home, "I know my dad. He'll tell me what he knows when he feels the time is right. I'm not going to push him or anything."

"Really?" Ryuko looked at Ichigo incredulously, "That doesn't seem smart."

Ichigo thought back to the Winter War when his dad exposed himself as a former shinigami captain. While he was stunned that his dad was a shinigami, Ichigo knew he wouldn't have kept it a secret if it wasn't important. That was why he was so calm about what just happened, "Yeah, I'm sure, but I'll ask him on Parent Student Day."

"Oh, yeah," Ryuko looked crestfallen at the mention of the school event, causing Ichigo to mentally facepalm at his stupidity.

"Why don't you use Mako's parents?" He asked, causing Ryuko to look at his strangely, "Don't they see you as their daughter or something already?"

"Hey, you got a point," Ryuko smiled as she was brought out of her funk, "I think Mako would really like that, although what I'm really starting to get curious about is your dad. Is he nice?"

Ichigo nervously looked away, "In a way…"

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #8 - The Kamui Personality Test<br>**

There was a flash of light before Senketsu, in his sailor uniform appeared on the screen.

**_"Hello readers of To My Death I Fight," _**Senketsu gave the Kamui equivalent of a salute as he raised his sleeve and pulled out a remote control, **_"You were all probably expecting another omake segment involving Nui Harime, Ichigo Kurosaki or some other character in a whacky and hilarious situation. Unfortunately, the author of the story has decided to write something educational instead. So i hope you're happy, because you're stuck listening to me instead of hearing about Kon's adventures through - "_**

Before he could spoil anything else, Mugetsu leapt out of nowhere and kicked Senketsu with one of her legs. As the male Kamui fell to the ground with his one visible eye swirling around dizzily, Mugetsu huffed and grabbed the remote control, **_"Humph. You should be honored to be doing this omake segment. Anyway, this particular omake is all about different Kamui Personalities!"_**

Mugetsu's sleeve pressed down on a button and immediately a short clip of Senketsu assaulting Ryuko appeared on the screen behind her, **_"Kamui are living beings and so they all have their own individual personalities that may or may not clash with their wearers. Take Senketsu for instance. He threw himself onto Ryuko Matoi without caring what she thought about wearing him while I came to a mutual accord with Ichigo."_**

**_"That's nonsense."_** Senketsu groaned as he got back up. Waving his sleeves at Mugetsu, he shouted, **_"The way I hear it, you threw yourself at Ichigo as well. Have you no shame?"_**

**_"Yes, because I asked Ichigo first,"_** Mugetsu bluntly replied before turning away from Senketsu. Facing the camera once more, she pressed another button while pointedly ignoring her fellow Kamui's insults, **_"The personality of a Kamui can greatly influence the amount of power their wearer can access. The Kamui Danketsu, who is worn by Kinue Kinagase, is a prime example of what happens when Kamui and wearer are out of sync. She hates her wearer and this hatred holds back a lot of her potential. Why, I would never be like that with – "_**

Mugetsu was cut off as Junketsu appeared from off screen and hit her over the head with Bakuzan, which it had somehow stolen from Satsuki. Looking at Senketsu, it gave it a mock salute before proceeding to drag the unconscious Mugetsu away to parts unknown.

**_"Ah, thank you for that,"_** Senketsu picked up the remote before scratching his lapels, **_"One day the author will have to decide on its gender and voice. Perhaps the budget will allow it next chapter? Anyway, it seems like we're out of time, so please don't unfavorite this story! With the anime on hold until September, this is my only job!"_**


	21. Chapter 21: Carry On Wayward Son

_I had a bit of a dilemma while writing this chapter. I had originally intended to have the Mako versus Ryuko fight here (completely unlike the anime I assure you), but in order to do so, I would need to cut out a bit of the story to do so. While writing a fight is easy and helps move the story along, the plot and exposition given by said plot is much more important. So what originally started out as Chapter 21 became 21 and the first half (or three-quarters…It's a LONG fight scene) of Chapter 22. I do apologize to anyone that had expected to read the Two-Star Mako fight. You'll get it next chapter, which, coincidentally, is the beginning of Parent Student Day. _

_*Oh! I finally got a tvtropes page for this story! Since I can't link to tvtropes here, simply google "To My Death I Fight" and "tvtropes" and it should be in the top few searches.__ It's still a little new at the moment so it's a bit bare. If you see any missing tvtropes, pm me and I will add them in.  
><em>

_*Also, a virtual cookie to anyone who can name the source of the dress at the end of the chapter. And anyone who I've already told cannot guess._

_*This story is now over 200,000 words!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 21 – Carry On Wayward Son<strong>

The annoyance in the air was nearly palpable as Ichigo looked down at the formal letter in his hands. As he read the fancy script on the letter that spelled out his name, Ichigo looked at the One-Star student that had delivered it to him. The teen looked nervous just being in Ichigo's presence. No doubt he was thinking Ichigo was going to kick his ass for just breathing near him. Deciding to let the teen leave before he fainted from nervousness, Ichigo crumpled up the letter and tossed it over his shoulder without even reading it.

"You can tell Satsuki that my answer remains the same," Ichigo said to the teen, who was sweating in fear. Nodding frantically at Ichigo's answer, he turned and ran off, no doubt to inform Satsuki what Ichigo just told him.

"_**That was quite mean of you, Ichigo," **_Mugetsu commented.

"What?" Ichigo looked at his Kamui and scoffed, "You think I was actually going to hurt the guy? Nah, I was just messing with him. I'm just a little pissed off that Satsuki won't take the hint and leave me the hell alone."

"_**Another letter, huh?"**_ Mugetsu seemed pensive about something before quickly adding, _**"Do you think she's interested in you?"**_

"Where the hell did that come from?" Ichigo growled at Mugetsu, who simply continued to stare up at him.

"_**Satsuki Kiryuin's interest seems too personal to be plutonic or business,"**_Mugetsu paused as she mulled something over, _**"But then again, I am but a Kamui. Although I may be female, the inner workings of the human mind sometimes baffle me."**_

Ichigo didn't like nor did he appreciate Mugetsu's opinion of the matter. He didn't care if Satsuki Kiryuin had some sort of affection for him. He was never going to like someone who killed and imprisoned people for disagreeing with them. Her attempt to kill Ryuko after gaining Junketsu didn't help her case either. There was also the matter of Mugetsu's feelings for Junketsu. Ichigo had tried to get his Kamui to explain what she felt, but Mugetsu was surprisingly tight-lipped about the whole thing. All she would say was that Junketsu thought it was so much better than her. When he asked how she could know that if it never said a word, Mugetsu said that she could see it in Junketsu's eyes.

"What was that all about, Strawberry?" Nonon asked as she stuck her head out of the room. She was starting to get annoyed and curious about what was taking Ichigo so long. As she watched the One-Star student flee down the hallway, her lips curled up in a bemused smirk, "You scared the crap out of him. Did he ask you out or something?"

Ichigo glared at Nonon, who smiled mischievously at getting under his skin, "It was another one of Satsuki's errand boy. She keeps asking me to be her Student Council Vice-President and simply won't take no for an answer."

"WHAT?" Nonon nearly fell to the ground at what thought to be Ichigo's absolute stupidly. That was the reason he kept getting Student Council messengers over the last week? What the hell was wrong with him? Angrily clenching her fists, she grabbed Ichigo by the front of Mugetsu and shouted her displeasure, "Are you stupid or something? When Lady Satsuki asks you to be her Vice-President, you jump for joy and say yes! You're not supposed to ignore her gift that she places on your lap! No one, not even us Elite Four, are worthy enough of the honor she is bestowing upon you and you have the gall to so callously throw it away? You're one stupid bastard, Strawberry!"

"Shut up, Snake," Ichigo bit back, causing Nonon to stamp her foot angrily at Ichigo's nickname for her, "I don't need the commentary from the balcony. Besides, why the hell should you even care what I do? The last I heard, Satsuki kicked you out of the Elite Four after I defeated you. Why are you so concerned whether or not I take Satsuki up on her offer?"

"Er…" Nonon blushed in frustration as Ichigo caught her between a lie and her mission. Deciding to go about the best course of action, she kicked Ichigo in the shin and headed back into the classroom to finish her lunch. If she had her mouth full of food, then there was no way she could say anything incriminating to Ichigo without being socially rude.

The only other occupant in the room besides Nonon watched her storm past with a quirked eyebrow. Mako Mankanshoku, dressed in an expensive blue business suit with a matching skirt, turned to Ichigo who had followed Nonon into the room, "Jakuzure is correct, Ichigo. If you were to accept Lady Satsuki's offer of becoming the Student Council Vice-President, the prestige and honor of the Fight Club would forever eclipse the rest of the clubs in Honnouji Academy. No one would be able to contest our place and power."

"Screw that," Ichigo huffed as he sat down at a desk across from Mako, "And why are you even wearing a suit, Mako?"

"It's simple," Mako adjusted her glasses smugly, "As the President of the Fight Club it is my duty to set the standards of the club. By dressing formally and cleaning up my act, I am only encouraging the rest of the academy to view the club with a higher regard."

"Get rid of the suit. It makes you look ridiculous."

Ichigo wasn't really keen on the new Mako. She was becoming increasingly arrogant and stuck-up, which was exactly what he constantly warned her about throughout the week following Kinue's fight against Ururu. Ichigo knew it was the money and prestige of being the equivalent of a Two-Star student. He was just glad he hadn't decided to join the Fight Club alongside Ryuko. With the way Mako was running her ragged fighting all the other clubs, he would have likely died from exhaustion by now.

"No," Mako glared firmly at Ichigo from over the top of her glasses. She wasn't appreciating Ichigo's constant criticism about what she was doing, "Anyway, I did some calculations. If you were to accept Lady Satsuki's offer, she would be forced to concede a lot of power over Honnouji Academy to you in order to keep you in line and under her control."

"Do I look like I care about power?" Ichigo asked sarcastically and scoffed, "Satsuki is up to something. I can feel it. She's not someone who would simply give up power. I've talked to her a couple of times now and even fought her. I think I know how she thinks and acts. I would rather have my soul devoured than work under her."

"Wow, Strawberry," Nonon whistled mockingly, "That's really emo of you. Did you make that up just now or did you have to spend all night thinking about it?"

Just as Ichigo was about to say something, there was a loud groan as Ryuko opened the door to the room and promptly collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion. As Ryuko lay on the ground, mumbling something incoherently, Ururu walked in behind her and calmly sat down to eat her lunch.

"Hey, Ururu," Ichigo couldn't understand what Ryuko was trying to say. It sounded important judging from the volume at which she was saying it, "What did she say?"

Ururu glanced at Ryuko, who repeated what she mumbled, and turned to Ichigo, "She said she's really tired and would like some food."

Without thinking, Ichigo grabbed Nonon's lunch out of her hands, getting a squeaky 'what the hell' from her, and dropped it next to Ryuko's prone body, "Here. Have the rest of my lunch. I'm full."

"Hey!" Nonon stood up angrily and shouted indignantly, "That was my lunch, Strawberry!"

"Really?" Ichigo countered uncaringly, "Because I could swear everything in your lunch you stole from my dorm."

After finally gathering the strength necessary to get up off the floor, Ryuko yawned tiredly and collapsed into the nearest available chair. Sitting down with an audible sigh of relief, Ryuko began wolfing down what remained of Nonon's lunch, "This is great, Ichigo! You make this yourself?"

Ichigo glanced at an irate Nonon, "Something like that. So, how's the Fight Club working out?"

"Mako's a slave driver!" Ryuko exclaimed while being careful not to spit out any food. After grabbing Nonon's water bottle, causing the former Three-Star's lip to quiver in anger, Ryuko drank almost half of it before speaking, "I just fought the Basketball, Baseball, Wresting and Soccer clubs all at once. I'm exhausted!"

"Don't get too relaxed, Ryuko," Mako informed her friend, "You have some more fights this afternoon, but I'm still setting up the time and place. You can relax for the next few hours until I'm done."

Ryuko frowned, "Yeah, I'll catch up with you later Mako."

As Mako left to go prepare everything, her high heels clicking confidently on the ground as she thought about the prospect of her family's wealth and status becoming permanent, Ryuko's frown deepened. She really missed the old Mako. Even her friend's imagination, which had gotten on her nerves once or twice, was something she greatly missed. Not knowing what to do about Mako, Ryuko decided to focus on other things for the moment. She could always come back to Mako at a later time, "So Ichigo, what are you going to wear to Parent Student Day? I hear there's a formal dress code and everything."

"There is?" Ichigo hadn't heard anything about a dress code and, gathering from Mugetsu's cough of surprise, neither did his Kamui. He knew well enough how Mugetsu felt about him wearing other clothes. Even if he didn't understand Mugetsu's feelings towards the matter, it was easier to just allow her to get her way rather than hearing her complain to him about it before demanding an apology.

"You can't possibly be that dense, Strawberry," Nonon mocked scornfully, "Parent Student Day was created by Lady Satsuki to make sure none of the students were having any trouble with their classes. Do you honestly think you'll be able to wear that ratty old Kamui tomorrow?"

"_**Ratty?"**_ Mugetsu seethed and would have launched herself at Nonon if Ichigo hadn't been wearing her, _**"I'll show this pink haired bitch who is ratty!"**_

"Calm down, Mugetsu," Ichigo grumbled tiredly.

"_**You better not wear anything better than me!" **_Mugetsu warned angrily, _**"I am your best set of clothes and will remain as such!"**_

"Ha," Ryuko chuckled at Ichigo's misfortune with Mugetsu. Even as tired as she was, she could still take the time to enjoy seeing Ichigo getting flustered.

"_**The same goes for you, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu added, causing Ryuko's amusement to come to a premature end, _**"I will not allow you to wear anything else…except your pajamas."**_

"Damn," Ichigo sighed miserably, "So Parent Student Day is next week right?"

Finally having enough and taking her lunch back from Ryuko, who protested at the treatment, Nonon took a large bite from her sandwich. With a mouthful of food, she told him, "Tomorrow dumbass."

Ichigo began panicking as he realized what that meant. No one here, not even Ryuko or Satsuki and hopefully not Nui, knew what that meant. Quickly standing up, he began mentally listing off what he needed to do in order to survive. He knew he had enough food in his dorm to last him at least a week and he was pretty sure he knew of at least five places throughout Honnou City he could hide. The only difficulty he was going to have would be during Parent Student Day. There was no way he could hide from his peers during the event. While he was listing off various things, mumbling all the while, Ururu turned towards the nearby window and pointed outside.

"Look," she said with complete stoicism, "Mr. Kurosaki is swinging on a rope."

"Oh fu – "

Ichigo's explicative was cut short as Isshin crashed through the window, startling everybody except for Ururu, who remained as stoic and unperturbed as ever. As shattered glasses peppered the floor, Isshin swung forward and planted his feet against Ichigo's face before propelling him through the nearby wall. Landing in a dignified crouch and dusting his brown leather jacket, imported leather mind you, off, Isshin shouted towards where Ichigo had crashed.

"So what's this that I heard about you receiving the attention of not one girl, but two?"

There was a flash of lights and Ichigo came running out of the hole in the wall clad in a fully transformed Mugetsu. Punching his dad in the stomach, he answered with annoyance in his voice, "The hell kind of question is that? What kind of father crashes through a window only to kick his son in the face anyway?"

"The kind that cares about his son!" Isshin shouted back as he butted heads with Ichigo, "Besides, you're the one who's been screwing around! You have multiple girls pining for your attention and yet you don't notice? Just how dense of a son did I raise?"

"Dense?" Ichigo slammed his forehead against his father's hard enough to cause the older man to stumble back. He had to thank Mugetsu later for making every part of his body as hard as steel when she's transformed like this. Growling, he pointed his hand at Isshin and shouted, "Look who's calling the kettle black!"

"That's complete nonsense!" Isshin sang as he recovered, quicker than Ichigo anticipated and slammed both his heels into Ichigo's stomach. To everyone's surprise, especially Ichigo's, Isshin had hit him with enough force to actually launch Ichigo back through the same hole he had created just a minute ago and, by the sound of it, several more behind hit. Popping up off the ground and adjusting the collar of his jacket, Isshin turned to rush off after Ichigo, but before leaving turned to Ururu, "Make sure you keep an eye out on everyone, Ururu!"

Ururu snapped off a salute, "No problem, Mr. Kurosaki. I'll do my best to keep everyone safe from harm."

While this was all going on, Ryuko was trying to understand what the hell just happened. Did she serious just see Ichigo's dad crash through the window before kicking him through the wall? Ryuko rubbed her tired eyes and hoped what just happened was a hallucination brought on by the past few days of constant fighting, but when she opened her eyes and saw the flabbergasted look on Nonon's face, she knew that what she just witnessed had really happened. After she saw Ichigo get kicked through the wall while wearing Mugetsu, she knew he was in trouble.

Managing to push herself onto wobbly legs despite the extensive exhaustion she felt, Ryuko took a clumsy step forward to go help Ichigo when she saw Ururu blocking her path.

"Please don't interfere," Ururu said calmly, "Ichigo's not in any danger."

"You're kidding right?" Ryuko looked at Ururu and saw that the girl really didn't think there was anything wrong with what Ichigo's dad was doing. Feeling as if she was the only sane person in the room, she pointed to the large hole in the wall and said, "Ichigo's dad just kicked him through the wall! That isn't normal!"

"Sure it is," Ururu answered neutrally as she looked at the hole briefly, "I can do that. Besides, this is just how Mr. Kurosaki says hello to Ichigo."

"Ah, Ryuko!" Mako for some reason appeared outside the hole. Without even caring as to why it was there or how it formed, she stepped through and calmly patted down her skirt, "I've just been informed that the Volleyball Club would like to fight you. Let's go."

"What?" Ryuko tried to get away but in her tired state couldn't do anything as Mako grabbed her by the back of Senketsu and began dragging her along.

"_**Wait! Let go of me, Mako!"**_ Senketsu shouted fearfully, cursing the fact that no one besides Ryuko and Ichigo could hear him, _**"Ryuko, tell her to let go of me before she stretches out my Life Fibers!"**_

Nonon watched Ryuko leave before grumbling and throwing her lunch on the ground. She had two choices to make now. She could either follow the Transfer Student to her little bout or she could track down Strawberry and watch him fight his dad. Lady Satsuki had given her the mission of determining how and why Ichigo's Kamui could do things hers could not. It would be rebellious to follow the Transfer Student, so with a large mischievous grin adorning her face, Nonon proceeded to track down where Ichigo went. Sure her mission was to observe Mugetsu, but watching him get the tar beat out of him was simply a bonus she couldn't afford to pass up.

"This ought to be good," she quipped.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Kon was seriously confused and lost. Scratching the back of his head, he looked around and tried to find any landmarks that could help him find his way to wherever Honnouji Academy was.<p>

When Ichigo's dad brought him to Honnou City, he was secretly dropped off and ordered to find his way to Honnouji Academy on his own. The only rule was that he couldn't be seen or caught. Everything went well for Kon until he somehow ran into a group of people. Instead of gawking or staring at him while muttering about a talking and moving lion plushie, they simply waved hello and continued on their way. That was why Kon was walking in the middle of a busy street without care. If these people didn't seem to mind a moving plushie, who was he to hide and sneak around like a freaking ninja?

"I know it's up there," Kon craned his head up and looked at Honnouji Academy stretching into the sky above him. The only problem was that the roads and streets were like a maze, crisscrossing each other and circling back. It was like a maze and Kon hated mazes, "The only question is how to get there. I know Ichigo's dad said to keep a low profile, but I'm never going to meet up with Ichigo unless I get directions. Now who to ask…"

Kon didn't like any of his choices. Everyone in the Slums had this weird look about them. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, but the one thing he couldn't help but notice was the weird red threads in their clothing. It was really weird how the threads seemed alive and aware of his presence whenever he walked by. It was almost like he was in a horror movie or something. All he needed was to run into the psychotic killer and the circle would be complete.

"Aw, screw it!" Kon declared bombastically, "I know Honnouji Academy is that-a-way, so all I have to do it keep heading in that direction!"

With a purpose in his mind, Kon hopped down off the table he was standing on, turned the corner and promptly ran into someone. Falling on his back with a soft squeak, Kon groggily brought a paw up to his head, "Did anyone get the number of that brick wall?"

As his senses came back to him, Kon picked himself off the ground and dusted his plushie body off, "Sorry about that, good sir, I didn't see you there. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Kon tried to move past the person he ran into, who still hadn't said a word. He hadn't taken three steps before a large purple blade skewered through the ground in front of him.

"Hey!" Kon said angrily while pointing to the person who had almost hit it, "What's the big idea? You could have severed my stitching! Do you know how hard it would be to sew myself back up afterwards?"

Before Kon could do anything, he found himself being picked up and held in the person's arms. It was only when he found her grip to be superhumanly strong did he begin to realize that something may be wrong. Deciding to play it cool for the moment since there was always time for panicking later, he asked, "Uh, I'm Kon!"

Nui Harime stared at the creature in her hands with abject glee, or at least the closest feeling to happiness that someone like her could feel. Strange, over the past few weeks she had felt something off. Sure she still murdered and tortured those going against the Director's plans and wanted to kill Ryuko Matoi for what her father did to her eye, but she seemed more thoughtful somehow. Nui didn't know what to make of it, but for the moment she was content with the knowledge that she was still the same Grand Couturier as ever.

"Aren't you something?" Nui asked happily, her single eye closing in mirth. So this creature's name was Kon, was it? Nui could feel the Life Fibers inside the plushie's body, which meant Kon had to have been made in one of Revocs's daughter companies. It would be foolish for Lady Ragyo to simply cover the world by infusing Life Fibers within just clothing. The Director's plans were much more grandiose!

"And you contain Life Fibers as well," Nui squeezed Kon's body, "That's awesome!"

"Hey, be gentle with my stuffing!" Kon didn't appreciate being manhandled like this. He was a living being, you know! He had the same rights and privileges as Ichigo, even if he wasn't exactly human. When Nui stopped squeezing and tilted her head in confusion, Kon composed himself and asked, "And just who are you anyway?"

Nui leaned forward until her face was only a few inches away from Kon's, "I'm Nui Harime!"

"Nui Harime, huh?" Kon could swear he heard that name before, but the memory eluded him. It couldn't have been anything bad, or else he wouldn't have forgotten about it, "That's a strange name. Anyway, do you mind letting me go now?"

"Why would I do that?" Nui raised Kon above her head and smiled, "You're just too fascinating to let go. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were a COVERS."

"I ain't covering anything," Kon answered indignantly while completely missing the emphasis Nui put on COVERS.

"Still…" Kon saw Nui's face shift slightly and he immediately knew he was in trouble, "I'm just so curious about what makes you tick. As the Grand Couturier, it wouldn't be prudent of me to simply let you go. Not when there's so much I can learn from your body…"

"_Oh crap,"_ Kon began shaking nervously as Nui's true persona began to surface, _"Why do I always seem to attract the crazy ones? Come on, Kon. Think of something before this girl mounts your head above her fireplace. What would Ichigo do?"_

Then it hit Kon. It was so obvious that he would have smacked himself in the face if he currently wasn't in the grip of a psychopath. Coughing to gain Nui's attention, or at least part of it, Kon calmly said, "I think there's a slight problem with your suggestion."

Nui was slightly confused by Kon's state of mind. One minute the creature that was not a COVERS was scared of her, as it should be, and now it was calm and collected? Tilting her head to the side, her pigtails bouncing along the way, she asked, "Oh? Like what?"

Kon made the motion of thinking hard before speaking, "Well, wouldn't taking me apart stop me from talking? How will you figure out how I work if I can't talk?"

"Don't be silly!" Nui beamed, "I'll just sew you up afterwards and start all over again if it doesn't work the first time!"

"_Ok, that didn't work."_

Kon didn't like it, but he needed to rely on his failsafe. Ichigo's dad had installed it about a week ago without even asking for his permission. Kon had been pissed, rightfully so, and would have kicked the elder Kurosaki's ass if he could, but since he couldn't he simply settled for glaring angrily at Isshin. Completely nonplussed at the treatment he was receiving from Kon, Isshin had chuckled clownishly before telling Kon to only use this device if he ever ended up in a situation with no other way out. It was very expensive and Isshin didn't want to have to buy another one.

"Well then…" Kon saw no other option. He would have to use it after all, "Since you are so serious about this, I suppose I have no choice in the matter, but before we go anywhere, can you do a simple favor for me?"

"You better not ask me to tell your family you loved them," Nui said jokingly, "Because if you do, I'll just track them down and kill them all for the trouble."

"No, it's not that," Kon was really starting to wish he hadn't come to Honnou City and stayed in the relative safety of Karakura Town, "See this button on my stomach? If you press it, I'll compact into a smaller form. It will make me much easier to carry."

Nui seemed to mull it over before moving Kon until he was right in front of her face, "Really?"

There had never been a moment in his existence that Kon was more appreciative of the fact that his plastic eyes couldn't express the lie he was telling, "But of course. I am Kon. I have never lied once in my lifetime."

Nui puffed out her cheeks and considered her options. Kon was obviously trying to trick her into a trap. That much was certain, but Nui wasn't too worried about it. She wasn't a stupid human that was weak to poison, fire, lack of blood and generally getting stabbed by a Scissor Blade. If this was indeed a trap, then Nui thought she should be a good host and spring it. It was the polite thing to do after all.

"Ok!" Nui said cheerfully and pressed the button. In hindsight, when she found out that Kon belonged to Isshin, Nui would come to see what she did as very, very stupid.

As soon as she pressed the button, a thick blue smoke shot out of Kon's face. Immediately Nui let go of Kon and began coughing harshly. How could she, who wasn't even human, be affected by tear gas? This was impossible and yet she couldn't stop coughing or even open her one good eye.

Kon didn't bother waiting around or even gloating that he got Nui good. As soon as she let go of him, Kon promptly turned around and fled as fast as his legs could move. He needed to get to Honnouji Academy before Nui Harime recovered, which seemed to be quite soon, and find Ichigo's dad. He didn't feel safe in this city anymore, not with psychopaths like Nui Harime running around.

"_Damn it. This isn't worth all the half-naked babes Isshin promised me!"_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"It appears that we may have misjudged the determination of Ryuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku," Ira Gamagori's booming voice echoed through the Student Council chambers. Without Nonon Jakuzure as part of the Elite Four, at least publically, Gamagori was enjoying the peace and quiet afforded to him by the distinct absence of Jakuzure hurling insults at Sanageyama, "Their tenacity is to be respected, but unless we do something to limit their growth, they will become part of your inner circle, Lady Satsuki."<p>

Satsuki looked at the folder Gamagori had given to her just moments prior. In it were various statements and files from the defeated clubs attesting to Gamagori's point of view. While they are all most likely true and highly accurate and precise, the inclusion of Gamagori's signature on each document was proof enough of that, Satsuki tossed it away without even opening it.

"Anyone that has been defeated by Matoi no longer possesses the right to complain about losing," Satsuki said before sipping her tea, "The fact they decided to complain about it means they are no longer worthy of the power I bestowed upon them. Let them know that I have denied their requests to have their Two-Star Goku Uniforms re-stitched and that they are forbidden from ever having one again."

Gamagori bowed respectfully, "Of course, Lady Satsuki."

"Tch," Sanageyama banged his fist against the arm of his chair in anger. What was the point of allowing Ryuko to fight all the small fries when he was willing and able to fight her himself? Ever since their rematch, Sanageyama had felt cheated out of his win. After a grueling and worthwhile match against Ryuko, who was still able to fight him even after he obtained Shingantsu and his Blade Regalia Mark II, his win was stolen from him by that strange woman. The problem he had wasn't with the woman herself, but that she so obnoxiously stepped in and interfered in his fight just as he was about to win. It wasn't fair, god damn it.

"Let me fight her again," Sanageyama called out to Satsuki, "It's been more than a couple of days since that woman's been spotted, right? That means she's left the city. If you let me fight Ryuko again, I'll be able to win without any issues this time."

"Do not be too hasty in your judgment, Sanageyama," Satsuki said calmly, "You will fight Matoi in due time. For right now, Jakuzure's mission takes priority over your need to fight."

"I thought Jakuzure was to observe Ichigo Kurosaki's Mugetsu?" Inumuta asked.

"She is," Satsuki conceded, "But fighting Matoi might jeopardize her mission. Once Jakuzure is safety out of reach of Ichigo's retribution, I will determine whether you may proceed against Matoi, Sanageyama."

Sanageyama didn't like it, but he wasn't about to argue and complain to Satsuki, "Fine."

"Hmm, this is peculiar," Inumuta leaned forward and stared at what was being displayed on the monitor. Typing in a few commands, his eyes widened substantially as he saw what the particular alert he was seeing meant, "Lady Satsuki, it appears that the Honnouji Academy Perimeter Detection System has just sensed an unauthorized visitor."

"Such news does not require the attention of Lady Satsuki, Inumuta," Gamagori growled, and it was true. Honnouji Academy received, on a weekly basis, at least four spies and cases of attempted espionage from other academies, mostly the Kansai Region academies. It had become so commonplace for spies to be discovered and killed that the club captains had begun taking bets on the next spy to be discovered. Gamagori had tried to curb the illegal gambling, but stopped when Inumuta showed him the amount of money Lady Satsuki was receiving as part of the 'winner's cut.'

"You are correct. That on its own would not be concerning," Inumuta's sarcasm did not pass Satsuki by. Turning her head ever so slightly, she subtly motioned for Inumuta to continue, "What is concerning is that the Honnouji Academy Interior Alarm went off _before_ the perimeter alarm by seventy three seconds."

The slight narrowing of Satsuki's eyes was all the Elite Three needed to know that she wasn't pleased with Inumuta's news. The notion that someone bypassed her security wasn't as concerning as the fact that she knew of only a handful of people in the world that do so with such impunity. What was most interesting was the anachronistic order of events. Why had the interior alarm gone off before the perimeter alarm?

"Bring up the exterior cameras above Honnouji Academy," Satsuki ordered Inumuta as she stood up and turned towards the large wall of screens to her right, "Focus on the area around the breach."

Inumuta nodded and began rapidly typing in commands. It didn't take long for him to find what he was looking for. He honestly assumed that whoever this intruder was, they would have been able to turn off the cameras and feeds around their location. Here he was hoping for some sort of challenge. Clicking the final button, Inumuta looked up at the large wall of screens as the camera feed over the last ten minutes began playing. When he saw who the intruder was, he took off his glasses and cleaned them off. There had to be some sort of mistake. What he was seeing was socially impossible and yet, when he put his glasses back on, the intruder was still there.

"Is that –?"

"What is it?" Sanageyama shouted in annoyance. Although Shingantsu allowed him to see the world and fight at a level he previously thought unreachable, he still couldn't actually see, which meant that whatever was being displayed on the screens escaped him.

Satsuki's hands clenched in annoyance and mild anger as she witnessed Isshin Kurosaki somehow walk out onto the top of Honnouji Academy with impunity. If that wasn't enough, she then watched him anchor a nylon rope onto the floor before running off the edge of the school and crashing through one of the classroom windows, laughing the entire way if the expression on his face was accurate.

"_What could possess this man to commit such an audacious act?"_

This was the man that her mother urged her to be cautious around? Satsuki would have found the concept of such a joke truly laughable if it weren't for the fact that her mother never joked. No, Ragyo Kiryuin's sense of humor was much more cynical and black. Those that heard her humor tended to not be around much afterwards. Refocusing herself, Satsuki tried to think of a reason why Isshin would do what he did. What motive did Isshin have and what did he hope to gain from being caught?

"_Did he allow Inumuta's cameras to see him?_" Satsuki puzzled while her mind went into high gear, _"Was part of his plan allowing us to discover that he had made his way into Honnouji Academy?"_

"Who was in the room Isshin Kurosaki broke into?"

"Let's see…" Inumuta switched off the exterior camera and moved to one of the hallway cameras that were generally used to catch tardy and lazy students. Setting the timeframe for ten minutes before Isshin's arrival, Inumuta put the feed on fast forward and let it play out. It wasn't long afterwards that several familiar people appeared on the monitor.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Gamagori's voice rumbled as a familiar orange head of hair walked out of the room, spoke to a One-Star student, before scaring him off. When he saw Ichigo crumple up a letter, Gamagori couldn't repress the growl emanating from his throat. How dare Ichigo refuse Lady Satsuki's kind and generous offer of being her Vice-President!

"And he's not the only one," Inumuta clicked a key and several pictures appeared on a different screen, "Ryuko Matoi, Mako Mankanshoku, Ururu Tsumugiya and Jakuzure were also in the room."

As the feed continued playing, Satsuki watched as the camera shook before Ichigo crashed through the wall of the room, flew across the hall and tore through the adjacent wall without slowing down. Looking at the time stamp, it seemed that the cause of Ichigo's abrupt flight was his father's rather grandiose entrance. A few moments later, there was a bright blue light and a flash of stars as Ichigo, clad in Mugetsu, came running out of the hole in the wall and headed back into the room.

"Is he going to fight his father?" Gamagori wondered out loud, "Surely if there was any animosity between him and his father, it wouldn't require the use of –"

Gamagori was forced to bite his tongue when Ichigo once again flew out of the room, this time clad in Mugetsu. He was not the only one shocked at the turn of events. Both Inumuta and Satsuki were stunned into silence as well. To see Ichigo in Mugetsu getting thrown around was one thing, but seeing it happen so easily was another. When Isshin finally walked out of the room and into the view of the camera, Satsuki noticed that he was wearing what looked to be a brown leather jacket and pants.

"I'm not detecting any Life Fibers in Isshin Kurosaki's clothing."

"What?" Satsuki knew that was impossible. Almost every scrap of clothing in the world was created and distributed by Revocs. Her mother made sure of that, but then again several things about Isshin disturbed her.

"I see…" Satsuki turned around and placed her hand on the hilt of Bakuzan. She needed to take care of this matter before it got out of hand. From what little she saw of their family squabble, the likelihood of collateral damage to Honnouji Academy being in the millions of dollars increased with every minute, "Gamagori. Sanageyama. You two come with me. We have a meeting with Isshin Kurosaki."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I'm confused, Ichigo,"<strong>_ Mugetsu watched in confusion as Ichigo was tossed through a wall before eventually managing to land on his feet. As he looked around, Ichigo saw that his little…fight…with his dad had somehow ended up taking them to one of the many gymnasiums scattered throughout Honnouji Academy.

"About?"

"_**How your dad is keeping up with us,"**_ Mugetsu couldn't sense any Life Fibers within Isshin's clothing. As a Kamui, she prided herself on being able to detect Life Fibers wherever they may be. It was how she knew how strong Danketsu and Junketsu were compared to her, _**"He is not wearing a Kamui or a Goku Uniform and yet he is winning. What's going on?"**_

"It's because my dad is too stupid to let something like logic get in his way," Ichigo spat as he could literally hear his dad approaching, "And he just doesn't know when to give up."

"Talking to oneself is a sign of mental instability!" Isshin leapt through the hole Ichigo had made in the wall and tried to tackle his son. Try being the key word because Ichigo managed to avoid the fairly obvious attack from his dad without much trouble. Quickly pivoting around, Ichigo attempted to jam his elbow into the small of his dad's back. When Isshin somehow managed to maneuver around his arm and backflip away, Ichigo began to lament the fact that he left Tournesol back in his dorm. Stabbing his dad would probably be seen as wrong by the rest of academy, but Ichigo was nearing the point of not caring.

Starting to get a little pissed off, Ichigo flew after his dad and finally managed to slam his fist into Isshin's face, His initial jubilation was cut short when Isshin's arms shot out and drew Ichigo into a headlock, "Is that why you don't have a girlfriend? Are you touched in the head, my son?"

"Get the hell off me!"

Ichigo's hands gripped the back of his dad's jacket and, in one fell swoop, flipped him over his shoulder. As Isshin landed bodily on the ground, a gasp involuntarily leaving his mouth as the air was forced out of his lungs, Ichigo tried to smash his elbow into his diaphragm, but once again he found his arm stopped mere inches from his intended target.

Where the hell was his dad getting this strength from? As Isshin grinned clownishly before pushing Ichigo off him, Ichigo tried to rationalize what was happened. Ok, he knew he dad was a former shinigami captain that was able to fight Aizen at an even level. That pretty much made him a badass, but his dad was in his gigai right now, so how was it he was kicking his ass so easily?

"You left your flank exposed, my son!"

Ichigo glanced upwards to find Isshin falling down towards him. Grimacing in annoyance, he cocked a fist back and prepared to punch his dad in the face, but was stopped when a spiked whip shot out of nowhere and pummeled Isshin into the nearby wall.

"There shall be no unauthorized fighting at Honnouji Academy!" Ira Gamagori shouted bombastically as his feet smashed against the ground. Grabbing the end of his whip and snapping it taunt, he glared at the smoking crater where Isshin's body had impacted, "That goes double for intruders such as you!"

"Stand down, Gamagori," Satsuki Kiryuin strutted forward past the massive teenager and planted Bakuzan against the ground. Staring directly at where she knew Isshin Kurosaki to be, she asked, "Isshin Kurosaki, I presume?"

"Oh, you know of me. That saves me a lot of time introducing myself. I was never really good with social introductions anyway."

Walking out of the hole looking little worse for wear, Isshin dusted off jacket. He was lucky that Gamagori's attack hadn't torn it. If it had, he would have forced the young man to foot the bill for repairing it. Coughing and scratching his beard, he opened his mouth to speak to Satsuki and promptly received a foot in the face courtesy of Ichigo.

"What do you want?" Ichigo asked Satsuki, his temper already shortened enough already. His dad always seemed to piss him off and Ichigo's inability to make Isshin stay down was irritating him, "Can't you come back in five minutes? I just need to teach my dad a few lessons on manners."

"Now, Ichigo…" In the time it took Ichigo to turn and stare at Satsuki, Isshin had moved across the gym and smashed his knee into his son's stomach. As Ichigo gagged, Ichigo grabbed him in another headlock, "What I have taught you about manners? Besides, you let your guard down. A year ago you would never have fallen for such a simple and obvious trick. It is clear that your time at Honnouji Academy has softened you tremendously. Is everyone here a pansy?"

"Watch your mouth around Lady Satsuki!" Sanageyama brandished his shinai at Isshin.

"It's fine, Sanageyama," Satsuki raised her arm to calm down her subordinate before she slowly unsheathed Bakuzan, "If he deigns to speak as such to me once more, I shall have no choice but to punish him."

"Please ignore my dad," With a grunt of frustration, Ichigo slammed his foot down on Isshin's foot. As he dad hobbled around, cursing his son for such cowardly tactics, Ichigo sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "He's an idiot. He'll just ignore anything you say to him."

"That's not the proper way to speak to your father!" Isshin shouted obnoxiously before turning his attention to Satsuki, "So, who might you be young lady? You look quite important, so you must be quite powerful around here."

Satsuki narrowed her eyes as she felt Junketsu view the man in front of her with apprehension. The behavior of her Kamui baffled her as much as the knowledge that she was able to sense what her Kamui was feeling. Concentrating on that feeling, Satsuki concluded it wasn't so much as sensing what Junketsu was feeling as it was her Kamui tightening up around her body without drawing any more of her blood. The combination of such strange events gave Satsuki the knowledge that Isshin Kurosaki was more than he appeared to be.

"I am Satsuki Kiryuin!" Satsuki shouted bombastically and immediately she was illuminated by a bright white backlight emanating from somewhere behind her, "As Student Council President, it is my sacred duty to destroy and eliminate any threats to Honnouji Academy! You will tell me your purpose for trespassing in my academy or face the consequences of your crime!"

Isshin looked at Satsuki with a discerning eye. There was no doubt in his mind that she was Ragyo's daughter. She even had the whole backlight and everything. Still, he wasn't one to allow such theatrics to bother or make him submit. Masaki had taught him that lesson quite well.

'"I'm here to visit my son, the delinquent," Isshin pointed with his thumb at Ichigo, who didn't say anything and simply glared in retaliation, "I heard tomorrow was Parent Student Day and thought it would be a good idea to come by and check up on him. One of my sources said that my son had two girls pining after him and as an overprotective father, I couldn't allow that to continue without speaking to these girls myself."

Ichigo didn't know what was worse, that is dad had a source in Honnouji Academy feeding him information or that he assumed there were girls interested in him. Ichigo wasn't anywhere near as dense as people made him out to be. Just because he didn't go around asking every girl in sight for their number didn't mean he was an idiot. Realizing something important he almost missed, he turned to his dad and asked, "Just how did you find all this out anyway?"

"There isn't much a child can do that their parents don't know about!" Isshin answered proudly, "Hey, is Satsuki one of them?"

Ichigo blinked in confusion, "One of what?"

"You know," Isshin made a series of motions with his hands, "The girls that have a crush on you. Do I need to spell it out?"

As Ichigo choked in embarrassment, his ears picked up the sound of a blade singing through the air. The cause of the noise was Satsuki, a look of mild irritation on her face, attempting to stab his father through the throat. It was just her luck that his father's reflexes were incredibly quick and Isshin bent backwards and let Bakuzan pass harmless just over the tip of his nose.

"Do not speak of such things unless you wish to lose your ability to speak at all," Satsuki warned Isshin with venom lacing her words. How dare this man presume to understand the workings of her mind! Her interest in Ichigo was purely from a militaristic standpoint. As one of the few people able to withstand the incredible power of a Kamui, his help in her grand plans would greatly bolster her overall power. While she intended the same for Matoi, she was still too weak for Satsuki to use in any regard. Perhaps after a few more tests she would extend her hand to Matoi.

"Well…" Isshin looked at the black blade of Bakuzan and was greatly reminded of Ichigo's former bankai, "I should have expected that. You are Ragyo's daughter after all."

Satsuki twisted her wrist and suddenly Bakuzan was pointed directly over Isshin's heart. At the same time, Gamagori and Sanageyama had moved to block Ichigo from attempting to rescue his father.

"How do you know my mother?" Satsuki pressed the tip of Bakuzan against Isshin's jacket, causing the leather to tear slightly upon contact.

Isshin looked at the weapon with curiosity. So Ragyo's daughter wielded a blade made of Life Fibers? Its craftsmanship was superb, but even he could tell it was not at the level of quality of Ichigo's Tournesol. Then again, there were very few people that could match the intelligence and genius of Kisuke Urahara when the man put his mind to it. If Ragyo and Kisuke were to work together…Isshin shuddered at the mere thought of that team up. The world would be destroyed in hours if that ever came to pass.

"Ah, that's a long story," Isshin stroked his chin, completely uncaring of Satsuki's death threat. If Aizen couldn't kill him, Satsuki didn't have a chance, "It had to be thirty years ago…"

Ichigo stared uncaringly at his dad, "I thought it was twenty two years?"

Isshin raised a knowing finger, "At my age you lose track of the years. Anyway, I met Ragyo around twenty two years ago, you are the splitting image of her by the way, and we soon became close friends. After that, other things happened, Masaki and I got married, had Ichigo and now the circle is complete."

Satsuki stared at Isshin for a moment longer before stepping back and sheathing Bakuzan. In her brief clash with Ichigo's father, she had ascertained that the man was indeed extremely dangerous. As much of a show as he had put on, which would have fooled most other people, when she pressed Bakuzan against his chest he had not flinched even an inch. The fact that such a man could look at her blade with absolute calmness suggested that there was more to the man than first appeared. That was not to mention that he was fighting Ichigo and winning despite Ichigo already being clad in Mugetsu.

"_Such strength to go head to head with a Kamui and come out on top,"_ Satsuki mused thoughtfully. The only person she had ever witnessed doing such a feat was the Grand Couturier, but she wasn't exactly a normal human. Was this the reason her mother took a vested interest in him? Satsuki did not know, but that did not mean she wasn't going to find out. Inumuta's earlier queries had failed due to a lack of information. Isshin's newly revealed capacities should help Inumuta dig up something.

"My mother will be attending Parent Student Day tomorrow," Satsuki informed Isshin as she walked away, "She has informed me she is looking forward to speaking with you."

"It's always great to see Ragyo," Isshin said sarcastically before adding, "Although the last time we spoke she tried to kill me. I suppose that was my fault for egging her on, but it seems her aim has improved over the years…"

Satsuki made the motion of ignoring Isshin's rambling, but inside she was memorizing everything he said. It was subtle, a misplaced word or fantastical sentence, but several things Ichigo's father said raised alarms in her head. If she were to believe Isshin's words, Satsuki needed to adjust her plans and account for every new variable. If her mother was truly on to her plans, then Satsuki needed to become unpredictable. She was nobody's puppet, dancing at the whims of the puppeteer. If her mother thought Satsuki was simply going to be strung along for her own amusement, Ragyo Kiryuin was going to be surprised when things didn't go to plan.

Isshin watched Satsuki leaved with contemplating eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was speak to Ragyo while in the presence of hundreds of innocent people. She would have no compunctions using them against him since she knew Isshin would never risk the lives of innocent teenagers and their families. In fact, that was what Ragyo was probably counting on. She was a very smart woman, after all, and would quickly capitalize on Isshin's reluctance to confront her in the presence of humans.

It was either that or she somehow found out about Ururu, but then again, it wasn't like he had kept her existence a secret. If it took Ragyo sixteen years to figure it out, perhaps Isshin had overestimated her intelligence. As he imagined Ragyo's immediate reaction to finding out, Isshin suppressed a shudder. The saying that there isn't anything worse than a woman scorned was probably created with Ragyo in mind. And if Ragyo was coming, than Nui wouldn't be far behind. He just needed to keep her away from Ururu. The Grand Couturier's lack of morals and sanity was only matched by her insatiable curiosity.

Ichigo watched Satsuki and her two goons leave before turning to his dad and asked, "Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Isshin gave him son the best goofy smile he could muster, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Ichigo."

"Dad…"

"I suppose you got a point." There was a point where Isshin knew acting like an idiot wouldn't work anymore. After the Winter War and Ichigo seeing who he truly was, Isshin couldn't play that card anymore. Pushing himself off the ground, he ran a hand through his hair, "So that's Mugetsu huh? It's a pretty well-crafted Kamui. Kisuke did a hell of a job making her."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly, "How do you know that?"

"Come on now!" Isshin drew his son into a one armed hug, "I'm your old man, for crying out loud! There isn't much that you can do that goes over your head. I heard you speaking to Mugetsu on my way over here. She has a lovely voice you know."

"_**Aw…"**_ If she was able to at the moment, Mugetsu would have blushed. She wasn't used to hearing complements from other people besides Ichigo.

"I'm not going to even ask how you are able to hear Mugetsu." With a simple mental command, Ichigo transformed Mugetsu back into her normal school uniform and sighed. Looking his dad straight in the eye, he asked, "Just tell me something. How do you know Satsuki's mother? Don't give me another one of your stories. I want to hear the truth."

"The truth…" Isshin knew there was a high chance that Satsuki, and most likely Ragyo, were listening in on this conversation. He couldn't afford to give too much away and risk Ragyo figuring something out, "Do you remember last winter when I dragged you across town? Think back on what you told me afterwards."

"_I got nothing to say. If you haven't told me by now, then you must have a good reason for doing so. It's your past. I don't know how to ask you about it without trampling your feelings and tracking mud all over them."_

"Yeah, I remember what I said," Ichigo's voice dropped a few decibels as he remembered what happened that day as clearly as though it had only happened yesterday. So much happened in those few hours that Ichigo wasn't sure where his memory ended and his imagination began. Looking down at Mugetsu's eyes, which seemed to show concern for her wearer, Ichigo sighed and turned around, "I'll let you tell me whenever you feel like it. Just don't keep me in the dark this time."

"_I wish I didn't have to."_

Isshin watched Ichigo walk away with pride visible in his eyes. It was subtle at the moment, but Ichigo was really coming into his own as a person. He had a Kamui of his own and yet he didn't allow the power Mugetsu offered him go to his head. If anything, he was more careful with his new power than when he had his shinigami powers. Dusting off his jacket while frowning at the minute hole near his heart, Isshin tried to think of a way he was eventually going to tell the truth to Ichigo. He knew without a doubt in his mind that if he didn't tell Ichigo, Ragyo would sure as hell take pleasure in doing so herself. He wouldn't bet against her tearing his son's heart out just to show it directly to Ichigo's face.

"Ragyo was always one for dramatics," Isshin noted to himself as he walked after Ichigo.

While his main priority in coming to Honnouji Academy was to meet up with Ichigo and attend Parent Student Day, he had several other things to do while he was here. Looking at his watch, Isshin was starting to wonder what Kon was up to. It wasn't like the mod soul to skip out on something like this. Shrugging his shoulders, Isshin realized Kon would show up eventually. Where else could the mod soul go?

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"How long do you plan on hiding, Jakuzure?"<p>

"I was not hiding, Lady Satsuki." Nonon walked out of the shadows and bowed respectfully, "I was waiting for you to address me."

"I see," Satsuki was glad that Jakuzure's time amongst Ichigo and his peers hadn't dampened her social etiquette. It would have been quite the shame for a girl from such a prestigious and wealthy family to suddenly lose everything that made her unique. Motioning for Sanageyama and Gamagori to leave her alone, Satsuki asked, "Do you have anything new to report?"

"…no," Jakuzure admitted reluctantly.

That did not please Satsuki. The parameters of Jakuzure's mission said that she only had until Parent Student Day, which was tomorrow, to find the source of Ichigo Kurosaki's control over Mugetsu so that Satsuki herself could use that to boost her own control over Junketsu. Hadn't Jakuzure smugly promised her to have results in a week? Well, Satsuki hadn't been too expectant to see such quick results. It was better to assume it would take as long as possible and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't rather than the other way around.

"You have until tomorrow to find out something of value. By the time my mother arrives you will either have what I want or your expulsion from the Elite Four shall be made permanent!" Satsuki ordered, causing Nonon to cast her head downwards in shame. She really has been trying to figure out how Ichigo was controlling Mugetsu, but every time she subtly inquired about it, she got strange looks and no one said anything. The possibility that they were aware of her mission had crossed Nonon's mind a few times, but she couldn't afford to just give up. Her entire life as one of Lady Satsuki's closest friends was on the line. She needed to succeed.

As an idea came to mind, Nonon asked, "Well, what about the Transfer Student?"

Satsuki raised an eyebrow in interest. Truth be told, Matoi's involvement in her silly Fight Club had been at the back of her mind as she prepared for Parent Student Day and the arrival of her mother. Everything had to be perfect and in working order, which meant Satsuki had focused the majority of her time to doing so. That is one of the many reasons she requested Ichigo become her Vice-President.

"What about Matoi?" Satsuki asked. Just because she wasn't focused on Matoi's progress did not mean Satsuki wasn't keeping track of what was going on. Satsuki was quite pleased to see Mako Mankanshoku assimilating so rapidly into the culture of Honnouji Academy. It was nearly at the point where Satsuki was certain Mankanshoku would choose her wealth and power over her friendship with Matoi. It was nearly sickening to see a human so easily corrupted by power to the point of forgoing everything that made them who they are.

"She has a Kamui, right?" Nonon tested the waters of her question and, upon seeing Satsuki's subtle motion to continue, did so, "You assigned me this mission after my defeat against Strawberry, but how were you to know that the Transfer Student's Kamui could change as well? Perhaps trying to get the secret from Strawberry is a waste of time when the Transfer Student is much stupider and easier to fool."

That was one of the reasons Satsuki respected Jakuzure as a colleague. Even when she was on the verge of losing her wealth and status, she was still able to come up with brilliant ideas.

"Matoi?" Satsuki thought about it and decided that perhaps going after Ichigo was no longer the best option, not when Matoi provided a much more readily available target. Smiling smugly, she began formulating a plan on what to do, "That could work. Good work, Jakuzure. Go and return to Ichigo. I will inform Sanageyama that his match against Matoi has been pushed up to this afternoon."

Nonon couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You're going to let the Monkey fight the Transfer Student?"

"Did I say that?" Satsuki began walking away, "As I recall, all I said was that the match has been moved up. If I know Matoi, it will never come to that, but in the end we will still get the match needed for Inumuta to collect information on Senketsu."

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ragyo Kiryuin threw open the doors of her closet and grinned upon seeing all the different outfits hanging inside.<p>

"Ma'am," Rei Hououmaru walked towards her boss and wisely stopped some distance away from the room. Even though she was the personal assistant of Ragyo Kiryuin, even she wouldn't be immune from the urges of the Life Fibers within the room. Rei trusted her ability to avoid most attacks, but she wasn't naïve enough to believe she could do so against dozens, if not hundreds, of outfits.

Still ecstatic upon witnessing the true majesty of her designs, Ragyo asked, "What is it Hououmaru?"

"I have just received word from your daughter," If Rei noticed the bearly perceivable frown of disgust on Ragyo's face, she dared not mention it, "She informed me that Isshin Kurosaki has arrived at Honnouji Academy as of earlier this afternoon."

So Isshin decided to attend Parent Student Day after all. Ragyo was finding this day to be just full of surprises. There were so many people she needed to meet and speak to at Satsuki's little school. Isshin…Ichigo…and little Amu…

"Thank you for the wonderful news Hououmaru," Ragyo hooked her fingers around the clasps on her shoulders that held her constantly pristine white, low-cut dress over her body. As her thumbs caressed the latches, she turned her head partially around, "You are dismissed. Let Satsuki know that I will be arriving around noon tomorrow. I don't need to assume that she will roll out the welcome mat for me."

"Right away Ma'am," Rei bowed her head and turned to carry out her orders. As close as she was to Ragyo, there were only three people that had ever seen her pure and naked body and one of them was already dead. She wasn't willing to make it two.

Once her assistant had left to carry out her orders, Ragyo stepped within her closet and immediately felt all the Life Fibers reacting to her presence. If she had been just another pig in clothing, her clothes would have quickly and painfully drained them of all their blood before devouring their body. It was her favorite method of disposing of spies that thought they were clever, smart and stealthy enough to break into her own manor.

Reaching over towards one dress, Ragyo brushed her fingers against it and immediately felt it move in response to her touch. She always took such pleasure in seeing all her clothes and outfits react to her presence with such child-like reverence. They all knew of her connection to the Original Life Fiber and saw her as one of the few beings in existence that were to be respected and adored. Her dear child Nui was another, but Ragyo wished there were more than just the two of them. When she finally met Isshin's son, Ragyo hoped to induct him into the Kiryuin family. She was sure Ichigo would be someone the Life Fibers would follow.

Ragyo stepped away from the dress and turned towards the back of her closet. Past the hundreds of dresses in her collection, all of which were pristine and virgin white with a faint rainbow undertone that constantly seemed to emit from somewhere within the dress was the exact outfit she was looking for. It was perhaps one of a handful of dresses in her collection that she did not create herself. Rather, it was chosen out for her and given to her as a gift. Ragyo smirked as she remembered the sheepish and embarrassed look on Isshin's face after he spent over an hour trying, and mostly failing, to find a dress she would like all on his own. She found it so cute that Isshin, the same man who had no fashion sense, did his best to pick out something he knew she would like.

Raising her arm as she approached the back of her expansive closet, Ragyo mentally ordered her outfits to move out of her way as she strolled forward. Hanging on the back of her closet, wrapped in plastic and as pristine as the day she received it, was a form-fitting purple dress. As her eyes took in the one outfit she had yet to wear, Ragyo had to give Isshin credit. Fashion sense or not, when the man put his mind to it, he managed to pick out something she really liked.

"You are far too valuable and precious to be worn as just clothing…" Ragyo hooked her finger in the plastic around the dress and slashed downwards. Unlike the rest of her attire, this dress contained no Life Fibers and why should it when it was created before she started incorporating Life Fibers within Revocs products? A slightly psychotic and lusty smile spread across Ragyo's face as she thought about what she was going to do next. Just because it did, didn't mean that it couldn't.

Pressing her palm against the unmoving purple silk, Ragyo watched in satisfaction as dozens of Life Fibers emerged from her wrist and hand and began weaving themselves into the fabric. Unlike the rest of her clothing, she wasn't going to give this dress just enough Life Fibers for basic life. It was given to her by Isshin and, as such, it deserved the same treatment she would give that man. As more and more Life Fibers left her body and became one with the dress, Ragyo began to feel the dress come alive. Already she could feel it probing her, sensing that she was its greater and that her will was its only command.

"No, mon précieux," Ragyo caressed the dress as she continued to give it more and more Life Fibers, watching all the while as the Life Fibers merged and replaced the silk. Already she could see the dark purple fading to a lighter color. Soon it would be as white and pristine as the rest of her clothing. Ragyo smirked as she witnessed the interior of the dress beginning to glow before sighing dreamily, "You are much more than clothing to me. You are a gift to me from the only man I love and thus are more precious to me than my daughter. Now come, be worn by me!"

The once purple dress didn't need any more incentive to be worn by its mistress. Coming to life, it immediately threw itself at her and began to wrap itself around her naked body. Sighing in ecstasy, Ragyo couldn't wait until tomorrow when she would finally meet Isshin's progeny and see firsthand how well her experiment all those years ago succeeded.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kamui Tales #9 - All From a Name<strong>

**_"Welcome back for another installment of Kamui Tales!" _**Senketsu said dramatically as he hopped backwards away from the screen, **_"Unfortunately Mugetsu couldn't be here tonight. Apparently Ichigo is washing her on his day off and that is much more important than doing this…"_**

Senketsu's tone carried a bit of anger and envy in it, which meant that he would rather be doing that than hosting the omake segment. As a growl emanated from where his throat would be Senketsu looked at the card in his hand and said, **_"So instead, Junketsu will be helping me explain the origins of Kamui names!"_**

As if on cue, Junketsu appeared on the edge of the screen and reluctantly waved to the camera. Hopping across the screen, a white board tucked under once of its sleeves, it stopped near Senketsu and gave its fellow Kamui a salute. Noticing the tool for communication, Senketsu scratched his lapels and asked, **_"So the author still hasn't given you a voice or gender yet?"_** When Junketsu nodded in affirmation, Senketsu huffed, **_"Just how lazy is he? It's not like it's hard to change it to he or she. Since you're here Junketsu, why don't you tell the readers what gender you are?"_**

Junketsu seemed to brighten up at the idea and began frantically scribbling something on the board. Once it was satisfied with what it wrote, it nodded to itself and flipped the board around, "I am **male."

**_"Wait a second,"_** Senketsu leaned in close with his one good eye. It was a curse to be created without good depth perception, **_"Is that a smudge or the first part of the word?"_**

Junketsu looked at what it wrote before turning to Senketsu and simply shrugged.

**_"Oh well, I suppose it really doesn't matter. The readers will have to find out eventually, unless the author cops out like the anime team did,"_** Senketsu turned his body towards the screen and pressed a button on the remote held in its sleeve. Immediately a picture of Kinue Kinagase with Danketsu exposed for everyone to see appeared on screen.

**_"This is Danketsu,"_** Senketsu informed while Junketsu had written 'DANKETSU' on its white board, **_"Danketsu is the Kamui worn by Kinue Kinagase. She is not only powerful enough to give Ryuko and me a run for our money if we were to ever fight, but she is also rude, obnoxious, and quite insane – "_**

Senketsu was cut off from saying any further insults as a brick flew in from somewhere off screen and beaned him square in his back. Quickly recovering, he rubbed his now sore back while faint laughter, most likely Danketsu, echoed in the background. Growling, Senketsu turned back to the screen, **_"Danketsu has multiple meanings, but here it stands for 'Unison,' which comes from the fact that Danketsu cannot be separated from Kinue no matter what."_**

The screen abruptly shifted before showing all four Kamui in their various transformations, **_"All Kamui are named after some aspect of either their personality or meaning. In fact, it is rather simple to name a Kamui. All you need to do is – "_**

Senketsu stopped in midsentence when Junketsu tapped his shoulder and showed him what it had written down, "But what about you?"

**_"What do you mean?"_**

"Where does your name come from?"

**_"Ah!"_** Senketsu sighed happily, **_"Ryuko gave me my name. It means 'Fresh Blood.'"_**

"But all Kamui require blood. All she gave you was a word describing what you do."

**_"Yes, but – "_**

"Do you mean to tell the viewers that you are the only Kamui without a true name? How ironic…"

**_"No! It's…I…but…"_** Senketsu seemed to tear up before he ran off screen shouting, **_"Ryuko! Why didn't you give me a proper name?"_**

Junketsu watched its fellow Kamui leave before hopping to the center of the screen and wrote, "I apologize for the abrupt ending of this segment of Omake Tales. My fellow Kamui are quite strange and prone to irrational emotional bouts. Perhaps next time we will actually get something done."


	22. Chapter 22: Let's Stay Together

_Huh, I actually managed to post this chapter a week after the last one. Usually that would be no problem, but for three days I had a massive writer's block and it wasn't until Tuesday that my muse came back to me. So I hope you enjoy Chapter 22 and don't forget to review it once you're done!_

_I have a tvtropes page for this story! Just reminding you all._

_I will be posting snippets and omakes of the chapters at spacebattles. So if you can't wait a whole week to see the polished and final chapter, head on over there and see the mostly finished segments as I write and post them._

**_Edit: I really screwed up at the end of Ichigo's fight. I fixed the ending so it should be more in line with who Ichigo is and his stance on fighting and killing._**

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22 – Let's Stay Together<strong>

Ryuko thought tracking down Ichigo's dad would be easy. The man was, after all, a bumbling idiot who had the mentality of a child. It was to her eternal surprise that even after following the trail of destruction, as well as Ichigo's directions, that she only found the man completely by accident.

She had just given up searching after an hour and kicked a nearby door in frustration. When the door fell off its rusted hinges, making her nervous since that Gamagori bastard would order her to pay for the damage to the academy, Ryuko tried to put it back only to see Isshin Kurosaki had put several unused desks together and was using them as a makeshift bed in order to take a nap.

"Hey," Ryuko nudged Isshin only for the man to snore in return, "Get up."

When Isshin didn't move, even after several increasingly violent attempts on her part, Ryuko found herself reaching her breaking point. Taking a step back, she reared her leg up and kicked out the desk under Isshin's head and shoulders. As the force of gravity reminded Isshin that she was completely heartless by causing his entire body to tumble painfully to the ground, Isshin tried to understand what exactly had just happened.

"I see you're awake now," Ryuko huffed and folded her arms, "So you're really Ichigo's dad and not some weird relative?"

Isshin stopped rubbing his sore neck and saw Ryuko staring irritably down at him. So she was the cause of all his current pain and suffering, "Yup! It may not look like it, but Ichigo is my flesh and blood!"

Ryuko's eyebrow rose at the proclamation. The man was like a complete opposite of Ichigo, "Have we met before?"

"I can't say that we have," Isshin answered mystically, "But then again, Ichigo was always one to keep me out of the loop. It's such a sad, sad day when a son doesn't trust his father anymore!"

"I see…" Ryuko's eye began twitching as she finally understood why Ichigo did not like his dad. The man was a complete idiot! How he could have raised someone like Ichigo boggled her mind, "Let me ask you something else. Have you ever met my dad?"

"Your dad?" Ryuko was getting into dangerous territory, so Isshin decided to go about solving the problem the old fashioned way with a great big lie, "Probably not."

"Oh yeah?" Ryuko reached into Senketsu and pulled out an old and time-weathered photograph she had absconded with from her dad's ruined basement, "Then how do you explain this?"

Ryuko hadn't initially thought much about the picture she found in her dad's house. She had almost completely forgotten about it when Ichigo's dad came swinging in and attacked him. While at the time she was too much in shock from watching what was happening to think about the photo, now that she had some free time between fighting club presidents, the photo was all she could think about. Ichigo's dad resembled the man in the photo too much for it to be a coincidence. There had to be a connection between him and her dad.

Isshin looked at the photo and could honestly say that he had completely forgotten about it. Isshin Matoi hadn't wanted to go on vacation with him and Masaki. His excuse was that he had a lot of work to do setting up everything as well as taking care of little Ryuko. As much as he tried to argue with the man, Isshin couldn't dissuade the elder Matoi from his decision. That was when Masaki walked past him, a thin smile on her face, and told her husband to leave everything to her. When Masaki pulled the professor away and whispered something into his ear, Isshin could swear he saw his hunchback almost straighten out. When he asked Masaki what he said to him, all she would say to him was that a mother knew best.

He, of course, didn't want to say much about his history with Ryuko's father. Humming thoughtfully as his mind tried to come up with something Ryuko would believe, Isshin decided to go with an old classic – tell a lie with a sprinkling of the truth.

"That's Masaki and me on vacation in Hawaii with your old man," Isshin paused momentarily as he scratched his stubble, "Man, that shirt was gaudy, but let me tell you something. It was really confusing having everyone call out 'Isshin' and the both of us turn to see who it was."

Ryuko was surprised by Isshin's straightforward admittance. She was so sure he would have denied being in the picture like Aikuro tried to do until she threatened to castrate the man, "Good, now who is Masaki?"

Isshin's tone as he replied was somber and Ryuko realized she probably said something wrong, "Masaki was Ichigo's mother. She died nearly nine years ago."

"H-How - ?"

"But that's enough about such sad memories!" Ryuko was thrown off by the sudden change in Isshin's behavior, but the next words out of his mouth nearly caused her own to gape in complete and utter surprise, "I'm sure you've shown me such an accusing photograph hoping that I would tell you more about your father, right? Well then, ask away!"

Ryuko couldn't believe what she was hearing. After weeks of Aikuro dodging around the issue of her father to the point at which it was almost like an art to him, here Ichigo's dad was offering what she sought. Swallowing nervously and taking a moment to compose herself, she asked, "How well did you know my dad?"

"I suppose as well as can be expected. Your dad was quite the workaholic, after all," Isshin folded his arms and thought back to all the times he had visited Isshin only to be rebuked by the busy scientist. While they hadn't really talked much during the last ten years, Isshin still tried to keep in touch for Masaki's sake, "I knew him for nearly twenty years. You can't imagine how much of a shock it was to find out old Isshin had a kid! Masaki was fawning over you, but I was laughing at trying to figure out who would want to marry your old man!"

"Hey! That's my dad you're talking about!" Ryuko snapped and kicked Isshin in the shin, causing the elder Kurosaki to hobble in pain while holding his leg. Taking no small amount of pleasure from Isshin's pain, Ryuko turned her head and grumbled, "What was he like?"

Isshin looked at Ryuko with owlish eyes, "Shouldn't you know that? He was your dad, not mine, although with the way he always criticized everything I did he may as well have been my father."

"Dad was always busy working," Ryuko couldn't look Isshin in the eye as she thought back to every time she asked her dad to play with her only for him to tell her he was too busy to do so. As first she thought being sent off to boarding school would be a godsend, there were other kids to play with after all, in the end it only made things worse. Despite her best efforts to fit in, she became a social outcast and joined several gangs. Turning back to Isshin, she whispered, "I once asked him about how mom died. He just stopped working and wouldn't speak to me for a couple of hours. You were his friend right? Tell me why he was like that."

"_Jeez, you really made a mess of things, didn't you?"_

As much as Isshin wanted to sit down with Ryuko and explain everything her dad was doing that caused him to become so distant with her, he had to admit that Aikuro had a point about waiting until she was ready. Staring deep into her eyes under the guise of thinking about his answer, Isshin saw the desperation, loneliness and anger dwelling just below the surface. Ryuko had a lot of lingering problems and the murder of her father only made things worse. Although, now that he looked carefully, it seemed that Ichigo's influence was a positive influence on Ryuko's emotions. Isshin chuckled at that little piece of information. Perhaps he would wait a few more weeks for his son to mellow out Ryuko a tad bit more before telling Aikuro to let Ryuko know more about her father's work. It wouldn't be good to rush these things. There was no way to tell how Ryuko would react to the truth, but Isshin knew it most likely wouldn't be pretty.

"Isshin was a brilliant man," Isshin started suddenly, bringing Ryuko back to attention. Chuckling at an old memory, he continued off with his lie, "If you gave him any piece of clothing, all he would need to do is sniff it, rub it and stare at it to know what composed it and in what percentages. That's what made him famous in the fashion industry until he retired from most of his work after you were born. One thing he wasn't good at was expressing his emotions."

Isshin stopped when he heard a loud commotion coming from outside. Turning toward the window, he noticed a large group of students setting something up in the large courtyard outside. Filing that information away as unnecessary, he continued where he left off, "Your dad may not have seemed like the most loving man, but that was because he didn't know how to express himself in front of you. In the last decade I spoke with him only once, about six years ago, and all he would talk about was how proud he was of you."

"Proud?" Ryuko gazed at Isshin in stunned surprise.

"Yeah," Isshin nodded. This part was true at least. Aikuro didn't know about that particular little chat, but Isshin had gone back to try and patch things up between the two of them. It worked, to some extent, but things just weren't the same, "He was keeping close tabs on you but promised to never interfere unless you needed it. When he told me about how you were in a gang, he laughed and said that he hoped you knocked the hell out of those boys and showed just how strong of a woman you are. He really loved you."

"I can't believe it." For the first time in months, Ryuko felt genuinely happy. While being around Mako and Ichigo helped to make her forget what happened to her dad and why she was at Honnouji Academy in the first place, what Isshin just told her made her feel truly happy. As a smile broke out across her face, Ryuko chuckled and asked, "Is there anything else you can tell me about him? What about my mom? What was she like?"

"Whoa!" Isshin raised his hands placating, "Once question at a time, young lady! I suppose I should start by saying Isshin didn't really talk about your mom all that much. I think the pain of losing her was too much for him and he would rather not talk about it than risk remembering her."

"Oh…" Ryuko was crestfallen but that was alright with her. As long as she knew her dad had always been proud of her, she could deal with this little setback.

"There is one thing I would like to talk to you about…" Isshin needed to tread very carefully with what he was about to say. One wrong step and he could really hurt Ryuko emotionally and if that happened, Ichigo would kick his ass so hard he wouldn't be able to sit down for years. Rubbing the back of his neck, he thought carefully and said, "When I dragged my no-good son out before, I had a little chat with him. He told me a few things, but the one thing that stuck with me is how he thinks someone called Nui Harime killed Isshin."

When he saw the anger appear on Ryuko's face at the mention of her father's murderer, Isshin knew he needed to act fast, "Look, I know better than anyone that revenge is a sucker's game. If this Nui person really did kill Isshin, what will tracking her down and killing her accomplish other than wasting your life? It won't bring him back."

"What…what gives you the right to say that?" Ryuko growled at Isshin.

"I told you Ichigo's mother died nine years ago, right? The truth is that she was murdered. Once I heard what happened, I immediately had my suspicions about who did it, but in order to go after them I would need to leave my family. I could have easily tracked them down and made them pay for what they did, but the tradeoff was too great. Ichigo and his sisters had just lost their mother. They couldn't lose their father as well. In the end I made my choice and I haven't looked back or regretted it for a single day."

Ryuko wanted to say something to Isshin, but every time she opened her mouth the words just seemed to dry up in her throat. Was going after Nui Harime really so pointless if it didn't bring her dad back?

"Maybe you're right," she conceded, casting her gaze away from Isshin, "But I can't give up looking for her. I still need to know why she killed my dad!'

Isshin nodded sagely. That was the best he was going to get out of her and he knew it. It would be naïve of him to think that he could change someone's mind so readily after just talking to them once. For the last six months revenge had been on the forefront of Ryuko's mind. He would have been more worried if she had suddenly agreed with him. That still left the matter of how to deal with Nui Harime because Isshin knew the Grand Couturier would want to gloat about what she did to Ryuko's dad.

"I never said you should give up looking for answers," Isshin shook his head, "I'm just saying you shouldn't do it alone. I'm sure Ichigo and your other friends would be more than happy to help bring this Nui woman to justice."

"Really?" Ryuko didn't know what to think at the moment, "I – "

"There you are Ryuko!"

Standing at the entrance to the classroom was Mako. Upon seeing Ryuko, she smiled and flipped the clipboard in her hands around and showed her something circled several times in red ink, "Lady Satsuki has finally authorized your match against the Elite Three! The first fight is at 5 PM tonight! Let's go. We don't have much time to get you ready."

"W-Wait a second Mako!" Ryuko dug her heels into the floor to arrest her movement. She was still exhausted from the constant fighting. The Two-Star club presidents may not pose a challenge to her, but fighting ten in a row was just tiringly. As Mako continued to pull Ryuko along, heedless of her friend's protests, Ryuko was saved when Isshin somehow stepped in front of her and picked up Mako.

"It's good to see you again Mako!" Isshin said gleefully with stars in his eyes, "I haven't seen you since Ichigo's first day! Do you want to see some more of Ichigo's cute baby pictures? I didn't forget to bring a few dozen embarrassing ones with me this time!"

"I'm afraid I must decline, Mr. Kurosaki," Mako informed the older man while stoically adjusting her glasses, "Ryuko has a match to prepare for. I'm afraid we don't have the time today for such childishness."

The tone of Mako's voice threw Isshin through a loop. Eyes narrowing suspiciously, he began shaking Mako while shouting, "Who are you and what did you do with the real Mako? I may have only met her once, but the Mako I knew was a happy bundle of joy! A pod person like you could never replicate the true Mako! Tell me where you hid her!"

"That is Mako," Ryuko said.

"Huh?" Isshin looked at Ryuko before glancing back at a shaken Mako, "Are you sure? She looks like she's been practicing a really snooty noblewoman's laugh."

"Yeah I'm sure. Can you let her down now?"

"Well…ok," Isshin plopped Mako back onto her feet and she immediately began fixing her appearance. After looking into a pocket mirror and making sure not a hair was out of place, Mako turned to Ryuko and gave her friend a thumbs up.

"Let's get going, Ryuko. This little distraction wasted too much time already," Mako grabbed Ryuko's hand and began dragging her friend out of Honnouji Academy and towards the courtyard.

"_**Don't let her take me, Ryuko!"**_ Senketsu's mostly unheard voice echoed through the hallways, _**"My Life Fibers are already too worn out from all this fighting! If I don't rest I'll surely fray!"**_

As he listened to Senketsu's voice fade into the background, Isshin had to admit that Souchiro did a good job in making a Kamui. Senketsu was extremely well put together. Isshin wasn't even sure if Kisuke could have made Mugetsu much better than Senketsu in the same amount of time.

As he listened to Senketsu's pleas fade off into the distance, Isshin let out an involuntary sigh of relief. That was not a conversation he wanted to do again anytime soon, but he supposed it was better Ryuko heard it from him rather than someone else.

"You seem to be having a good time, Isshin."

Isshin didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking to him, "Well, what kept you Aikuro? I expected you to stop by the moment I got here."

"Humph," Aikuro stepped off the window ledge and ran a hand through his shaggy blue hair, taking off his glasses in the process, "You must really be self-centered to think my life revolves around you. I am a teacher after all. I have students counting on me to teach them the subtleties of history three times a day. It just so happened that your timely arrival coincided with one of those classes."

Isshin couldn't really fault Aikuro for not showing up when he arrived. Isshin wasn't as close with Nudist Beach as he used to be after more than a decade of raising his family alone, "So what do you want to discuss? These rooms aren't exactly the most private place to hold a conversation."

"You don't need to worry about Satsuki's bugs. I removed those a few hours ago." Aikuro held out his hand and showed nearly two dozen small devices resting in his palm, "Of course I'm going to give her the most expensive ones back. Those will put a dent even in her vast wallet. In any case, I couldn't help but overhear your little talk. That was some motivational speech you gave to Ryuko."

"Someone had to give it to her," Isshin grumbled and stared accusingly at Aikuro.

"Hey now," Aikuro held his hands up nervously, "You know well enough that I'm not good at those sorts of things, although I didn't expect you to actually tell her about Masaki."

"Ryuko needed someone to relate to," Isshin sighed and thought back over the last couple of hours, "You must have seen the anger shimmering just beneath the surface. She was one big push from losing it, and control over Senketsu as well. Satsuki and her cronies wouldn't risk doing that to Ryuko, but there is one person that would…"

"Nui Harime," Aikuro muttered, "Kinue said what she thinks the Grand Couturier's plan is. I have to say that if Kinue was right, Nui Harime is truly an evil being. Who in their right mind would do something like that to someone?"

"Whoever said Nui was in her right mind?" Isshin turned away before adding, "You better not be stripping behind my back. You know I don't swing that way."

"I'm not suicidal," Aikuro chuckled at the joke while absentmindedly buttoning his shirt back up. He still bore the mental scars from the last time he unconsciously began stripping in Isshin's presence, "You're still a letdown Isshin, just as you always were, but I don't think you came to Honnouji Academy to exchange such pleasantries."

"I know," Isshin sighed wistfully and sat down on one of the desks, "Parent Student Day."

Aikuro looked at Isshin curiously, "You think Ragyo Kiryuin's going to make her move tomorrow?"

"What?" Do I look like I know the inner machinations of Ragyo's mind?" When Aikuro gave him a pointed look that said 'yes,' Isshin grumbled into the palm of his hand, "No, I don't think she will. It's much too early, even for her, to put anything into motion. She's after something and the only way she can get it is by coming to Parent Student Day."

"What do you think it is?" Aikuro asked before his breath caught in his throat, "Is it Ichigo?"

Isshin's eyes narrowed as he thought about it. His sources had told him that Ragyo didn't go to the previous two Parent Student Days, so what made her decide to go to the one this year? The only difference that he could think of off the top of his head was that Ichigo was attending this year.

"Perhaps," he conceded, "But she won't dare do anything as long as I stay close to Ichigo. That means she'll try to do something to draw Ichigo away from me. I need you to keep a close eye out on Ichigo tomorrow. Make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid."

"Fine," Aikuro drawled, "What about Ryuko? Professor Matoi wanted me to gradually tell her everything about what he was doing."

Isshin didn't answer Aikuro right away, "…tell her what she needs to know when you think she's ready, but try and wait a few days. Let her come to terms and deal with what I just told her."

"Alright," Aikuro looked out the window and noticed a large commotion coming from the courtyard, "Something big is about to go down. Perhaps we should go check it out. What do you say Isshin?"

Aikuro turned and saw the elder Kurosaki had already vanished. Sighing in frustration, he began to follow Isshin out the door. One day he was going to ask the man how the hell he managed to always disappear like that.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Let's get this wrapped up soon!" A nameless One-Star student dressed as a manager shouted into a megaphone while directing other students to and fro across the courtyard, "We have a little more than an hour until the match starts! If Lady Satsuki arrives and finds the arena not yet finished, I'm going to blame each and every one of you!"<p>

As the workers grumbled curses at the manager, causing him to yell at them some more, Ichigo stared down from the recently erected bleachers at the scene with a frown adorning his face.

"_**Still thinking about Mako?"**_

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled. Ever since Mako became the president of the Fight Club, allowing her family to move into the Two-Star Residential District, she had become nearly a complete stranger. It started with a few small things that could have been mistaken for simply Mako's excessive imagination but eventually Ichigo realized that despite his repeated warnings Mako had let the power go to her head.

"_**What do you plan on doing about it?"**_ Mugetsu asked before shifting her gaze to the arena below. Following her line of sight, Ichigo saw Mako march out and begin giving directions to the manager.

"To be honest I don't know," Ichigo stretched out a kink in his shoulder, "But I don't think words are going to work on Mako. She's much too stubborn to listen."

Mugetsu seemed to mull something over before she excitedly said, _**"Perhaps you should hit her on the head a few times."**_

Ichigo was a little stunned by his Kamui's need for violence, "You want me to fight Mako?"

"_**Of course not!"**_ Mugetsu seemed incensed by Ichigo's accusation. She would gladly admit that liked to fight. It was what she was created for after all. But there was a fine line between fighting and indulging in senseless and pointless violence. Doing her best to look up into Ichigo's eyes, she scoffed haughtily and said, _**"I'm suggesting Mako's head is hard enough to be hit a few times without sustaining injury. Have you seen how many times she's been attacked since you met her? There's a better chance that Mako will die from forgetting that she needs to breathe than from anything you can do to her!"**_

Ichigo hated that Mugetsu had a point. With all the injuries Mako's received, ranging from getting hit in the face with dozens of tennis balls to nearly being vivisected by the insane Biology club, she should have died or at least been gravely injured a long time ago. How Mako managed to survive being hit with dozens of tennis balls without sustaining at least a minor concussion or broken jaw boggled his mind.

"You have a point," he conceded and immediately felt a surge of smugness emanate from Mugetsu. Deciding to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, he added, "But even if that's true I'm still not going to fight Mako. It just doesn't seem right to fight her."

Mugetsu didn't say anything that, choosing instead to stare annoyingly at him in the hopes that he would take her advice. Despite the looks his Kamui was giving him, Ichigo's attention was focused elsewhere at the moment. Ryuko had just appeared down in the arena and immediately Mako went over to her and began pointing out various things to the tired girl. Mako must have really lost perspective on her life if she was unable to see just how exhausted and beat Ryuko was.

Noticing something out of the corner of his eyes, Ichigo glanced up to the top of Honnouji Academy and saw a shadowy figure standing on the roof. While he couldn't exactly see or make out who it was, Ichigo had a pretty good idea who it might be. Judging from the fact that she hadn't yet made her presence known, Ichigo figured Satsuki Kiryuin wanted to keep a low profile for the moment. That meant she was up to something and it most likely involved Ryuko.

"_Satsuki's up to something," _Ichigo watched as Ryuko tiredly nodded to everything Mako was telling her and tried to put himself in Satsuki's position even though the idea irritated him. The Elite Four, or was it three now, were the three toughest fighters at Honnouji Academy. It would take Ryuko at her full strength to defeat just one of them. Why would Satsuki allow Ryuko to fight them so soon after constant battles against the Two-Star club presidents?

"_It would be pragmatic for Satsuki to make Ryuko fight her Elite Four when she's exhausted,"_ Ichigo realized, _"But it's not Satsuki's style. If she wanted to do that, she would have announced the fight the day before, giving the academy enough time to come see. Announcing the fight only a few hours in advance means she's planning something else and I'm just not seeing it."_

When he heard his cell phone beginning to ring in his pocket, Ichigo originally decided to ignore it in favor of trying to think of what Satsuki was planning. As the phone continued to ring for over a minute, Ichigo muttered a curse and fished it out of his pocket. It was probably just his dad calling to say that he got lost on the way to the bathroom, "Hello?"

"Hiya cousin!" An excessively cheerful and familiar voice shouted from the other end of the line, "It's been such a long time since we've talked. I was starting to think you forgot about me."

"Nui Harime…" Mugetsu tensed up around Ichigo's body as he spoke, "How did you even get this number?"

"Pfft," Ichigo could hear Nui giving him a raspberry over the phone, "I have my ways. It's so upsetting to hear all this hostility coming from you, Ichigo. And here I've been nothing but friendly to you."

"That's interesting," Ichigo turned his back to the arena and held his cellphone closer to his ear, "I don't know who you take me for, but I'm not stupid. I'm pretty sure you're the one that killed Ryuko's dad. Why did you do it?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Ichigo would have assumed Nui hung up on him if not for the faint breathing coming through the speaker. When Nui did speak to him again after nearly half a minute of silence the hairs on the back of Ichigo's neck stiffened at the very subtle venom in Nui's voice, "You know, it's not very nice to lie to people like that. If you keep telling such outrageous fibs, I'm going to have to hurt your friend a lot more."

"Friend? Who – "

Ichigo's voice froze in midsentence when he heard the very distinct sound of Shinjiro screaming in pain somewhere in the background. Gritting his teeth when he heard Nui giggle, he nearly shouted into the phone, "Shinjiro! What the hell did you do to him?"

"Oh…not much," Nui's saccharine voice answered in the same tone in which someone might ask how your day went. Humming something to herself, she continued with a giggle, "I only stabbed him in his arms and legs five times. He's actually doing pretty well if you ignore the pain and blood loss. If he doesn't get help soon I don't think he's going to make it. Humans like him tend to do that way too often for it to be fun anymore."

Ichigo's hand clenched around the phone, "What the hell do you want with me?"

"Oh ~ don't be so serious Ichigo!" Nui's voice seemed to sound disappointed at the anger in his voice. It was almost like she couldn't understand why he felt the way he did, "All I want to do is talk with you. Capturing your little friend was just to make sure you couldn't say no to me. Ah! Tell you what! If you come and meet with me in thirty minutes I'll let your friend go alive and with all his limbs still attached to his body. I think that's a fair deal, don't you?"

"You tortured Shinjiro just to speak with me?" Ichigo would have scoffed in outrage if he wasn't trying to think of something, anything, he could do to save Shinjiro.

"It's because you were so mean to me," Ichigo could sense the pout on Nui's face through the phone, "Getting all those strange and wrong ideas about how I'm psychotic and evil. I needed a chance to prove you wrong and so I decided to do this. All I want to do is talk to you and get to know my cousin a little better. Is that so hard to ask? Besides, do you really have time to argue semantics? Your friend only has like twenty seven minutes to live now."

This was so obvious a trap that Ichigo was already tripping over it, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. If Shinjiro really was in danger from Nui Harime, then he needed to do something. With a resounding sigh, he said, "Fine."

"Goodie!" Nui clapped her hands in happiness before speaking again, "Meet me at the old power station deep in the Slums within thirty minutes. If you're one minute late, your friend here is going to be sorry~"

"Wait! Don't you – "

Ichigo was cut off when Nui hung up on him in midsentence. He couldn't understand what her fascination with him was. Was she so determined to speak with him that she would kidnap and torture his friends just to do it?

"_**What are you going to do?"**_ Mugetsu was nothing but concerned for her wearer. She could feel his pulse racing and the temperature of his blood was rising. Ichigo was angry and she didn't like it, _**"Ichigo?"**_

"I'm fine. Just give me a moment to think," Ichigo muttered and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Making him upset, and irrational, was no doubt part of Nui's plan or whatever it was she truly wanted from him. He wasn't naïve enough to believe she really wanted to just talk with him. If she wanted to do that, she could have appeared next to him like the last two times she invaded his personal space. Running a hand through his hair, he went over his options.

Going in alone would be nearly suicidal at the moment. He had no idea how strong Nui was but there was no doubt that she was extremely strong…and also batshit insane. From the way she spoke to him, Nui didn't seem to see anything wrong with torturing people. It even sounded like she found it to be fun. He needed backup from someone at least as strong as him. Thinking rapidly, Ichigo came up with three people – Ryuko, Ururu or Satsuki.

He couldn't take Ryuko even if she was the best choice. She was already exhausted from all the fighting she had been doing. Taking her to rescues Shinjiro would have risked her death since Ichigo was certain Nui would kill her. Ururu would have also been fine, but Ichigo knew Ururu's place was to keep Mako from going too far off the deep end. As the Fight Club Vice-President, Ururu's job was to be Mako's sounding board for scheduling and ideas. Since Ururu was most likely immune to power corruption, she had been vital in keeping Mako from doing anything too stupid or dangerous.

Ichigo groaned when he realized that meant he was only left with Satsuki.

As he made his way to where he knew Satsuki was watching, Mugetsu decided to voice her concerns on the matter, _**"Are you sure you can trust Satsuki to help you? You aren't exactly friendly with her."**_

"Satsuki's the head of the Student Council," Ichigo said as he pressed down on his spaulder, allowing Mugetsu to transform to her true state. Clenching a fist as her power coursed through his body, Ichigo glanced upwards before bending his knees and jumping, "I'm sure she wouldn't want one of her students to die under her watch."

"_**But she's admitted to killing spies posing as students and those that rebelled against her,"**_ Mugetsu pointed out worriedly.

"I know," Ichigo admitted as he took the last jump needed to reach Satsuki, "But I don't have a choice in the matter. You're just going to have to trust me on this."

As soon as he appeared over the edge of the roof and even before he touched down, Ichigo found himself surrounded on both sides by Gamagori and Sanageyama. Both men had their respective weapons out and aimed at vital areas of his body. Uncaring about the possible threats to his health, Ichigo stared at Satsuki's back and said, "We need to talk."

"It's a pleasure seeing you again, Ichigo," Satsuki answered without turning around. As her long black hair blew in the breeze, she continued, "Although it is a rather strange turn of events for you to come see me, but I must ask you something. What gives you the right to so brazenly come near me?"

Ichigo's eyes glanced back and forth between Sanageyama and Gamagori, "Nui Harime."

Satsuki's hands tightly clenched the hilt of Bakuzan upon hearing the Grand Couturier's name. She didn't know what Nui Harime wanted with Ichigo, but if she were to go by the Grand Couturier's previous interests, it would not be good for anyone involved. Hiding her anger and trepidation with a haughty scoff, she looked at Gamagori and said, "Leave us."

Gamagori looked shocked, "But Lady Satsuki – "

"That was not a suggestion," Satsuki's tone brokered no arguments, "You too Sanageyama. Ichigo and I have private matters to discuss. If you are concerned about my safety, your worry is unwarranted. Ichigo has no intention of assaulting me."

"Very well Lady Satsuki," Sanageyama's hands tightened around his shinai before sheathing it.

Once they were left alone, Satsuki turned to completely face Ichigo, "Speak. You have my attention."

"How well do you know Nui Harime?"

Satsuki paused to consider the question before answering, "More than you would think. Why did you bring her name up?"

Ichigo knew that dodging around the issue wouldn't work with someone like Satsuki Kiryuin. Deciding to be as blunt as possible, he said, "She's kidnapped and is torturing one of my friends. She says she will kill him if I don't go meet with her."

"Then your friend is lost," Satsuki answered without hesitation. She knew far better than anyone at Honnouji Academy what happens to those that Nui Harime takes an interest in. Satsuki had personally seen the Grand Couturier's work and she would never admit that it gave her more than a few nightmares in the following weeks, "It would be best to not get involved in Nui Harime's schemes."

"That won't work," Ichigo argued, "Even if I wanted to leave Shinjiro to be killed, Nui has already shown the ability to appear at random whenever she feels like it. What's to stop her from appearing in my dorm again?"

"Nui Harime was already here?" That piece of information bothered Satsuki greatly. The Grand Couturier damn well knew that the academy was off limits to her ploys without announcing her presence beforehand. If she were to believe Ichigo's words, then Nui had already visited Honnouji Academy at least once before. Of course Satsuki had suspected Nui was in Honnou City disguised as someone else, but without a body count or murders with her modus operandi Satsuki would only have her assumptions.

"I thank you for bringing this to light," Satsuki analyzed Ichigo's expression and saw that his determination had not wavered. Ichigo was still set on rescuing his friend from the Grand Couturier, "I assume you came to speak to me in regards to gaining my help in a rescue operation. I will tell you now that I do not believe in pointless confrontations."

"You are the Student Council President," Ichigo argued angrily, "It's your damn job to make sure every student is kept safe!"

"You are absolutely correct!" Satsuki clicked her heel against the roof as she planted Bakuzan in front of her, "But sending students against Nui Harime is the equivalent of sending pigs to the slaughter! It is pragmatic to allow Nui to kill only one student instead of dozens! At this point in time there are only two people in Honnouji Academy that can stand Nui Harime's power and live. Those two people are you and me, Ichigo! Therefore I shall offer you a proposition!"

Ichigo couldn't help but feel that he wasn't going to like this, "What do you want?"

"Become my Vice-President!" Satsuki shouted and she immediately became surrounded by a backdrop of light, "Agree to do so and I will personally go with you to rescue that student from Nui Harime's clutches!"

For a moment, Satsuki thought Ichigo was going to agree to her quite lenient terms. Despite what Matoi and Ichigo might believe, she had no part in Nui Harime's schemes. Satsuki did not like the Grand Couturier any more than she needed. Putting up with Nui was simply a necessity that would not harm her as long as her mother ordered Nui not to. She was appalled that Nui would not only take a student hostage but also proceed to torture them.

She was taken aback when Ichigo raced forward and grabbed her by the front of Junketsu, "What the fuck is wrong with you? One of your students is going to die without help and you're more worried about your power? Who the hell do you think you are to make such a decision? I don't even know why I bothered to ask for your help when you obviously didn't care enough in the first place. Forget it. I'm going to go rescue Shinjiro from Nui Harime's clutches."

Satsuki was stunned by Ichigo's words, but she was still composed enough to say, "You'll be falling into her trap."

"Maybe so," Ichigo said as he let go of Satsuki and walked towards the edge of the roof, "But you said I'm one of the only two that could face her in combat. I think I'll manage just fine without your 'so-called' help. Let's go Mugetsu."

Without bothering to hear anything else Satsuki had to say, Ichigo leapt off Honnouji Academy and raced towards where Nui was hiding. He didn't have much time left before she killed Shinjiro. His futile decision to ask Satsuki for help had wasted too much time and he didn't want to think about the consequences.

"_**Do you have a plan for when you confront Nui?"**_ Mugetsu was worried for Ichigo. She could sense something wrong with Nui back when the Grand Couturier first appeared. Mugetsu didn't want Ichigo getting hurt.

Vaulting over the outer wall of Honnouji Academy, Ichigo slid down the large walls leading to the Two-Star Residential District as he answered, "No, but I think fighting Nui is going be the answer no matter what I do. Are you ready for whatever she has planned?"

"_**Yes,"**_ Mugetsu sounded extremely confident, _**"We have grown much stronger since Nui first appeared before you. I'm sure we are more than a match for whatever she has planned for us."**_

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he spotted his destination in the distance, "I hope so. I really do."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko tapped her foot impatiently against the ground as she tried to think about what to do. Glancing up into the stands for what seemed like the twelfth time in as many minutes, she saw once again that Ichigo was no longer there. She didn't know what was so important that he ran out of Honnouji Academy, but Ryuko was certain it had something to do with Satsuki Kiryuin. She saw him talk to her just before running off. As much as Ryuko would have liked to storm over and demand to know what Satsuki told him, she would have to wait until the Student Council President came back from wherever she went.<p>

"_**Your blood pressure is spiking, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's voice would be a comforting presence if not for what he said next, _**"It's making your blood much too salty for my tastes."**_

"Is drinking my blood all you think about?" Ryuko asked in complete disbelief.

"_**Of course not!"**_ Senketsu answered in a tone that didn't betray his shock at the accusation, _**"But getting stressed out about everything isn't going to help. I find that in times like this it is better to just sit back and see what happens."**_

"I know that! It's just that…" Ryuko absentmindedly went to bite the tip of her thumb, a nervous habit she thought she already kicked, before stopping herself. She must have been more nervous than she thought, but Ryuko knew the upcoming fight wasn't what was making her feel this way.

"_**It's Mako, isn't it?"**_

"Yeah," Ryuko muttered sadly, "I must be a terrible person. Mako's my best friend and I'm letting her become something she's not. Everything's falling apart and I don't know what to do Senketsu."

"You look nervous, Ryuko."

Ryuko was brought out of her contemplation when she heard Ururu speak to her. Unlike Mako, the Vice-President of the Fight Club had refused to wear a business suit and Ryuko wasn't certain if Ururu could even pull off the look as well as Mako did. Instead, she had chosen to keep her No-Star uniform, albeit a new one after her first one got torn up during her fight against Kinue Kinagase.

"Tch," Ryuko scoffed and tried her best to hide her sadness, "It's just fighting four battles in a row is going to be a problem. By the time I get to Satsuki Kiryuin, I'm going to be dead on my feet."

Ururu stared at her and for a moment Ryuko was concerned she was having her soul examined. After a moment Ururu turned her gaze away and shook her head, "Mako is doing this for her family. She might not have told you or Ichigo, but Mako hated being poor more than anything. Whenever she would tell me about her day, she would also stare forlornly at the One and Two-Star students and say how jealous she was of their wealth and money. She's really glad you were able to help her achieve her family's dream, you know."

Ryuko opened her mouth to speak by quickly closed it again. She had known something was bothering Mako ever since they met, but Mako never said anything to her about it and Ryuko wasn't one to pry. The Mankanshoku's had taken her in as their surrogate daughter. Who was she to ask them such personal questions? Swallowing the bile in her throat, she asked, "Why did Mako tell you and not me?"

"It's because you're her best friend," Ururu answered softly and Ryuko momentarily thought she was looking past her and into the distance, "She didn't want to worry you about her problems. She was just really happy to have her first real friend." At this Ururu's voice trailed off and Ryuko noticed she seemed really sad about something, "I miss Mako. She's not fun to be around anymore. Ever since she became the President of the Fight Club she's been too busy working to hang out and play. I don't like being alone, Ryuko."

"Damn it," Ryuko smacked her fist against her palm, "Nothing I can do will fix this! If I help get the old Mako back, her family will go back to being poor and it will be my entire fault. If I allow her to stay like this, I'll lose my best friend. What can I do, Ururu?"

"I don't know, but I know what Ichigo would do." A small smile spread across Ururu's face, "If Ichigo were here, he would say to do what is right and forget about the consequences until later. It's good advice. It's worked before so it should work fine with you. Do what you need to do, Ryuko, but please get the Mako that was my friend back. Please."

"_**Ryuko…"**_

"Yeah," Ryuko nodded to Senketsu and placed her hand on Ururu's shoulder, "Don't worry Ururu. I know what I need to do. Just hang tight and everything will be back to normal as soon as I'm done."

Ryuko walked past a visibly happier Ururu towards Mako. Her best friend was standing in the middle of the arena with her hands placed firmly on her hips as she barked out orders to various One-Star students about where certain things needed to be. As she noticed her friend approaching, Mako turned and gave Ryuko a cocky smile that didn't belong on her face, "This is it, Ryuko! This is the day we've been waiting for. Once you defeat Lady Satsuki's Elite Three nothing will stand in our way! The Fight Club's prestige and power will never again be contested by the other clubs of Honnouji Academy!"

"Yeah, about that," Ryuko struggled to say the words, "Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?"

"What are you talking about?" Mako scoffed haughtily and pressed her glasses further up her nose, "This is what you've been waiting for. Lady Satsuki has given you permission to fight her forces for the answers you seek."

I know that! It's just…" Ryuko took a deep breath before staring at Mako, "This isn't you! The Mako I know wouldn't act like everyone is beneath her!"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Mako huffed angrily, "You've been talking to Ichigo, haven't you? He's always been the one to say I shouldn't be doing this and that it won't end well for me! Well, I'll prove him wrong! Today the Fight Club becomes the best club in Honnouji Academy!"

Mako then started laughing and Ryuko knew her friend was gone. The laughter she was hearing was not one of happiness or glee, as the old Mako was prone to do, but one of smug haughtiness. Realizing her friend was gone, Ryuko turned her head and saw a dejected look fall over Ururu's face and decided enough was enough. She had been hoping that she wouldn't need to do this but it seemed that she had no choice. Reaching into Senketsu, she clenched her hand around a sealed envelope and threw it at Mako.

"Huh?" For the first time all day Mako had a genuinely perplexed look as she caught the envelope, "What's this?"

"My letter of resignation," Ryuko answered softly as she turned to walk away, "I'm done with the Fight Club. I can't stand who you've become Mako. You want wealth and power? Then fight Satsuki and her goons yourself. I quit."

"But…but…" Mako stuttered her words as Ryuko continued to walk away without a second glance. She couldn't do this to her! Ryuko was her friend and she was just going to abandon her to the wolves like this? Mako's hands clenched in anger as she shouted, "You can't do this to me, Ryuko! Do you know what quitting will mean for my family? We'll go back to being poor and living in the Slums again!"

Ryuko paused in midstride and said, "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"No. no. no!" Mako stomped her foot impetuously, "I won't ever go back to the Slums! Never again!"

In the midst of Mako's tirade against her return to poverty, she became acutely aware of a whistling sound in the air. As she looked around for the source of the strange and irritating noise, she was suddenly throw forward as Ira Gamagori landed on the ground just behind her. Holding an armoire on top of one of his shoulders, Gamagori looked back and forth between Ryuko and Mako before speaking.

"Matoi! Ryuko!" Gamagori's booming voice was loud enough to cause Ryuko to wince slightly from the noise, "There has been a scheduled change of venue!"

Ryuko dug a finger into her ear to relieve the sound-induced headache, "What the hell are you shouting about, Gamagori bastard?"

Gamagori glared angrily at Ryuko for once again referring to him by the audacious name originally given to him by Ichigo Kurosaki, but he did not respond. He was down here for a very specific reason and with Lady Satsuki taking a leave of absence. With Satsuki gone it was up to him to both keep order among the students and Satsuki's grand plans going. Gripping the armoire in his hand, he slammed it on the ground and turned to Mako, "Mankanshoku! Lady Satsuki apologizes but due to new circumstances she will not be able to witness today's events. She sends her regards as well as a gift – your very own Two-Star Goku Uniform!"

"My very own uniform?" A bit of Mako's old behavior filtered through in that moment of confusion, "But I didn't order one."

"Lady Satsuki thinks otherwise!" Gamagori shouted with the unmistakable hint of pride in his voice. He wasn't happy that Mako was associated with the rabble that was Ryuko Matoi, but there was no way he could deny the efficiency and perfectionism that Mako brought to the Fight Club. In the short time she had been the club president, Mako had passed by each and every other club in following the rules and regulations. That was something that would have brought a tear to Gamagori's rule abiding eyes if he happened to be alone at that moment.

Turning his attention to the hushed crowd, Gamagori took a moment to clear his throat before shouting louder than ever, "Listen up students of Honnouji Academy! Today's events have been altered from what was earlier announced! Instead of Ryuko Matoi fighting us, the Elite Thee bodyguards of Lady Satsuki, she will now fight Mako Mankanshoku!"

"What?" Ryuko grit her teeth and took a threatening step towards Gamagori, "Like hell I'm going to fight Mako you stupid bastard!"

"If she doesn't…" Gamagori continued off from where he was, uncaring of Ryuko's threat, "…then Mankanshoku will forgo her current social standing and lifestyle. It will be as if she never became the Fight Club President in the first place! If Mankanshoku manages to defeat Matoi and strips her of her Kamui, Lady Satsuki has promised to bestow upon her a Three-Star Goku Uniform as well as a place in the newly reestablished Elite Four! Now what is your decision?"

"Damn it," Ryuko hissed through clenched teeth. How dare Satsuki Kiryuin try and pull something like this on her! Trying to turn Mako against her with the promise of money and power was just playing dirty.

"Don't focus your anger at me, Matoi," Gamagori informed her evenly, "The decision on whether this fight will take place rests solely on the shoulders of Mankanshoku."

"Shut up!" Ryuko shouted as she pulled the pin out of her glove and announced, "Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"

As the exhaust vents on her back burst into life and she rocketed along the ground towards Gamagori, Ryuko was confused as to why the larger man was simply standing there with his arms folded across his chest. Her answer came soon enough when a pair of knuckle dusters slammed into her cheek and sent her flying across the arena until she managed to skid to a stop.

Shaking her head as she rubbed her sore cheek, Ryuko looked around, "What just hit me?"

"That would be me, Ryuko!"

Ryuko rolled out of the wall as a pair of geta smashed into the ground where her head had just been. Springing back onto her feel, Ryuko saw who had attacked her and could only mutter a single word, "…Mako?"

"That's right, Ryuko!" Mako spun her black hat around while adjusting the green reed from one side of her mouth to the other, "Fight-Club Spec Two-Star Goku Uniform worn by me, the Fight Club President Mako Mankanshoku!"

"_Damn,_" Ryuko pulled her red Scissor Blade out of the pouch on her waist and quickly willed it back to its normal size. She could see the look in Mako's eyes and knew there was nothing she could do but fight Mako and hope she would get her old friend back. As her hands nervously gripped the handle of her weapon, Ryuko realized that she was just kidding herself. As much as she knew she needed to fight Mako, somewhere deep inside her heart she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Mako was her friend and nothing would change that.

Something out of the corner of her eyes caught Ryuko's attention and quickly caused her to reevaluate her decision. Standing on the side of the arena with her hands held right under her chin was Ururu and it was apparent that the normally shy girl was only minutes away from crying. Steadying her nerves upon seeing that, Ryuko took a deep breath and turned completely towards Mako.

"Are you ready for this, Senketsu?"

"_**Yeah,"**_ Senketsu would have nodded if he was able to, but the best he could do was turn his eye towards Ryuko, _**"This won't be easy. Mako appears to be more powerful than those other Two-Star students. We might have our work cut out for us."**_

"I know," Ryuko swallowed the lump in her throat as she saw Mako's feet move ever so slightly on the ground. Knowing what was about to happen, she shifted into a defensive stance of her own, "Get ready Senketsu! Here she comes!"

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><p>The Honnou City Area One Subdivision Power Station's history was as long as it was bloody. Three years ago when Satsuki Kiryuin came into power a group of students waged a guerilla war against her leadership. Hiding out in the Slums as well as the homes of those embracing their cause, they managed to fight against the power of the Goku Uniforms for nearly a month. It was no coincidence those thirty one days was the amount of time Satsuki decided to give the rebels the option to surrender or pay the price.<p>

On the end of the first month Satsuki struck back hard. In less than five hours she not only managed to cripple their leadership but also drive them out of almost their entire territory until their last bastion of power was the power station. It was there that they held off the forces under the leadership of Ira Gamagori for another ten hour, each room of the power station taken back by Satsuki but only after taking heavy casualties. At the end of the tenth hour, Gamagori finally managed to strike down the last rebel leader and crushed the rebellion once and for all.

In the ensuing months, Satsuki began rebuilding the destroyed areas of the Slums as well as fortifying the power station among other important structures. It was only because the rebels controlled the power to the Slums that they were able to hold off her forces for so long. By preventing a repeat of such an occurrence, Satsuki made sure that her power would never be contested again.

Ichigo approached the chain link fence, topped with razor-sharp barbed wire, and grimaced when she saw the normally padlocked outer gate hanging haphazardly on its hinges. Giving the gate a slight push with his hand, he wasn't surprised when it fell off its hinges and hit the ground with a loud thump.

"_**Do you think she heard that?"**_ Mugetsu asked sarcastically.

"I'm pretty sure she already knew I was here," Ichigo muttered as he caught sight of a security camera that seemed to constantly follow his movements. He has seen several similar cameras in the surrounding area, so the odds of Nui Harime already knowing of his presence were pretty much assured. Pulling out Tournesol from its scabbard on his back, Ichigo cautiously walked towards the thick steel door leading into the power station. Just because he managed to get here in less than thirty minutes didn't mean Nui Harime was going to play fair.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo stepped forward and swung Tournesol at the door. The Life Fiber blade was more than a match for the three inches of reinforced steel and moments later the two sides of the door fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

As Ichigo stepped inside the power station, the first thing he noticed was the lack of lighting due to the facility being nearly autonomous apart from the weekly maintenance and systems checkup. The second thing he noticed was that for a power station designed to maximum space and resources there was a lot of room to move around in. The third and final thing Ichigo noticed was Nui Harime standing in front of a door across the room.

"You've finally made it Ichigo!" Nui's shadow seemed to shift and morph eerily from the deep orange light seeping out from under the door behind her. If that wasn't enough, Nui's pink Lolita dress appeared to remain as bright and vibrant as ever despite the lack of light. Noticing Ichigo's suspicious gaze, Nui stepped forward towards him, her hands clasped behind her back, and smiled happily, "I was beginning to worry that you decided to not show up. That made me feel really sad, you know."

Ichigo didn't answer as he looked past Nui and into the room behind her, _"That must be where she's keeping Shinjiro, but I don't hear anything? Did she kill him?"_

"Let me ask you something," Ichigo focused his attention back on Nui, "You said that you would let Shinjiro leave here alive if I came within thirty minutes. I'm here so let him go."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Nui wagged her finger childishly at Ichigo and puffed her cheeks out, "That's not how the game works, but a promise is a promise and you're supposed to keep your promises. That's what I've been taught after all. Unfortunately there's a bit of bad news. That human friend of yours just wasn't tough enough to stand up to my games and passed out about…I don't know…ten minutes ago from blood loss. That's probably why he's so quiet. I don't know about you, but I would take him to see a doctor or something or he might die."

"Let me take Shinjiro to a doctor and then I promise I will talk to you as for as long as you want."

"Really?" Nui's eye widened in surprise and happiness, "That's a really generous offer, Ichigo, and I would really like to take it. Unfortunately I'm going to have to pass. Until we have our heart to heart talk, your friend is going to have to wait."

"Damn you!" Ichigo stepped forward and pointed Tournesol at Nui, "This isn't a damn game! Let Shinjiro go now!"

"You really shouldn't be too hasty…" Nui's voice remained cheerful as she reached into one of her pigtails and pulled out a detonator, "If you continue to act rude to me I think I'll have to press this button. The other end is connected to plastic explosives wrapped around your little friend. You don't want to have to clean up after him, do you cousin?"

"I'm not your damn cousin," Ichigo reiterated once again as he forced himself to calm down. For the moment Nui Harime held all the cards. Getting angry would only force her to press the switch and kill Shinjiro and he knew without a doubt that she would do it. Most likely with a smile on her face the entire time.

"So this is the wonderful and beautiful Mugetsu…" In the split second Ichigo had blinked, Nui Harime disappeared from in front of him and reappeared to his left. As her hand gently rubbed his sleeve, her eye looking into Mugetu's multicolored pair with an unholy glee, she said, "It's such a high quality design. Whoever made it for you is really a master. It's perhaps even better than anything I can weave and that makes me feel super jealous."

"_**Ichigo!"**_ Mugetsu was beginning to go into a full blown panic as Nui continued to stroke her. She did not like the Grand Couturier's touch one bit. It was like the touch of the dead.

Grabbing Nui's hand by her wrist, Ichigo turned his body towards her, "You said you wanted to talk. Now talk."

"C'est désagréable..." Nui pouted adorably as she easily pulled her hand out from Ichigo's grip, "But when you're right, you're right, you know. The first time I tried to talk with you it was really late and you looked really tired so I didn't want to bother you. The second time we were so rudely interrupted by Amu, but good thing the third time's the charm! Now we have all the time in the world to get to know one another as cousins."

Something in the way Nui said cousins disturbed Ichigo. Glancing briefly towards the back room, he stalled for time and asked, "Why do you keep insisting we're cousins?"

"That's the perfect question, Ichigo!" Nui exclaimed happily as she twirled away from him and skipped a few steps. Stomping her feet on the ground, she turned back around and placed a finger against her bottom lip, "It's because while we aren't brother and sister, I'm still closer to you than those sisters of you. Inside the two of us beats identical pulses that resonant with one another. Being around you makes me feel really happy, you know. It's such a shame that Satsuki isn't fun. She's much too serious to play with. You're serious too, but in a good way. I think I could get used to being around you Ichigo."

Months of fighting for his life developed in Ichigo a finely honed battle sense. Without even giving a sign of what he was about to do, Ichigo leapt back and avoided the thrust from Nui's hand that easily pierced the concrete floor.

"Simply amazing!" Nui was ecstatic at the fact that Ichigo not only managed to dodge her attack, but avoid taking any damage at all, "You passed my test. Congratulations Ichigo!"

"I understand now why you brought me here," Ichigo muttered quietly as he kept his eyes firmly locked on Nui, "It was to kill me, wasn't it? Somehow I'm getting in the way of whatever twisted plans you have and now you want to kill me."

"Kill you?" Nui laughed as she reached into her dress, "I don't want to kill you Ichigo! All I wanted to do was get to know my family and you've been nothing but hostile to me. I suppose this calls for some tough love."

In one swift and deliberate motion Nui pulled out a purple Scissor Blade. It was at that point in time that Ichigo realized without a doubt in his mind that Nui Harime was the one who not only attacked Kisuke but also killed Ryuko's dad. As his grip tightened around Tournesol, Ichigo noticed that the color of Nui's Scissor Blade was nearly identical to when Ururu disarmed Ryuko of her weapon all those days ago. He knew for a fact that Ururu was not Nui but he could not explain why he felt such unease about the notion.

"Tell me something," Ichigo slid his foot back and raised Tournesol, "That Scissor Blade. Why is it purple?"

"Oh don't be so silly Ichigo." Nui tapped her Scissor Blade against her shoulder as she answered, "It is the same reason why your sword is blue! It's as simple as that!"

That didn't answer Ichigo's question, but he didn't have time to think about as Nui rocketed towards him with the tip of her Scissor Blade pointed at his throat and a sweet smile on her face. Thinking quickly, he ducked to the side and used Tournesol to parry the Scissor Blade away from his body in a shower of sparks.

"It's really awesome that you dodged," Nui complemented as she spun her Scissor Blade around her wrist and swung it down at Ichigo. As their respective blades locked again, Nui noticed Ichigo was putting up a great deal of resistance and stuck her tongue out, "That's just what I expected from my cousin, after all!"

"Damn…" Ichigo gritted out as the concrete began to crack beneath his feet. Nui's strength was intense and it looked as if she wasn't even putting everything she had into it. As beads of sweat dripped down his face, Ichigo twisted his body to the side and allowed Nui's Scissor Blade to pass harmlessly by him. Before Nui could react to the sudden lack of resistance, Ichigo jammed his knee hard enough into her stomach that she flew backwards through the air.

"Gah!" Nui shouted in pain before smiling, "Just kidding! That didn't hurt a teeny tiny bit!"

As she floated down gently in the air from Ichigo's counter, Nui's smile never left her face. She could see why Ichigo really was worthy of not only being her cousin but also to wear a Kamui. Unlike that ratty Kamui Ryuko Matoi wore, which Nui didn't care to know its name, Mugetsu was a true Kamui in every sense of the word. What was really amazing was how Mugetsu covered up nearly all of Ichigo's body and yet he was still in firm control. Nui had only believed the Director could accomplish such a feat and yet Ichigo was doing it right in front of her eyes.

"You're super strong, Ichigo," Nui said cheerfully, "But are you strong enough to – "

Nui's single eye widened in shock as Ichigo rushed towards her nearly too fast for her to see. Swinging her Scissor Blade awkwardly in the air to try and stop his attack, she was stunned when Ichigo stabbed Tournesol through the hole in her weapon before slashing upwards and causing her blade to go spinning through the air. As she gaped at what was happening, Nui felt Ichigo's weapon pierce through her shoulder and out the other side accompanied by a shower of blood.

"W-What?" she gasped as she flew across the ground and slammed her against one of the walls.

"N-No fair," Nui muttered as blood spilling from her mouth with every syllable, "A-Attacking a defensive l-little girl like me is q-quite rude, y-you know."

"I don't like attacking girls," Ichigo admitted reluctantly as he pulled out Tournesol from Nui's body. As she slid to the ground with blood pouring out of her shoulder, Ichigo grabbed her purple Scissor Blade and jammed it so far into the ground that only the handle remained sticking out, "I also don't like killing people when given another option. With that wound in your shoulder you won't be able to do much of anything involving this blade. I hope I never have to see you again because if I find out you've threatened my friends, next time I'll end this."

Nui looked up at Ichigo for a few seconds before her eye closed and she appeared to fall unconscious from the blood loss. Ichigo wasn't worried about Nui dying on him. Even though she was a psychopath who took delight in torturing people, Ichigo just didn't have it in him to kill her. That wasn't who he was. Turning away from Nui's unconscious form, Ichigo quickly hurried towards where Shinjiro was being kept. Hopefully he made it in time to save his friend.

In one motion, he kicked open the door, "Shinjiro! Are you – "

Ichigo's voice failed him as he looked in the room and found that it was completely and utterly empty. There was no sign of Shinjiro anywhere. In fact, it looked like he had never even been here. There were no blood stains on the ground or anywhere else.

"What the hell?" Ichigo muttered as he stepped into the room. Glancing around he tried to figure out what was going on. He had been sure he heard Shinjiro's voice on the phone. So if he wasn't here, then where was Nui Harime keeping him?

"_**Ichigo!"**_

Mugetsu's shout of warning came too late. Ichigo barely had time to hear her call his name before the purple Scissor Blade was thrust through his back and burst out of his chest covered in blood. Gasping in pain, he grimaced and shakily turned his head around to find a perfectly fine and smiling Nui Harime standing behind him.

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #10 - Laundry Day<strong>

Ryuko Matoi loved the laundry room at Ichigo's dorm, and by that, she meant that Senketsu loved the laundry room.

While she was perfectly content with allowing Mrs. Mankanshoku to wash Senketsu, apparently her Kamui did not feel the same. Even though Senketsu greatly appreciated being ironed, the trade off, according to him, was much too steep. That was why Ryuko found herself hand washing Senketsu on a Friday night in the laundry room of Ichigo's dorm. She had no idea that a Kamui could be so...picky about how to be cleaned. After ten or so orders from Senketsu about what to clean next, Ryuko simply gave up and started nodding tiredly.

Washing Senketsu took longer than she thought it would because by the time she was done drying Senketsu, it was past midnight and she barely made it back to Mako's house before collapsing from exhaustion with the basket of her laundry left unfolded next to her bedspread. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that she would apologize to Senketsu tomorrow and maybe even iron him.

She certainly did not anticipate waking up wearing Satsuki's Kamui.

"What the -?" Ryuko bolted up and noticed her pajamas neatly folded next to her bed. Staring down into Junketsu's eyes, she growled and began trying to pull it off, "Hey! Get the hell off of me!"

Even with all the effort she was putting in, it seemed that the foreign Kamui just didn't want to be removed. Every time Ryuko would get a handhold, Junketsu would tighten itself up around her body, causing her to trip and fall to the ground. After her latest fall, Ryuko rubbed the back of her head and stared at the Kamui.

"How did you get here?"

The Kamui didn't say anything, which was as much as Ryuko expected. The question of why she was wearing Junketsu stupefied Ryuko. Didn't Satsuki keep her Kamui under lock and key most of the time? Looking at her basket of laundry, Ryuko's heart fell when she didn't recognize anything inside. It appeared that she, against all odds, ended up taking Satsuki's clean clothes home by accident. That begged the question of why Satsuki Kiryuin, daughter of one of the richest people in the world, was doing her laundry in a dorm laundry room. Didn't Satsuki have someone to do her laundry for her?

"Ok, look. Are you going to tell me how you managed to put yourself on me in the middle of the night?" Ryuko glared down at Junketsu and noticed, to her irritation, the Kamui staring up expectantly at her. Didn't Ichigo say it tried to devour Satsuki? Then why was it looking at her as if to say 'I'll do anything you ask?'

Sighing in frustration upon realizing that she had been waiting for Junketsu to say something, Ryuko decided to do the one thing she promised never to do – ask Satsuki Kiryuin for help. Running a hand down her face, Ryuko stepped over a remarkably still sleeping Mako and began the long trek to Honnouji Academy. Hopefully Satsuki was the one that ended up with Senketsu. Ryuko really didn't want to go on a quest around the world to get Senketsu back.

As if reading her thoughts, Junketsu emitted a soft growling and tightened itself up around her, eliciting an annoyed growled from Ryuko, "No. There is no way that I'm going to make you my Kamui! Senketsu is the only Kamui I'll ever wear."

Junketsu looked up at Ryuko with teary eyes and she immediately felt like she just kicked a puppy. Steadying her nerves by biting her lip, Ryuko huffed and looked away as she stormed out the Mankanshoku household and headed towards the trolley that would take her to Honnouji Academy.

"That's not going to work on me!" She declared stubbornly as she pointedly ignored the looks she was getting from other students. After three long, agonizing minutes of waiting for the trolley, what little happiness Ryuko had disappeared as she saw a familiar face.

"Hey, Ryuko." Ichigo waved before he saw what she was wearing, "Uh…you know that's not Senketsu, right?"

"Don't say another word," Ryuko threatened.

"_**Ha, ha!"**_ Mugetsu's laughter permeated the air and Ryuko would have died from embarrassment if anyone besides Ichigo and herself could hear the Kamui, _**"Junketsu wanted to be worn by you! Senketsu is going to be so jealous when he finds out! Let's go with her, Ichigo! I want to see the fireworks!"**_

Ichigo thought about the crucial decision for maybe three seconds. One the one hand, he did want to see what happened when Satsuki and Ryuko met, but on the other hand, it was not likely to be pretty. Realizing that he might get caught in the crossfire, Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his chest and vehemently shook his head.

"No way," he nearly shouted, "There's no way I'm getting involved in this."

When the bell on the trolley began ringing and the trolley lurched forward, Ryuko could swear she heard Mugetsu mention something about 'extra clingy Life Fibers' and what that meant for her. Grumbling to herself, Ryuko sat down in the empty trolley and spent the next ten minutes trying her best to ignore each and every attempt by Junketsu to make her happy. While they all failed before they had a shot, the only one that gave her pause was Junketsu motioning towards the three blue bands on her left bicep. As much as transforming Junketsu intrigued her, Ryuko realized that to Senketsu it would seem as if she was cheating on him.

As the trolley stopped in front of Honnouji Academy, Ryuko frowned when she saw Satsuki waiting for her. The Student Council President was all alone, which was a good thing, and was wearing Senketsu with as much dignity and nobility as when she wore Junketsu.

_**"How dare you wear another Kamui, Ryuko!" **_Senketsu shouted angrily.

"I took the wrong basket of laundry, ok?" She mumbled out apologetically, "Besides, why is Satsuki wearing you?"

"Because I will not debase myself by wearing anything lower than a Kamui," Satsuki answered her coldly, "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have Junketsu back."

"I would if I could!" Ryuko argued and made a motion of trying to take the Kamui off, "But the damn thing just won't get off of me!"

"That's not a problem," Ryuko didn't like the smug grin on Satsuki's face. She especially did not like it when Satsuki snapped her fingers and Iori appeared next to her holding what looked like a fire extinguisher.

"Now hold still, Matoi," Ryuko could feel the terror wafting off Junketsu as Iori approached her and, for once, she agreed with the Kamui, "This won't hurt a bit…"


	23. Chapter 23: Have You Ever Seen the Rain

_So I finally bring the Fight Club episode to a close. It was fun while it lasted and it allowed me to flesh out characters and their motives, drives, and/or reasons but it is time for me to move on. Greener pastures await in Chapter 24, and by that I mean Parent Student Day is right around the corner. That's going to be a real ball of fun when Isshin meets Ragyo. Foreshadowing for the win!  
><em>

_Note #1: I have a tvtropes pay full of info about this story that you may have missed._

_Note #2: Currently revising Chapter 3 a bit. It should be up within a day of this chapter being posted_

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><p><strong>Chapter 23 – Have You Ever Seen the Rain<strong>

With a childish giggle accompanied by a smile, Nui Harime removed her purple Scissor Blade accompanied by a spurt of blood from its place within Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo felt his knees weaken and it took every last scrap of energy in his body to stop himself from collapsing onto the floor. Gritting his teeth as pain coursed through his body, he ignored the frantic ramblings from Mugetsu and quickly stabbed Tournesol into the concrete beneath him in order to keep himself standing. As blood flowed out from his wound, staining Mugetsu's white and black coloring with a deep shade of crimson, Ichigo saw Nui stroll around him with a satisfied smirk across her face.

"That was so much fun!" Nui exclaimed happily as she stopped in front of Ichigo and leaned forward in order to stare into his eyes. Exhaustively and angrily looking at Nui's single eye, Ichigo was floored when he couldn't see a trace of animosity in her expressions. Stabbing her Scissor Blade into the ground, Nui began leaning on it and sighed, "That was amazing! I wasn't expecting you to be so fast, but surprise, surprise there I was pinned against the wall with your blade stabbed through my shoulder. It was so much fun to be on defense for once, even if it was just for pretend, but I think that's enough playing. Heal yourself back up and let's talk. There's so much I want to talk to you about!"

While Nui was beginning to ramble on about stuff that interested her, half of which involved killing and maiming her enemies, Ichigo was doing his best to keep from passing out. While he had managed to stay standing on his feet, the rate of blood loss was beginning to worry him. Even with his hand pressed firmly against the front of his chest in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood, he quickly realized it could have been much worse. Whether it was by design or coincidence, Nui's sneak attack had managed to miss each and every one of his vital organs. She even somehow missed shattering any of his ribs. Putting the improbability of such an attack on the backburner since he was living proof it had happened, Ichigo tried to keep his mind focused on getting out of here alive. He needed to see a doctor but he was certain Nui Harime wasn't just going to let him leave.

"...and then I chopped his arm off and he screamed for at least five minutes!" While she was telling her story, Nui hadn't noticed Ichigo was still bleeding, but why would she? Ichigo was her cousin and if he was her cousin, like she knew he was, he would have healed himself right up and been back to normal within a few seconds. When he didn't move, she just assumed he was standing around politely listening to her story. Blinking owlishly as she saw he was still bleeding, she frowned in confusion and asked, "Why aren't you healed yet?"

"T-The hell are you?" Ichigo managed to say between ragged gasps for air. Already he could feel the pain from his wounds becoming nothing more than a general numbness. Even the flow of blood was beginning to lessen, but he was attributing that to Mugetsu doing her best to keep his blood within his body. When Nui removed her Scissor Blade from his body, it had taken Mugetsu a few moments to regenerate her form over the wounds, but it was already too late to stop a lot of his blood from pooling on the floor. Grasping Tournesol with shaky hands, he brought the blue blade up and pointed it at Nui in an attempt to look like he wasn't about to fall over, "No normal person could have regenerated from a wound like that so quickly!"

"Well…duh!" Nui stuck her tongue out childishly and giggled, "Whoever said I was a normal person, Ichigo? But you're being quite rude, cousin. You're standing in front of me acting and bleeding like a normal human when we're both much more than that! You should stop fooling around, you know."

When Nui attacked him, it was with a speed that made her previous attacks seem like teleportation. Ichigo didn't know whether she was mocking him or not, but the fact that her purple Scissor Blade was arcing through the air towards the junction of his neck and shoulder meant that he couldn't care. Gathering his strength while ignoring his wounds as best he could, Ichigo raised Tournesol with his left forearm braced against the blue blade for added support, and blocked Nui's attack.

Almost immediately he felt the concrete beneath his feet crack from the sheer amount of force Nui was pressing down with. Ichigo cursed himself for assuming that since Nui was lazily swinging her weapon that she wasn't trying. He had to remind himself that Nui Harime was a sociopath and was probably taking a great amount of pleasure from screwing around with him. He couldn't make the mistake of allowing her to live if given the chance a second time. As much as it conflicted with his ideals, he needed to fight Nui Harime with the intent to kill her.

"Damn!" Ichigo grit out while a trail of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. Nui's strength had to be at least three times what it was when he fought her just a few minutes ago and with his wounds, he had only seconds until his arms failed and he died. He needed to think of a plan fast but despite his best efforts nothing was coming to mind.

"_**Don't push yourself Ichigo! You've already lost a lot of blood. If you keep fighting at this rate you'll pass out in only a few minutes,"**_ Mugetsu's frightened voice was shouting desperately at Ichigo to do something, anything, to survive the battle. Ichigo had lost a lot of blood from Nui's treacherous attack and nothing she could do could help him, _**"Your wounds are slowly healing, but if she stabs you like that again you'll die!"**_

Beads of sweat were freely dripping down Ichigo's face and neck as he desperately pushed back against Nui's overwhelming strength. As he locked gazes with the Grand Couturier, Ichigo couldn't help but shudder at the utmost glee in Nui's expression. It was as if this was all a game to her. When his knees began to buckle from exhaustion, he whispered under his breath, "Can't you heal me any faster?"

"_**I'm not healing you," **_Mugetsu answered, _**"I thought you were healing yourself."**_

"What?" Ichigo was not just as confused as his Kamui. Risking a glance at Mugetsu's eye, he asked, "Then how am – "

"Think fast, Ichigo!"

Ichigo found himself doubling over as Nui's fist hit his stomach with the force of a truck. With spittle and blood escaping his mouth and a gasp of pain from his throat, Ichigo was blown back through the door of the room and across the power station, eventually coming to a stop at the far wall. As he slid down the wall onto the ground, his body refusing to move for him, he heard the sound of something dragging along the floor towards him.

"This game is getting boring, Ichigo. I'm not having fun anymore."

Ichigo bit his lip hard enough to draw blood just to keep himself conscious and aware of his surroundings. With his left eye forced shut by the blood dripped out of a cut on his forehead, he could barely managed to see Nui Harime slowly walking towards him in the dim lightning of the power station. Right away he noticed something was off in the way she was walking. Instead of the happy and peppy walk or skipped he had seen Nui do in the past, she was shambling towards him with her Scissor Blade dragging aimlessly behind her, carving a trench in the concrete as it went. It was her face though that caused a lance of fear to spread through his chest. Nui no longer had that perpetual smile splashed across her face. Instead it had been replaced by a nearly emotionless mask.

"_**You need to get out of here, Ichigo!" **_Mugetsu couldn't believe her wearer was so powerless against someone like Nui Harime. Ichigo was able to go head-to-head against Satsuki Kiryuin and her minions without much effort, but he was powerless against Nui Harime. Mugetsu could sense that the Grand Couturier wasn't even wearing any Life Fibers so why was she so strong.

"Damn it," Ichigo managed to harshly cough out as he struggled to remain awake. The loss of blood was beginning to cause spots to develop in his vision and it was only his determination and willpower keeping him conscious, "I know!"

"I'm really sad, you know," Nui's voice was completely drained of emotion as she stalked towards Ichigo's downed form, "Why are you playing with my emotions, Ichigo?"

Ichigo couldn't say anything as he struggled to get to his knees. As he managed to do so but quickly fell forward, he found himself locking gazes with Nui Harime, who was mere inches away from his face. As he stared into her dull and surprisingly unexpressive sapphire eye, he was unprepared for a sharp pain as she stabbed her Scissor Blade through his shoulder. While his body was forced back and into the wall with a resounding crash, Ichigo couldn't help but realize that Nui had stabbed him in the exact same spot he had hit her earlier. Coughing harshly and with blood freely flowing from his new wound, Ichigo glared daggers at Nui. If he was going to die here, he wasn't going to go out begging and crying.

"This isn't right…" Nui crouched down in front of Ichigo and wrapped one perfectly manicured hand around the handle of her Scissor Blade. After looking interestedly at the blade, she tore it out with one harsh movement, eliciting a muffled scream from Ichigo as every nerve in his body seemed to be set alight in pain.

"You're my cousin!" Nui was starting to become hysterical as she paced back and forth in front of him, "Something like this shouldn't hurt you. So why, WHY are you bleeding Ichigo?"

Ichigo didn't say anything in response to Nui, simply deciding to glare at her instead. Nui didn't seem to notice the stare as she continued to talk and rant to herself before abruptly stopping and backing off a bit.

"Oh…I see what you're doing Ichigo," Nui laughed softly as she raised her Scissor Blade, still dripping with his blood, over her head. With a maniacal grin adorning her face, she giggled psychotically and shouted, "You're still asleep, aren't you? Well don't worry your cute little head. I'm going to make you feel so much better in just a moment…"

"_Damn it!" _Ichigo watched the Scissor Blade falling towards his neck in apparent slow motion, his body unable to do more than twitching after getting wounded so badly. Even with the slight healing he was attributing to Mugetsu, it just wasn't enough for him to deal with the likes of Nui Harime. She was in an entirely different class than him, _"I won't let it end here, not like this!"_

Unbeknownst to either Ichigo or Nui, about ten or so minutes after Ichigo left Honnouji Academy, Satsuki Kiryuin did so as well. It was not, as she would say, because she was worried about what the Grand Couturier would do to Ichigo if given the chance. If anyway were to insinuate such a notion, Satsuki would have Gamagori capture and throw them into detention for even considering such a thing. She was simply being pragmatic. Ichigo Kurosaki had the potential to become one of her powerful assets in her plan. Nui Harime could not be allowed to do with Ichigo what she wished no matter what. That was why she was currently leaping across the Slum rooftops towards the Honnou City Area One Subdivision Power Station. Before taking her leave, she had Inumuta track down where Ichigo was heading and was surprised that Nui Harime would choose such a location.

Clenching a fist, feeling the power of Junketsu coursing through her body, Satsuki knew that it wouldn't matter against someone like Nui Harime. Even if she were to go all out against the Grand Couturier, the best Satsuki could hope for was an extended draw. As she finally reached the outer perimeter of the power station, Satsuki swung Bakuzan vertically and split the chain link fence in two. There was no time for subtleties at the moment. Clicking her heel against the ground, Satsuki leapt into the air and stabbed Bakuzan downward just as she landed on the roof of the power station, destroying the roof and allowing her access all at the same time.

"Nui Harime!" Satsuki slammed Bakuzan into the ground as a backdrop of light appeared out of nowhere behind her, "What do you think you're doing in Honnou City without giving a two day notice?"

"Hi…" Nui stopped her Scissor Blade inches from Ichigo's neck and smirked. Turning around, her face a picture of barely repressed insanity, she said, "Don't worry Satsuki. I'll be done in just a few moments. Ichigo and I were just playing around a bit."

"Is that so?" Satsuki took a step toward Nui, who had turned fully to face the Kiryuin heir, "Do you take me for a fool? I know what your definition of fun is and nothing good can come from it. Now leave Honnou City unless you wish for me to tell my mother you are here."

Nui's hands clenched at the thought of not talking to Ichigo. She wasn't going to give up speaking to a true member of her family. Not when she was so close to doing so after waiting for so long, but she couldn't attack Satsuki. Lady Ragyo wouldn't condone such behavior. Well, at least for the moment she wouldn't. That gave Nui an idea. She couldn't kill Satsuki, but she sure could play around with her. Raising her Scissor Blade, a maniacal grin on her face, she muttered, "I don't like that you're interrupting such a valuable bonding moment."

Satsuki's eyes widened in surprised when the Grand Couturier actually attacked her. She had been under the assumption that her mother had forbidden Nui from laying a hand on her body. What was it about Ichigo that Nui was so determined to find out that she was willing to risk the ire of her mother? Quickly raising Bakuzan, Satsuki was taken by complete surprise by the force behind the swing. It was strong enough that while it wasn't able to hit her, it still sent her careening backwards through the power station, destroying several generators in the process and sending half of the Slums into darkness.

"I won't let you take my cousin away from me," Nui gleefully said as she walked after Satsuki, "Not after I waited for so long."

As Nui left to deal with Satsuki, she did not witness Ichigo struggling back onto his feet. He may have been injured nearly to the point of death, but he wasn't going to let someone like Nui do anything to Satsuki. No one deserved to be on the receiving end of Nui's playing.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko knew perhaps better than anyone else that the normally lazy and happy Mako could become one of the most determined people on the planet if she happens to spot something she really wanted. More than once she had been walking with Mako only for her friend to stop, look around and chase after something in the distance. Usually it was something pet or food related, but Ryuko had grown used to it. At least she thought she did.<p>

She had no idea just HOW determined Mako could be.

"MAKO KICK!"

Ryuko didn't have time to think as she crossed her arms in front of her face. There was a moment of absolute silence when Mako's foot connected with her forearms before a resounding boom accompanied by a sparkle of stars exploded through the area. The explosion quickly broke the sound barrier and literally blew away the students who happened to have ringside seats to the fight.

Back on the battlefield, Mako glared at Ryuko, determination evident in her eyes, as Ryuko managed to block her attack with apparent ease. Eyes narrowing when she spotted the look of pity in Ryuko's blue eyes, Mako grabbed Ryuko's shoulder, spun her body around and tried to slam her geta into Ryuko's face. In a flash of red light, Mako found her kick stopped when Ryuko jammed her Scissor Blade between the spikes on her geta.

"Snap out of it Mako!" Ryuko implored as sparks arced and faded into the air from the spikes on Mako's geta clashing with her Scissor Blade. When Mako didn't say anything, Ryuko lashed out with her Scissor Blade, forcing Mako to quickly jump away lest she get hit by the Life Fiber weapon.

"Stop it, Mako!" Ryuko repeated a second time. The anguish of fighting her first true friend was evident in Ryuko's eyes and it was apparent that the thought of fighting her friend was hurting her more than any of her wounds, "This isn't you!"

Mako didn't say anything as she landed on the ground, her geta making clip-clop sounds in the process of regaining her footing. Biting down on the green reed sticking out of her mouth, Mako adjusted the brim of her hat as she reached into her coat and pulled out several golden kunai. With nearly supernatural skill, Mako deftly placed the weapons between her fingers and spun around before throwing them towards Ryuko.

"Oh, come on!" Ryuko shouted as she parried the first volley of kunai with her Scissor Blade before darting off to the side to avoid the previously hidden second barrage. Ducking and weaving around the deadly weaponry, Ryuko tried to think of how Mako acquired such accuracy. She knew Mako was a huge fan of that stupid show about ninjas, but when in hell did she have the time and money to actually practice throwing kunai? Ducking down under a particularly accurate kunai, Ryuko jumped off the ground and spun her body horizontally through the air, her Scissor Blade trailing behind her, as she managed to dodge the last set of kunai.

Landing back on the ground, her heels leaving twin trenches in the soft ground, Ryuko barely noticed Mako was gone before the arena around her was cast into shadow. Twisting her head upwards at the sun, Ryuko's eyes narrowed when she saw Mako rocketing downwards towards her with her right fist extended.

"_This is wrong."_

Pivoting on her foot until she was facing Mako, Ryuko leapt backwards just before Mako reached the space where she had been standing. Ryuko's blue eyes locked gazes with Mako's brown irises in the split second before Mako's fist connected with the ground. In a flash of light and stars, the ground erupted around Mako and Ryuko realized that her friend's current strength wasn't something she could afford to be hit with. Even Senketsu's steel-like armor and skin would matter little against an attack that powerful.

"_I can't believe Mako isn't even trying to hold back,"_ Ryuko swallowed nervously as Mako turned to face her, _"If she had hit me with that, I might have actually died!"_

Ryuko tilted her head to the side as Mako's fist passed through the air, her hair being blown back by the bronze knuckles emblazoned with 'MAKO' on each of Mako's fingers. As Mako continued forward with her momentum, in almost slow motion she turned towards Ryuko. Locking gazes with her former best friend, Ryuko momentarily froze when she noticed the look of anger mixed with betrayal in Mako's eyes. In that single moment where she let her guard down, Mako planted her geta firmly on the ground and struck with a kick that easily connected with Ryuko's stomach.

With an audible 'oomph' Ryuko was propelled backwards across the arena, her body bouncing haphazardly and awkwardly along the ground with a spin or two thrown in as well. After the third bounce, Ryuko decided that was enough and regained adequate control of her momentum and managed to stab her Scissor Blade in the ground and arrest her movement. Getting back onto her feet, a ragged breath escaping her mouth, Ryuko wiped a spot of dirt off her cheek and quipped, "This is going to be tougher than I thought. Mako is really strong. I would be proud if I wasn't fighting her."

"_**Pulling your punches isn't helping, Ryuko."**_

Senketsu may have sounded annoyed and condescending when he spoke, but he truly was concerned for Ryuko's health, both physically as well as mentally. Mako was Ryuko's first and best friend, as Ryuko's Sunday best he could understand that relationship fairly well. Even if he was unable to perfectly relate to how Ryuko felt while fighting Mako, Senketsu knew it must feel as terrible as having his Life Fibers torn off one by one, _**"There's no reason you should be having this much trouble against a Two-Star Goku Uniform."**_

Ryuko bit her lip as Mako flew towards her and attempted to slam both her feet into her neck. Quickly reaching out and grasping Mako's ankles, Ryuko spun around before letting go and watching her friend sail through the air and land in a smoking crater across the arena.

"It's not that…" Ryuko sighed miserably as she grabbed her Scissor Blade and waited for Mako to attack her again. If she truly wanted to fight Mako, Ryuko could have easily, perhaps not that easily, finished the battle quite some time ago. While she was actively attacking Mako, her heart just wasn't into fighting her best friend, "I just can't fight Mako. I know I promised Ururu I would bring the old Mako back, but I-I don't think I can fight her."

"_**I don't like fighting Mako anymore than you do, Ryuko. She is, after all, the only one who irons my Life Fibers just the way I like it,"**_ Senketsu paused momentarily and coughed in embarrassment as he realized he divulged something he'd rather keep a secret. When Ryuko cracked a smirk at his confession, he growled and continued, _**"You must put your feelings aside for the moment. Didn't you promise Ururu you would help get Mako? As much as it might bother the both of us, you have to fight Mako until she comes back to her senses. Put more effort into helping Mako than you do your schoolwork and you are sure to succeed!"**_

"Where do you get off saying something like that?" Ryuko pinched Senketsu's eye in frustration and disbelief. She couldn't believe the gall Senketsu had in saying something like that to her!

Senketsu ignored Ryuko's mistreatment of his body for the moment and turned his eye towards her. He would get her back later, but for now he had more important matters to deal with, _**"As your Kamui, I am privy to pretty much everything in your life. It is a shame that my wearer doesn't care enough about her schoolwork to put in the required amount of effort."**_

"If you haven't noticed, I've been kind of busy tracking down the woman who killed my dad," Ryuko countered, "Besides, getting ambushed by Satsuki Kiryuin's goons every day makes studying hard! I'm doing my best!"

"_**That is no excuse, Ryuko. Ichigo gets into almost as many fights as you and his grades are near the top of the class."**_

"Why are you comparing me to Ichigo?" Ryuko asked incredulously.

Senketsu began to speak, but his answer was cut off as Ryuko's ears picked up the increasingly familiar clip-clop of Mako's geta along the ground. Spinning towards her friend, a look of exasperation on her face, Ryuko bent her knees and leaned backwards just as Mako's bronze knuckles whipped through the air. As she slowly fell backwards, Ryuko grabbed her Scissor Blade by its blade, careful to not cut Senketsu in the process and smashed the grip of her weapon into Mako's bare stomach. With an almost cartoonish grunt as the air left her lungs, compounded with her face distorting comically, Mako flew backwards and bounced along the ground before eventually skidding to a stop with her face planted in the ground and several wisps of smoke rising from her body.

With Mako disposed of, at least momentarily, Ryuko turned her attention back to Senketsu and glared harshly enough to cause the Kamui to actually break out in a cold sweat, "It has nothing to do with Ichigo! You're just all hot and bothered by Mugetsu, aren't you? You have a crush on Ichigo's Kamui!"

"_**W-What?"**_ Senketsu blubbered nervously as he desperately tried to think of a way out, _**"I…but…Here she comes, Ryuko!"**_

At first Ryuko thought Senketsu was simply trying to think of a way out of the embarrassing situation, but when she noticed Mako getting back to her feet, she begrudgingly admitted to herself that he had a point. Gripping the handle of her Scissor Blade with both hands, she took a deep breath and sighed, "Fine, but don't think you're off the hook yet!"

"I'm not done yet!" Mako shouted angrily as she pumped her fist into the air, "Mako Mankanshoku has her eye on the prize and nothing will stop her! Take this Ryuko!"

Instead of attacking head-on, like Ryuko assumed she would, Mako reached into her coat with both of her hands and began throwing a barrage of gold-plated weapons and tools at Ryuko. Eyes widening momentarily at the strange attack, Ryuko quickly recovered and sliced her Scissor Blade through the air, deflecting and parrying each impromptu weapon. As she blocked several knives and daggers from hitting her body, Ryuko couldn't help but note wrenches, pliers and even a spatula or two in the barrage of weaponry aimed at her face. As she forced her arms to move faster and faster to combat the rate at which Mako was attacking her, Ryuko gagged when a mace appeared out of nowhere and smacked her square in the forehead.

"_**Ryuko!"**_

"I'm fine," Ryuko snapped back as a trickle of blood ran down the bridge of her nose and over her cheek. Licking the blood that fell into her mouth before spitting it onto the ground, Ryuko kept her eyes locked firmly on Mako as she asked, "Any ideas, Senketsu?"

"_**Let me think for a moment."**_ Senketsu's eye closed and he hummed quietly to himself for several seconds before answering, _**"I got nothing. You're her best friend, Ryuko, so you should try to use that to your advantage. Remind Mako of all the times you've spent together and everything you've done. Perhaps that might help."**_

"Remind Mako…" Ryuko frowned before ducking out of the way as a morning-star about the size of her head smashed into the ground. Backflipping away while using her Scissor Blade as a shield against any further attacks, Ryuko skidded to a stop as a confident grin spread across her face, "That's not a bad idea, Senketsu."

Senketsu gave the Kamui equivalent of a nod. He couldn't wait to rub it in Mugetsu's face, _**"I do my best. Now let's bring Mako back!"**_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>For her entire life, Nui Harime felt as if something was missing.<p>

After much internal debate and questioning, she determined that she couldn't be missing anything. She had everything she ever wanted as the Grand Couturier of Revocs. She was the second most powerful person on Earth and had free reign to do nearly anything she wanted, as long as it did not conflict with Lady Ragyo's plans. Yet still, she couldn't help but feel as if something important was missing.

For most of her life it had been nothing more than a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. The equivalent, if you will, of forgetting whether or not she already tortured a Nudist Beach prisoner for information already. Over the past year or so, however, Nui had felt that nagging feeling develop into a clenching of her Life-Fiber infused heart that she just couldn't alleviate.

Then she met Ichigo and suddenly that bad feeling went away.

Nui really liked Ichigo. In fact, she liked him WAY more than she liked Satsuki but just a little less than she loved the Director. He was exactly like her in every single way. She knew without a doubt that their hearts beat as one yet it made her sad that he refused to play by the rules. Why would he allow himself to bleed and feel pain when he could just heal himself up in seconds? It wasn't like she was trying to kill him or anything. In fact, she purposely skewered in body in such a way that her Scissor Blade would miss all his organs, which took much trial and error on volunteers to get down just right. So when he didn't heal himself and even had the nerve to look at her like she was insane, Nui felt something snap in her mind. If he wasn't going to play fairly, she would just have to cheat as well until he did. Fair is fair after all.

If only Satsuki hadn't butted in at the last second. Nui was just about to get some quality time with her first, and favorite, cousin only to have Satsuki barge in and declare her presence in Honnou City illegal. Nui would have usually coyly responded to Satsuki's sweet, but ineffective, orders but she was already too upset with Ichigo at the moment to care. She would just have to show Satsuki just how upset she made her feel by interrupting what was quality family time. Nui wouldn't kill Satsuki. She was still needed for the final stage of Lady Ragyo's plan after all. Although, a twinge of an unknown emotion briefly passed through her chest, Nui didn't know what would happen to Ichigo if that happened. Once she was done here, she would go and ask Lady Ragyo about it. The Director would surely know the answer to such an important question.

"You know…" Nui's normal demeanor resurfaced as she saw Satsuki collide with a wall before punching through it like paper. Lady Ragyo had instilled into her mind the need to stay composed as long as possible. It would be really bad if she let her anger and disappointment get the better of her. It only took one lucky shot, even from a human like Satsuki, to hurt her. The wound on her eye was testament enough and Nui repressed the deep-seeded rage within her soul at the single blemish on her beautiful and perfect body. Dragging her Scissor Blade along the ground, sending up sparks and pieces of metal, Nui tilted her head and smirked, "…I am quite mad at the moment, you know. Interrupting my family time with Ichigo is bad enough, but ordering me to stay away from him is just plain rude. If you are so against me talking to Ichigo, well I'll just have to play with you instead."

Satsuki snapped her leg out and flung a piece of rubble the size of her body towards Nui. The Grand Couturier watched the ton of steel and cement fly towards her before stabbing her Scissor Blade forward and immediately shattering it into dust, "Scissor beats rock!"

Nui let out a small gasp of surprise when Satsuki appeared at her side, the familiar grimace she's come to know and love on her face, and tried to impale her through the neck. The surprise quickly turned to faint amusement as Nui seemed to float backwards at the exact speed of Satsuki's strike, Bakuzan's tip hovering just off her delicate skin, and raised a manicured hand to her mouth in forged shock.

"You're really trying to kill me!" Nui's voice sounded as if she was stunned Satsuki was actively trying to hurt her, but to anyone that knew who she was it came out as condescending arrogance. Nui wasn't shocked at all. Satsuki knew she was simply acting that way to make her lose her temper at her inability to injure the Grand Couturier. Hovering up and landing on top of a nearby roof, Nui stuck her tongue out childishly at Satsuki, "Oh dear. I wonder what the Director will say when she finds out. I don't think simple purification will be enough. Do you?"

There was a slight tensing of Satsuki's features at Nui's words, but to the untrained eye it would appear as if she was unaffected. A barely visible twitch of her right arm, her left eye narrowing ever so slightly, but to Nui it was as if Satsuki's mouth had opened in shock and that made her extremely happy. She was glad she hadn't lost her touch after so long out of the field. She was starting to become afraid that hanging out with Ichigo, as much fun as that was, had caused her to lose a bit of her expertise.

"Perhaps you do not understand the ramifications of your actions," Satsuki countered as she stepped towards Nui and pointed Bakuzan at her. She could not let the Grand Couturier's way with words affect her. She had put up with Nui's games for as long as she could remember and a few more taunts weren't going to break her, "My mother has expressively forbidden your ability to set foot within Honnou City without informing me in advance."

Nui puffed her cheeks out and turned her head away. She hadn't forgotten that little rule humorously invented by Lady Ragyo to placate Satsuki, but if Satsuki thought she was just going to up and leave right when she met Ichigo than she wasn't as clever as she thought.

"Hmm…that's true and all," Nui shouldered her Scissor Blade and took a step off the roof, gently floating to the ground and landing on a piece of overturned concrete. Stabbing her weapon and using it as an impromptu chair, Nui smirked and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, "But you're forgetting one crucial and super important rule. I don't need your permission to be anywhere when the Director gave it to me in the first place."

Satsuki hadn't expecting Nui to admit to that. What was her mother thinking in sending someone like Nui, a rabid dog that's nearly chewed through its leash, to Honnou City? If the Grand Couturier decided to do something, anything, Satsuki would be hard pressed to stop her without receiving significant losses. That was if she could stop her in the first place.

"Ah…I see you realize how much trouble you're in," Nui wagged her finger childishly at Satsuki and giggled. Screwing around with Satsuki was a lot of fun as always, but Nui was sad that she had to stop so soon. If she reported back to Lady Ragyo about what happened, she would likely be forced to stay at Revocs for a few days. She would even miss out on Parent Student Day tomorrow and Nui wouldn't miss that for the world! Sighing nostalgically and tilting her head to the side, Nui said, "But telling on you would mean I wouldn't be able to hang out with Ichigo for a while and that's super bad, you know. You can stop worrying your pretty head about whatever I might do. I'm only in your silly town to hang out with Ichigo."

"That may be true," Satsuki clicked her heel loudly on the ground. After her abysmal performance against Ichigo, Satsuki had trained her mind and body to resist Junketsu as best she could. Through her sheer willpower she could now wear her Kamui for nearly half an hour in its activated state before the extreme fatigue hit her. She had almost twenty minutes left before she would be forced to transform Junketsu back she wasn't about to risk being drawn into an extended confrontation with the Grand Couturier, "…but as the Student Council President of Honnouji Academy it is my solemn duty to not let any threats into the city! Until I hear from my mother otherwise, you are forbidden from stepping foot in Honnou City! Failure to listen will result in retribution!"

"Phooey," Nui absentmindedly kicked the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't believe how much of a stick in the mud Satsuki was being. It wasn't like she came to this stupid town to kill anyone. Ok sure, she killed a few people to keep her presence a secret but it wasn't more than six or seven people, which was not that much actually. As an idea came to mind, Nui clapped her hands together and stood up straight, "Ah! I have an awesome idea that I think will make us both happy Satsuki! I won't tell Lady Ragyo that you're going against her orders and you let me stay in your little town. I promise I'll be extra good and stuff! You won't even have to worry about any mutilated bodies or corpses just lying about. I'm just here to hang out and have fun with my favorite cousin, Ichigo!"

Satsuki narrowed her eyes, "I don't believe you. I know what you mean by that, but nothing good ever happens to those you take interest in."

"That's not true," Nui blatantly lied. Everything that happened to those that interested her helped make the Grand Couturier feel truly happy and alive, which they were meant to. Of course, there was that woman in Rome that tricked her with candy, which annoyed Nui to no end. Sticking her tongue out and closing her eye, Nui giggled and said, "Aw, don't tell me you care about Ichigo? I don't know where you got the notion I'm going to hurt him, but that's simply not true. I simply _love_ Ichigo so much that I – "

Both Satsuki and Nui were shocked when a blue blade burst through the Grand Couturier's chest covered in her blood.

"Oh?" Nui looked down at Tournesol in confusion before a wide and happy smile spread across her face. She was ecstatic that Ichigo finally decided to show up and what made it even better was that he was playing with her again! Twisting her head up and staring deeply into Ichigo's determined brown eyes, she laughed and said, "It's so good to see you again Ichigo! I was wondering when you'd show up. Talking with Satsuki is such a bore. Now that you're here I can get to know you a little bit better!"

Ichigo wasn't surprised when Nui leaned forward and literally pulled her body off his blade. He was even less surprised when the wound in her back healed up, leaving both her and her pink dress with nary a scratch or tear on them. After getting ambushed and nearly killed by her earlier, he couldn't afford to go easy on her. The only reason he had stabbed Nui was because he knew she most likely wouldn't be that injured by the attack.

"So I was right," Ichigo raised Tournesol and held it aloft over his shoulder, "You can regenerate."

"Gosh, you're super smart!" Nui puffed out her cheeks happily upon the compliment. Ichigo was really smart to figure that out on the first go. Even Satsuki hadn't realized the regenerative qualities of the Life Fibers within her body for several weeks. Sitting back down on her Scissor Blade, Nui chuckled and asked, "So does that mean you're finally awake, Ichigo? It's going to be so much fun hanging out and playing with you now!"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he thought about the specifics of what Nui said. He couldn't understand why she kept asking and talking to him as if he was asleep. Was there something he was missing that Nui believed she understood? Could that explain why his wounds, the same ones that Mugetsu was adamant that she didn't heal, had mostly closed and healed over the last few minutes? Truth be told, Ichigo would have been a lot more shocked about healing that quickly if he hadn't already experienced it whenever his inner hollow took over. While his friends and colleagues would tell him he was unconscious during the entire time his hollow was in control, Ichigo could vividly remember experiencing whatever his hollow did. That was how and why he recognized his healing as a form of regeneration, which just raised further questions as to WHY he had regeneration.

"_Please don't tell me I need to talk to dad about this,"_ Ichigo thought in annoyance. Somehow he knew his dad would have just the answers he was looking for. It always seemed the old goat knew something about everything. He was nearly as bad as Kisuke.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ichigo said, testing the waters carefully. He had seen what lay just beneath the surface and Nui's cheerful demeanor. It was not something that belonged to someone that had their mind in order. Nui was an unstable person and Ichigo could tell it would just take one major event to pull her off the very edge of sanity forever, "But I'm not asleep or whatever you're calling it."

Satsuki watched the exchange between Ichigo and Nui earnestly. Usually she would find interference in her familial matters subject to punishment, but she was curious about the reason Nui was so interested in Ichigo. As she filed away any pertinent information she overheard, she felt her skin begin to crawl as Nui's cheerful smile slowly and deliberately fell off her face.

"Not awake?" Nui's smile was now more forced than true. Tilting her head to the side, her sapphire eye seeming to bore deeply into Ichigo's mind in the hopes of discovering he was lying, Nui's hand gripped her Scissor Blade tightly as she slowly walked towards him, "No, that's not possible. You're back to normal and everything! You can't possibly still be asleep Ichigo!"

Without even giving a warning, Nui shot towards Ichigo and chaotically swung her Scissor Blade at him. Temporarily flinching backwards in shock, Ichigo quickly brought up Tournesol and managed to block Nui's strike, albeit only after he was forced backwards several feet, his heels digging up the concrete floor in the process.

"You can't still be asleep!" Nui declared, her voice rising with every syllable until she was nearly shouting at the end, "You're back to normal and not bleeding anymore! You're not a lowly human who dies when they're stabbed so why are you saying such awful lies?"

As Nui increased her strength, Ichigo found his arms buckling and folding under the pressure. Even if he was mostly healed apart from the feeling of pain where he had been stabbed, he was unable to stand up to the Grand Couturier's increasing power. As his elbows began to shake from the exertion of fending off Nui, he was relieved when Satsuki snapped her leg out and managed to connect with Nui's ribcage. The Grand Couturier's body seemed to bend cartoonishly around her foot before rocketing out and crashing into the side of the power station accompanied by an expanding cloud of dust and smoke.

"Ichigo!" Satsuki's voice was full of her standard authority and Ichigo found himself unconsciously scowling in annoying. Leave it to Satsuki to bark out orders like a drill sergeant even in the midst of a life and death battle. Slamming Bakuzan on the ground, she stared him deeply in the eyes and said, "We seem to have a common goal for the moment – the expulsion of Nui Harime from Honnou City. Let us put our differences aside for the moment to deal with this common threat!"

"Yeah, fine," Ichigo grumbled as he sensed Nui returning to the battle, "But don't try to order me around. I'm not one of your damn soldiers."

A graceful smirk adorned Satsuki's face, "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I won't let you take everything I've worked hard for away, Ryuko! I can't go back to being poor!"<p>

Mako was furious at Ryuko for betraying her like this! Couldn't Ryuko understand that she was the only reason her family wasn't living in the Slums, hoping to have enough money to afford dinner? Her mom's mystery croquettes were delicious to be sure, Mako still salivated at the thought of what could be inside them, but Mako couldn't live like that forever. She had watched for years as the One and Two-Star students bought and ate anything they wanted without care. So many different foods like steak, chicken and even vegetables and fruits. Mako had seen all those foods so often without being able to actually eat them. Now that she could, she was never going to go back to her old life!

The sound of loud and exuberant cheering from the stands caused Mako to frown in determination. Her dad and Matorou were cheering her on to defeat Ryuko as quickly as possible. She couldn't let them down. Looking around, Mako noticed that her mom was absent. She must still be sick, Mako thought more intelligently than usually, or she would be here cheering her on as well. Mako was starting to get worried about her mom because ever since she became the president of the Fight Club, her mom had been sick. She never came to any of the high-class events the Mankanshoku family was now being invited to and whenever Mako asked about her health, she would simply smile and pat her on the head.

Mako pulled hard on the golden chain she had managed to wrap around Ryuko's right arm only to have her former friend dig her heels into the ground and use her Scissor Blade to easily sever the much weaker chain. Frowning and adjusting the reed in her mouth, Mako drew her chain back with a level of skill she still couldn't figure out how she possessed. Whipping it around her body several times, Mako stomped her geta on the ground and threw the chain back at Ryuko. This time, she noted with intense determination, she managed to wrap it around Ryuko's neck.

"Take…" With a supreme amount of effort, Mako snapped the chain upwards and bounced Ryuko's body against the ground before whipping it into the air. Spinning around on one leg, Mako grit her teeth and slammed Ryuko back into the ground hard enough to cause cracks to radiate outwards from the point of impact, "…this!"

"Ugh," Ryuko grumbled and pulled herself out of the indentation her body created when it hit the ground. Shaking her head and dislodging a couple of pebbles, she grabbed the handle of her Scissor Blade and stood back up. Spitting some dirt out of her mouth, she focused her senses inwards and was relieved she didn't feel any pain apart from a few cuts and bruises, "Damn. Are all Two-Star's this strong or is Mako just special?"

"_**That's hard to say,"**_ Senketsu added unhelpfully. It was disturbing to see Ryuko struggling with Mako, who he knew wasn't even close to the level of power Sanageyama had in their second fight. Ryuko was still holding back her full strength and if either of them didn't come up with a plan, it was going to end up badly, _**"But it seems that despite greed overwhelming her mind, it's still the same Mako deep down."**_

"Maybe," Ryuko admitted reluctantly, "But how can I bring her back if she is still the same Mako?"

"_**I don't know,"**_Senketsu's tone did not betray the sadness he felt at being unable to help his wearer, _**"But I'm sure you'll figure something out. You are her best friend after all."**_

Ryuko cast her gaze downwards as the scope of her failure began to weigh down on her. If Mako wasn't going to listen to anything she said, then what was the point of trying to talk to her? She didn't want to fight her best friend, damn it, but Ryuko couldn't see any other way out of this whole mess. It was all Satsuki Kiryuin's fault for corrupting Mako and her family with wealth and greed. Sighing in resignation, Ryuko clenched the grip of her Scissor Blade and tried to convince her body to fight Mako, but the trembling of her arms said all that there needed to be said about that. If she didn't take this fight seriously and continued to hold back, then she was going to die. Wait a second…

"Hey Senketsu," Ryuko's voice came out as a whisper as she addressed her Kamui. She didn't like the plan she came up with, but with everything else failing it wasn't as if she had a choice. Ryuko hoped she wouldn't have to use her plan, but when she saw Mako pull out a bat with a dozen nail stabbed through the end, she knew she had no choice but to use it, "I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it…"

Senketsu thought there was nothing Ryuko could say that could take him by surprise, but as Ryuko whispered her plan to him that notion went out the window. Over the course of her explanation, Senketsu's emotions flew through shock, fear, contemplation before finally ending in general annoyance. Senketsu politely waited until Ryuko finished talking before taking the mental equivalent of a deep breath.

"_**That's the stupidest, most dangerous, plan I've ever heard."**_

"I know that!" Ryuko snapped before grumbling. She didn't like the plan any more than Senketsu did, but it was the only way she knew to get Mako back.

When Senketsu saw Ryuko's determination in going through with her insane plan remain firm and intact, he knew there was no other choice. As much as he would like to think otherwise, Ryuko's plan was a good, if not extremely dangerous, one. The only problem was that if it didn't work…Senketsu shuddered at the mere thought of what might happen if it failed. He couldn't allow that to happen to Ryuko, _**"If you're so determined to go through with it, I'll stay by your side. Just be careful Ryuko."**_

"Thanks Senketsu," Ryuko turned to Mako and stabbed her Scissor Blade into the ground, "Let's go get Mako back."

Standing on top of Honnouji Academy were Satsuki's Elite Three, Elite Four if you still counted Jakuzure. When Satsuki mysteriously took a leave of absence and informed Inumuta to not track her movements, the Elite Three were surprised but nevertheless complied with her orders.

"Hmm," Gamagori stared down at the battle in earnest. He was surprised when Matoi had initially taken the fight seriously but her most recent move had given him pause, "She giving up? Don't tell me she values her friendship with Mankanshoku over victory."

"I'm not certain that's what she's doing," Sanageyama replied sagely. He would have been able to give more information, but the distance separating him from Matoi severely reduced the effectiveness of Shingantsu. Strumming his fingers along the inner length of his arm, Sanageyama was annoyed that he was forbidden from fighting Matoi, but Lady Satsuki's word was law and he would simply have to wait his turn, "Her breathing appears to have leveled out in the last minute although by going by her heartbeat she remains nervous. The question is whether such nervousness stems from her fight with Mankanshoku or is there an ulterior reason."

Gamagori looked incredulously at Sanageyama, "You can tell that from all the way up here?"

"No," Sanageyama replied bluntly, "But I can hear Inumuta's computer."

Gamagori looked at Inumuta, who simply shrugged and fixed his glasses, "I managed to install various cameras and sensors in the walls and stands surrounding Matoi and Mankanshoku to analyze and record her pulse, perspiration and overall health. Sanageyama is simply hearing the pulse application on my laptop. Speaking of which, I was told that you would be in the control room overlooking the fight, Sanageyama. Could it be that you are out here with us solely because you cannot see anything on the computer screens?"

Sanageyama scoffed at the mention of his single weakness, "This is completely different!"

"I suppose it is," Inumuta admitted sarcastically, "But that still begs the question about what Matoi is planning. Perhaps you are right. She is not someone that is prone to simply giving up in the midst of a battle, even if it is against her friend."

"Indeed. We simply have to believe that Lady Satsuki's plans will come to fruition," Gamagori grunted. When his eyes picked out a mop of pink hair in the stands nearest the fight, a grimace developed on his face. Jakuzure's undercover work was set to expire at midnight tonight and her reintroduction into the Elite Four was to take place during the ceremony tomorrow afternoon. Gamagori was all for allowing Jakuzure back under Lady Satsuki's wings, but he could not admit to himself that her work in discovering the origins of Ichigo Kurosaki's control over his Kamui was sorely lacking. He knew she did her best but her abrasive and rude attitude surely turned Ichigo's suspicions against her.

Back on the battlefield, Mako grimaced angrily when she saw Ryuko leave her Scissor Blade behind and walk calmly towards her. What could her former best friend be thinking by approaching her completely unarmed? A rogue thought passed through Mako's mind. Could Ryuko, even after betraying her trust and friendship and allowing her family to go back to being poor, be taking pity on her? Was she calling her weak? Mako's hands shook with anger and she clenched the bat in her hands even tighter.

"_Why can't Ryuko just listen to her? All I needed was for her to fight a few clubs so my family wouldn't be poor anymore. It wasn't like that was too hard. Why can't she just apologize and say she was wrong? I want Ryuko to be my friend again but I won't be poor again!"_

"Take this, Ryuko!" Mako pointed the end of her bat at Ryuko and pressed a button on the bottom. As the end of the bat opened up, exposing a missile painted to look just like her, Mako shouted, "Mako Rocket!"

At first there was a sound like a cork popping causing everyone, including Mako and the Elite Four, to assume it was a dud. That notion was quickly destroyed as the missile left Mako's bat, destroying it in the process, and arced upwards into the sky before turning around and homing in on Ryuko. Mako was initially elated at her ultimate attack working, but as Ryuko continued to walk towards her without any worry etched on her face, that elation turned to panic. Why was Ryuko so calm and collected? She should be trying to get out of the way of her Mako Rocket or she could get seriously super hurt or worse! If Mako could have stopped the attack she would have, but just before the missile hit Ryuko and exploded, she swore she saw an accepting smile spread across Ryuko's face.

The explosion from the Mako Rocket was enormous and the largest one since the incident the prior year with the president of the Model Rocket Club. All throughout Honnou City, hundreds if not thousands of people looked up at the academy and wondered what on Earth was going on.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo wondered, taking his attention off Nui Harime for just a moment. That explosion came from Honnouji Academy, which meant Ryuko must be fighting the Elite Three. What bothered him was the question of which of the remaining two could cause such an explosion. Ichigo bet his money on Gamagori. It was a mistake to take his attention off of Nui, Ichigo quickly realized, as he felt a small hand grabbing his shoulder before he was pushed right through a nearby wall.

"Don't get distracted Ichigo!" Nui cheerfully commented before she twisted to the side and avoided Satsuki's Bakuzan. Grabbing Satsuki's wrist, Nui jabbed her Scissor Blade into her stomach, causing Satsuki to gasp in pain, before spinning around and throwing her off into the distance, "You gotta do better than that Satsuki or it won't be fun anymore!"

Back at Honnouji Academy, Ururu Tsumugiya was extremely worried about Ryuko. The Mako Rocket was a powerful attack that could have incapacitated a shinigami lieutenant if he had managed to catch them off guard and at point blank range. If Ryuko had taken the full brunt of that attack…Ururu shook her head, her pigtails flailing about, to clear her mind. She couldn't think like that! Mako and Ryuko were friends. There was no way that Mako would use an attack that could kill Ryuko. It was impossible for Ururu to even contemplate it, but as the dust and smoke cleared, Ururu found her heart stopping and her eyes widening at what she saw.

Laying on the ground with her a small river of blood leaking out the side of her mouth was Ryuko and she wasn't breathing.

"_Ryuko's dead…"_

Ururu's whole body began shaking slightly as she stared at her friend's body. The rational side of her brain was telling her that if Ryuko was truly dead, her soul would be floating nearby with her Chain of Fate severed, but the irrational and emotional part of her mind was telling her that Ryuko was breathing. All Ururu could think about was how Ryuko promised to fight Mako and bring her friend back and that she was now dead. Ryuko was dead because of her promise and Mako was to blame.

"_Mako killed Ryuko,"_ Something snapped within Ururu at that moment and she heard a regal voice in her subconscious telling her to take vengeance against Mako for killing Ryuko. It was telling her to tear Mako apart and see her suffer for what she did to Ryuko. Ururu knew that was wrong but she was just too devastated to care at the moment. As her blue eyes drained of emotion, every thought in Ururu's mind was focused solely on causing as much pain as possible to Mako. Just before she took her first step towards Mako, which would have enabled her to wrap her hand around Mako's throat, Ururu felt a hand firmly grip her shoulder. Turning around to see who was holding her back, the voice in her head starting to fade away as Ururu saw it was Mr. Kurosaki who had his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't do anything you might regret later on," Isshin warned solemnly without tightening his grip, "I know you must feel devastated and upset but don't rush into things without thinking your actions through first."

Ururu's eyes began tearing up, "B-But…"

Isshin sighed and knelt down besides the girl. He was lucky that he had been standing nearby when Mako attacked. He didn't want to think about what might have happened if he had been a moment too late, "You know more than anyone here, except for my son, that Ryuko can't be dead. So take a deep breath, close her eyes and clear your head."

Ururu did just that and immediately the voices in her head cleared away. She knew Mr. Kurosaki would always know what to do when it came to things like this. Even though she was thinking clearly once more, the voice that Ururu heard scared her. Forcing herself to think about what it sounded like, she realized that it wasn't her subconscious speaking to her. In fact, she couldn't remember ever heard that voice before.

"R-Ryuko?" Mako stumbled towards Ryuko in confusion. Stopping next to her prone form, she fell onto her knees and nudged her shoulder, "Come on, get up Ryuko…"

When Mako turned Ryuko's body over and noticed she wasn't breathing, large tears began falling from her eyes as the realization of what she did hit her. With her body shaking from regret and her breath constantly hitching in her throat, Mako pressed Ryuko tightly against her body and began crying into her unmoving chest, "Why did you let yourself get hit, Ryuko? You could have stepped out of the way or something! Why didn't anyone stop me?"

The last question was not directed at Mako herself, but to her family watching in stunned silence in the stands. Throughout the fight they had been cheering for Mako to not just defeat, but destroy Ryuko in order to keep their current lifestyle. They may have said some terrible things, but they never intended for Ryuko to actually die. Unable to say anything, they looked away from Mako in shame and regret.

"I-I don't want Ryuko to be dead," Mako blubbered sadly as she tore off her Goku Uniform and threw it away. Holding Ryuko's head against her chest with tears freely falling she shouted, "I just want things to go back to normal before the Fight Club. I don't care if we're rich or not! I just want Ryuko to be my friend again!"

"I-It's good to hear that, Mako"

The large tears dripping down Mako's face abruptly stopped when she heard Ryuko's voice. Looking down at her friend through teary eyes, she saw Ryuko staring at her with a content look on her bruised face.

"B-But…"

"Don't worry. You don't need to apologize for anything Mako. We both did stupid things," Ryuko explained as Mako hugged her tighter, nearly cutting off her flow of oxygen in the process. Ryuko didn't need to tell Mako that her plan involved having Senketsu temporarily breathing for her. While her Kamui was initially adamant about not doing it, Ryuko realized that if he could draw her blood from her body then perhaps he could do the opposite. She was just glad that Mako didn't know how to check for a pulse. Not breathing is much easier than stopping her heart. She was also glad Mako decided to throw away her uniform when she did. A few more seconds and Ryuko would have been forced to start breathing on her own again.

"Ryuko," Ururu jogged towards Ryuko with a happy smile on her face. Now that Ryuko was alive and well, any antagonistic thoughts she may have had towards Mako were long dead and gone. After seeing how sorry Mako was about thinking she killed Ryuko, Ururu couldn't hold a grudge. Grabbing Ryuko's hands tightly in her own, Ururu glanced over her body, "You're hurt Ryuko. Mr. Kurosaki is a doctor. He can fix you right up."

Ryuko smiled but glanced to the side. There was just one last thing she needed to do, "Ok, but just hold on a second." Standing over Mako's Goku Uniform, a look of anger and rage on her face, she pulled out her Scissor Blade and violently sliced through it.

"Seni-Soshitsu!" Ryuko shouted as the Banshi in Mako's uniform was absorbed by Senketsu, causing her body to temporarily glow with a red aura. Letting out a deep sigh as she realized it was all over, Ryuko walked back to Mako and wrapped an arm around her best friend's shoulders, "Come on Mako, let's go back home. You think your mom is up for making mystery croquettes?"

Mako gasped happily, "She sure is!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The silence that permeated the Honnou City Slums was abruptly destroyed as a series of explosion rocked the area. Deftly avoiding Nui's strike, consciously noting just how close the purple Scissor Blade came from slicing open his skin, Ichigo countered by arcing Tournesol through the air towards Nui's shoulder. He knew if he could just somehow disarm Nui of her weapon, fighting her would be much easier.

"Ah!" Nui giggled and danced around his strike. Spinning her Scissor Blade around her wrist, she lashed out only for Ichigo to stop her assault with his own weapon. The force of the combined strikes forced both combatants to take a step back, but Nui quickly and easily recovered. Flipping in the air towards Ichigo with a large smile on her face, she swung her Scissor Blade downwards while Ichigo reversed his grip on Tournesol and arched it upwards. Blue and purple met in a clash of sparks and stars and for just a moment both of them froze before a miniature explosion blew Ichigo backwards along the ground.

"Damn it. Just how powerful is she?" Ichigo muttered as he skidded to a stop. Taking in a ragged breath, exhaustion already beginning to creep up on him, he tried to think of how he was going to beat Nui. Just because she was stronger than him did not mean he was simply going to give up. Mugetsu wasn't fairing any better. Nui's Scissor Blade had proven itself willing and quite able to cut through the Kamui's normally resilient armor as if it were tissue paper. He needed to be careful to avoid any more of Nui's attacks. Ichigo never again wanted to hear Mugetsu scream in pain as the Scissor Blade cut through her.

"Her strength is on a completely different level than ours," Satsuki's stoic voice answered as she landed next to him. Much like Ichigo, Satsuki's body was littered with cuts and bruises courtesy of Nui Harime's playful tough love. Although her breath was more ragged than his and she seemed to have developed a nearly unperceivable limp in her right leg, Satsuki seemed completely unaffected by her wounds.

For the last ten minutes both Ichigo Kurosaki and herself had been fighting the Grand Couturier to what she wished was a standstill. In actuality, it was obvious that Nui was toying around with them. Of course she had tried to take advantage of that lack of seriousness and managed to tear Nui's dress in a few places, but they were always followed by a brutal and painful retaliatory strike from the Grand Couturier. Nui truly was a monster in every sense of the word.

Satsuki flinched in pain as she felt Junketsu begin to test her mental control and willpower. She was reaching the twenty-five minute mark and pretty soon she wouldn't be able to control Junketsu's bloodlust and would be forced to transform back. With an envious look in her eyes, she glanced at Ichigo and noticed he seemed to not be having any problems with Mugetsu's bloodlust. He had been fighting Nui for longer than her and had even sustained several seemingly fatal wounds and yet the loss of blood didn't seem to affect him.

"I've fought with her a couple of times, on my mother's insistence I assure you," Satsuki flicked Bakuzan to the side before grabbing the hilt with both hands, "Not once have I ever injured her."

"She can't be invincible," Ichigo countered and cleaned the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth onto his wrist, "I managed to stab her a few times."

"Yet look at her now and what do you see?" Satsuki pointed out with a slight scowl forming on her face. Satsuki knew Nui could heal from almost any injury in a matter of seconds, the exception being her eye, "It should be obvious that all your efforts have been in vain. Nui Harime is just as she was when this fight began."

"Do you expect me to just give up?" Ichigo argued and tightened his grip on Tournesol, "You better come up with something fast. I don't think Nui is just going to stand around all day and wait for us to attack her."

"That is exactly what she will do," Satsuki brazenly answered. She wasn't used to people speaking back to her like that. Matoi was the sole exception and she was willing to put up with her crass behavior and attitude for the time being. Ichigo Kurosaki, on the other hand, was the only person to have defeated her in combat, which garnered him her respect, "She will wait patiently for us to think of a plan to defeat her. Then, when we think we know how to beat her, she will announce that it was all in vain and feed off our hopeless struggle."

Ichigo didn't take his eyes off Nui, who was still smiling happily as she waited patiently while sitting on her Scissor Blade, "Then what do we do?"

"You can't do anything!" A childish voice announced from between them, "That's the whole point, Ichigo!"

As soon as they noticed her, both Satsuki and Ichigo leapt away from the Grand Couturier, but it appeared that Nui already had her target set in mind. Completely ignoring Ichigo for the moment, she turned towards Satsuki and vanished. For a brief moment, perhaps even several seconds, Satsuki clashed evenly with every one of Nui's strikes but eventually the Grand Couturier managed to overcome Satsuki's exhausted strength. Slamming her head forward, Nui smiled as she heard Satsuki gasp in pain before she spun around and planted her pink boot in Satsuki's stomach, sending the younger Kiryuin flying through the air and crashing back into the ground some distance away.

"Satsuki!"

"Now, now…" Nui turned towards Ichigo. Raising a finger to her lip, she cutely tilted her head and said, "You must be awake, Ichigo, so why don't we take the time to get to know one another?"

In the blink of an eye, Nui disappeared before reappearing in front of Ichigo, her hand extended towards him and a disturbingly happy smile on her face. Eyes widening slowly, Ichigo stepped to the side, just barely avoiding being touched by Nui and swung Tournesol. For a moment he thought he managed to get in another hit, Nui's Scissor Blade was conspicuously absent and he didn't hear the sound of metal striking metal, but when he saw the smile on Nui's face widen, he looked down and saw her hand firmly grabbing his larger wrist.

"Are you going to listen to what I have to say, Ichigo, or do I have to shatter every bone in your wrist first?" Nui's tone became increasingly dark and foreboding as she spoke, a hint of her mental instability leaking through her cheerful façade. Ichigo's continued reluctance to play by what Nui thought were the rules was beginning to take a toll on her mind. She couldn't understand what she was doing wrong. She was following the rules to the letter that Lady Ragyo had instilled within her from her very first memories and yet nothing she did seemed to be working on Ichigo. Even threatening his friends and families had only increased his resolve to defeat her, which while it made her happy that he was fighting her was increasingly frustrating when he didn't get angry or enraged.

Ichigo didn't say anything in return and for a moment Nui thought he was finally going to listen to her. She was so very interested in hearing about his life and what he did as he grew up. There were seventeen years she needed to make up after all, but when Ichigo crouched and jumped up into the air, her eye blinked in confusion when he pointed his feet at her face and said two words.

"Mugetsu Gufū!"

As Mugetsu transformed into her flight configuration, the twin jets that formed out of Ichigo's feet blasted into Nui's face, causing the Grand Couturier to involuntarily let go of his wrist. Without bothering to see if she was injured, Ichigo spun around in midair and flew towards where he had seen Nui throw Satsuki. Some might call him a coward for fleeing from Nui Harime, but Ichigo knew when to pick his battles. Unlike his fight with Ulquiorra, where he was forced to defeat the espada so that he could save Orihime and his other friends, Nui had no leverage on him. Ichigo was certain that Nui somehow was able to fake the sounds of Shinjiro being tortured just so she could draw him out. How could he be such an idiot? He knew Nui would go after his family in retaliation eventually, but for the moment he was confident he could come up with something to stop her. If not…well, he could always continue to train.

When he felt a pair of heels landing on his back, Ichigo scowled and twisted his head around. Sitting on his back, one hand firmly holding Mugetsu's wing and the other her shoulder, was a bloody and thoroughly exhausted Satsuki.

"Is there a reason you're sitting on me?"

"Hold your tongue," Satsuki chastised between ragged breathes before Junketsu, in a flash of blue stars, transformed back to its normal appearance. Sighing as the pressure of holding back Junketsu's bloodlust vanished, Satsuki pointed towards Honnouji Academy, "Head back to the academy. I do not believe Nui Harime can fly."

Ichigo nodded and flew higher into the air, twin trails of smoke escaping from his feet. As he passed over the wall separating the Slums from the rest of the city, he frowned and asked, "So that was Nui Harime? Damn she was strong."

"Now you see why I was hesitant on letting you go off to fight her," Satsuki reprimanded harshly, though the exhaustion in her voice took most of the bite out of it, "I still wish for you to be my Vice-President, Ichigo."

"What makes you think my answer's changed?"

"If you accept my offer," Satsuki's voice had a hint of defeat in it, which Ichigo found to be completely out of place in the normally implacable teen, "I will guarantee that the Grand Couturier shall not harm any of your friends in Honnouji Academy. Matoi, Mankanshoku and Tsumugiya shall be given complete protection from whatever Nui Harime might try to do to them."

Ichigo was conflicted about what to do, but it was Mugetsu who said, _**"I hate to admit it, Ichigo, but Satsuki Kiryuin makes a good point. Nui Harime completely outclassed us today and it was only because you surprised her with my Gufū form that you managed to escape. Perhaps taking her up on her offer would be the best thing to do."**_

"Damn," Ichigo cursed softly as he realized he truly had no options. He hated the concept of working for, or even under, Satsuki but if it was the only thing he could do to stop someone like Nui from coming after Mako or Ryuko, then he was willing to take that risk.

"Fine, I'll do it," Ichigo felt a bit of bile rise up in his throat but he immediately quashed it. He couldn't afford to be getting airsick at over three hundred feet above the ground, "But if you do anything to threaten my friends, I won't hesitate to stop you."

"You need not worry, Ichigo. I shall do no such thing. You have my word."

Satsuki waited until Ichigo turned away before allowing a small smile to appear on her face. Looking away into the distance where Nui Harime was no doubt frustrated at allowing her 'toys' to get away, Satsuki's mind was already postulating and thinking of plans on how to deal with Ichigo's inclusion in Honnouji Academy. She had no delusions he would be absorbed by her system like Mankanshoku and her family. He was too headstrong and independent to fall into such a trap and if he did, he wouldn't be worthy of her attention. The only question she didn't have an answer to was whether to include him in her plans. For the moment she decided against it. There were too many variables concerning his history and his father's relation to her mother. She would wait and see how things developed before determining whether or not to include Ichigo in anything she did.

For the moment though, Satsuki winced in pain from the effects of wearing Junketsu for nearly her limit, she needed to rest and recuperate It was an illuminating experience to find that her strength, despite mastering Junketsu and taking pride in her scantily clad appearance, wasn't even close to being able to stand at the level of the Grand Couturier. If she couldn't even lay a finger on Nui Harime, then what chance did she have of taking her mother on? She needed to train and gain strength so when the time for her plan to come to fruition came, she would emerge victorious, but for the moment she would rest.

Tomorrow, after all, was Parent Student Day.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kamui Tales #11 - The Shy Kamui<strong>

The moon was lazily hovering in the air over Honnouji Academy early in the morning with nary a cloud in the sky. In her bed, sound asleep and completely relaxed, was Satsuki Kiryuin. Unbeknownst to her, since she always slept alone, was the childish grin on her face as she dreamt of defeating her mother and saving the world from the evil space aliens. Also unknown to her was that the glass case containing her supposedly rabid Kamui was empty with the lock seemingly picked from the inside.

Up on the roof of Honnouji Academy and far out of sight from any of Inumuta's or Ragyo's spy cameras, Junketsu sadly stared up at the moon. It couldn't understand why it had to be given to the one person that couldn't hear its words or understand its feelings. Junketsu had been promised to Lady Ragyo's youngest daughter before she was even conceived. It was to be her guardian and be worn to fight against all that would oppose the Kiryuins, but its power was too great. Lady Ragyo had deemed it unstable and useless and sealed it deep beneath Kiryuin Manor, forced to sleep for many years with its dreams plagued by its inability to be worn.

Then Satsuki came and took it out and for just a moment Junketsu thought all would be right, but as soon as it tasted her blood Junketsu knew Satsuki wasn't meant to wear it. Junketsu tried to devour Satsuki, who had the gall to think she could wear it, but to its surprise Satsuki was able to use her willpower and determination to suppress Junketsu's animalistic urges. At least that was what Satsuki thought. In reality, Junketsu was just using Satsuki as a means to find its one true wearer.

Junketsu gazed out over Honnou City, wistfully wondering if its true wearer was someone out there. Which of the sleeping humans was the one meant to wear it and access its full and unbridled power? Every other Kamui had its destined wearer, but Junketsu was saddened that it still hadn't found the right person for it.

Senketsu might be a knock off, but Junketsu had to admit he was worthy of being a Kamui. His power was about the same as what Junketsu allowed Satsuki to possess and the Kamui was admittedly a little prideful that Satsuki could fight so forcefully at less than full power. That did not, however, mean that Junketsu would ever be willing to work with Satsuki.

Danketsu, on the other hand, make Junketsu contemplate giving its full power to Satsuki if only to wipe the smug grin off that Kamui's face. Junketsu didn't even care to think about whether Danketsu had a face or not, it just hated the angry and smug feeling Danketsu radiated during their break clash. Danketsu was strong, Junketsu was even wary of fighting her and her wearer, but Junketsu was damned if it wasn't going to try.

Lastly, there was Mugetsu, who filled Junketsu with a type of happiness that would have made a lesser Kamui giddy and its Life Fibers stretch in happiness. Mugetsu was a true Kamui through and through and Junketsu wished it could fight by her side once more. The battle against the Grand Couturier was exhilarating and Junketsu wished it could have fights like that more often, but alas, it would be a long time before a fight like that occurred once more.

"_**Aw,"**_ Junketsu's melodious voice echoed through the area as her lapels drooped in shame, _**"I wish I wasn't so shy in front of the other Kamui. I really want to talk to them…"**_


	24. Chapter 24: I'm Still in Love with You

_Writing this chapter took a lot out of me, both mentally and physically. It might be because I'm delving into character development and plots not seen in the Kill la Kill anime or perhaps it's because it's entirely original material. I don't know but what's important is that it's done and ready for you all to read. Focusing my efforts on this story (while keeping the quality and length high) is taking a toll on me. Perhaps I'll go back to Rise of the True Death God for a chapter or two to clear my head? Who knows...  
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><p><strong>Chapter 24 - I'm Still in Love with You<strong>

The steady beating sounds of the helicopter's blade cut through the air as it made its way towards Honnou City. Under normal circumstances an aircraft would need to announce its arrival ahead of time as well as submit a flight plan. This particular helicopter, however, was owned and operated exclusively by Revocs, which meant it had the authority to go anywhere at any time as long as it remained within the part of Japan controlled exclusively by the Kiryuin Conglomerate and Revocs.

Relaxing in the confines of the cabin, Ragyo Kiryuin closed her eyes and mused over Parent Student Day. She did not care that it was her daughter's event nor did she care that it was her first time attending. Both of those reasons paled in comparison to the sole motivation behind her attendance – Isshin Shiba.

A spike of anger shot through Ragyo mind as she deliberately refused to call Isshin by the name of that woman who stole him from her, but in the end she was the winner. Masaki was dead, murdered by an unseen assailant, and while Ragyo was upset Isshin had become depressed afterwards, she was even more upset that he didn't come back to her.

Ragyo trailed her fingers on the hem of her dress and felt it quiver at her touch. Despite creating hundreds of dresses, gown and outfits over the years, this one will always be her favorite. She didn't know why she refused to wear it for so many years, but now that she was being worn by it she couldn't understand her hesitation. This was Isshin's gift to her. She was meant to wear it and it was meant to be worn by her. By threading Life Fibers originating from her body and replacing the dull and boring silk in the dress, Ragyo had made it into something greater and more majestic. Now instead of a normal dress, it was an outfit created to be exclusively worn by her and no one else.

When she heard a familiar humming sound from the seat across from her, Ragyo looked over and watched Nui Harime with amusement. The Grand Couturier had a smile on her face and was busy humming a song she loved and the kicked the seat in time with the lyrics. She was the only child worthy of her attention, Ragyo thought with satisfaction. Unlike Satsuki and her nameless daughter, both of which rejected the Life Fibers she so painstakingly took the time to implant in their bodies, Nui was a complete success. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Ragyo had forsaken using her own body and had Nui grown in a womb made of Life Fibers and raised with the Original Life Fiber itself. In any case, her little Nui was a perfect Life Fiber Hybrid that would help her serve the Life Fibers completely.

It was such a shame, Ragyo thought with only the barest hint of parental disappointment, that her official daughter was such an abysmal failure. Satsuki might have inherited her looks as a young woman, her mannerisms as well as her vast and wide intellect, but in the end she was but a normal human unworthy of her love. When the time came for her plan to come to fruition, and it would no matter what it took, Satsuki would be devoured by the Life Fibers to create the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet.

There was another, much more important, reason for her favoritism of Nui. If her dear Nui was simply a Life Fiber Hybrid, Ragyo would have no doubt still favored her but not nearly to the extent that she currently did. Nui was powerful and loyal, Ragyo loved that about the Grand Couturier, but every single employee of Revocs was the same.

Ragyo mentally sighed and let her imagination roam over what could have been if Isshin hadn't been stolen by Masaki and married her instead. The love between the two of them would have been godly. It would also have made things so much easier and simpler in the long run. She wouldn't have given birth to two failures before being forced to use the Original Life Fiber as an artificial womb for Nui and her lost sister Amu. Ragyo couldn't wait to meet her long lost daughter. Nui was created as part of a pair. With her twin vanished from her life, Nui's power and strength over Life Fibers was greatly diminished. Perhaps the greatest thing she lost from her failed attempts at producing a worthy heir were the two years she spent conceiving and being pregnant. If she had known that Souichiro's genetic material would have been so worthless, she would have started her experiments to create Nui at least a year earlier.

When the experiments succeeded and Ragyo stood over the artificial wombs holding Nui and Amu, Ragyo had thought she had finally conceived the heirs she had always needed to make sure her plans came to fruition. The only variable she could not account for was just how they would turn out. It was to her eternal amusement that despite dedicating her heart, body and soul to the creation of the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet, Nui's persona and mannerisms were more like her father's than Ragyo's.

"My precious Nui…" Ragyo's voice held a hint of pride, which she never bothered to give to Satsuki, as she addressed the Grand Couturier, "Did you enjoy your vacation at Honnouji? It has been rather quiet at Revocs without your presence to liven things up."

"Uh huh!" Nui beamed happily at the praise and continued to kick her feet against the bottom of her chair. She may have looked happy and content but she was still a little miffed at Satsuki for interrupting her playtime with Ichigo. Even if Ichigo hadn't started to wake up until the end, Nui had been having a great time and lots of fun playing with him. While he was nowhere near her level of strength, Nui attributed that Ichigo still being asleep. She had sensed his power growing towards the end of the fight and while it was still nowhere near enough to fight her at her full power, it filled Nui with joy. She was finally going to have her cousin to play with fulltime!

"It was a lot of fun!" Nui smiled and stuck a finger on her bottom lip, "It was so annoying that Satsuki so rudely decided to butt in just when Ichigo was starting to wake up. I thought you would have taught her manners, Lady Ragyo."

"Do not waste your time trying to understand how my daughter acts," Ragyo coldly and bluntly told Nui, "Her behavior towards you, while unwarranted, wasn't without precedent. Usually such attitude would require her to explain her actions but this time her crass behavior only serves to further my plans. Satsuki had no idea she was but a pawn to accomplish my true goal in sending you to Honnouji Academy!"

"Yup!" Nui clapped her hands cheerfully, the saccharine tone she had become so well known for carrying just a hint of actual happiness as she spoke, "Waking up the Life Fibers sleeping so snug and soundly in Ichigo's body!"

That brought a psychotic smirk to Ragyo's face while her eyes lit up with unholy pleasure. The awakening of the Life Fibers bound and threaded within Ichigo's young body was the sole reason Ragyo had allowed Nui so much leeway at Honnouji Academy. She was aware that Nui was still enraged about losing her eye to the Sword Scissors and her former husband and Ragyo could not blame her. To lose something as beautiful and precious as her eye to her former husband would have angered her as well. Although, there was one thing Ragyo was curious about. Honnouji Academy's files listed a Ryuko Matoi as a new student. Could Souichiro have fostered another child after faking his first death? Ragyo didn't know and, quite frankly, she didn't care in the slightest. She had no issue with Nui wanting to take her anger out on Souichiro's daughter for what he did to her as long as she remembered what she was at Honnouji Academy for.

Ragyo mused happily as she felt her dress beginning to fully awaken and telepathically begin to transmit its emotions. It always took so long for a new Life Fiber being to fully become aware after its Life Fibers were stitched and woven together and usually that only took a few hours at the most for her normal outfits, but this dress was special. She put extra attention into making it as perfect and flamboyant as possible.

"Tell me, Nui," Ragyo ran her fingers down one sleeve and shuddered at the feeling of being worn by her dress, "How was Ichigo's power?"

If it was possible, the smile on Nui's face grew even wider as she began describing everything she could about him, "He was really strong and fast. He was able to play with me a little even when I took the fight seriously. The best thing is that he was stronger than Satsuki! She couldn't even keep up with me in that stolen Kamui but Ichigo; he could avoid my attacks and managed to stab me twice! It was simply amazing!"

"Although…" Nui's voice trailed off as she thought back over something important. Rolling her tongue in her mouth, her eye widened as she remembered what she wanted to say, "It was really weird that Ichigo had no idea what I was talking about. It was almost as if he didn't know he was just like me! Our hearts beat as one, you know. It was quite rude and mean of him to say such awful lies."

"You can blame Isshin for that," Ragyo mused unconcerned. Leave it to Isshin to keep his son in the dark about who he truly was until it was too late. He was soon going to learn the error of trying to keep Ichigo away from her. Seeing the rare contemplative look on Nui's face, Ragyo rested her cheek against her hand and chuckled, "I'm sure you know better than anyone just how smart Isshin can be, but his naivety shall be the death of him. Isshin probably thought he could give Ichigo a life as nothing more than a normal human. He should have known better than to keep someone as fascinating as Ichigo away from me. Oh, my dear Isshin, it is such a shame that your naivety is one of your endearing traits."

"Pfft!" Nui stuck her tongue out and huffed, "It's not like that old goat can do anything now. All that's left for him to do is to die!"

Nui disliked Isshin for a very simple reason – he was the first person to ever make her feel fear.

Several years ago, before she was the Grand Couturier of Revocs and was still training under Ragyo, Nui had wondered about the man. When Lady Ragyo had told her all about Isshin and how he broke her heart to marry another woman, Nui had come up with at the time sounded like a phenomenally good idea. She would go to Karakura Town and show Isshin the error of his ways. With Masaki Kurosaki already dead, Nui didn't have an easy target and since Ragyo seemed to be interested in Ichigo, she couldn't go after him as well. That left her with only two targets…

_Flashback – Five Years Ago_

_An eleven year old Nui Harime delicately adjusted her pink sundress as she stood on top of the train speeding towards Karakura Town. Her sapphire eyes were sparkling in the early afternoon sun and her twin pigtails, which only reached down to her elbows, blew happily in the harsh wind without losing form. Raising a hand to her forehead as she tilted her head to avoid an obstacle, Nui couldn't help but admit that Karakura Town was quite beautiful compared to most of Japan. Instead of the dark and dreary landscape populated by people who would one day become nothing more than food for the Life Fibers, Karakura Town seemed vibrant and lively. It was a sharp contrast to what she had been expecting._

"_So this is where Isshin Kurosaki is hiding?" Nui wondered as she pursed her lips. Karakura Town really was a nice place but now that she was in the city, she had to be super careful not to get caught. Lady Ragyo had expressively forbidden her, a rarity for the young Nui, from coming her. She wouldn't say why, which only made her even more curious, but Nui was confident that if her plan worked and Isshin and the Director got back together, she would be forgiven in a snap._

"_Well, I wouldn't pick the neighborhood but it really is a nice place!" Nui gently pushed off the roof of the train and soared through the air. Pulling a pink parasol out of her dress that Lady Ragyo had just given to her as a gift, Nui opened it up and slowly floated downwards, landing on a roof some distance away from the train. Whistling happily as she skipped to the edge, Nui looked childishly at Karakura Town which stretched for miles all around her, "Oh where, oh where could Mr. Kurosaki be?"_

_There was a strange feeling in the air coming from the south and Nui's smile grew larger. That had to be where Mr. Kurosaki was living. Stepping off the roof, Nui fell through the air with her feet dragging against the side of the building before she pushed forward and soared through the air. Skidding to a stop on another roof, she was just about to continue her journey when she heard a voice behind her._

"_Now that's something you don't see every day."_

_Nui flinched in shock for the first time in her life as someone was actually able to sneak up on her. That should have been impossible. She wasn't some lowly human who couldn't sense danger until it was too late. She was a Life Fiber Hybrid and superior to the pigs in clothing. Lady Ragyo said so and she wouldn't lie to Nui. Turning around, Nui was confronted by a man wearing a white doctor's coat over a pair of beige pants and a tacky Hawaiian shirt. As she took in the weird man's appearance, Nui found it strange that she couldn't sense any Life Fibers in his clothing. While Revocs may only control 45% of the world's apparel market, there should have been some Life Fibers within his clothes._

"_Oh?" Nui folded her arms behind her back and leaned forward, "And who might you be?"_

"_I'm just the neighborhood watch," the man replied and, although she hated to admit it, his stare was starting to unnerve Nui. She didn't know why, but something about it just made her feel uneasy, "I saw a girl jumping from rooftop to rooftop and knew I had to investigate."_

"_Really?" Nui composed herself and fell back into her normal saccharine behavior. It was interesting that she felt nervous but she had things to do after all! Tapping a finger against her cheek, she sighed and asked, "I'm looking for someone. His name is Isshin Kurosaki. Hey…you're Mr. Kurosaki, aren't you? It's really great that I finally found you!"_

_Isshin didn't need to ask to know who the girl in front of him was. He had known almost from her first step inside Karakura Town. The only question he had, and it was bothering him tremendously, was why Ragyo would send her protégé when she knew full well what would happen. There was a very good reason Ragyo left Karakura Town and its residents alone. She had to be aware that Nui Harime was not even close to her, and his, level of strength. Unless Nui didn't tell Ragyo she was coming here._

"_Hmm…" Isshin adopted a look of puzzlement as he stared at Nui. She was quite strong for her age, which was probably due in no small part to her origins as well as Ragyo's upbringing and training, "You look eerily familiar. Weren't you in that show about the kid with his secret lab or something? Yuzu and Karin are really big fans of that show. It's what they watch every Saturday morning, after all."_

"_That's really interesting," Nui clapped her hands together excitedly. It was awesome that Mr. Kurosaki's personality was a lot like hers. She just knew that when she was done here, he would be the perfect match for Lady Ragyo, not like that other man that the Director refused to talk about. Batting her eyes cutely, she twirled around once and laughed, "You're really nice, but I'm here on business. It's my first time out of Revocs, after all, and I want to have a perfect record!"_

_Isshin's danger senses were going off, but he could tell that Nui wasn't interested in attacking him. His suspicions were verified when Nui smiled, a hint of suppressed psychosis evident, and said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to go take care of your two daughters. They are really dragging you down and keeping you from moving on with your life. I promise I'll make it quick for them! Good bye for now, Mr. Kurosaki!"_

_Nui didn't know what happened next. One second she was happily walking away from Isshin, a spring in her step as she imagined what the future would bring and the next she was being held aloft in the air with Isshin's hand firmly grasping her neck._

"_Guh!"_

_The toes of Nui's boots scrapped the roof as Isshin's grip on her neck tightened. Fumbling with all her strength to break his wrist and arm to free herself, Nui's heart froze when she found that all her strength was useless. For all her strength and power, she was but a child compared to the man currently holding her life hostage. Grasping feebly as black spots began appearing in the corners of her vision, Nui stared into Isshin's eyes and saw that he could, and would, kill her if she pushed him too far._

"_Let me give you some advice," Isshin warned as he held the girl that just admitted she was going to kill his daughters. Tightening his grip slightly so that Nui would know he was serious, he pulled her in closer as he spoke, "You come anywhere near my family and I won't let you off with just a warning."_

_Without hesitation, Isshin let go of Nui's neck and she haphazardly dropped to the roof in an undignified heap. Quickly regaining her bearings, she turned and fled from Isshin back towards the comfort and safety of Revocs headquarters and Lady Ragyo. As Nui reached the outskirts of Karakura Town and hitched a ride on top of a truck, she couldn't quell the fearful pounding of her heart in her chest nor could she stop the cold sweat breaking out throughout her body. She could not admit to herself that Isshin Kurosaki could have killed her without too much effort. _

"_Next time…" Nui mumbled as a manic grin stretched across her face, "…Next time I'll show Mr. Kurosaki that he can't make me feel scared again. Oh, he'll be sorry…"_

_End Flashback_

"You know better than to underestimate that man," Ragyo scolded gently while running a finger gently down Nui's cheek, "Do you wish for a repeat of your first encounter?"

Nui's eye narrowed dangerously and for a moment it appeared as if her teeth shifted into pointed daggers. After taking a moment to compose her emotions and set her mind in order, Nui's attitude settled down as she put her frustration about Isshin Kurosaki on the backburner, "Don't worry Director! I know better than going after the old goat head on. There's more than one way to skin a cat, after all. I just have to be super careful from now on."

"Hmm…indeed you do," Ragyo mused over what she would need to do once she arrived at Honnouji. Attempting to do anything with Isshin keeping a careful eye on her would be the equivalent of giving herself away. Isshin was too smart for any of her plans and Ragyo smiled at the fact that Isshin thought along similar lines as herself. If only he didn't have his morals holding him back, everything would be perfect.

"I need you to behave once we arrive," Ragyo's melodic voice said, causing Nui to actually look at the Kiryuin matriarch in stunned surprise. The Director of Revocs never gave her direct orders concerning her actions as long as she kept her playing within certain limits. Ragyo, sensing the Grand Couturier's discomfort, stroked Nui's hair, "Isshin won't be fooled as easily as his son was and even Ichigo won't be tricked a second time. If you were to try anything, I'm certain he would come down on you like a force of nature. Besides…" Ragyo's grin became manic as she thought about her other goal at Honnouji, "I'm sure you're just dying to reunite with your dear sister, Amu…"

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><p>"I can't believe you would do something so stupid!"<p>

Ryuko slammed the door closed and banged her fist against the frame. Gritting her teeth and turning around, she seethed at Ichigo and asked, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Ichigo didn't say anything as Ryuko bombarded him with accusatory questions. He knew something like this would happen the second he agreed to become Satsuki's Vice President. He hated the idea that he would be working for the same person that tried to kill Ryuko and him several times over the past few weeks but he had no choice in the matter. While Satsuki was ambitious and driven to the point of not letting morals get in the way of her goals, she was nothing like Nui Harime. That girl was insane and, what was worse, completely fascinated with him. He didn't know why she kept calling him her cousin, but Ichigo knew it couldn't be anything good. That, compounded with her immense strength and speed, made her a highly dangerous enemy.

Something else that bothered him was the person that pulled her strings. Ichigo wasn't a stupid person by any stretch of the mind. Nui Harime may have been smart enough to plan out a trap for him, but that was only because she wanted to speak to him. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that she would do anything if she wasn't ordered to do so. That meant that someone else had ordered her not only to attack Kisuke but also kill Ryuko's dad and nearly kill her with a bomb afterwards.

"_Satsuki called her the Grand Couturier,"_ Ichigo thought solemnly. Ryuko was convinced that Satsuki Kiryuin was the person ordering Nui around but after yesterday's fight, Ichigo wasn't so sure. Satsuki didn't seem that keen on seeing Nui in Honnou City and Nui certainly didn't hold back her punches in the fight. If anything she fought Satsuki harder than she fought him, _"That means she's working for someone, but who could control someone that can fight Satsuki and myself when we were wearing our Kamui's without any issue?"_

"Look, it's really complicated," Ichigo muttered.

"It's complicated?" Ryuko stormed over and violently grabbed Mugetsu's front. Ignoring his Kamui's protests at her rough treatment, Ryuko pulled Ichigo down to eye level and asked, "How you could even think to work for that caterpillar-eyebrow bitch? You know what she's done to me! She's the one that sent Nui Harime after my dad. He's dead because of Satsuki Kiryuin and you chose to work for her? How could you do something like this Ichigo?"

Ichigo thought back to his teaming up with Satsuki to fight Nui Harime. That was something he hadn't thought would ever happen in his lifetime. Nui's power was absolutely monstrous in scope and Ichigo was completely certain he would not have been able to beat her even if he had the element of surprise. How could he overcome someone that could regenerate from wounds the moment Tournesol is removed? It was even faster than Aizen's was right before he was finally sealed away, yet something was bothering him. If Nui could heal from anything, than why was one of her eyes missing and covered by an eye patch?

"You think I would want to work for her?" Ichigo asked sarcastically as he stared down Ryuko, "I would tell her to stick her stupid job offer where the sun doesn't shine if I had the option, but I don't."

Ryuko narrowed one eye and leaned forward, "What do you mean you don't? Is that bitch blackmailing you or something?"

"Not exactly?" Ichigo admitted and stood back up to his full height, "I accepted her offer to protect you."

"Protect me?" Ryuko's blue eyes stared intently at Ichigo before she scoffed and pushed him away. Walking over to the window and looking outside, she kicked the wall and huffed angrily, "I'm not some damn damsel in distress! I can take care of myself more than most people. I'm grateful you saved me from Satsuki and that Mohawk bastard, but I can take care of myself. You should know that by now."

Ichigo thought back to what Satsuki told him after they managed to escape from Nui Harime. After landing at Honnouji Academy and Satsuki dismounted off his back with nary a thank you, she turned around and ordered him that his first task as Vice President of Honnouji Academy was to keep what happened secret. If the knowledge Nui Harime was in Honnou City leaked out, there is no telling what the Grand Couturier would do in retaliation to keep her presence a secret. Nui already had an impressive body count in the hundreds and a few dozen more lives wouldn't faze her at all.

"_Screw her pride."_

The only reason Ichigo could think Satsuki would want him to keep his mouth shut is to keep her pride and ego from taking a massive hit. Satsuki was the undisputed ruler of Honnouji Academy as well as Honnou City. If it came out that she had lost, badly, to someone like Nui Harime it would cause people to doubt her authority. Ichigo knew for a fact Nui Harime was a dangerous psychopath, but he didn't think she would go on a killing spree just because people knew she was here. From his limited interactions with her, Ichigo came to the conclusion that she was much like a child and relished in the attention she received. If anything, she would love it if everybody knew she was in Honnou City.

"Right before your fight I got a call…" Ichigo leaned against the wall and rubbed the back of his neck, "It was Nui Harime."

"What?" Ryuko twisted around, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape in shock, "How did she even know your number?"

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted softly. There were things that Nui said to him that he couldn't put out of mind. As much as he wanted to think she was messing with him, he couldn't get rid of the notion that she was telling the truth. His healing from what should have been fatal wounds attested to that. There was no reason that he, for all intents and purposes a normal human, could have healed from a stab through the chest and shoulder. It didn't make any sense but Ichigo was willing to put thinking about it off for the moment to focus on more important things, "But she had Shinjiro hostage. I even heard his screams of pain."

Ryuko's eyes widened at Ichigo's mentioning of Shinjiro and quickly saw that he had no idea what happened. She thought back to the last time she saw Shinjiro and realize it had been over four days ago. The kid had been going on and on about discovering a lead concerning one of Revocs's top officials visiting Honnou City for some secret purpose. He had asked her to come with him to investigate but with everything going on involving the Fight Club, Ryuko had politely declined. Knowing what happened to him sent her heart plummeting and a feeling of guilt coursing through her soul, "Why didn't you ask me for help? I would have gladly gone to try and save Shinjiro if you had just asked me."

"That little…" Ichigo cut himself off before he managed to say several choice words that would no doubt somehow summon his dad to reprimand him, "Nui gave me only thirty minutes to hunt her down before she promised to kill Shinjiro. I didn't have many choices so I asked Satsuki for help since, you know, she's the Student Council President. I thought she would be more than willing to help me save one of her students. You know what she said to me? She said she would only help if I became her Vice President."

Ryuko bit her lip as she debated what she was going to say, "So you took the offer to try and save Shinjiro, didn't you?"

"Of course not," Ichigo angrily spat. There was no way he was going to give into blackmail, even if it would help save a friend, "I wasn't going to surrender to Satsuki so I went off on my own to rescue Shinjiro. I tracked Nui Harime down to the power station in the Slums and fought her for a bit. I thought I won but when I went to save Shinjiro I saw it was a trap. She never had him to begin with."

"Ichigo…" The sad tone in Ryuko's voice surprised Ichigo. Refusing to look him in the eye, Ryuko decided to just say what was on her mind, "There's something you need to know. Shinjiro's dead."

Ichigo was stunned by what he heard. As a bead of sweat dripped down his face, he could only utter a single word, "What?"

"It was this morning," Ryuko sadly said as she ran a hand through her hair, her fingers momentarily pausing on the permanent red highlight. She hadn't expected Mako's family to have to move back to the Slums after she quit the Fight Club, but it seemed all was not the same. For some reason, Satsuki Kiryuin continued to give the Mankanshokus a weekly stipend of nearly a thousand dollars under the pretense of trying to make things go away. Ryuko would have complained to anyone who would listen, but that money would be what Mako's family needed to afford food, medicine and other necessities. As much as it pained her to admit it, she couldn't take it away from them, not after what her last mistake accomplished.

"Mako and I saw an entire street blocked off with some of Satsuki's goons patrolling back and forth," Ryuko didn't want to talk about how she first knew something was wrong. She especially didn't want to say how Senketsu informed her of the subtle scent of a massive amount of blood in the air, which could only mean one thing, "That Gamagori bastard was walking around, ordering the other students to various parts of the street and generally keeping everyone away. At first I thought it was some stupid thing Satsuki thought up to annoy me for bringing Mako back to her senses and screwing up her plans but the look on Gamagori's face was really something, Ichigo."

When Ryuko confronted Gamagori about what was going on, instead of the Disciplinary Committee Chair immediately yelling something about 'Council business' and ordering her to leave, he very stoically told her to continue on her way to Honnouji Academy and to leave the investigation to him. Ryuko, of course, wasn't about to just leave and demanded to know what the hell was going on. Immediately Gamagori had stepped forward, towering over her in the process, and demanded that she make her way to class before she was expelled. Mako, getting antsy about being tardy, ran away and told Ryuko she was going to meet up with Ururu. After glaring at Gamagori for another few seconds Ryuko had just about given up and was about to do the same when her terrible luck finally made itself known.

Two One-Star members of the Medical Club appeared out of one of the cordoned off buildings. Gamagori, noticing them, turned and pointed off to the side, away from the busy street and curious onlookers. The two students nodded and walked back into the building before wheeling out a gurney with a body covered up by a large white sheet. That was not what was causing Ryuko to begin hyperventilating. The cause of her panic and shock was the bloody notepad and shattered pair of glasses being carried out by a third student.

Immediately knowing who was under the sheet, Ryuko had tried to rush forward only for Gamagori to stop her. Ryuko had tried to argue but the larger teen had said that it was best that she not see her friend's body. With clearly forced stoicism and a steady face, Gamagori told her to try and remember how Shinjiro looked. Still stunned by the revelation, Ryuko had asked Gamagori what happened to Shinjiro. Gamagori hadn't answered for almost half a minute and just when Ryuko thought she wouldn't get an answer, the Three-Star student said one sentence that Ryuko wouldn't understand until her confrontation with Ichigo later that morning.

"_A monster found him."_

"Shinjiro wasn't just killed Ichigo!" Ryuko's voice rose until she was nearly screaming in anger. Taking a moment to calm down, remembering what Senketsu said about her blood boiling, she added, "He was tortured! Someone tortured him for hours before finally deciding to kill him!"

"_**I didn't want to tell Ryuko, Ichigo," **_Senketsu's voice was full of regret at giving his wearer news he didn't want to share. His one eye closing in sorrow, Senketsu continued, _**"But as a Kamui, I have a heightened sense of everything blood related. Even if I was not able to actually see the scene of Ryuko's friends' death, I could sense the blood. Most of it was dried, but different parts dried at different times. The oldest and newest blood scents were nearly three hours apart but they all originated some time yesterday afternoon."**_

"_**Ichigo…"**_ Mugetsu worriedly looked up at her wearer. To his credit, Ichigo was taking what happened to Shinjiro a lot better than Mugetsu thought he would. She had expected him to get angry or something, but he just stared at the floor with his brow furrowed.

Ichigo, on the other hand, wasn't paying much attention. The second Ryuko said Shinjiro was tortured, he had gone back and tried to think of a reason why Nui would go ahead and kill him. Nui promised she would let Shinjiro go if he came and talked to her. While he wasn't naïve enough to believe Nui was telling the truth, Ichigo couldn't think of a reason why she would lie to him. She had more to gain out of keeping her word, and bolstering his trust of her, than killing Shinjiro and making him her enemy. Something wasn't adding up and Ichigo couldn't help but think that it all involved what happened yesterday.

"I'm sorry," he apologized when he noticed Ryuko staring at him, "I've just been thinking about what happened to Shinjiro. Everything points to Nui Harime but it just doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't make sense?" Ryuko asked angrily, "That a psychotic woman tortured and killed our friend for the hell of it or that it even happened?"

Ichigo sat down and propped his cheek against a fist. After a moment he said, "Nui wanted to speak to me pretty badly. She seemed to be fixated on me and kept calling me her cousin. If she's that interested in me, why would she go and kill Shinjiro after promising to let him go if I came to her? She may be nuts, but wouldn't it work in her best interest to keep Shinjiro alive, at least until I talked to her?"

"_**Ichigo…"**_ Mugetsu looked at her wearer with righteous annoyance in her eyes, _**"You're trying to give reason to insanity. I was there yesterday too, remember? I don't think Nui Harime cares about anything other besides you. She thought stabbing you was playing around and tried to kill you when you somehow disappointed her! Trying to add logic to her actions is a pointless endeavor."**_

"I suppose you have a point, Mugetsu," Ichigo admitted, "But that leaves the question of how to deal with Nui Harime."

"I say we kick her ass!" Ryuko offered enthusiastically while leaning forward on one raised knee.

"What do you think I tried to do yesterday?" Ichigo sarcastically asked, "I stabbed her through the chest twice and she got back up good as new not two seconds later! Just how are you going to fight someone like that?"

"I…but…damn it, I don't know!" Ryuko pouted and folded her arms, "But I'll think of something eventually. She has to have a weakness!"

"_**You mean besides her insane fascination with Ichigo?"**_ Mugetsu added unhelpfully.

"Oh shut up," Ichigo said and gently slapped one of Mugetsu's eyes, causing said Kamui to whimper like a hurt puppy. Ignoring his Kamui's petty cry for attention, Ichigo focused back on the matter at hand – dealing with Nui Harime. His position as Satsuki's Vice President wouldn't be official until the ceremony tonight during Parent Student Day. That gave him some time to formulate a plan on how to deal with not only her demands that he obey her every command but making sure she kept her promise of keeping Ryuko, Mako and Ururu safe from Nui. One of his friends was already dead, most likely at the Grand Couturier's hands, and he didn't want another to go.

"_I'm sure Nui couldn't take down Ururu even if she tried. That girl is just too damn strong for even Nui," _Ichigo thought about Nui fighting Ururu and found the concept strangely disturbing. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he continued thinking, _"Ryuko and Mako are always together, so they should be safe for the most part. The only problem is Nui's ability to get into places without even trying. Could she get past any security Satsuki sets up? Damn, I'm going to need to think about this some – "_

Ichigo was brought back to reality as a dull thumping noise came from in the ceiling. He and Ryuko looked up at the ceiling as a series of smaller thumps echoed every second or two while approaching them. Subtly bringing out Tournesol while Ryuko took out her red Scissor Blade, the two of them stepped back as the thuds approached the vent directly over their heads. Carefully stepping forward, Ichigo was not prepared for the vent exploding and a lion plushie to rocket into his face hard enough to topple him backwards.

"Ichigo!" Kon said with tears freely flowing from his eyes, "I can't believe I'm saying this but it's so good to see you again!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Please!" Mako whined eagerly as she tried to grab the plastic wrapped package Ururu was holding tightly against her chest, "Just let me have a quick peek!"<p>

Ururu deftly stepped to the side as Mako flew through the air, her fingers just barely able to touch the plastic in her arms, before she hit the floor face first and skidded to a stop. Slightly worried about whether or not Mako was injured, Ururu walked over and began poking her in the shoulder just like Jinta taught her to do. If Mako was actually hurt, she didn't want to make things worse.

"Um…Mako?" Ururu knelt down next to her friend and poked Mako's shoulder a few more times just for good measure, only getting a mutter of something in return. Mako was conscious, so that was a good sign, "Are you alright Mako?"

In a surprising burst of speed, Mako leapt back up and grabbed the package out of a shocked Ururu's hands. Holding the package above her head with both hands, Mako let out a triumphant shout of victory, ignorant of the stares she was receiving from her fellow students, "The Mako Mankanshoku Feign Death ability worked like a charm! It's the perfect ability for getting out of things you don't want to do, after all!"

Mako stared at the plastic wrapping in her arms with barely suppressed glee and wonder. She couldn't want to see what was in it. With anticipation building in her heart, she let out a giggle as she decided to find out what was in it the old fashioned way. Reaching out with one clawed hand, her fingernails ready to savagely tear through the protective plastic covering, Mako was confused when she suddenly found her arms weighing a lot less.

"Huh?"

Mako looked at her now empty hands as the notion that the package was gone finally reached her mind. Realizing it was gone, Mako first looked at the floor under the belief that she merely dropped it. When she didn't see it on the ground she then looked up at the ceiling, then all around the hallway before finally glancing over at Ururu. To her amazement Mako saw the package, still as pristine and vacuum sealed as ever, firmly tucked under Ururu's arm.

"That was amazing!" Mako tucked her fists under her chin as she leaned forward close to Ururu, "Was that magic? How did you do that? Can you teach me to do that?"

Ururu visibly wilted under Mako's intense questioning. Emotionally shrinking back into herself, she wished her friend would stop asking her questions that made her uncomfortable. While she was not nearly as introverted and shy as well she first transferred to Honnouji Academy, whenever Ururu was placed under a lot of pressure or stress she tended to regress back to her shy and withdrawn personality. Tucking the package under one arm while holding her fist in front of her mouth, Ururu's eyes drooped as she asked, "It's not like it's any different than yours. Can't you wait until tonight to see it?"

Mako stared intently at Ururu with her cheeks puffed out and a determined look in her eyes. Pounded her fist against her chest, Mako threw her arms outwards as she answered, "It's not fair! You got to see what I'm going to wear to the Parent Student Day ceremony! It goes against every single friend rule I know to not share outfits and beauty tips with your friends. Even Ryuko, if she were here, would agree with me. I super double triple promise not to tell anyone what it looks like!"

"But…" Ururu briefly looked at Mako's eyes, "…you're the one that showed me the dress, Mako. I didn't ask to see it."

Just a short while ago Ururu had been standing in line alongside Mako to receive her One-Star Ceremonial Dress Goku Uniform along with every other student of Honnouji Academy. It was odd that Mako was a No-Star again and yet Satsuki Kiryuin was willing to give her a One-Star uniform, even if it was just for a single night. As she stood in line, faintly listening to Mako's tirade about how awesome and cute her dress is going to be, Ururu watched student after student emerge from the fitting rooms with the exact same dress tucked under their arms.

When it came to be Mako's turn, Ururu stood in line patiently while expecting nothing out of the ordinary to happen. She certainly didn't expect Mako to come bounding out of the room holding her dress and proclaiming to anyone within earshot that the dress shrunk down to fit all her 'womanly curves' just right. Ururu had no idea what Mako meant by that but she knew she was about to find out.

Satsuki ordered every student to try on the Goku Uniform before taking it. The reasoning was that even if the Goku Uniforms were able to shrink and conform to the wearer's body with ease, there could be flawed or torn models that would not be appropriate for the Parent Student Day event. Iori Shiro, the president of the Sewing Club and overseer of the Goku Uniform distribution, was very prideful of his currently zero percent failure rate of the dresses and suits. That pride would be inexplicably and accidentally shattered when it came time for Ururu to try on her dress.

It wasn't like Ururu wanted to disappoint him. When it was her turn she followed their directions to the letter. She took the Goku Uniform dress, five sizes too big for her, and was told to go into one of the fitting rooms and put on the dress. The Life Fibers in the dress will do the rest and shrink the garment down until it was her exact size. Without a single complaint or word Ururu did as she was told. Relieved that she was changing where nobody could see her, she put on the dress and waited, first for only a few seconds and finally a minute, for the dress to do whatever it was supposed to do. When nothing happened, she shyly stuck her head out of the changing room and told the nearest One-Star member of the Sewing Club that the dress was broken.

To say Iori was simply upset would be like saying Ragyo Kiryuin only had some money.

The president of the Sewing Club flew into a clothing-induced rage as he barged into Ururu's dressing room, nearly frightening the girl into punching him, before whipping out sewing and tailoring tools from his lab coat and taking measurements of every single inch of the Goku Uniform. After poking and prodding Ururu and her dress for more than a minute, Iori stepped back with a frustrated look and demanded to know how a defective model got mixed up with the working ones. Various excuses were handed out before Iori told them to just shut it and get Ururu a working uniform. Apologizing to Ururu for the hold up, Iori handed her a second Goku Uniform and told her to try this one on. With a smile at the help, Ururu turned around and proceeded to do just that, confident that everything was sorted out.

Ururu didn't expect the same thing to happen to the second, third and fourth Goku Uniforms she tried on.

It took nearly half an hour and a total of five Goku Uniforms before Iori gave up and simply decided to create a dress for her from scratch without using expensive life fibers. Using all the prodigious sewing and tailoring skills that he possessed, Iori managed to quickly and perfectly create a dress identical to the Goku Uniforms that fit Ururu perfectly. Happy that she finally had a dress all to her own, Ururu was about to leave and catch up to Mako when Iori stopped her and made her swear to tell no one what happened. If anyone, especially Lady Satsuki, found out about this then his reputation as a tailor would be forever ruined.

Skipping down the hall ahead of Ururu, Mako turned and asked, "You were in there for a while Ururu. Did you put your uniform on upside-down like I did?"

"Uh…" Ururu placed a finger on her lip as she thought about the question before shaking her head, "No."

Mako tilted her head and looked off to the side. It had taken her nearly ten minutes to get her Goku Uniform for that very reason. What could Ururu have done to triple that time? With questions swirling around her head, bumping into one another and overall giving Mako a headache, she shook her head and declared passionately to a stoic Ururu, "That dress has to be super special or something! Perhaps It's like Senketsu or Mugetsu? Does it have eyes? I bet it does! Let me see!"

Ururu held the package above her head and just out of reach of Mako's grasping fingers, "But...it's just a dress Mako. It's nothing special."

Grunting in effort as she tried to retrieve the mysterious dress, Mako was just about to move on to drastic measures when a very familiar bell rang through the atmosphere. Freezing in mid-jump, much to Ururu's wonder and puzzlement, Mako stared off into the distance with stars in her eyes and began salivating, "I completely forgot. Since today is Parent Student Day, Lady Satsuki ordered in special catering for all the students. That is why Mako Mankanshoku did not bring her lunch today! It was all in order to make room for all the delicious and tasty, but most importantly free, food!"

Ururu watched Mako race off and shove students out of her way with a smile on her face. It was nice to have the old Mako back. She was really glad that Ryuko had given it her all to make Mako come back to her senses. There was one problem she couldn't understand. When she thought Ryuko was…dead…and she almost snapped she thought she heard a voice speaking to her in her mind. It didn't sound like anyone she knew or heard before, but Ururu couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded intimately familiar.

"Hmm…" Ururu slowly began walking down the hallway as she pondered what she was going to do. Mako would be at lunch for a while. The last time Satsuki Kiryuin had done something like this, Mako had nearly eaten the entire catering company out of business. Gamagori was probably down there waiting for Mako to show up just so he can stop her before she reached that point. Mr. Kurosaki was around somewhere but he was probably off doing something and wouldn't want to be bothered by her for the moment.

"I should go find Ichigo," Ururu paused before sadly adding, "But Ryuko was really angry with him about something. Maybe I shouldn't bother them."

She walked down the hall, conflicted about where she should go, when she heard the sound of whirring blades in the distance. Turning towards the windows overlooking the Honnouji Academy courtyard, Ururu watched as a helicopter emblazoned with the Revocs logo circled around overhead before turning and landing somewhere on the roof. Although she could no longer see the helicopter, Ururu did not look away. For some reason she felt a sense of familiarity coming from the helicopter and she could not figure out why. Something within her was telling her to go check it out while a larger part was warning her about getting involved in things that didn't concern her.

"Good afternoon Ururu!"

Ururu turned around and relaxed when she saw Isshin Kurosaki walking towards her. The elder Kurosaki had a large goofy smile on his face and was waving enthusiastically at her. Coming to a stop right in front of her, Isshin propped his hands on his hips and chuckled, "This place is so big that I got lost three times in the last hour. You won't believe the things I found. Did you know that there's a hidden room in the library where the Biology Club tries to reanimate the dead? I didn't but now I do!"

"Hello Mr. Kurosaki," Ururu was glad to see Ichigo's dad even if her happiness wasn't apparent on her face. Being around Mr. Kurosaki always made her feel better for some reason, "I was just looking outside at something."

"Really?" Isshin pressed his face up against the window and looked around for anything interesting but the only things he could see were various students milling about and an irate Gamagori and Sanageyama chasing after Mako as she heaped food onto her extra-large plate. Isshin didn't know anyone that had an appetite like Mako except for Yoruichi but even she might not stand up to Mako's voracious eating habits, "I don't see anything extra weird. What does it look like?"

Ururu shook her head and pointed to the roof, "It was a helicopter…a big one."

"A helicopter you say?" Isshin had a pretty good idea who Ururu was talking about. Scratch that. He knew exactly who she was talking about. After more than twenty years, Isshin knew better than almost anyone on how to effectively deal with someone like Ragyo Kiryuin. He had to give credit where it was due. That woman could turn an encounter in her favor so fast that it was a shock he hadn't been tricked into marrying her. For that, Isshin thanked Masaki's feminine wiles and sheer determination to not lose him to Ragyo. Scratching his chin while deep in thought, Isshin came up with how best to counter and negate whatever Ragyo was planning to do.

"I have a great idea!" He said excitedly as he ruffled Ururu's hair, "Let's go check it out! Only really important people have helicopters. Whoever is riding on it must be really rich and famous!"

Ururu hid her apprehension as she asked, "But won't Satsuki be mad at you?"

"Nah!" Isshin waved off Ururu's worry. Satsuki wasn't the person he was worried about. If Ragyo was here, then Nui Harime wouldn't be too far behind. That girl's fascination with his son was unhealthy, but what else can one expect from Ragyo's favorite employee? Scoffing once more, Isshin began walking away while motioning for Ururu to follow him, "I'm an adult and a grown man to boot! There is nothing Satsuki can say or do to me that I haven't already done to myself."

"Ok," If Mr. Kurosaki was going to go to the helicopter than Ururu wasn't as worried. Mr. Urahara had told her all about his time as a shinigami captain, "What about Ichigo?"

"Ichigo?" Isshin laughed, "He'll be fine. I sent Kon to keep an eye on him. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Get back here so I can kill you, you damn perverted stuffed animal!"<p>

The students of Honnouji Academy, some of which were carrying plates of half-finished meals, turned around as the sounds grew louder and louder. Before they could understand what was happening, they watched a small lion plush skid out of an adjacent hallway before proceeding to run towards them faster than most of them could run. They watched the plushie run past them with a complete look of terror in its face, confusion evident in their expressions, before Ryuko Matoi blew by and knocked them to the ground.

"Stop running already!" Ryuko brandished her red Scissor Blade menacingly at Kon, who turned his head around only to scream and run faster. She couldn't understand how the hell the damn plushie was not only alive but running faster than her. She would have transformed Senketsu, but that would be overkill. She was going to take care of this problem personally.

"It was just a damn compliment!" Kon complained back as he turned the corner, stepping several times on his left foot, before sprinting away. Just when he thought he outran Ryuko, Kon was flabbergasted when Ryuko skidded around the corner after him and almost managed to slice him with her Scissor Blade. Jumping over the Life Fiber weapon, Kon willed his short plushie legs to go faster as he shouted, "What the heck is wrong with you anyway? Don't you know a compliment when you hear one? All I said was that your schoolgirl uniform really made your chest stand out. Why are you so upset?"

"You think that was a compliment?" Ryuko half-shouted, half-asked as she swept her Scissor Blade through the air only to grunt angrily as the mod soul once again managed to elude her attacks. As the thought of how a toy was outrunning her reached Ryuko's mind, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself harder. There was no way in hell she was going to lose a footrace against a stupid toy!

While Ryuko was thinking up cruel and unusual punishments to inflict on Kon for what he did to her, said mod soul was doing some thinking of his own. He knew that even as fast and nimble as he was, eventually Ryuko was going to catch up with him and, judging by the look in her eyes, it wasn't going to be pretty. He needed a way to escape and hide from Ryuko but his favorite choice, the air vents, weren't possible. First he would need to find one and then open it. That required time and effort that he was sure Ryuko wasn't going to go give him.

"Come on legs don't fail me now!"

Spotting a door opening just down the hall, Kon quickly adjusted his plans and slid beneath the student's legs and into the stairwell. After a moment of quick thinking, Kon jumped onto the railing and ran upwards as fast as he could.

Kon didn't even manage to reach the next floor before Ryuko kicked open the door, knocking the poor and unfortunate student out in the process. With her blue eyes locking squarely on him, Kon screamed like a girl and ducked as Ryuko's Scissor Blade flew through the air and embedded itself in the wall in front of him. Visibly sweating at the near death experience, Kon was just about to continue fleeing for his life when he noticed something floating to the floor. Looking closely at it, he realized it was part of his brown mane.

"Somebody help!" Kon yelled as he jumped into the air, avoiding Ryuko's impromptu tackle and sprinted up the railing. It was only a matter of time before his luck ran out and Kon hoped it didn't fail him until he escaped Ryuko's relentless pursuit.

"_This girl isn't just crazy." _Spotting a door propped open due to two students carrying something heavy, Kon jumped onto one student's head before flipping through the air and into the hall. Turning to the right, Kon sprinted down the mostly empty hallway with tears of pure fear streaming from his eyes, _"She's not just crazy, she's completely insane. She's even crazier than that blonde girl from yesterday!"_

The sight of a button on a wall gave Kon an idea. Adjusting his momentum, the mod soul jumped into the air and firmly slammed his paw down on the button. Immediately afterwards a large steel door, built into Honnouji Academy in case of a siege or battle, slammed downwards out of the ceiling and cut off Ryuko just as she was able to pass underneath.

"Ha…ha…" Kon panted from exhaustion as he finally managed to stop Ryuko. Wiping his brow, he chuckled and turned to find a place to hide, "That's what you get from messing with the best, sister! Now all I need to do is find a nice cozy place to – "

Kon was cut off when t a foot slammed down on the back of Kon's head and planted him firmly and violently against the floor.

"Not here five minutes and already doing perverted things," Ichigo grumbled in annoyance at the mod soul wiggling under his foot. Reaching down and firmly grasping Kon by the back of his head, Ichigo held the mod soul up in front of his face and growled angrily, "Just what made you think you could say something like that to Ryuko and get away with it?"

Kon stopped his struggling as soon as he realized it was Ichigo. Ichigo may abuse and torment him, but he wasn't about to kill him like Ryuko, "I couldn't help it. That Ryuko girl is just so hot. She's just like Orihime but with a more assertive personality!"

That was the stupidest reason for what Kon did but Ichigo admitted that was in line with the mod soul's idiotic line of thinking. He knew it was only a matter of time before Kon's perverted behaviors caught up with him and he peeped on someone who wasn't going to just hit him once or twice. Shaking his head at the stupidity of Kon's behavior, Ichigo was about to chastise the mod soul when Ryuko's red Scissor Blade pierced through the three inches of steel composing the security door. It stayed still for only a second before it quickly and rapidly crossed several times back and forth, cutting the door to pieces.

"You're fucking dead."

Ryuko stepped through the hole she made in the steel door with a visibly demonic aura surrounding her body. With her Scissor Blade clutched firmly and tightly in her hand, she grinned savagely when she spotted Kon trapped in Ichigo's grip, "You caught him, Ichigo? Good. This will be over in just a second…"

Kon's button eyes seemed to widen in terror upon seeing Ryuko, "Don't let her kill me, Ichigo!"

"It's fine Ryuko," Ichigo didn't spare a second glance at the violently shaking plushie, "Kon's mostly harmless. He's just a stupid little pervert."

Ryuko harshly glared at the mod soul and for just a single moment it looked like she wasn't going to listen to Ichigo. Eventually she sighed angrily and propped her Scissor Blade on her shoulder, "Fine, but I have a question for you. You called this thing Kon. What the hell is a Kon?"

"His name is Kon," Ichigo answered nonchalantly as he gave Kon another shake, eliciting a squeak from him, "And he's not supposed to be here. Why aren't you in Karakura Town? How did you get here?"

"Your dad sent me here!" Kon squeezed himself out of Ichigo's grip and tapped his cheek a few times before jumping and landing on the ground. Dusting himself off and making sure everything was where it should be, he turned around and pointed one stubby arm at Ichigo, "He says you are getting into trouble and that you need someone to babysit you and I couldn't agree more. I will be watching and listening to everything you do! I'll always be in the shadows where you least expect to find me. Every single mom – "

Whatever Kon was about to threaten Ichigo with was cut off as Ryuko slammed her sneaker down on the mod soul's face several times before kicking the plushie into the wall. As Kon pathetically tumbled down to the floor, Ryuko smirked victoriously, "That was for trying to sneak glances at my panties you perverted toy!"

"But…" Kon mumbled miserably. He'd never been discovered before seeing anything. Even Rukia only caught him afterwards or in the middle of the act. This was a new experience for the perverted mod soul.

While Ryuko may have been angry with Kon for her behavior, her Kamui was staring at the mod soul with a discerning eye. There was something not quite right about Kon, but Senketsu couldn't put his eye on it. A living, breathing stuffed toy was cause for concern, but he was a living mass of Life Fibers so Senketsu couldn't say anything without sounding hypocritical. As he stared at Kon's smoking form on the ground, Senketsu finally realized what it was he was sensing, _**"Ryuko, that thing is made up of Life Fibers."**_

"It is?" Ryuko blinked as a manic grin appeared on her face. Holding out her Scissor Blade once more, she approached Kon with the edge gleaming with a malevolent shine, "That means I need to finish this thing off."

"You can't kill Kon," Ichigo hooked his finger through the hole in Ryuko's Scissor Blade. Sparing the mod soul a pathetic look, he said, "As much as I hate to say it, I need him alive for the time being. If he spies on you again, you can do whatever you want to him."

Ichigo was puzzled by what Senketsu had just said. Kon had Life Fibers in his body? That made no sense but at the same time it helped to answer a few questions that had been bugging him since he found the mod soul. Chief of which was how Kon managed to stay mostly intact despite the 'stress' his plushie form used to take on a daily basis. Pushing Ryuko's Scissor Blade to the side, he stepped forward and roughly picked Kon off the floor. Shaking the mod soul to snap him back into consciousness, Ichigo asked, "You're going to answer some questions or I'm going to let Ryuko deal with you. You got that?"

"Yes!" Kon blubbered before asking, "But can I ask you something first Ichigo? Call me crazy but did that girl's uniform just speak?"

"_**Wait,"**_ Senketsu's eye widened in surprise, _**"You can hear me?"**_

"Well duh!" Kon scoffed and rubbed his stuffed nose, "You're speaking as clearly as anyone else. Hey Ichigo, your uniform has those really freaky and evil looking eyes as well. Can it talk or did you finally develop a sense of fashion?"

"_**I can talk,"**_ Mugetsu answered with an annoyed tinge to her voice, _**"But I cannot stand listening to the ravings of a pervert like you."**_

"Wait a second…" Kon escaped from Ichigo's grasp and moved closer to one of Mugetsu's eyes, "I've seen you before."

For obvious reasons Mugetsu found such a notion appalling, _**"I think I would remember an annoying little thing like you."**_

"That's because you weren't…well…you yet, I guess," Kon hopped off Ichigo's shoulder and began pacing back and forth across the floor, his stuffed arms folded across his body in a caricature of thinking. He remembered meeting whatever it was Mugetsu was clearly as if it were only yesterday. That was probably because it was the same visit to Kisuke's shop that had him stumble across Yoruichi in the middle of getting changed. Good times. Kon shook his head in order to focus his mind. He needed to answer the question before Ichigo or his more insane friend with the partially dyed hair grew annoyed.

"It was at Kisuke's shop, where I usually hang out since you're no fun anymore Ichigo. I was going about my business of sleeping and doing nothing when I happened to stumble across Kisuke doing something really strange in his basement," Kon explained as best he could, "He had these large balls of glowing red yarn hooked up to weird and complicated machines. I didn't know what to make of it, but I happened to notice Ichigo's uniform being sewn together or something very slowly. I hid behind a rock watching Kisuke do his thing and when it finished, lightning appeared in the basement and Kisuke kept shouting 'it lives!' over and over again. It was really freaky."

"_**So you knew my creator,"**_ Mugetsu took Kon's words with a large grain of salt but she had to admit that the annoying plushie knew far more about her than could be made up. He knew Kisuke Urahara's name and Ichigo seemed to trust the little thing so she was willing to give Kon the benefit of the doubt just this one time, _**"But you never answered the question. Why does your ugly body contain a large amount of Life Fibers?"**_

"Life Fibers?" Kon scratched his head and huffed, "I don't know what you're talking about. Perhaps my label will shed some light on your question."

Quickly grabbing Kon off the ground, Ryuko roughly looked around before finding the well-hidden tag, "**Unofficial version of Ponkichi from Carnivore Kingdom. Machine Wash Only. Revocs Corporation.** It doesn't say anything about Life Fibers or why you can talk."

"That, my beautiful friend, is a secret," Kon was introduced to a world of pain as Ryuko punched him in the face before dropping him to the floor and violently stepped on him. As she walked away, Kon faintly muttered, "What did I say?"

Not bothering to spare Kon another moment of her time, Ryuko turned to Ichigo and asked, "How can Kon talk?"

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache, "It's a long story."

Ryuko didn't look like she was buying Ichigo's excuse if the judgmental look she was giving him meant anything. Truth be told, Ichigo wouldn't believe what he himself was saying. Before she could get up into his face and demand answers, Ryuko paused when an extremely bright line filtered in through the windows lining the hallway.

"Hey," Kon shook his head and raised a paw in front of his eyes, "Who turned up the sun?"

"That's Satsuki Kiryuin," Ryuko explained, actually wincing slightly at the intensity of the light, before narrowing her blue eyes, "Although something seems off…"

There was something bothering her about the intense light. Satsuki Kiryuin's weird backdrop was always either bright yellow or white, but this particular light was a literal rainbow of colors. Unless Satsuki decided to expand her influence and subjugate the entire spectrum of visible light, she couldn't be doing this. Folding her arms across her chest, eyes squarely focused on the roof of Honnouji Academy, Ryuko felt something off, "That's not Satsuki Kiryuin."

"I know," Ichigo agreed as he was also focused at the rainbow light. There was something bothering him about the light but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what was causing his curiosity. It was better for him to find out now rather than waiting for whomever or whatever it was to surprise him later on. With his mind decided, Ichigo turned his eyes away from the roof and began heading up there himself.

"Ichigo?" Ryuko turned from the window and watched Ichigo walking away, "Where are you going?"

"To find out more about that weird light," Ichigo pointed his thumb at the window towards the rainbow light, which was already starting to fade away, "Despite what I said earlier, I'm now Satsuki's Vice President or something. That means I can go find out what's going on and she can't do anything about it."

"What about Kon?"

Ichigo paused momentarily before answering, "Do with him what you want. Just be sure to not kill him."

As he walked away, Ichigo couldn't hide the grin of satisfaction as he heard Kon's screams for help suddenly be cut off as Ryuko got her revenge on the mod soul. Perhaps that would be enough to help Kon give up being a pervert, but Ichigo wasn't betting on it.

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><p>Ragyo Kiryuin rode the elevator leading down from the landing pad to the rest of Honnouji Academy in complete silence. What reason was there for her to speak other than to ask Satsuki if the preparations for tonight were complete? It wasn't like she didn't already know the answer. If there was a single good thing about her only public daughter it was that she was punctual and efficient to a degree that could only be compared to her own.<p>

Another source of the silence and the not-so-subtle clenching of Satsuki's hands on Bakuzan's hilt was the presence of Nui Harime. The Grand Couturier was smiling happily right next to Ragyo and was virtually untouchable as long as she did not leave the confines of the academy. Ragyo was genuinely amused when Satsuki saw Nui standing behind her as she stepped out of the helicopter. She had forgotten what it was to see a shocked look on her daughter's face.

"Wow, it's really quiet in here," Nui pointed out the obvious as she looked over the single member of Satsuki's Elite Four that had been there to greet her mother. Quickly glancing over Inumuta's Probe Regalia, Nui snorted derisively, "Whoever is making your Goku Uniforms is a real amateur. I could do better stitching five years ago with one eye closed!"

"Now my dear Nui," Ragyo's regal voice cut the Grand Couturier off with the sheer amount of power and respect being each word. Nui might have some leeway when it came to her fun, but she would never do or say anything that would compromise or make the Director look bad, "It isn't polite to compare the work of others to someone such as yourself. We can't all be gifted."

"True," Nui conceded happily and smiled when the elevator dinged to let them know they could leave. That smile quickly dropped to a basic grin when she saw who was standing outside waiting for them.

She was not the only one. Ragyo also was stunned to see Isshin Kurosaki waiting for them but that feeling quickly turned to elation. She had to give the man credit where it was due. He did the one thing she did not expect him to do. Strutting forward, much to Satsuki and Nui's surprise, she stopped right in front of Isshin and quickly slapped him across the face.

If everyone was shocked by the display, they were even more shocked when there was a sound like a cannon going off before every single pane of glass within one hundred feet abruptly shattered into millions of pieces. Out of all the onlookers, only Nui knew that Lady Ragyo had hit Isshin with enough power to kill a normal human but Isshin was simply standing there like nothing happened.

"Ouch."

Isshin rubbed his sore cheek, where the imprint of a hand was still visible, "I see you still haven't forgiven me for whatever you think I did. I'm surprised you only slapped me. The last time we met you tried to kill me."

"Kill you?" Ragyo had a manic smile on her face as she ran a finger down Isshin's chest. Said grin didn't vanish when Isshin's hand gripped her wrist and stopped her.

"I see you're wearing that dress I gave you all those years ago," Isshin frowned when he sensed what she did to it. It was a perversion of all that dress meant, "Although I thought the purple suited you better since it doesn't show dirt."

"My, my," Ragyo's gaze softened as the madness within her eyes momentarily abated. Satsuki, having seen something like this happen before, tensed her body and prepared for the inevitable bloodshed that would soon result. Her reaction would be for nothing as Ragyo just grinned and took a single step away from Isshin, "You never did have a sense for fashion. You really shouldn't try starting now."

"Oh? And what's this?"

Ragyo's gaze shifted away from Isshin to Ururu, who was doing her best to shyly hide behind Isshin's larger frame for protection. Ignoring the pointed look she was getting from him, Ragyo placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder and peered around, maddened red and silver eyes gazing into a pair of familiar blue ones.

"How generous of you to return something that I thought I lost so very long ago," Ragyo whispered into Isshin's unflinching ear. With a hint of madness and anger tinging her voice, Ragyo's eyes widened manically as she said, "I thought my dear little Amu was lost to me forever..."

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales # 12 - The Substitute Gym Teacher<strong>

"Listen up slackers!" Ira Gamagori shouted at the collected students, who looked back at him with a mixture of boredom and disdain. Ignoring their looks for the moment while making sure to mentally note who was going to be problem, he coughed and continued, "Due to medical issues, your normal physical education teacher is taking a leave of absence. Therefore you shall have a substitute for the foreseeable future!"

"Great," Ryuko muttered quietly to Ichigo, "We get to have a wimpy sub that can't do anything and will expect us to run laps or something."

"It'll be fun Ryuko!" Mako pointed out happily from Ryuko's other side. Substitute teachers were among Mako's favorite people for a variety of reasons, least of which was that she could talk and befriend them without getting into too much trouble with Lady Satsuki. The last teacher she talked to, which coincidentally was the old gym teacher, was gone. Mako didn't find that odd one bit.

"I introduce to you…" Gamagori stepped to the side and swept his arm back, "…Kenpachi Zaraki!"

What came out of Ichigo's mouth immediately after the announcement could be heard clear across the entire gymnasium, "Oh fuck no…"

"Why, hello there Ichigo…" A gravelly voice said from right behind him, "That's some fancy looking uniform you're wearing."

"Oh no," Ichigo leapt back in fear and saw to his horror that Kenpachi was indeed his substitute teacher. The shinigami captain was wearing the standard coaches uniform complete with whistle and clipboard, on which Ichigo thought he saw the words 'tortures' scratched out. Kenpachi, upon seeing Ichigo move away, grinned viciously and stepped forth.

"It's been quite a while," Kenpachi looked around and only saw a few students who weren't weaklings in the group, "The last time we fought, you left me on the verge of death. Speaking of which, when do you want that rematch? I'm up for it any time you're ready."

"That's right!" A chirpy voice called out as Yachiru Kusajishi appeared on Kenpachi's shoulder, "Kenny came all the way to this place so that he could get his rematch Ichigo! So get on the field and let's get this party started!"

"Forget it!" Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his body and continued to backpedal away from Kenpachi. He could already see the looks he was getting, mostly from Gamagori and Ryuko, and he could tell they thought he was being a coward, but Ichigo did not care in the slightest. They had no idea the monster that Kenpachi was, "There's no way in hell that I'm ever going to fight you again, Kenpachi!"

"That's a damn shame," Kenpachi looked downtrodden before he grinned, "You know, I met an opponent on my way here this morning. She and Yachiru hit it off just fine, but then she tried to kill me with her purple sword. She failed, of course, but I almost managed to kill her in the end. I never thought I would fight someone that can regenerate. It really takes the fun out of a fight when you can't get hurt. That's why I'm glad you're here Ichigo!"

Kenpachi rushed Ichigo while pulling his zanpakuto out of nowhere and quickly slashed downwards through the air. Ryuko was stunned at Kenpachi's speed, mostly because it was almost as fast as her speed while Senketsu was transformed and for a moment she thought Ichigo was dead. So it was to her relief when she saw Ichigo fly out of the smoke cloud that had been made from Kenpachi's attack, clad in Mugetsu, and hovered in the air overhead.

"You're insane Kenpachi!"

"So you can fly now?" Kenpachi stepped out of the smoke and dispersed it with one wave of his sword, "That's interesting. Get down Yachiru. I must rampage."

Without waiting around, Ichigo twisted his body in midair and rocketed towards Honnou City. If he had any luck, he could lose Kenpachi in the twisting and winding streets of the Slums.

Kenpachi crouched to go chase after Ichigo but paused when he realized he still had a class. Glancing at Gamagori, who for the first time in recent memory was staring at someone taller than him, and then at his students, he said the one thing that came to his mind, "Everyone do laps or something until I get back."


	25. Chapter 25: Family Affair

_So yeah…this chapter is really late but I think every single one of you will accept my delays based upon how good it is. I spent my time off plotting, thinking and free writing and I do believe this is one of my best chapters yet. I am especially proud of the omake at the end. It actually made me laugh while I wrote it. So enjoy the chapter and make sure you review it at the end so I know if you love it/hate it/or just like reading Kill la Kill fanfiction._

_Also note that I'm posting the first updated chapter of my previous story, **Rise of the True Death God**, as **A Shinigami's Journey**. _After working and writing TMDiF, I noticed that my writing style has improved and I wanted to go back and compare it to my earlier stories, of which this was my favorite. After reading through all 8 chapters, I noticed how...well...badly my writing was compared to my current level so here is the rewritten first chapter. It may look strangely familiar to the original one, but it's much better and i promise that Ichigo's journey will NOT be the same as the original story.__

__But you didn't come here to read about a second story, did you? You can go ahead and read it after you enjoy what you all came for!_  
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><p><strong>Chapter 25 – Family Affair<strong>

_Twenty Years Ago_

_Isshin didn't like the feeling he was getting from this place. As he watched the incandescent lights lining the passageway flicker and dim in time with their steps, he couldn't help but think about how this day started off so well._

_He had been quite surprised when Rei Hououmaru appeared at his small home in Karakura Town last night. The diligent secretary of his friend seemed to have run the entire way with her light purple hair disheveled and frayed. Quickly bringing her inside while Masaki fetched a cup of tea, Isshin gently sat Rei down on the couch and asked her what happened. Rei didn't say anything until Masaki came back but when she was calmed down, she began sobbing as she told Isshin about Ragyo. Something had happened to her boss and she didn't know who else to turn to._

_As Rei finished her tale and collapsed against the couch, Isshin had turned to Masaki and told her that he was going to check up on Ragyo. Masaki had been initially reluctant to let him go but Isshin would not hear any of it. Ragyo was his friend and if she was in any kind of trouble he needed to be there for her. After promising Masaki that everything would be all right, he quickly headed out the door and into his car. _

_The drive to the Kiryuin mansion took a few hours, so when Isshin finally arrived outside the gates he was expecting to either find his friend in a lot of trouble or injured. His skills as a doctor, all of which came from his shinigami training, would be enough to treat most minor injuries but if Ragyo had any serious injuries he would need to take her to the hospital. As Isshin raced up the front steps and used his key, which Ragyo had given to him, to unlock the front door he was quite surprised to find a perfectly fine Ragyo waiting for him._

_After quickly making sure she was all right, much to Ragyo's bemusement, Isshin had sighed in relief when he found nothing wrong with her. That relief quickly vanished when Ragyo motioned for Isshin to follow her. There was something in his friend's voice that raised Isshin's suspicion about something being wrong with Ragyo. It was extremely subtle but there was a slightly hollowness to her voice that didn't sound as if it belonged. Turning around to the front door with his car idling right outside, Isshin made up his mind and followed Ragyo deeper into the mansion. If something was wrong with her, he needed to be around to help her._

"_Gah!" Isshin shouted as he walked straight into a spider web. As he pulled on the offending substance clinging to his face, he looked at Ragyo, who hadn't stopped or even turned around, and asked, "So you never told me what this thing is you wanted to show me."_

"_Be patient Isshin," Ragyo answered mysteriously as she walked away from a still floundering Isshin. After he finished cleaning the spider web off his face, he hurried to catch up to her retreating form as she said, "Before you ask, I have yet to see what is beyond the passage with my own eyes."_

_Isshin found that incredibly suspicious, which only helped his nerves to be put even more on edge. Years of being the head of the Shiba Clan had introduced him to the underworld of politics, brownnosing and other forms of crude behavior. He could tell something was wrong with Ragyo the moment he rushed into her mansion but the issue was that he didn't know what the problem was exactly, "If you haven't seen it, how do you even know if anything is down here?"_

"_All will be answered," Ragyo answered cryptically and Isshin could sense a sly smile on her face. As the passage continued winding forward, Isshin eventually found himself standing in front of a large pair of metal doors, "We are here."_

_Isshin looked upward at the imposing doors and muttered, "How ominous."_

_He didn't like the look of the metal doors looming dozens of feet over his head. He might not be an engineer, in fact he might suck at most sciences in general, but even someone like him could tell that the amount of rust and wear on the doors indicated that they had been down here for a very long time. Stepping forward and pressing a hand against the doors, Isshin frowned when he noticed that the metal was actually buckling outwards and in several places seemed almost on the verge of tearing in two. Isshin had seen damage like this in the past. Something inside the room beyond the doors had tried repeated to escape and he wasn't sure he wanted to see what could cause that kind of damage._

_Isshin was distracted when his friend stepped to the side and began inputting a double digit password into a modern keypad. As her hand glided over the keypad in a blur of motion, he gulped and asked, "Do you know anything about what's behind this door and will I even like what I see?"_

"_What lay beyond these doors is both the end and the beginning," she answered oddly as she finished typing in the password. While the sounds of several massive and heavy locks opening reverberated around him, Isshin turned when he saw Ragyo standing next to him._

"_My mother told me when I was but a child and her mother told her many years before that. Every Kiryuin mother had regaled their firstborn daughters with the ancient tale of our family," Ragyo's blue eyes watched as the doors began to creak as the hydraulics hidden in the walls began forcibly opening the rusted structure. As a sliver of orange and red light began permeating the passageway, causing a sickly feeling to well up in Isshin's stomach, she continued with her tale, "She would always tell me that one day after she was gone I would hear a voice whispering to me from deep underneath the ancient Kiryuin home compelling me to journey down into the catacombs. When I was ten years old my mother disappeared, but before she did she said she hoped I would be the one to bring the secret buried underground out into the light of the world."_

_As the metal doors swung open, allowing Isshin to fully grasp what it was that lay inside, anything he had to say was extinguished by the sight before him. Floating in the air in the center of the room while anchored to the surrounded walls and floor by several spiked protrusions was a glowing yellow and orange sphere. It was seemingly composed of a thread-like material seemed to be gently hovering up and down. Isshin stood in transfixion before the object, his eyes staring in amazement and wonder as its surface seemed to pulsate and bubble before reverting back to normal moments later._

_Stepping into the chamber, momentarily forgetting that he was not alone, Isshin's gaze was broken when he felt the ground beneath his feet crumple and flex. Looking down at the floor, he quickly stepped back out of the room when he saw it was covered in the same type of material as the object. While the waves of the thread-like stuff lining the ground didn't have the same glow as the object itself, it still didn't sit right with him._

"_Uh, Ragyo?" Isshin felt something in the chamber shift as his voice echoed around him, "What is that thing?"_

_When he failed to get an answer from his friend, Isshin turned and noticed Ragyo slowly walking past time towards the object with an enraptured gaze. Deciding to not allow his friend to get anywhere near that thing Isshin, against his better judgment, decided to walk with her. While Ragyo's blue eyes stared upon the glowing object with a look akin to that of devotion and reverence, Isshin was feeling something quite different. As he grew closer to the object, Isshin began to feel a horrible sensation of realization set upon his chest like a vice. It was almost as if his mind was purposely failing to make that one final connection that would allow him to fully understand what was going on in order to save his sanity at any cost._

"_In my mother's stories, she would talk about this magnificent thing…" Ragyo, now nearly directly underneath the object, raised her hand upwards. Much to Isshin's horror, several glowing tendrils emerged from the object and gently floated down to meet her. With the same passive smile on her face, Ragyo stared at the tendrils and continued, "…she called this creature the Original Life Fiber and told me it was the catalyst for humanity's evolution. It's so beautiful…"_

_And that was Isshin's cue to act. Ragyo may hate him for this in the morning, but there was no chance in hell that he was going to let whatever the Original Life Fiber was touch his friend. As the tendrils of Life Fibers closed in towards Ragyo's hand, Isshin reached forward and roughly pulled her away. While Ragyo, still transfixed by the Original Life Fiber, struggled to pull herself out of Isshin's clutches, he was already making his way to the exit. As a reverberating and deep growl echoed throughout the chamber, Isshin quickened his pace._

_Upon hearing the growl Ragyo stopped struggling as Isshin pulled her away from the Original Life Fiber. Shaking her head and appearing to have just awoken from a terrible dream, Ragyo looked around in confusion as to where she was before gasping when she saw dozens of Life Fibers emerging out of the Original Life Fiber and flying towards them, "Where are we Isshin? What is that thing?"_

"_I was hoping you could tell me!" Isshin shouted over the roar of the Original Life Fiber as he continued to dodge its attempts to ensnare him. He didn't feel like being the main course for an eldritch abomination. He's read enough books by that author to realize nothing good could come out of touching that thing, "You were looking at it like it was your god or something!"_

"_I don't remember," Ragyo grabbed the side of her head as she ran alongside him, "The last thing I remember was a soothing voice and then nothing until you pulled me away from that thing."_

_Accepting Ragyo's reason for the time being, Isshin continued to dodge tendrils of Life Fibers as he reached the metal doors and the passage beyond. Just as he was about to pass through them to freedom, he found the air knocked out of him when several Life Fibers wrapped around Ragyo's ankle. Coughing as he gathered his breath, Isshin quickly recovered when he heard Ragyo screaming his name. Getting back onto his feet, he ran after Ragyo, who was being pulled back towards the Original Life Fiber, and managed to grab her just as her feet left the ground._

"_Isshin!" Ragyo's terror filled eyes stared at the Original Life Fiber as tendrils of Life Fibers began tightly wrapping themselves around her body as she was slowly drawn into it._

"_I'm not going to let it take you!" Isshin's augmented strength, courtesy of the gigai he was wearing, may have allowed him to perform feats of strength no normal human could ever hope to accomplish but even that wasn't enough to stop the Original Life Fiber. As soon as her feet touched its surface the Original Life Fiber seemed to shift and morph into a liquid, allowing Ragyo to continue being pulled inside._

_As Ragyo's body vanished within the Original Life Fiber, the glowing orange and red threads wrapping around what was left of her throughout the process, Isshin reached down and grabbed a chunk of the Life Fibers on the floor. With a resounding pull that nearly tore his arms off he managed to halt Ragyo's absorption into the Original Life Fiber. While a reverberating roar shook the chamber, Isshin ignored it as he took one step and then another away from the creature devouring his friend. He hadn't forgotten what happened to Masaki after he confronted that strange black hollow all those years ago and he was not about to let another person he cared about suffer under his watch._

"_Don't worry, Ragyo! I got you!" Isshin pulled harder and for a moment Ragyo's body began to emerge out of the Original Life Fiber while the glowing threads did their best to draw her back in. Even if it cost him his life Isshin was not about to let something swallow his friend._

_The stalemate was broken when the Original Life Fiber groaned and shot out hundreds of smaller Life Fiber strands at Isshin. Even as the glowing threads wrapped around his limbs and were pulled taut, Isshin refused to let go of Ragyo. Glaring intently at his straining hand, which was losing its grip on the floor, Isshin didn't have time to shout before he lost footing and was drawn into the Original Life Fiber alongside Ragyo._

_What happened after he was absorbed by the Original Life Fiber seemed to be a hazy dream to Isshin. He could vaguely remember an all-encompassing blackness surrounding him before hundreds, if not thousands, of Life Fibers pierced straight through his body. He also swore that Engetsu, his zanpakuto spirit, was fighting off a creature that looked to be made up of Life Fibers, which was odd because ever since he put on his gigai he had been unable to speak with his zanpakuto's spirit. Isshin lost consciousness right before Engetsu blasted a wave of fire at the creature, causing it to vanish into the darkness accompanied by a pained roar, but before everything vanished he swore he saw a burst of multicolored light shine up the surroundings around him._

_Isshin opened his eyes and immediately sat up._

"_What the heck was that?"_

_Breathing heavily and looking around the chamber, Isshin was strangely relieved when nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Glancing suspiciously up at the Original Life Fiber, he noticed that the creature was floating calmly in the middle of the chamber without a hint of any other strangeness. Sighing in relief, he rubbed his temple and muttered, "What a strange dream. That's the last time I let Masaki try to make jambalaya. I need to remember to warn Ragyo..."_

_Remembering who it was that brought him down here, Isshin looked around and saw his friend lying unconscious on the other side of the room. Standing on his feet and ignoring the strange feeling from his body, Isshin ran across the chamber and turned her over. Immediately after doing so he froze when he saw that her once beautiful black hair had been transformed in shining silver with a glowing rainbow undertone that shone with the intensity of the sun. With his mouth opening and closing as he tried to say something, Isshin decided to say nothing as he picked Ragyo up and carried her out of the chamber._

_The further they got away from the Original Life Fiber the better._

_End Flashback_

"How generous of you to return something that I thought lost to me so very long ago," Ragyo whispered into Isshin's unflinching ear. As a hint of madness spread across her beautiful face, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stared into his eyes, "And here I thought my dear little Amu would be lost to me forever…"

Ragyo felt an unfamiliar sensation well up within her body and it took her a moment to realize that it was pride. Sixteen years of fruitless searching for her precious and missing Amu had turned up nothing. She had always suspected Isshin of having a hand in her daughter's disappearance but the man was impossible to pin down. As long as he remained within the borders of Karakura Town he was all but untouchable to her and Revocs, but here he was standing in front of her with Amu. Ragyo wanted nothing more than to introduce Amu into the world of Life Fibers and COVERS that was her birthright. The only problem was, once again, Isshin.

The irony of the situation was not lost to her, but the only sign of the annoyance she felt at having her goal so close and yet so far was the stretching of the manic smile on her face and a widening of her maroon eyes.

"Tell me something," Ragyo stared deep into Isshin's brown eyes and sighed she saw that he was hiding something. While it would have pleased her greatly to tear away the curtains and expose Isshin's little illusion to the world at large, it would be a mistake to do it in such a lonely place. The exposing of her love's illusion needed to be spectacular. Noticing that Isshin's face was a cold expressionless mask, void of any of his familiar warmth, Ragyo sighed once more and raised a delicate hand to her cheek. Tilting her head sideways and letting out a shallow breath, she asked, "Did you think you could have hidden something like this from me?"

"I did it for sixteen years," Isshin answered back and subtly moved between Ragyo and Ururu even further, "The fact that it took you this long to figure things out really says more about you, doesn't it?"

Satsuki expected her mother to punish Ichigo's father for the insult to her intelligence, but after seeing him withstand her slap with nary more than a slight reddening of his cheek she didn't know what to think. As she and Inumuta stood at a safe distance away from Isshin and Ragyo, she could not help but compare the two people to the ancient Greek titans. She had a strange inkling that if they were to fight, it would decimate Honnouji Academy. Even Junketsu was strangely quiet. Ever since Isshin Kurosaki appeared in front of them, the Kamui has stopped all attempts at overwhelming her mind.

Ragyo easily took Isshin's slight insult in stride. She would allow Isshin to have his little jokes while she focused on more important matters. Staring at what little she could see of Ururu behind Isshin's body, Ragyo knew she would feel great pleasure in introducing her to the world of clothing in which she so rightfully belonged. She couldn't begin to imagine how damaged Amu was after spending her existence under the care of Isshin but Ragyo was confident that it wouldn't take more than a single visit for Ururu to come around to her mother. If it took a bit of memory refitting to accomplish it, then that was what needed to be done.

The only thing standing in the path of the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet was Isshin and as she trailed a delicate and manicured finger down his chest, Ragyo knew getting rid of him was far easier said than done. As goofy and loveable as he made himself out to be, and Ragyo loved him for that, Isshin Shiba was the only person that could truly stop her.

"Do you want to know what I admire most about you?" Ragyo's eyes softened as she thought back upon the fond and distant memories of twenty years ago. That day when the world was truly opened to her eyes still vibrated deep within her core and she only wished that Isshin had continued to stand by her side instead of leaving her for that woman. Leaning forward until her chin was just brushing up against the fabric on Isshin's shoulder, she took a breath and whispered into his ear, "That deep down you see things my way. Despite our differences you have done nothing to stop my plans. That is why I know you truly love me."

A clash between Isshin and herself would not be in her best interest. Ragyo was absolutely certain that all of Honnouji Academy as well as most of the surrounding Honnou City would be demolished in the ensuing battle between them. It continued to irk her that since the power bestowed onto Isshin has always been greater than her own and yet he still failed to see the world as it truly was. It was a small consolation that Isshin could not end it all by destroying the Original Life Fiber with his own hands. A twinge of regret and sadness briefly passed through Ragyo's heart before it was quickly suppressed beneath her anger. Her lovely daughter had already shown that she didn't need to fight Isshin to get what she wanted. There was, after all, more than one way to win a war.

"Everybody has a reason for what they do. Perhaps I felt settling down with Masaki and raising a family was more important than standing up to you at the moment," Isshin shrugged off Ragyo's advances and looked around. While Nui was standing back with a knowing and adoring smile on her face, he could easily see the intelligence swimming just beneath the façade of insanity watching his every move for any potential threats. He'd figured out long ago that Nui's happy demeanor was just a cover she used to hide the intelligence she inherited from Ragyo. Isshin didn't know whether Nui truly thought that was how people were supposed to act or Ragyo simply raised her that way, but he would need to make sure she didn't snap.

Satsuki, on the other hand, well she reminded Isshin a lot of Ragyo in her younger days. Now that he could get a good look at her, Satsuki looked nearly identical to a much younger Ragyo. If he wasn't absolutely sure she was Souichiro's daughter he would have placed his bets on Ragyo cloning herself. Glancing down at the Kamui she was wearing, Isshin locked gazes with its eyes and was pleased to see it attempting to pull away in fear.

"Besides, let's be honest," Isshin pouted childishly and folded his arms. There would always be time to deal with Junketsu later, preferably after he managed to take a long hot shower, "You were the one with the international conglomerate and I was just a small town doctor. If I had so much as sneezed in your general direction I would have faced a private army or something."

"I did offer you the chance to stand by my side," Ragyo easily saw through Isshin's childishness with practiced ease. She had known the man long enough to be able to pierce the veil of stupidity he portrayed as his true persona. The man was nearly, if not equally, as devious and cunning as her. While she played up the indifferent and pragmatic CEO of Revocs to the world at large, Isshin did the exact opposite by playing the bumbling idiot, "You would have been the perfect Grand Couturier."

"Hey now, you know I stink at anything involving fashion. You remember how it took me forever to pick out that dress you're wearing? Even after I spent hours looking at all the confusing dresses I needed help in the end. I would have made an absolutely terrible Grand Couturier," Isshin chuckled at what he saw as a joke on Ragyo's end while out of the corner of his eyes Nui momentary had a look of shock on her face.

"Oh?" Nui looked back and forth between Ragyo and Isshin, "Is this true Director?"

"Yes," Ragyo sighed as she reminisced, "At one time I did offer Isshin here the position of Grand Couturier of Revocs but don't worry, my dear little Nui. You have done an absolutely superb job. I dare say your designs are currently worn all around the world by the pigs in humans clothing."

Nui smiled, "Thanks Lady Ragyo! I always make sure to do my best work, you know."

"I expect nothing less from you," Ragyo's attention quickly moved away from the adoration Nui was giving her back to Amu or, as Isshin called her, Ururu. Staring at the girl who was so shyly standing behind Isshin, Ragyo saw what she was looking for as soon as her maroon eyes locked gazes with Ururu once more. With the beginning of a psychotic smirk causing the corners of her lips to curl upwards in pleasure, Ragyo was ecstatic that fixing Amu wasn't going to be as hard as she initially thought. As much as she wanted to tell Amu everything about her birthright, there was one last thing she needed to deal with first.

"Satsuki," Ragyo's voice quickly obtained her firstborn daughter's attention. Staring over her shoulder with indifference in her eyes, Ragyo asked "Did you not tell me that you finally picked out a Vice President for your Student Council?"

"Yes," Satsuki stepped forward and bowed just enough to be seen as respecting her mother, "Yesterday afternoon I extended to Ichigo Kurosaki the position of Vice President. Upon receiving his acceptance I have already begun the formal proceedings. His public induction into the Student Council was to be at the ceremony tonight."

"I see," A cruel smirk slowly adorned the Kiryuin matriarch's face, "Nui if you would be so kind as to retrieve Isshin's wayward son…"

"Oui!"

Noticing Isshin's body tensing up, Ragyo decided to placate the man, "Do not fret Isshin. Nui is only going to retrieve Ichigo. I have expressively forbidden her from having any fun while we are here."

Laughing happily as she spun around on her feet, Nui was ecstatic upon being able to see Ichigo again. Spinning around one final time, she turned and jumped through the nearby wall while leaving a perfect imprint of her body in the process. As her playful laughing died down, Satsuki's grip on Bakuzan only tightened as she wondered what her mother was planning. The last update she had on Ichigo's whereabouts, it was with Ryuko Matoi in one of the lecture halls on the second floor, east wing. When Nui found Ichigo, and Satsuki had no doubt that she would, the Grand Couturier would have needed to pass through crowds of students. Even with the free catering out in the courtyard to keep the majority of the student population as far away from Nui as possible, Satsuki knew there would be a few students in the halls.

While Satsuki's thoughts were turning grim as her analytical mind began calculating the list of casualties sustained from Nui's enthusiastic search for Ichigo, a sudden upwelling of power from a few floors below her quickly drew her attention. Every few seconds the ground beneath her feet would shake and while Satsuki would never accidentally stumble from losing her balance, she nearly did so when she saw Ururu standing still despite the shaking, her eyes focused firmly on the floor.

"Ichigo…"

Ururu was worried about her friend more than even her dreary demeanor could express. She could intimately and accurately sense Nui's movements below and it was clear to Ururu that she was fighting Ichigo. After she found out what Nui tried to do to Ichigo yesterday while Ryuko and Mako were fighting, Ururu had wanted to track down Nui and make her pay. It was only her regard for the welfare of all her new friends and the insistence of Mr. Kurosaki that she enjoy having the old Mako back that Ururu stayed her hand.

"Don't worry about a thing, Ururu!" Isshin chuckled and patted Ururu on the top of her head, "Ragyo promised Nui wouldn't hurt Ichigo and I'm positive she's telling the truth. Besides, if Nui tried to pull any funny stuff while I'm around, I'm just going to have to lay down the law and show her the error of her ways."

Isshin smiled in relief when Ururu's perpetual dreary expression began to melt away. He always knew just what to say to make the frown on Ururu's face turn into a smile. It was really good that she was making friends left and right at Honnouji Academy. Ryuko and Mako will do wonders to permanently bring her out of her shell. She was already well on her way but Ururu still had a while to go.

It was at that moment, either through coincidence or cosmic karma, that Ichigo came crashing upwards through the floor. Fully clad in Mugetsu's released form, he slammed into the ceiling with a resounding thud and hard enough to buckle the metal sheets surrounding his landing into a crater. As he stood upside-down on the ceiling, Mugetsu doing more than her share of keeping him stuck to the surface, Ichigo stared at the hole his body had made and grimaced.

"I'm really starting to hate fighting Nui Harime."

Ichigo did not appreciate having to fight Nui Harime two days in a row. He had been on his way to investigate that strange rainbow light and hopefully run into his dad along the way, when she crashed through the nearby window. Instead of attacking him right away like he expected, Nui had instead twirled about and said that he should activate his Kamui. Seeing no reason to argue with her, especially since he knew he couldn't stand against her otherwise, Ichigo had activated Mugetsu's true form only to find himself constantly on the defensive once more. It was times like these that Ichigo wished he could just live a normal life without super-powered enemies crashing in through windows to attack him. It was starting to get old.

"Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, you know," Nui's peppy voice came from right behind him and Ichigo quickly turned around to parry the strike from her purple Scissor Blade. As the two hardened Life Fiber weapons clashed in a cascading series of rainbow sparks, Nui smiled and her single remaining eye widened with glee as, with one powerful swing, she knocked Ichigo to the ground below. Stepping backwards with her feet glued to the ceiling as if it was the floor, Nui lazily swung her arm and Ichigo immediately pushed Mugetsu to her limits to deflect the lightning fast attacks. Bursts of steam shooting out from the Kamui's vents on his back as Tournesol swung through the air.

"Wow!" Nui said cheerfully as Ichigo managed to parry and dodge almost all of her attacks even while she was upside-down. Sure there were a few stab wounds on his body but he was doing a much better job surviving than yesterday. In fact, Nui was having so much fun fighting him that she was actually considering simply forgetting about killing Ryuko Matoi to play with him. While she still really wanted to bleed her dry for what her dad did to her left eye, Nui thought it would nearly as bad for her to never find out who killed her dad. The constant search for her father's murderer would absolutely drive her insane!

"_But what should I do?" _Nui thought as she lazily avoided a strike from Ichigo's Tournesol before continuing to attack him, _"Just allowing Ryuko to slip slowly into madness won't be enough. I need to make it super fantastic and awesome. Oh! I got it! What if I pin the blame on someone else and then announce that it was me all along? Then she'll have to bear the guilt of killing some poor innocent human!"_

Clapping happily, Nui leaned her head to the said and said, "It's super awesome that you're not dead yet, you know. I thought for sure you would have a few more injuries by now, but I'm happy to be wrong in this case!"

"You really think I'll fall for that again?" Ichigo spat angrily as he twisted to deflect Nui's attempt to stab her Scissor Blade through his back. Adjusting his grip on Tournesol, Ichigo forced Nui's Scissor Blade upwards before driving his knee into her chin. As Nui slowly fell backwards through the air from the attack, Ichigo clenched his fist and smashed it into her stomach with enough force to damage the nearby walls and send the Grand Couturier flying backwards.

Ichigo may have thought he had finally done some damage to Nui but as she bounced and skidded across the floor, her head twisting and bending awkwardly to the point that it would have snapped for any normal human, she continued to think nothing but happy thoughts about Ichigo. She was really glad he finally woke up yesterday. It helped to make hanging out with her cousin much more fun and exciting. As her sole remaining sapphire eye stared into Ichigo's brown eyes, Nui was mildly upset that Ichigo did not hate her. Sure there was a lot of anger and frustration in his eyes but none of the hatred she expected.

Rolling her eye wildly around in its socket, Nui focused her attention past Ichigo and Isshin onto the Director. Lady Ragyo was staring at Ichigo with a look that promised many good things in the future. Smiling in pleasure at doing a good job of helping Ichigo show off his powers to Lady Ragyo, Nui decided she should stop playing around. She had promised the Director she would not do anything to hurt Ichigo and for once Nui was keen on keeping such a boring promise.

"I really want to keep playing around with you Ichigo but I'm afraid I'm here on business," Nui abruptly stopped bouncing along the ground upon speaking and brought her Scissor Blade around to block Ichigo's attempt to behead her. Gasping in mock surprise at Tournesol as it shook from Ichigo trying to overpower her Scissor Blade, Nui leaned forward until her face was barely an inch from his and happily whispered, "Lady Ragyo has been waiting a really long time to meet you and it would be quite rude to put it off any longer, you know."

Spinning around with her Scissor Blade trailing a purple arc through the air, Nui forced Ichigo backwards and away from her. As his heels skidded along the ground to a stop, Ichigo took a moment to spit out a glob of blood before answering, "Do you really think I care about whatever you say?"

"You should!" Nui beamed as she rocked on her heels and stuck out her tongue childishly, "She is standing right behind you after all!"

Ichigo hadn't noticed during his fight against Nui due to being a little preoccupied with not getting the crap beat out of him but there was a bright multicolored light permeating the hallway that was now impossible to miss. Cursing himself for being so oblivious, he turned around while mindful of the fact that Nui Harime would most likely stab him in the back given half a chance, and found himself standing several feet from Ragyo Kiryuin.

"It's been a long time since I last gazed upon you, Ichigo. You were merely an infant when Isshin last permitted me to hold you," Ragyo's smile grew larger as she watched Ichigo leap away before pointing his Life Fiber weapon at her. As her maroon eyes focused on the hardened Life Fibers composing Tournesol, she couldn't help but admire the quality and craftsmanship of the Life Fibers. It was of comparable density and sharpness to Bakuzan, which she spun out of the Original Life Fiber itself for Satsuki in the hopes that the Life Fibers in the weapon would sway her to Ragyo's side, but when Ragyo sensed several Banshi threaded within Tournesol, she had to suppress a manic grin. Whoever created Ichigo's weapon was a genius and while it bothered her that she hadn't thought of doing such a thing herself, Ragyo planned on correcting that mistake the first chance she got. There were so many things she could do with a weapon created from the base of a Kamui.

Ichigo didn't know who this woman was but when he saw a slight tensing of his dad's neck as she spoke, he knew she wasn't to be trusted at face value. After making a mental note to ask his dad about what this woman was talking about when he had the time and patience to deal with it, he reluctantly lowered Tournesol to his side as he asked, "So you're Ragyo Kiryuin. I see where Satsuki gets that backdrop of light. How do you know me?"

Before she answered Ichigo, Ragyo looked at Mugetsu just long enough for the Kamui's eyes to dilate in fear. It was appropriate that clothing should always know its betters and a Kamui was no different. Even if they were made from nothing but the highest standards of Life Fibers Kamui instinctively could sense who she was. Letting out a huff of breath in amusement from Ichigo's question, Ragyo tilted her head around and asked Isshin, "Isshin, I'm hurt that you haven't told Ichigo about our relationship."

Isshin's face looked like he just eaten a particularly sour lemon as he answered, "I told him all he needed to know."

"I'm sure you did," Ragyo propped her hand under her chin. Isshin had no doubt told Ichigo one of the lies concerning their past relationship and if Nui's information was correct, it was the one involving the hotel bombing. Mentally chuckling at the mere thought of a bomb hurting her, Ragyo turned her attention back to Ichigo, "I've known your father for a very long time. As for how I know you Ichigo..."

Ragyo leaned in close enough to make Ichigo uncomfortable, "…it's because I was there the day you were born. In other words, I'm your godmother."

"What?" Ichigo couldn't believe what he had just heard. There was no way that Ragyo Kiryuin, who he hadn't even heard of until he got the letter of acceptance to Honnouji Academy, was his godmother. If she was really his godmother, Ichigo was sure he would have heard his dad mention her at least once. Turning to his dad with a pleading look, he asked, "Is that true?"

Isshin coughed awkwardly and turned away, "It's really complicated but yeah, Ragyo is your godmother Ichigo."

That revelation came as a shock to everyone within earshot apart from Isshin and Ragyo. Even the normally cheerful Nui had adopted an expression of pure confusion as the gears within her mind wrapped around the new revelation. Behind Nui and watching the entire exchange between Ichigo and her mother with a discerning eye, Satsuki subtly motioned for Inumuta to begin recording everything that was said.

"_My mother is Ichigo Kurosaki's godmother? Such an act of generosity does not fit her usual motives."_ Satsuki's eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the new piece of information. The answer to why her mother would choose to become Ichigo's godmother eluded her but the animosity between Isshin Kurosaki and her mother suggested there had been a strong relationship between them in the past.

"If you're really my godmother then why did you send Nui Harime to kill me?" Ichigo was having a hard time believing Ragyo was his godmother even if his dad had said so.

Ragyo smirked and closed her eyes. Folding her arms under her bosom and chuckling, she answered, "I believe you are mistaken, Ichigo. I did not send Nui Harime to do anything. As the Grand Couturier she has free reign to visit any and all Revocs-owned properties. My dear little Nui was simply playing with you because if she really wanted to kill you…" Ragyo leaned in and finished in a whisper, "…you wouldn't even see it coming."

"_**Focus, Ichigo!"**_ Mugetsu, who had been strangely silent up until this point, shouted to snap her wearer out of his sudden shock and nervousness. She may not have known or understood why the knowledge of who his godmother was would startle Ichigo but he couldn't afford to remain this way. The woman in front of them was dangerous and she would do her best to protect Ichigo from Ragyo Kiryuin, _**"You cannot afford to let your guard down. This woman is extremely dangerous!"**_

"So this is Mugetsu…" Ragyo pretended to ignore the Kamui's voice. It was best that for the time being the number of people aware of her true nature be limited to two.

Wrapping her hand around Ichigo's wrist before he could pull away, she rubbed her fingers against Mugetsu's gauntlet and suppressed the shiver that ran through her body. Feeling such exquisitely crafted Life Fibers responding to her touch like this always brought such great pleasure. The fact that Ichigo and his Kamui could converse with each other as they pleased also brought her great joy since it could only mean that the Life Fibers throughout his body were finally coming into maturity or as her lovely Nui puts it, awakening.

"When Nui told me about your Kamui I was skeptical," Ragyo strutted around Ichigo, taking in each and every aspect of Mugetsu in the process, "But I see now that I was mistaken. It makes sense that Isshin's progeny be able to control the marvelous power of a Kamui."

"Isn't that awesome?" Everybody was so caught up in what Ragyo was talking about that they failed to see Nui slide up next to Ururu and wrap her arm around the shy girl's neck in a hug. Pressing her face uncomfortably against Ururu's, Nui's single eye widened in pure glee, "Ichigo's Kamui is so amazing, isn't it Amu? Its craftsmanship is superb and its stitching is nearly perfect!"

"My name is Ururu not Amu."

Irritated at both Nui's insistence at calling her Amu as well as her constant touching, Ururu ducked down in a blur of motion that left normal human eyes wondering what was going on before she stood back up and slammed the palm of her hand flat against Nui's face. As the Grand Couturier blinked owlishly at her actions, Ururu spun on her heel and slammed Nui into the ground with enough force to send up a cloud of smoke.

Squinting to protect his eyes from the expanding cloud of dust, Ichigo felt something grab hold of his hand. Looking down he saw Ururu, who in the brief space of time between her attack and Ragyo turning around to watch it, had moved to his side. Opening his mouth to ask what was bothering her, he stopped when he saw an angry look in her normally droopy and sad eyes. From the way Ururu reacted to her, Ichigo had to guess she had some history with the Grand Couturier.

"Gosh that hurt!"

Floating down gently next to Ragyo, who still possessed a bemused smirk, Nui had a large grin on her face while blood continued to trickle out from her nose. Looking down at her nose with her one sapphire eye, Nui adopted a puzzled look as the damage to her body slowly healed, "But I'm super curious why you can hurt me."

"That's enough Nui," Ragyo placed a manicured hand on the Grand Couturier's shoulder, stopping Nui before she could press Ururu further. Wickedly grinning as she glanced from Isshin to Ururu and finally focusing on Ichigo, Ragyo shut her eyes and turned around, "I think we've taken up enough of Isshin's precious time and we do have business to attend to after all. I promise that once we're done you can play with Ichigo and Amu as much as your little heart desires."

"Okay Lady Ragyo!" Nui twirled around and blew a mock kiss to Ichigo, her wounds already fully healed, "I'll be seeing you around real soon Ichigo!"

As Ichigo watched Nui skip away to catch up to Ragyo he noticed Satsuki walked up to his side. While the Student Council President had her usual stoic and condescending expression on her face, Ichigo could see that she was upset about something. Turning her dark blue eyes to look at him, Satsuki rested a hand on Bakuzan as she asked, "Am I correct to assume that you had no prior knowledge of what my mother just said?"

"That she is my godmother? Yeah, I was just as surprised as you were," Ichigo had a really bad feeling about Ragyo and it wasn't just that she had a rather limited understanding of invading his personal space. Aizen had made him nervous simply because the man's power, speed and intelligence were just so enormous that it took Ichigo everything in his arsenal just to weaken the traitor enough to be sealed. Ragyo, on the other hand, seemed to cause a primal sense of caution that Ichigo couldn't repress. There was also the matter of how his dad actually knew her because Ichigo sure as hell didn't believe the stupid excuse his dad told him and Uryu.

Folding his arms and releasing Mugetsu's transformation in a cascade of blue stars and lights, Ichigo huffed and asked, "Is it too late to take back my offer of being your Vice President?"

"Your official coronation will be tonight at the ceremony," Satsuki appeared to ignore his question as she walked past him with Inumuta trailing right behind her. Throughout the entire meeting the Information and Strategy Committee Chair had not stopped typing into his handheld computer and gave Ichigo a friendly little wave as he walked by.

"I must thank you Ichigo Kurosaki," Inumuta said amiably from beneath his collar, "Thanks to your timely appearance I was able to collect a lot of valuable data although it would be appreciative if you used had used your Gufū configuration. My data on that particular mode of your Kamui is sorely lacking."

"The dress code for the ceremony is strict, Ichigo," Satsuki said before Ichigo could threaten Inumuta. Turning her head around and staring at him with one eye, a slight haughty smirk adorned her face as she finished, "I expect you to dress properly for the occasion."

"_**Hey! What do you mean by that?"**_ Mugetsu was absolutely livid by Satsuki requiring Ichigo wear anything else but her. While she had come to an agreement with him that sometimes other clothes are better suited than a Kamui, she was enraged by the notion that Satsuki would force Ichigo to wear something else!

Ichigo ignored the outburst from his Kamui and huffed, "I don't own a suit and I'm sure as hell not wearing any of my dad's clothes."

"You misunderstand," Satsuki's heels clicked loudly against the floor as she walked away, "You are already wearing a Kamui. To my mother there can never be anything as grand as a Kamui. I will be wearing Junketsu and Matoi will most likely wear Senketsu. I expect for you to show up an hour early in Mugetsu. Anything else would be tantamount to spitting in my face."

Ichigo said nothing as Satsuki disappeared into the distance after her mother. He still couldn't get the bad feeling that something was off out of his mind. If it was as simple as dealing with someone insane like Nui Harime than Ichigo could figure out a way to solve that problem. The fact that Ragyo Kiryuin not only knew she was here at Honnouji Academy but found no fault in allowing Nui to kill at her leisure sent up many red flags. There was also the matter of Ragyo being his godmother that needed some explaining.

"I know what you're going to ask Ichigo," Isshin said with a loud sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Out of all the things he expected Ragyo to say or do he hadn't dreamed she would come out and admit that she was his godmother. Isshin had wanted to tell Ichigo later on after everything was dealt with but since Ragyo forced his hand, he saw no reason to hide it, "Yes, Ragyo is your godmother. Masaki and I both agreed to let Ragyo be your godmother because back when she was pregnant, Ragyo promised Masaki to take care of you financially if anything were to befall us. I know she may not seem to be the most…normal…person but I'm pretty sure Ragyo would never intentionally hurt you."

"Fine," Ichigo grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to alleviate his rising annoyance with the whole situation. He had a nagging feeling that everything had just become a whole lot more complicated, "But there is one thing that's been bugging me."

"What's that?"

Before his dad could blink Ichigo rushed forward and grabbed him in a headlock, "Why the hell did you send Kon here?"

"I thought it would be a good idea!" Isshin argued as he struggled to free himself from Ichigo's surprisingly tight grasp.

"You thought it was a good idea?" Ichigo's eye was beginning to twitch as his mind failed to comprehend the sheer level of stupidity coming from his dad's mouth, "He wasn't here five minutes before he tried to hit on Ryuko! You sent a perverted mod soul to a school where every single girl's transformation involves them losing most of their clothing? What the hell were you thinking?"

"_**Ichigo, what's a mod soul?"**_

"I'll tell you later," Ichigo brushed off Mugetsu's curiosity to focus on more important matters such as beating the tar out of his dad for doing something as stupid as sending Kon to Honnouji Academy. Allowing Kon to get anywhere near Ryuko or Satsuki when they released their Kamui was a disaster waiting to happen although now that he thought about it, Ichigo probably wouldn't stop Satsuki if she tried to kill Kon. The little bastard would probably deserve it anyway.

"Umm…"

Ichigo and Isshin stopped fighting as Ururu made her presence known. Ever since Ragyo arrived and began taking an interest in her, Ururu had done her best to stay out of the way until everything settled down. Giving his distracted son one last punch to the face, Isshin stood up and dusted his jacket off, "What's the matter Ururu?"

"Well…" Ururu twiddled her fingers and looked gloomily off to the side. She didn't know how to explain the weird feeling that suddenly shot through her body upon seeing Ragyo and Nui but the fact of the matter is that she hated it. It felt completely wrong to the normally depressed girl and she never wanted to feel it again, "It's just that everyone keeps calling me Amu but that's not my name. Do you know why they call me that, Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Oh boy…" Isshin knew this moment would come and, to be frank, he wished he never wished it would. What he was about to say would most likely make Ururu very upset and he didn't want to give the normally sad girl even more stress to deal with but he really had no choice. It was either he tell her now when he could comfort her afterwards and explains things clearly or allow Ragyo to tell her. Isshin didn't doubt Ragyo would put such a spin on the truth that Ururu would subconsciously begin believing the woman, "Ok, you really want to know Ururu? It's rather complicated and but Ichigo, you must first promise me one thing."

Ichigo's eyebrows rose in confusion, "What?"

Isshin pouted childishly, "You must promise to not hit me! Got it?"

Rolling his eyes sarcastically, Ichigo nevertheless mockingly waved his hand. He was curious about what his dad was going to say, "Yeah, yeah, I promise not to hit you."

"Alright then," Isshin took a deep breath and prepared for what was to come, "The reason Ragyo and Nui call you Amu, Ururu, is because that was your name before Kisuke took you in and adopted you. The truth of the matter is that you're Nui Harime's twin sister."

"Hang on a second!" Ichigo grabbed his dad by the front of his jacket. He could hear Ururu begin sniffling as the weight of what his dad said began to sink in, "Are you out of your mind? There's no way in hell that Ururu is related to that insane little psychopath!"

"Ururu…" Isshin ignored the subtle threat from Ichigo to focus on what was important. It seemed that he was correct in his assumption that Ururu would not deal well with the revelation that she and Nui were twins. Easily pulling himself free from his son's grasp, Isshin knelt in front of Ururu and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Ururu, look at me. Just because you and Nui are twins does not mean you are anything like her. Just look at my adorable little girls! Yuzu and Karin couldn't be any more different and yet they live under the same roof! If my cute twins aren't alike at all, what are the chances you are anything like Nui Harime?"

The tears in Ururu's eyes threatened to fall as she sniffled, "L-Low?"

Isshin grinned goofily and pulled Ururu into a one-armed hug, "You and Nui may be twins but you're your own person. Don't let something as stupid as genetics tell you what to do. Make your own decisions in life and deal with the consequences of your actions. If Nui or anyone else tries to convince you otherwise you either ignore them or convince them that they are wrong. It's as simple as that!"

A small smile graced Ururu's face as she began to calm down, "Do you really mean that Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Of course I do!" Isshin gloated with a chuckle, "And If that's not good enough, Ichigo will be more than willing to threaten those who won't leave you alone. The scowl on his face should be more than enough to scare away even the likes of Nui!"

"Go to hell, old man!"

With an angry shout Ichigo kicked his dad in the back of head. Giving an angry aside glance to the smoking crater Isshin's head was currently stuck in, Ichigo turned to Ururu and nervously sighed, "My dad actually has a point. Even if you are related to Nui Harime there is no chance in hell you are anything like her."

"But if we're twins…" Ururu seemed to struggle to articulate her thoughts. For all her strength and power she was nothing more than a sixteen year old girl who just had perhaps the most devastating news of her life delivered to her, "…if that's true, what does that make me?"

Instead of answering Ichigo gently hit the top of Ururu's head with his fist, "How many times do I have to say it? You're Ururu and Nui is Nui. That's all there is to it. Now come on, I need to find Kon before Ryuko ends up killing him."

"Ok," Ururu started to follow him before turning around to look at Isshin, "But what about your dad?"

"He'll be fine," Ichigo answered with a lack of concern. The man was withholding a lot of information about Ragyo and how she knew him and Ichigo wasn't about to let his dad get away with that, "Now come on. If we're lucky we can get some of the catering before Mako eats everything."

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><p>Dusk fell quickly over Honnou City as the chilly air of the autumn night forced anyone outside to seek the comfort of warmth. Up at Honnouji Academy, which would normally have been empty due to the students going home for the weekend, there was a constant hustle and bustle as students brought their families to the Parent Student Day ceremony. It was here that every parent will receive an update on the current situation of Honnouji Academy as well as an in-depth review of their child's progress in the year. Satsuki Kiryuin had initially started Parent Student Day as a way to weed out those too weak to stay in Honnouji Academy and thus every year those at the border between passing and failing became more and more nervous as they contemplated whether this would be the year they would be expelled.<p>

The large ballroom in which the venue was to take place this year was perhaps the least used room in all of Honnouji Academy. The room, usually empty apart from the weekly dusting and cleaning, was now packed to the brim with every single amenity that money could buy. Apart from dozens, if not hundreds, of tables that stretched across the extraordinarily large room there was a band playing German waltzes and classical songs in one of the corners. Up on the stage that dominated the far side of the ballroom, Rei Hououmaru held up one hand to her ear as one of her men updated her on the situation.

"Everything is in order then?" The petite woman seemed pleased by what the man on the other end said. She had apologized to Lady Ragyo for being late due to some last minute work at Revocs but now that she was here, Rei was going to make sure everything went off without a hitch. While Lady Satsuki had done an almost perfect job on accommodating for her mother's presence, there were a few things that Rei had to alter or replace. Lady Ragyo was fickle about several things that she hadn't informed her daughter about and as much as Rei did not look forward to Satsuki's verbal displeasure, she was looking forward to Ragyo's disappointment even less.

"I see…" Rei stared out over the ballroom where students and their parents were filing in and noticed Isshin just walking in, "Lady Ragyo wishes to know if the final seating arrangements been updated."

Rei Hououmaru fully understood why Lady Ragyo wanted the location Isshin Kurosaki's table but she was confused about why she wanted it moved. She had no idea why it had to be the table two rows away from the stage and eighth from the right but Rei would never complain. If Lady Ragyo wanted Isshin Kurosaki to sit at that particular spot then Rei was going to comply without argument.

"Oh wow!" Mako Mankanshoku looked around the ballroom with stars twinkling in her eyes. In all her time at Honnouji Academy she had never been to this particular room. Even though she had been to Parent Student Days in the past, none of them involved the use of this very special and forbidden room. Satsuki had expressively forbidden any student from entering this room under penalty of death and expulsion, in that order. Twirling around in her fancy new dress, her brown eyes taking in as much detail as they could without exploding from the excitement, Mako grabbed a silent Ururu's hand and began running away.

"Let's go find our seats Ururu!"

"Humph," Ryuko had her hands placed squarely on her hips. As she looked over the crowd of men and women in suits and dresses she had the distinct feeling that she was a tad bit underdressed for the occasion, "Hey Senketsu, you think I'm underdressed?"

"_**Of course I don't!" **_Senketsu was insulted by the idea he wasn't as fashionable as the boring clothes he was forced to surround himself with. A Kamui was the epitome of fashion and everything else was just plain boring! Huffing indignantly, he rolled his eye and stared up at Ryuko, _**"As a Kamui I am the best piece of clothing in the world. Everything else is but an attempt to reach my level of perfection. That is why I refuse to allow you to wear anything else besides your pajamas!"**_

"Oh? Is that so?" Ryuko quirked an eyebrow in annoyance at her Kamui's snooty attitude, "If that's the case, I think next week I'll go back to wearing my old uniform and blazer. Perhaps five days of hanging on the wall will teach you some respect."

"_**Y-You wouldn't!"**_Senketsu began shaking in fear and nervously around Ryuko's body at the thought of being separated from his friend for so long. He didn't know if he could last five days without being worn and that single thought made him start blubbering incoherently. _**"I thought you cared about me, Ryuko!"**_

"Uh…there, there," Ryuko awkwardly rubbed Senketsu's lapels to calm him down. Why did her Kamui have to be so emotional all the time? At least it was better than Mugetsu, who seemed to be overly jealous of Ichigo to the point of tearing up his normal clothes. Ryuko still remember hearing that argument all the way from the Slums, "I was kidding Senketsu. Can't you take a joke? Of course I would never wear anything but you. You are by Sunday best after all."

"Yeah man, grow a pair why don't you?"

Kon stood on Ryuko's shoulder with a completely miserable look on his plushie face. While Ryuko had stopped trying to kill him on the sole condition that he not peek on her changing, his humiliation had not ended. As soon as she could, Ryuko had given him to Mako and told her that he was a 'magically talking plushie that was wished into life.' Mako, like the simple minded girl she is, had fallen for the lie instantly. It was to his eternal horror that Mako had dressed him in a miniature version of a girl's One-Star Goku Uniform and proceeded to call him Bostov.

"Shut it!" Ryuko squeezed Kon's neck, causing the mod soul to exaggeratingly choke, "You're supposed to keep quiet. What if someone hears you?"

"Listen lady, everyone already knows I can talk," Kon pulled himself free from Ryuko's clutched and hopped to the floor. Dusting his body off and wishing Mako hadn't stapled the stupid dress to his body, he turned around and pointed an arm at her, "If you remember our little chase earlier I ran past nearly half the school trying to get away from you. I think by now the entire school knows I can talk, which is a problem because now I can't hide in the girl's locker room and – "

Kon was cut off when Ryuko stomped down on his face with her sneaker several times before picking him up and throwing him away in the nearest trash can. Huffing in embarrassment, Ryuko folded her arms and followed after Mako. She felt like she needed a shower just from being around Kon and hoped she never met anyone else as perverted as the plushie.

Some distance away from where Kon was trying to pull himself out of a trash can, Barazo Mankanshoku laughed jovially as he shook Isshin's hand. He had come to Parent Student Day with Sukuyo but unfortunately had to leave Mataro at home with Guts. Actually, it wasn't that bad of a situation. After they were kicked out of the Two-Star Residential District back to their old home in the Slums, Barazo had noticed that they needed several things. So while they were seen in public at the ceremony, Mataro could go out and steal what the family needed. It was the perfect alibi.

"So you must be Ichigo's dad?" Barazo shook the equally enthusiastic Isshin's hand, "I've heard good things about your clinic in Karakura Town. Is it true you were labeled the third best family clinic in northern Japan?"

"That's right. I've been in the top ten for nine years running now," Isshin laughed alongside Barazo while they compared their individual practices. Out of all the parents and students attending the ceremony, Isshin's white suit and bloodred tie made him stand out the most, but he didn't care. He may have gotten this suit nineteen years ago but what really irritated him is that Ragyo stole his fashion sense for her COVERS design. Couldn't she have at least asked him first before using his suit pattern?

"I noticed," Barazo folded his arms and nodded at something, "Hey, I was wondering if you could hook me up with some extra packets of blood? As a Back Alley Doctor my clinic is kind of short on some vital supplies and I'd rather not get caught stealing blood again. The last time I got caught Sukuyo had to pay my bail! I was forced to sleep outside for a whole week in the middle of winter!"

"I only did that because I love you," Sukuyo hugged Barazo's arm tightly causing the man to scream in pain, "A Back Alley Doctor such as yourself should know better than to get caught."

"Some extra blood you say? I suppose I could scrounge up some extra supplies if you really need it…" Isshin scratched at his chin as he contemplated whether or not he should bother Ryuken about this. The man might be a ruthless businessman who always stuck to the rules and laws but he was a doctor before any of that. If he explained to the man what the situation was, Isshin was sure Ryuken would somehow mysteriously send several crates of refrigerated blood to the Mankanshoku Clinic.

While Isshin and Barazo were discussing the best way to transport blood into Honnou City without getting caught, Ryuko had already found her assigned table. As she stared at the placard on the table with her name on it, she glanced up at the stage looming just a dozen feet away. Ryuko should have known Satsuki Kiryuin would make sure she had a front row seat as she made Ichigo her Vice President. Satsuki was really being underhanded if she was trying this hard to make her mad. Lazily sitting down in her chair with one leg propped up on the table, Ryuko let out an irritated huff as she imagined what the ceremony was going to be like.

"Since when were you invited, Transfer Student?" Ryuko's eye started twitching as a familiar voice mocked her, "I thought this was Parent Student Day. Didn't you say your dad was dead?"

Tilting her head backwards over the chair, Ryuko frowned when she saw Nonon Jakuzure in her old Three-Star Goku Uniform. Actually, strike that. Unlike her original uniform, Nonon's new uniform had three golden yellow stars instead of black ones, "Screw you! I see you finally shown your true colors, you Snake."

Nonon actually looked surprised by that as she blinked owlishly in confusion, "What are you talking about, Transfer Student?"

With the advantage on her side, Ryuko waved off the pink haired girl's question with a haughty chuckle, "Please, did you really think Ichigo and I were convinced by your little show about getting revenge on Satsuki? We would have to be really stupid to fall for such bad acting. Thanks for the help against Sanageyama though. I really couldn't have beaten him without your super awesome advice."

Nonon snarled and slammed her forehead hard against Ryuko's, her majorette's hat falling over her face while sparks shot between their eyes. As pink eyes glared daggers into Ryuko's blue ones, Nonon scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, "While I really dislike Strawberry for defeating me, I'm going to make sure I humiliate you when Lady Satsuki allows me to fight you. I'm going to kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit down for years, stupid Transfer Student!"

"Ryuko! Nonon!" Mako slid up between the two girls and brought them into a big group hug. With a large smile on her face, Mako looked back and forth between them and asked, "Isn't it awesome that we're all sitting at the same table? It must be a coincidence or something!"

"Don't lump me in with you Underachiever," Nonon growled sarcastically as she pushed Mako off her body. After wiping her Goku Uniform free of any germs Mako might have given her, Nonon began walking away before stopping and turning around, "Just to make things clear Underachiever, I'm not your friend and I have never been your friend. In fact, I will never be your friend! I am Lady Satsuki's best friend and nothing will ever change that!"

"Ok then!" Mako waved goodbye to a frustrated Nonon as she added, "I'll make sure to stop by during lunch with lots of croquettes my mom made! She just went shopping so be ready for anything!"

As Nonon's frustrated shout echoed throughout the ballroom due to Mako's innocent question, Isshin was in the midst of telling Barazo about his adorable girls when his phone went off. While that would normally not be a cause for concern, the fact that the ringtone was a recording of him singing a song really badly caused Isshin to rapidly fumble around his pockets. Once he managed to find the offensive device and turn it to vibrate, he gave Barazo a nervous chuckle, "Sorry about that but I need to take this call. I made the ringtone really embarrassing so I can't just ignore it. I'll be back in about five minutes.

Quickly walking out of the ballroom before he could embarrass himself further, Isshin soon reached what appeared to be a deserted hallway. Pulling his cellphone back out and checking to make sure he was completely alone, Isshin stopped before proceeding any further and opened a nearby door on the off chance Nui Harime was standing right behind it eavesdropping on his conversation. Once he was completely certain the coast was clear, he redialed the number and brought his phone up to his ear, "What did you want?"

"How goes the party?" Aikuro Mikisugi answered in a nasally tone. A teacher coming down with the flu would normally be a really bad thing but for a nudist like Aikuro it was the perfect excuse to work undercover since no one would be watching him. As he blew his nose into the last tissue from the box, Aikuro threw the now empty box across his apartment into the trashcan and asked, "I would be there but I'm sick."

"I don't need to be a doctor to know that," Isshin answered sarcastically, "But that's not why you called, is it?"

Aikuro smiled, "Ah, you know me too well. So what's the answer?"

"Well…" Isshin paused momentarily before finishing, "There's no doubt they are both definitely here. I ran into Ragyo and her little helper not five minutes after they landed in order to check if they sent a pair of decoys to throw everyone off. They are the real deal."

"That's all I needed to hear. You should probably get back to the ceremony before anyone notices you're missing."

"Good luck, Aikuro."

Isshin snapped his cellphone shut as he contemplated what he was doing. He knew that he had to stop Ragyo's plans before they could come to fruition but he didn't know just how wide his old friend's grip on the world had become. When his ears picked up the sound of polite and loud clapping coming from the direction of the ballroom, Isshin turned and ran back. He needed to get to his seat before Ragyo started her speech. It's a good thing he had gone to the bathroom beforehand. Ragyo's speeches could last for hours if she was on a roll and he had a feeling this was going to be one of those nights.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Good luck, Aikuro."<p>

Aikuro stared at his phone for a few seconds before pursing his lips as he began dialing a new number. The opportunity that Isshin was giving Nudist Beach was perhaps a once in a lifetime chance. Up to this point Nudist Beach had always been wary about going after high class international targets due to the likelihood that the Grand Couturier would be waiting for them. With Isshin confirming that both Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime were here in Honnouji Academy, Aikuro needed to make some calls on his private phone. To pass this up would be a costly mistake not only to his organization but to every single human on Earth.

Across the globe and in a different time zone, Kinue Kinagase stood on the top of the Eiffel Tower in the midst of rainy Paris morning. With her black and red hair matted down against her face by the heavy rain, she stared through a detached rifle scope at the high security Revocs facility more than two kilometers away across the Seine River. This particular facility was vital for Revocs's control of the apparel market for Western Europe. It was from here that every single Life Fiber was distributed to the unwary public. Upon hearing her phone ringing, she scoffed angrily but nevertheless picked it up. As a clap of thunder echoed in the background, she scolded Aikuro, "You know I'm on a mission. Why are you calling me? Do you know how dangerous this is for the both of us if I get caught?"

"You won't get caught. What do you take me for, an idiot?" When Aikuro didn't hear anything but the sound of heavy rain through the phone, he quickly added, "Never mind. Don't answer that. I'm calling you because Isshin has just confirmed the presence of Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime at Parent Student Day. They will be forced to remain in Honnouji Academy for at least a few more hours. Operation Paris Fashion Week is to proceed."

Kinue's eyes widened for a moment before a relieved smile adorned her face. She knew this day would come eventually but for it to come so soon was a complete surprise to the older Kinagase. Crouching down on the Eiffel Tower with her phone still pressed firmly against her ear, Kinue lowered the scope away from her eye, "I see. What are the specifications of the operation? Has anything changed?"

"The operation remains as intended," Aikuro answered, "You are to get in, set the Anti-Life Fiber charges and get out before it blows. With any luck we can cripple Revocs's chokehold over Western Europe for years."

That was both the good and the bad about having a dedicated facility like this. Inside the wall tens of tons of raw Life Fibers were stored, just waiting to be sewn into every piece of Revocs clothing. If Kinue could destroy it all, Ragyo Kiryuin would be forced to ship out an entire new shipment of Life Fibers, which Nudist Beach could then harass and stop.

"_**Finally we can get down to fucking business!"**_ A crass voice called out as Kinue hung up her phone, _**"This spy crap was getting really boring!"**_

Kinue sighed and shook her head, "What have I don't you about language, Danketsu?"

"_**Go to hell,"**_ Danketsu's eyes swiveled up to look at her wearer. In the weeks since her fateful battle against Ururu, Kinue had noticed a slight diminishing in her Kamui's animosity and insatiable bloodlust. That did not mean Danketsu's behavior had changed. The Kamui still cursed up a storm and was rude and obnoxious, which made Kinue glad that no one but a few people could hear her voice. Blinking once and then twice as she looked over her form, Danketsu gave a satisfied huff, _**"But I am happy you stopped wearing clothing over me. As a Kamui being touched by those pieces of crap was an insult. When are you going to get rid of the pants?"**_

"You know why I wear military fatigues," Kinue had already gone over this line of thought with Danketsu several times in the past. Her Kamui may be powerful and allow her access to a level of strength no normal human could dream of but she lacked pockets. There was no way that Kinue could carry all her Nudist Beach equipment on Danketsu's form. So while she had foregone wearing anything from the waist up apart from Danketsu's transformed state, Kinue constantly wore a pair of military fatigues simply for the pockets.

"_**I do and I don't care,"**_ Danketsu paused as her eyes focused on something in the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was full of anger and hate, _**"There someone at the Revocs facility with a large concentration of Life Fibers. I want to fucking kill them."**_

Kinue frowned, "How strong are they?"

"_**You have to be kidding if you think they are a match for us!"**_ Danketsu exclaimed proudly before answering, _**"They are stronger than the mockery Three-Star uniforms at Honnouji Academy but nowhere close to the power of a true Kamui like me!"**_

There was only one group of people on the planet that Danketsu could be talking about. Kinue stood up and stared out over the dreary Paris morning before letting out a huff of annoyance as her mission just became more complicated and risky, "Xcution."

Xcution, the most powerful group of men and women under the employ of Ragyo Kiryuin, was a name that struck fear into Nudist Beach and was one of the reasons why they had been mostly forced to remain within the borders of Japan. They were the crème of the crop in terms of power. While they most certainly did not possess Kamui, since all but a handful of humans would be devoured by the Life Fiber clothing, they did have uniforms that made them nearly unstoppable.

Kinue had yet to fight them herself since in the past she had been more worried about losing control over her emotions and allowing Danketsu to transform into a monster. Yet from the vague and minimal reports headquarters received, Xcution had no qualms about killing their operatives. Unlike Nui Harime, who preferred to play around for a while before killing them, Xcution would move in right away for the kill. This meant that Nudist Beach had no idea what powers their Life Fiber outfits possessed. The only information they had indicated Xcution's power was above that of the Three-Star Goku Uniforms Aikuro had reported at Honnouji Academy.

"_**You're going to kill them right?"**_ There was no hiding the excitement in Danketsu's voice as she mentally salivated over the thought of completely destroying Life Fibers.

"Does it look like I have a choice?" Kinue sarcastically asked her Kamui as stared at the Revocs facility before taking a single step off the Eiffel Tower. As she fell through the rain-filled air, her eyes narrowing slightly in the process, she flipped around in midair and shouted, "Danketsu Funsha!"

Kinue's body was surrounded by a burst of purple and blue light before she rocketed up into the sky over Paris. Hovering in midair in her newly discovered flight configuration, Kinue allowed the feeling of the Life Fibers in her body to envelop her. As much as Danketsu still did not like her, she could not help but appreciate the fact her Kamui was willing to allow her access to a greater portion of her strength. Silently thanking Ichigo Kurosaki once more for helping her move on with her life, Kinue spun around and allowed a stream of dark purple exhaust to shoot out of the jet engine her legs had morphed into.

While twin contrails trailed behind the two wings arcing away on either side of her back, Kinue pulled out her Genji blade and held it in her armored hand. She knew that using her Funsha configuration would undoubtedly make the Xcution member aware of her presence but Kinue was counting on the fact Danketsu was a Kamui to shift things in her favor. She might be unaware of the XCution member's ability but the same could be said about her.

Flying high enough that the ground-based defenses surrounding the facility were unable to lock onto her, Kinue spun around in the air and flew downwards. As the rain of anti-aircraft bullets flashed past her, Kinue crashed through the reinforced roof of the building with ease before landing in a crouch on the floor.

As the smell of pure and raw Life Fibers assaulted her senses, causing Danketsu to shift and morph around her body in anger and disgust, Kinue tried to mentally calm her Kamui down. While she may not have liked the smell of Life Fibers any more than Danketsu, they could not afford to show weakness. Once Danketsu managed to get herself under control, after much coaxing from Kinue and another promise to defeat the member of Xcution, Kinue finally had a chance to get started on her mission. Patting the Anti-Life Fiber charge in one of her pockets, Kinue began walking towards the main storage room of the facility, her purple heels clicking ominously against the bare concrete floor. All she needed to do was place the charge in the storage room and get out within ten minutes before it detonated. It was simple enough except for the fact that someone was rushing towards her back at speeds much greater than a human should possess.

Spinning around and raising her Genji blade, Kinue blocked the armored kick that would have either broken her neck or killed her instantly. As sparks flew off her blade as her opponent continued to try and overpower her, Kinue felt the jets on her back burst into life. As power coursed through her body, she let out a determined shout before she managed to throw her opponent off and into the catwalks above. Letting out a sigh as steam shot out from Danketsu, Kinue gripped her Genji blade tightly as she looked around in the shadows for her opponent.

"So I was right," Kinue took a few steps forward as she attempted to sense her opponent. With all the Life Fibers in the building as well as the air it was nearly impossible for Danketsu to pinpoint their location, "You're a member of Xcution."

"Is that a Kamui?" A distinctly French and feminine accent echoed all around her as Kinue finally saw her opponent. With one armor-covered leg propped up on a railing, the woman on the catwalk moved a lock of dark hair out from in front of her eyes, "It's no wonder you were able to sense and block my attack. Lady Ragyo knew you Nudists would come here eventually but she had no idea one of you actually had a Kamui. A long lost work of the late Isshin Matoi, I presume?"

"You can keep on presuming," Kinue shifted her leg back and raised her Genji blade, "It won't help you."

"Let's just calm down for a moment," The French woman casually leapt off the catwalk before landing just in front of Kinue, allowing her to see just who it was she was dealing with. The woman's body was covered in a distinctive white armor with glowing gold trim with the Revocs logo superimposed with the symbol for Xcution on her chest right over her heart. As the dark skinned woman's eyes took in all of Danketsu, she could not help but whistle in appreciation, "So that's what a Kamui looks like, huh? I've seen some of the work by the Grand Couturier but I never thought I would see an actual Kamui in battle. It's really something."

"Are we going to talk or fight?" Kinue couldn't afford for her opponent to keep talking. Every second wasted was another second a silent alarm could be sent out informing Ragyo Kiryuin of the situation. Charging forward towards the woman, Kinue attempted to stab her Genji blade through her gut only to find the woman quickly shifting to the side and out of the path of her blade.

"I had hoped to kill you quickly so you wouldn't feel any pain." The woman seemed almost remorseful as she stared at her clenched fist, "I detest drawn out violence but Lady Ragyo gave me the order to kill all intruders so that's what I'm going to do. Je suis désolé. Jackie Tristan's the name. Let's see how your Kamui stands up to the power of my Sanguinaire Raiment!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #13 – Meeting the Boss<strong>

Ichigo and Ryuko stood on the outskirts of Honnou city with annoyed expressions on their faces. They had no idea why Aikuro Mikisugi had dragged them out here on a Sunday but as they stared at their teacher, who seemed to be doing his best to not look back, Ryuko had finally reached her breaking point. Storming across the road and grabbing Aikuro by his tie, she pulled down hard until the Nudist was at eye level with her.

"Are you going to explain why the hell you dragged us out into the middle of nowhere?" Aikuro wilted under Ryuko's angry gaze as beads of nervous sweat began running down his face. Raising his hands in a placating gesture, he managed to coherently say, "Now Ryuko, I brought you and Ichigo out here for a good reason. It's been quite some time now and the leader of my organization wants to meet you two."

"Wait a second," Ryuko glanced away before scowling. Shaking Aikuro's body like a ragdoll, she shouted, "You're saying that the nonsense you told us about Nudist Beach was all true? I thought you were just being a pervert!"

Ichigo would have said something if not for the truck barreling toward them down the road. Just before the vehicle could run them over, it abruptly spun to the side and skidded to a halt as the smell of burning rubber tires assaulted their noses. For a moment the truck, painted in a nondescript color to prevent drawing any unwanted suspicion, was silent apart from the creaking of the engine cooling down. The silence was shattered when the driver's door swung open and an immensely massive man stood up.

"I see that your mission at Honnouji Academy is coming along nicely. Well done Aikuro," The man walked forward and patted Aikuro on the shoulder. While it appeared to be nothing more than a friendly tap, the force behind it was enough to cause Aikuro to stumble forward.

While he was initially put off by the man's large size, he was bigger than Kenpachi for crying out loud, his seemingly normal behavior and dressed state calmed Ichigo down. Perhaps Aikuro was the only member of Nudist Beach who actually liked to be nude. That belief was broken completely when the man, upon spotting Ryuko staring at him with her mouth slightly agape, got down on one knee and began crying tears of joy.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies for not introducing myself to you as soon as I arrived! It has been quite some time since my eyes have been able to look upon the beautiful visage worthy of belonging to Isshin Matoi's daughter! While I can never hope to equal the sheer majestic charisma and authority belonging to your late father, I will do my best to emulate the greatness that he possessed in life."

"Who…I…what…" The sheer ridiculousness staring her in the face had temporarily caused Ryuko to lose the ability to form complete and coherent sentences. Even Senketsu was affected by the man's exuberance. The Kamui's multicolored eye had taken the form of a swirl as he temporarily passed out from the man's nonsense.

"Oh dear, in my haste to apologize for my rudeness I have forgotten to introduce myself." The man flexed and in an instant his shirt was torn off his body, exposing rippling muscles and a virtual constellation of purple stars sparkling around his body, "Allow me to take this moment to do so. I am Alex Louis Armstrong, leader of Nudist Beach and your father's former second in command. Under my caring and well-defined arms the organization shall free humanity from the throes of Life Fibers and allow each person to live the life they please! Now please look upon my sculpted body and accept my sincerest apologies!"

Ryuko's mind, already pushed to the brink, abruptly collapsed in a desperate attempt to save itself. With white foam leaking out from the corners of her mouth, Ryuko collapsed to the road in a twitching heap, her mind unable to comprehend the existence of someone who is even more of a Nudist than Aikuro.

Alex Louis Armstrong failed to see the impact his body and mannerisms had on Ryuko since he had already turned his attention to Ichigo. While Aikuro dragged Ryuko's body away in the background, Armstrong firmly clasped Ichigo's hand within his own and stared into his eyes.

"It is good to finally meet you, young Ichigo!" Even though he was giving a friendly handshake, Ichigo felt as if his hand was being crushed to dust, "Your father has said many good things about you and I am looking forward to working together for the good of humanity!"

Ichigo was nearly on the verge of unconsciousness himself before something Armstrong said caught his attention, "Wait a second. How do you know my dad?"

Armstrong's blue eyes widened before the sparkles reappeared around his face, "It appears that I have spoken too soon. Your father wanted to explain things himself but in my haste to introduce myself I have failed to heed his words."

Abruptly stepping back and flexing his body in front of Ichigo, Armstrong leaned in and declared, "Please accept my sincerest apologies for spilling your father's secret! If you seek to punish someone for hiding this knowledge, please make me the sole focus of your righteous fury. I deserve no less for breaking the sacred oath your father bestowed upon me!"

"Uh…Sir?" Aikuro appeared at Armstrong's side before he could say anything else, "Satsuki Kiryuin has started to mobilize her Elite Four. At the current rate she will be here in three minutes."

That would complicate things. Armstrong had an entire list of things he needed to say to Ichigo and Ryuko and with the latter unconscious he needed to find a place to lay low. Coming to the conclusion that going back to Osaka would be a terrible idea, Alex Louis Armstrong reached over and picked Ichigo up with a single hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo shouted as he tried, and failed, to free himself.

"I apologize for my rude behavior but I will explain everything once we reach the nearest Nudist Beach safe house. Please save all subsequent questions for the presentation later on."

Picking Ryuko's unconscious form off the ground, Armstrong gently placed her in the back of his truck before throwing Ichigo in after her. Getting into the driver's seat, he quickly turned the engine on, spun the truck around and shot off into the distance. While Ichigo was quick to untangle himself, he was forced back in his seat as the truck accelerated into the triple digits while Armstrong explained where they were going.

"This safe house is someplace where no Kiryuin would dare to defile. It has been in the Armstrong family for generations and it will remain as such until the Earth is safe once more!"

Aikuro awkwardly waved goodbye as Armstrong drove off. He knew Ichigo and Ryuko would be really pissed off at him when they got back. Hopefully he could find a place to lay low until their anger settled down.


	26. Chapter 26: Until You Come Back to Me

_So Chapter 26 arrives and with it comes the official announcement of a few things. Yes, Xcution will be in my story and as you can tell they will not be pushovers. Just read Kinue's fight against Jackie Tristan below if you have any doubts. Trying to make her Sanguinaire Raiment more powerful than Satsuki's Regalia was a little difficult but I think it worked out in the end. Oh, just a quick warning for those of you who understand French, Kinue curses in French in this chapter and I hope I got the words correctly._

_I hope you shippers are happy with this chapter. I finally gave a small hint of a pairing but that's probably not enough for you guys. Everything will come in due time. Also, I had some fun writing the omake, especially the different interactions between the Kamui. There are many shout outs to various games, animes and other things in this chapter. Try and find them all if you can!  
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_This chapter has been proofread to the best of my ability but some grammatical errors might have come through. Enjoy and don't forget to read and review if you can!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 26 - Until You Come Back to Me<strong>

During the worldwide recession after the turn of the millennium, France's economy had faltered to a halt before slowing shrinking. For nearly two years the number of people losing their jobs and homes continued to increase and for most citizens it appeared that the recession would soon end up becoming a full-blown depression.

That was when Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs came to the rescue.

In an act that seemed absolutely generous she had come to Paris with the intentions of making it the epicenter of her conglomerate's European operations. With the country's economy declining by the week and with no hope in the near future, the French government had quickly agreed to the easy terms of Ragyo's contract. The only term that caused any amount of discussion was the concession that the main facility in Paris be given a quart mile zone surrounding it where no one apart from company employees can go. While initially wary of such secrecy, the state of the country forced the government's hands and they easily capitulated to all of Ragyo's terms. Almost as soon as the Paris Distribution Facility had come online the French economy shifted in reverse. The amount of revenue and taxes Revocs brought first to Paris and then the rest of the country quickly turned France into the leading economy of Europe.

Three men clad in standard armor Revocs Security Force armor methodically searched the western side of the facility for the intruder spotted only a few minutes ago. As soon as the silent alarm went off, the security personal on duty had spun into action. They had no idea how the intruder managed to pierce the blanket of anti-aircraft cover but they were going to get answers, one way or another. With the recent addition of an Xcution member there was no way the intruder could hide for long.

"Any sign of the intruder?" The leader of the group asked, his voice muffled by the mask he was wearing. All three of them were wearing the standard Revocs Life-Fiber Anti-Personal Military-Spec Uniforms. The uniforms augmented their speed, strength and reaction time to twice that of a normal human, which allowed them to counter any threat that might be posed by governmental forces or Nudist Beach.

"No sir!" the second security personal snapped off a salute before wiping rain off his face, "This area appears to be secure."

"Understood. Let's do one last sweep before moving to the next sector. Mademoiselle Tristan is not a very patient woman –"

The leader was cut short when the sound of explosions echoed out from somewhere within the facility. Raising his weapon, his men doing the same, he cautiously approached the employee's entrance. As the pouring rain drowned out any sounds apart from the pitter patter of rain hitting the ground, the leader swiped his keycard in the pad next to the door. Once the light turned from red to green and indicated it was unlocked, he nodded to one of his men to open the door while he and the other man covered it with their weapons. Just as the man shifted the handle downwards and disengaged the lock, the entire wall exploded as Kinue Kinagase's body was thrown through concrete and steel into the cold and pouring rain.

As debris from her collision rained down around her, Kinue let out a grunt coming more from discomfort than pain as she hit the ground with an audible thud. Waiting until she bounced along the ground a second time, Kinue stabbed her right arm out and planted it against the wet surface before flipping herself over. While her Kamui's purple heels dug twin trenches in the ground before coming to a complete stop, Kinue let out an exasperated sigh as she reached up to dislodge a particularly persistent piece of debris from her hair. When she felt something shift painfully inside her shoulder, Kinue cautiously tried to move her left arm only to stop when her entire shoulder lit up in pain.

"_My shoulder's broken in two…no three places."_

Kinue suppressed a groan of pain as she tried to think about how Jackie Tristan broke her shoulder. She couldn't understand how her power was increasing but when she let her guard down for one tiny fraction of second, her opponent connected with a punch that nearly shattered her left clavicle in several places.

"_**You are a complete idiot,"**_ Danketsu sneered angrily right before a burst of steam spewed forth from the vents on her back. Tensing her body tightly as she felt the bone sin her shoulder shift painfully back into place, Kinue waited until Danketsu was done before trying to move her left arm. As she flexed her hand and rotated her shoulder, Danketsu looked up at her and rolled her eyes, "_**You should be down on your hands and knees thanking me that our bond allows me to heal your injuries. Now go back in there and kick her ass!"**_

Kinue responded to her Kamui's criticism by simply rolling her eyes. She couldn't really fault Danketsu for her anger. It was her fault that she had broken her shoulder, "Thank you for healing me. Now focus on the fight at hand. Just because Jackie Tristan isn't wearing a Kamui doesn't mean I can afford to go easy on her. That last punch was almost on your level of power."

"_**Don't try and blame your failure on me!"**_ Danketsu snapped at Kinue angrily, "_**That woman would need to be at least twice as strong to even stand close to our level!"**_

A form walking through the debris alerted Kinue and Danketsu that their opponent was coming back. Slowly and carefully removing her Genji blade from its sheath, Kinue knew this would be a test of how much her training over the past months paid off. Before she acquired the Genji blade from Professor Matoi, she had been training herself in basic hand-to-hand combat but once she possessed a weapon capable of cutting all but the most powerful of Life Fibers, Kinue was forced to renew her training.

Turning her head towards Jackie Tristan, beads of water dripping heavily from her black and red hair, Kinue narrowed her eyes when she saw the woman casually walk over her own men without a care. They may all be employees of Revocs who devote themselves to Ragyo Kiryuin, but they were still humans. To see the member of Xcution so callously ignore her men's cries of pain caused Kinue's blood to simmer.

While her own hair began to glisten from the rain, Jackie grinned and placed her hands on her hips, "You're still alive, eh? I would have sworn my last attack shattered your rib cage, but I've never had the fortune of fighting someone wearing a genuine Kamui. La vie est drôle."

Jackie Tristan raced towards Kinue in an all too familiar burst of speed with her arm cocked back. With an emotionless look in her eyes as she easily traced the woman's movements, Kinue leaned to the side and watched as the armored white fist paced through the space previously occupied by her head. As a look of shook appeared on Jackie's face, Kinue decided to go on the offensive. In one fluid motion she snapped her left arm out and grabbed Jackie's extended wrist. Pulling her opponent towards her and off balance, Kinue reared her elbow back before smashing it into Jackie's face.

A painful crunching sound came from Jackie's nose as soon as Kinue's elbow made contact, signifying that it was most likely badly broken. While blood spurted from her broken nose down her face and the front of her Sanguinaire Raiment, Jackie took a few steps back and glared heatedly at Kinue. As the dark-skinned French woman snorted a wad of blood from her nose and raised her fists, Kinue had to give the woman credit for determination. Not everyone could survive a blow to the head from a Kamui while remaining both conscious and without a concussion.

When Kinue saw Jackie's scowl turn into a vicious smirk, she immediately let go of her Genji blade and crossed her arms over her body just in time to block her opponent's drop kick. There was absolute silence for about a second after the two women made contact but that was abruptly broken when the ground beneath Kinue's feet began rumbling before suddenly cratering inwards from the sheer force behind Jackie's kick.

"_How is she getting stronger_?" Kinue grit her teeth before a burst of power, accompanied by a jet of steam from Danketsu, coursed through her body. Easily throwing Jackie Tristan backwards through the air, Kinue picked her Genji blade back up and slammed it hilt-first into her stomach and sending the dark-skinned woman rocketing through the air and back inside the building.

"_**She's stronger than when we started,"**_ Danketsu was getting pissed off at the lackluster job Kinue was doing against the member of Xcution. How hard could it be to fight someone wearing a cheap knockoff of a true and pure Kamui? Granted, the power of Jackie's Sanguinaire Raiment was no laughing matter and Danketsu could not fault Kinue for struggling against a full frontal blow, but Danketsu sure as hell wasn't going to say that. Instead, she scoffed rudely and added, _**"Why the hell are you going easy on her? Quit fucking around and kick her ass or I'll take control and do it for you!"**_

"Quiet down," Kinue hissed, earning a bemused look from her opponent.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Jackie Tristan, who had recovered and was already walking back towards Kinue, noticed the moving eyes on Danketsu. It was unbelievable by her opponent was actually talking with her Kamui! This was something she needed to inform Lady Ragyo about as soon as she was finished. Only a few worthy humans would ever have the honor of hearing the glorious words from a Kamui. Not even the members of Xcution, who possessed some of the highest Life Fiber resistance in the world and wore uniforms with fifty percent Life Fibers, could wear a Kamui.

"_From what Lady Ragyo said, her daughter is still unable to hear Junketsu's voice,"_ Jackie glanced once more at Danketsu before wiping away the blood leaking from her lips, _"If Lady Ragyo's own lineage is unworthy of hearing the beautiful voice of a Kamui then how on Earth is this woman able to do so?"_

"So you can hear your Kamui?" When Jackie saw Kinue and her Kamui's eyes widen she knew her suspicions were correct. Everything was changed now that she knew Kinue could hear her Kamui. Instead of killing her as a sign to Nudist Beach she would instead knock her out and bring her back to Revocs headquarters. Lady Ragyo would love to see just what it was that allowed this nobody to hear the voice of a Kamui.

"Hey, I work for Revocs remember? I know almost all there is to know about how a Kamui works," Jackie crossed her arms under her ample chest and laughed before she adopted a murderous grin, "But now that I know you can hear its voice everything's changed! Lady Ragyo will be elated when I bring your unconscious body back to Revocs to figure out how you were able to do it!"

Kinue ignored the shift in Jackie's persona to focus on what was bothering her, _"After I broke her nose I noticed a sharp rise in her power. Wait a second. Didn't she call her uniform Sanguinaire Raiment? If I remember my French, Sanguinaire stands for either bloody or bloodthirsty. Could it be that simple?"_

"I take it from your enlightened expression you've figured out the special ability of my raiment," Jackie shrugged her shoulders before making it a point to raise her hand to her face. As Kinue watched closely, Jackie smeared the blood from her broken nose onto her armored hand only for the life-giving liquid to quickly be absorbed, "My Sanguinaire Raiment becomes more powerful the more I bleed and get hurt, but I'm not surprised that the woman who destroyed every Revocs Sewing Factory east of the Rhine River would figure it out."

Kinue narrowed her eyes. She was certain she had destroyed all photographic evidence of her presence during missions, "How do you know about me?"

The vicious grin on Jackie's face vanished and was replaced with a cocky smile, "Lady Ragyo's known about you ever since you somehow gave the Grand Couturier the slip in Rome. She knew that you Nudists would eventually be forced to take out this facility if you ever wanted to be more than just an annoyance. That's why she sent me, a member of her elite security force Xcution, here. Although had known you possessed a blessed Kamui I would have asked for some assistance."

"So you came here alone?" Kinue brought her Genji blade up into a basic stance. As rivers of rain dripped off the blade, she glared at Jackie and asked, "Do you really think you can stop me? Your best attacks have done little more than bruise me and yet you're the one bleeding out."

"So naïve," Jackie sighed and rubbed the knuckles of her hand against her forehead. Why did Nudists always think they could win against Life Fibers? Looking at Kinue with mock pity, she asked, "Do you honestly think that just because you are wearing a Kamui that you are not being worn yourself. Someone like you is unworthy of a Kamui's power and is nothing more than food for such a magnificent garment! It is only a matter of time before your body is bled dry by your Kamui! You should have let my first attack kill you. It would have been a much more merciful death than what's in store for you. You should take off your Kamui before it kills you. You're no good to Lady Ragyo dead."

"_**I'm tired of listening to her fucking preaching! This is a fight not a soap opera,"**_ Danketsu glared angrily at Jackie, _**"Kick her ass and be done with it!"**_

Kinue stared at Jackie with a stoic expression while ignoring the angry ranting of Danketsu, "Be quiet. I have a mission and nothing is going to get in my way. Especially not someone so conceited about their power that the prospect of losing completely eludes them. You've let Life Fibers corrupt your mind and turn you into something that's no longer human. I pity you for the monster you've become and the humanity you discarded along the way."

Snarling in rage, Jackie forced more blood into her Sanguinaire Raiment and raced towards Kinue with her fist cocked back. How dare a human who was fortunate enough to have the ability to wear a Kamui tell someone like her what to do! She was one of Lady Ragyo's elite forces and one of the few people privileged to know what the Life Fibers have in store for humanity. She no longer wanted to capture Kinue. No, now she wanted to bash her face in until it was nothing more than a bloody mess. With the amount of blood coursing through her raiment's Life Fibers, there was nothing that could beat her!

"Die you pig in human clothing!"

Kinue quickly sheathed her Genji blade and brought out her twin Armor-Piercing Anti-Life Fiber Sewing Needle Pistols or, as she calls them, the M-6 Carnifex. Unlike her brother who uses twin Sewing Needle Machine Guns that fire specialized Sewing Needles that can desynchronize the Life Fibers in a uniform from their wearer's control, Kinue tended to go with a much more practical and powerful approach. When dealing with opponents such as Nui Harime and Xcution who have seen such weaponry and can counter or avoid the projectiles it is best to go with something with a bit more power.

The Carnifex was able to shoot the same type of sewing needles as her brother's weapons but with a speed that gave them nearly five times the piercing power. Kinue was certain that even the Grand Couturier wouldn't be able to shrug off several rounds from her Carnifex.

"Do you think a mere Sewing Needle weapon would work on my raiment? Die crétin!" Jackied bragged in triumph. She was well aware of the Sewing Needle weaponry used by Nudist Beach, which is why all of Xcution's raiment was specifically designed to be immune to their unimaginative ammunition. The looks on the Nudists' faces when they found that their weapons had no effect brought a tear to Jackie's eyes.

"Sorry but only a fool would not use all the tools at their disposal," she sarcastically apologized as she leapt to the side just before Jackie could hit her. Backpedalling along the muddy ground, her heeled feet kicking up splashes of mud and water, she quickly raised the Carnifex in her right hand. Taking careful aim at her still turning opponent, Kinue fired off three needles in quick succession that traveled through the air and easily pierced the protective armor of Jackie Tristan's Sanguinaire Raiment.

"Salope!"

Jackie cursed in her native tongue as her entire left arm went completely numb from the needles. Reaching over and clenching her still working right hand around the three needles jammed deep in her shoulder, she painfully tore them out from her raiment with nary a grunt. As the feeling returned to her arm, she glared angrily at Kinue and shouted, "How did you do that? The Nudists I've killed never had such powerful weapons!"

"Let me give you a useful piece of information," Kinue shifted her arms around and fired the Carnifex in her left hand, "I may wear a Kamui but I am a true Nudist through and through. What I wear does not change that. Your failure to understand such a basic concept makes me pity you even more."

Knowing what was about to come, Jackie ran across the muddy ground as the armor piercing needles shot through the air inches only behind her. As her dirty boots continued to fight for traction against the slippery ground, she picked up the faint sound of Kinue's Carnifex clicking empty. Allowing a relieved grin to appear, Jackie turned towards her only to have several needles pierce the length of her legs.

"Merde!"

Jackie collapsed as her legs immediately went numb from the effects of the needles. Clenching her hands into fists in anger, Jackie looked up and saw Kinue's shadowed face briefly illuminated by a flash of lightning. As she witnessed Kinue aim her Carnifex at her, Jackie sneered, "What's going on? I heard your weapon click empty."

"I have two, remember?" Kinue made a motion of showing her second Carnifex to Jackie before aiming it back at her heart. She was in a very fortuitous situation. Kinue had come to Paris to destroy the Revocs Distribution Facility. She could not have dreamed that she would be able to capture a member of Xcution. The information Jackie Tristan possessed about Ragyo Kiryuin and her operations was immensely valuable. With rain streaking down her skin-tight Kamui, Kinue pressed a heel against Jackie's back, "I do not like to repeat myself so I will only say it once. Get up and put your hands behind your head."

"You…bitch…"

Kinue quickly jumped back as a burst of power exploded from Jackie. As the needles embedded in her legs were forced out, allowing her to stand up once more, Jackie glared at her opponent with all the hatred she could muster. Forcing as much blood through her raiment as she could, Jackie raised a hand, ignorant of the red-tinged steam wafting off of it, "I'm not to let a Nudist like you stop me! Lady Ragyo will not be stopped by the likes of you. Now die!"

Focusing all her power into her fist, Jackie let out a scream of anger and raced along the muddy ground towards Kinue. With all the blood she's fed to her raiment her power was now at a level greater than that of a Kamui. There was nothing Kinue could do to stop her.

With an almost dejected look in her eyes, Kinue watched Jackie run towards her with rage evident on her face. She didn't understand why people always tried to use one final attack when they were about to lose. It almost never works since it is usually out of desperation and thus not well thought out. Waiting until Jackie's fist was inches from her face, Kinue quickly moved in a blur of motion to do what she needed.

Kinue accomplished several things in the time it took Jackie to blink once. As Jackie's fist approached her face, Kinue firstly put her Carnifex pistols back into the hidden holsters on the small of her back. When Jackie's fist only an inch from her face Kinue let out a breath and allowed Danketsu's power to flow through her body. Just as the fist touched the tip of her nose, Kinue leaned back and avoided the attack altogether before twisting her body and smashing the hilt of her Genji blade directly into Jackie's solar plexus.

There was a cacophony of lights and purple stars before Jackie's body was propelled backwards through the air. As she impacted the wall of the distribution facility with a resounding echo, Kinue took the time to sheath her Genji blade once more and reload her Carnifexes. A lull like this in a serious fight was not a time to go searching for her opponent. She could sense that Jackie was conscious but more importantly agree. She would come back to her in a pitiful and hasty attempt at revenge, which will allow Kinue an easy chance to finish the fight.

As she clicked the final clip into her Carnifexes, Kinue lamented on the single design flaw of her weapons of choice. Unlike her brother's that can fire one hundred sewing needles before reloading, her weapons only had six shots before emptying. In return for a such major decrease in ammunition, her sewing needles packed much more of a punch. She had never actually tested it, but two six-needle clips should be enough to greatly weaken a Kamui instead of the many pin cushion bombs, spool grenades and rounds Tsumugu needed against Ryuko Matoi's Senketsu. Speaking of which…

Quickly reaching into a pocket on her fatigue pants, Kinue pulled out a pin cushion bomb and set the timer for five second before throwing it into the debris she knew Jackie was hiding in. Kinue knew that the Nudist explosive wouldn't damage her opponent or weaken her Sanguinaire Raiment. She was counting on Jackie becoming so enraged by the insultingly weak attack that she would charge out of cover and forget any plans she may have come up with just to attack her.

When the pin cushion bomb detonated and released its needle payload directly over its victim, Kinue felt Jackie's power increase as she shot out of the debris. "Well," she said dryly as her opponent's power seemed to keep increasing. Perhaps she should have gone with a spool grenade instead. It would have been less flashy, "That went better than I thought. I expected a member of Xcution to be more cautious and level-headed in battle."

"_**What were you thinking?"**_ Danketsu asked in confusion. If there was one thing she knew about her wearer it was that Kinue was a pragmatist. She would never do anything in combat that was flashy, overly dramatic or prone to backfiring on her. That was why the Kamui was so confused about Kinue's recent actions. All Danketsu could detect from Kinue throwing the pin cushion bomb was a sharp and dangerous increase in Jackie's power. It was nearly to the point of equaling her raw power, which was something Danketsu did not appreciate one bit, _**"Have you fucking snapped or something?"**_

"Give me the benefit of the doubt, Danketsu," Kinue ran to the side to avoid Jackie's powered attacked all the while continuing to spam sewing needles at every known junction in her Sanguinaire Raiment. It appeared that the anger and rage clouding Jackie Tristan's mind gave her immunity to the anesthetizing effect of the needles. While this would no doubt make taking down Jackie Tristan more difficult, it was not impossible. Kinue just needed to stay calm and focused. Her opponent's rage will work to her advantage in the end.

"How do you keep hitting me?"

Jackie didn't know what was going on and it really pissed her off. How could a mere Nudist who was blessed with the opportunity to wear a Kamui be beating her? There was no way in hell that a Kamui would even consider to be worn by someone opposing Lady Ragyo's ambitions and plans!

"If you think I'll fall to a Nudist, think again," Jackie snarled as she glared at Kinue. Slamming her fists together with enough power to cause a miniature shockwave to radiate outwards, her anger reached a tipping point when she saw Kinue staring impassively at her. Forcing her Sanguinaire Raiment to take in more blood than it could safely handle, all in an attempt to utterly destroy Kinue and her Kamui, Jackie was stunned when she felt the world around her spinning before she collapsed to the ground.

"It seems that the tranquilizing needles have finally started to take effect," Kinue walked slowly towards her downed opponent while being sure to keep her Carnifexes trained on every major seam, junction and weak point of Jackie's raiment. Coming to a stop front of Jackie's barely moving head, Kinue used her heel to flip her opponent over so that she could aim at her face, "Actually, that is only half right. While my Anti-Life Fiber sewing needles did a lot of the work, your own idiocy enabled me to win."

"What did…you do…to me?" Jackie struggled to speak but found it increasingly difficult. It felt as if her body was made of lead and no matter how much she willed it, her Sanguinaire Raiment failed to heed her call. Harshly coughing and staring up at her opponent's stoic face, Jackie was confused when Kinue holstered her Carnifexes.

"Your Sanguinaire Raiment's power is tied to how much blood you give it. That much you've told me," Kinue reached down and picked up Jackie's immobile form with a single hand. As two sets of eyes stared at their defeated opponent, Kinue ignored Danketsu's oh-so-helpful ideas on how to humiliate Jackie Tristan further, "But in the end the greatest strength of your Life Fiber uniform is also your greatest weakness."

Jackie struggled to move her arms and it was only after a concentrated effort that she was able to raise them high enough for her to close her hands around Kinue's wrist. She needed to get free and inform Lady Ragyo of Kinue's Kamui. Revocs losing the Paris Distribution Facility wasn't as important as dealing with someone like Kinue but the woman's strength was abnormally strong.

"H-How?"

Kinue's eyebrow arched upwards in curiosity, "How what?"

"How are you still alive?" Jackie seethed as she continued to struggle. She didn't understand why she was so weak. Her Sanguinaire Raiment should have blessed her with enough power to take down this damn Nudist and yet it seemed like Kinue's power was leagues above her own. Feebly kicking against Kinue's stomach, only to find the woman completely unflinching from the assault, she spat and shouted, "The Kamui should have devoured your unworthy body by now! There should be no blood left in your body! How are you still alive?"

"Oh, that. It's none of your business," Kinue's amusement in finding out what Jackie wanted to say quickly evaporated. Twisting her upper body around, Kinue spun around and launched Jackie's body through the air. The member of Xcution tumbled weakly while in flight until her body hit the wall hard enough to crater and crack it.

Jackie coughed harshly, flakes of blood escaping her lips, as she fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. Her body felt like it was completely dead and yet her mind still couldn't figure out why she was so damn weak. Looking up at her approaching opponent with half-lidded eyes, Jackie was thrust back against the wall when twelve sewing needles embedded themselves in her arms and legs. As the last dredges of power left her body, Jackie barely heard Kinue speaking to her.

"Your raiment must be tailored exceptionally well to still be in one piece. I don't suppose the Grand Couturier designed it herself, did she?" Kinue didn't expect an answer from her opponent. All of Jackie Tristan's offensive and defensive capabilities were destroyed, leaving her as nothing but an extremely weakened normal human. Holstering one of her Carnifexes while reloading the other, she trained the Sewing Needle weapon over Jackie's heart, "Let me tell you a useful piece of information. Are you familiar with the meaning of exsanguination? From your confused expression I see that you are not. It means that your body is dangerously low on blood."

"Fuck you, you damned Nudist," Jackie Tristan was on the verge of unconsciousness but she was not going to sit and listen to Kinue prattle on about stuff she didn't care about. Her defiance was shattered as Kinue fired three sewing needles into her stomach.

"I also hate to be interrupted," Kinue admonished evenly, her voice not betraying any other emotion other than irritation and annoyance at being interrupted. Changing the aim of her Carnifex to Jackie's head, she continued, "The more blood you gave to your Sanguinaire Raiment the less that remained in your body. In the past you've never fought anyone that forced you to truly fight, have you? You've never fought anything like Danketsu in all your time in Xcution. That is why as our fight dragged on you were forced to give your raiment more and more of your blood. You needed to do so in order to not lose, but in your haste you forget you needed blood to live. As your power increased your endurance and stamina fell. That is why you have lost."

"You think I care if you kill me?" Jackie spat blood on Danketsu only to see the Kamui visibly shift and remove the red liquid, "You Nudists are no match for Lady Ragyo! You've lost before you even knew you were fighting!"

"Seni-Soshitsu!"

Kinue Kinagase was not a woman who did not learn from others. Her Genji blade might not be as sharp as Satsuki Kiryuin's Bakuzan or possess the ability to sever Life Fibers like Ryuko Matoi's Scissor Blade, but it was more than good enough to destroy anything other than a Kamui. After she stuck around in Honnou City and witnessed a few of Ryuko and Ichigo's fights, she took the time to analyze their finishing moves until she was able to do it herself. A move like Seni-Soshitsu was not something she could afford to ignore.

Jackie Tristan didn't know what hit her as Kinue's Genji blade, which had just been holstered on her back, cut downwards through her Sanguinaire Raiment. As her Life Fiber uniform fell to tattered pieces of cloth around her, Jackie's last thought before falling into the inky darkness of unconsciousness was how Kinue possessed a Life Fiber weapon.

"_**I was wondering if she would ever fucking shut up,"**_ Danketsu glared down at Jackie's form, naked apart from her underwear, before shifting her attention on her wearer, _**"That was fun though! You completely and totally tore apart all her dreams and strategies without even trying. Perhaps working alongside you will be worth it if this is what we'll do from now on!"**_

"Quiet down, Danketsu," Kinue didn't need to voice her complete displeasure at Danketsu's behavior. Due to the new bond between the two of them, her Kamui could hear the intentions of her words and knew that she truly wasn't angry with Danketsu. Sparing one final look at Jackie Tristan's body, she reached for her cell phone and dialed a number. After the phone range thrice, a familiar voice picked up, "Hello brother. Yes. Yes. I'm fine, although I ran into a complication during the mission. There was a member of Xcution stationed at the distribution facility. No, I'm not injured thanks to Danketsu."

Something Tsumugu asked caused Kinue's eyes to widen in mild annoyance, "No. I don't need to give my report directly to him. I can't deal with his nonsense right now. Tsumugu, I need you to do me a favor. Prep an immediate evac from my current location and make sure to account for a prisoner – a member of Xcution itself. Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime's absence have given us a golden opportunity. We shouldn't let their generosity go to waste."

Hanging up and putting away her phone, Kinue hefted Jackie Tristan's body over her shoulder and began walking away from the Revocs facility. She was not stupid enough to link the Anti-Life Fiber charges to a timer. Revocs always had on hand one or two employees capable of disarming those types of explosives. The bombs she planted were linked to Danketsu's Life Fibers. The moment she walked a kilometer away from the charges, they would immediately detonate.

"Well now," Kinue gave a look to her prisoner before increasing her pace, "This has been quite the eventful morning."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Students of Honnouji Academy!"<p>

Satsuki Kiryuin, clad in Junketsu, slammed the hilt of Bakuzan against the stage as her voice echoed clear across the expansive ballroom without any electronic assistance. She did not need the help of any device to say what was needed to be said. Glancing across the ballroom, her gaze lingering on several people for a microsecond, the perpetual stoic expression on her face seemed to triple in intensity as a backdrop of light illuminated her in shadows, "For the past three years Parent Student Day has helped to weed out the weak from the strong! Those unable to adapt and persevere in the face of adversity and hardship have fallen by the wayside, discarded like the trash they are, while those with the fortitude and constitution to stand strong have prospered!"

"She sure likes to hear herself talk."

Ryuko Matoi leaned her chin onto her elbows as she stared up at Satsuki in annoyance. Even now the Student Council President was telling all of them just how lowly and worthless they were and that they should aspire to become her lackeys like the Elite Four. It, quite frankly, pissed her off.

"_**You should pay attention, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu lightly chided his wearer's lack of attention. He may not have a choice when it came to listening to Satsuki Kiryuin talk but the information she was saying could one day be valuable. Swiveling his eye until he was looking directly at Satsuki's Kamui, Senketsu interestingly noticed Junketsu turn its eyes to look right back at him.

"I know," Ryuko whispered just loud enough for Senketsu to hear her. She couldn't afford to talk to her Kamui like she normally did while she was at the ceremony. Doing so would no doubt draw unwanted attention and Ryuko sure as hell didn't need any more of that, "It's just that listening to Satsuki preach on and on is really annoying."

"_**It seems that you're not the only one,"**_ Senketsu's voice had a hint of humor and mirth as he minutely moved his left sleeve, which Ryuko had been forced to pull all the way down for the ceremony, to get her attention. Once Ryuko looked down to see what he wanted, Senketsu motioned with his lapel to the stage, _**"Ichigo and Mugetsu look to be just as miserable as you."**_

Following Senketsu's line of sight up to the stage, Ryuko allowed a small grin to break through the façade of annoyance that had been plastered on her face ever since she had first walked into the room. Sitting just behind and to Satsuki Kiryuin's left was Ichigo. The teen had his standard scowl of annoyance on his face and from the way he was looking anywhere but Satsuki it was obvious he found her speech to be boring.

"_**Mugetsu's saying something."**_

"She is?" Ryuko focused her gaze on Ichigo's Kamui but couldn't pick up anything over the sound of Satsuki's speech, "I can't hear anything."

"_**Ryuko, you may wear me and I may be worn by you but you are not a Kamui. While I cannot hear any better than you when it comes to other humans nor can I read lips, the Life Fibers making up my being allow me to hear ultra-low acoustic effects created by other Kamui."**_

"Really?" Ryuko sat up a little straighter and stared down at her Kamui. She had no idea Senketsu had an ability like that, "What is Mugetsu saying?"

"_**Let me listen,"**_ Senketsu's eye closed in concentration and after a few seconds opened again. In an irritated tone, Senketsu answered, _**"She's telling me that I should have my Life Fibers bleached and starched. She's really upset that she's being forced to sit in front of hundreds of people. From the underlying desperation in Mugetsu's voice as well as the urgency it seems that my fellow Kamui has stage fright."**_

Finding out that Ichigo's Kamui had stage fright almost caused Ryuko to break out in a fit of laughter with the only thing stopping her being the fact that she was in a public ceremony with hundreds of people. Even she was not foolish enough to potentially piss of Satsuki Kiryuin and all of her little helpers all alone. Allowing a soft chuckle at Mugetsu's expense while filing away that information for later use, Ryuko looked over at the three women on the opposite side of the stage and immediately felt something off about them.

Ryuko didn't know what was bothering her about them. The dark-skinned woman wearing the white business suit, shorts and thigh high stockings didn't seem too strange apart from the fact that once in a while she would raise her fingers to her ear and whisper something. From the way she was acting and the sheer lack of any resemblance to Satsuki, Ryuko figured she was some sort of bodyguard or something. Next to the dark-skinned woman a tall woman wearing a pure white dress that Satsuki had introduced as her mother, Ragyo Kiryuin. The subtle, but still visible, rainbow aura emanating from the multicolored undertone of her silver hair was proof enough of her relation to Satsuki. Ryuko had no idea what Satsuki's mother was like but taking what she knew from Satsuki, Ragyo was probably just like her.

Before she shifted her attention away from Ragyo, Ryuko found herself entranced by the Kiryuin matriarch's rainbow undertone. She didn't understand the feeling in her chest but for some strange reason it reminded Ryuko of her own red highlight. For as long as she could remember Ryuko had been mystified by the single red bang of hair that always fell to the same exact length over her left eye. Ryuko had tried for years to get rid of it. She had tried cutting it off only for the bang to grow back in by the next morning. When she attempted to dye it the same shade of black as the rest of her hair, the dye simply slid off the bang like water right in front of her eyes. Eventually after dozens of failed attempts at hiding it she had given up.

Letting out a sigh of frustration as memories of her failed exploits at taming her red bang were brought to the forefront of her mind, Ryuko glanced over at the last of the three women and immediately felt something disturbing about her. It didn't come right away but after a few seconds of trying to piece together what was bothering her, Ryuko figured it out.

The blonde girl was staring directly at her.

As soon as Ryuko's dark blue eyes settled upon Nui Harime, the blonde haired girl's single visible eye immediately shifted and locked gazes with her, causing a small shiver to race up her spine. Ryuko could not figure out how the girl knew she was looking at her. She had to be more than fifty feet away in a nearly pitch black room for crying out loud. In fact, if it wasn't for Satsuki's backdrop of light illuminating the room Ryuko was certain she would not be able to see her hand in front of her face. So how did the girl know Ryuko was looking at her?

"_What's wrong with her eye?"_ Ryuko forced herself to stare directly at Nui's face for a few more seconds while purposely ignoring the slightly deranged look in the Grand Couturier's eye. Out of Nui's entire ensemble, the purple eye patch over her left eye stuck out like a sore thumb. Narrowing her eyes slightly as she noticed a weird pattern to the eye patch, Ryuko thought for a moment that it resembled a set of Kanji or something, _"Did something happen to it? Is she blind or something?"_

Almost as if she was capable of reading Ryuko's thoughts, Nui Harime's smile slowly widened until it seemed to take up half of her face. With a saccharine grin adorning her face and her hands clasped politely on her lap over her kicking feet, Nui looked like the epitome of cuteness and innocence but Ryuko could not help but feel something off about her. She wasn't able to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from and with Senketsu too upset about whatever Mugetsu was telling him to be of any help, Ryuko decided to let it go for the moment but she just couldn't get rid of the notion that she had seen Nui somewhere before.

"This brings me to the following announcement - the reinstatement of Nonon Jakuzure into the Elite Four!" Satsuki's voice sharply rose in volume as she finished speaking, managing to break Ryuko's gaze away from Nui Harime and towards herself. What Ryuko, nor anyone else, would ever find out is that Satsuki had been quite aware of Ryuko's wandering attention and had purposely raised her voice to snap her back to reality before the Grand Couturier could attempt any of her mind games. Satsuki knew from firsthand experience that Nui Harime did not need to do or say anything to get inside someone's mind and with what she knew about Ryuko's past, it was clear she was in no way prepared for Nui's tricks.

Satsuki didn't need to do more than avert her gaze towards the table seating her Elite Four to get Nonon's undivided attention. While Jakuzure completely failed in her mission to discover what it was about Matoi and Ichigo that enabled them full control over their Kamui's respective powers, she did retrieve valuable evidence that may be just as important. Despite Jakuzure lack of social grace when it came to associating with anyone she perceived to be Satsuki's enemies, the information she gathered about Mugetsu and Senketsu's combat capabilities would be more than adequate when it came time for the implementation of the Naturals Election.

"As you all are no doubt aware, several weeks ago I expelled Nonon Jakuzure from the Elite Four! By failing her assigned task of defeating Ichigo Kurosaki and retrieving his Kamui, she had brought shame dishonor upon Honnouji Academy and everything it represents!" Satsuki slammed Bakuzan onto the hardwood stage, causing an echo to reverberate out into the ballroom from the impact, "But her time as a No-Star has shown me that she is deserving of one last chance! The information she has managed to gather will help to uphold the safety and security of Honnouji Academy against anyone that dares to stand against us! As of tonight Nonon Jakuzure is once again the Non-Athletic Committee Chair and will be treated with the respect she deserves! I will not tolerate anything less! Do I make myself clear?"

As if on cue every One and Two-Star student currently in attendance stood up and began clapping earnestly for the newly promoted Nonon. It was not that they were glad for her. On the contrary, many of them had been gunning for the position she vacated upon her demotion and were understandably upset to find that a position on the Elite Four was probably never actually up for grabs. Ignorant of the treasonous and jealous thoughts coursing through a lot of the applauding students Nonon stood up, a smug smirk on her face, and did on a one-armed bow to the audience.

"_I may not have gotten my revenge on Strawberry or the Transfer Student but it's only a matter of time."_ Several plans on how to take her revenge on those that scorned and mocked her coursed through the devious pinkette's mind. With her position on the Elite Four once again publically accepted she could dedicate time and effort to taking revenge. Even Ichigo and his stupid Kamui would not be able to stand up to the might of her new Symphony Regalia Mark III.

Satsuki stood at attention as the noise in the ballroom died down. Once everyone's attention was squarely on her once more she resumed where she had left off, "This brings up another point of contention. For far too long a vital part of Honnouji Academy's hierarchy has been left vacant due to the simple fact that no one worthy enough of filling the void has shown themselves! That emptiness ends tonight! The position of Vice President of the Honnouji Academy Student Council has been filled! Stand at attention and welcome your new Vice President – Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Every pair of eyes in the ballroom turned towards Ichigo upon Satsuki's proclamation. As Mugetsu's shivering increased tenfold from the added attention, which was really annoying since he couldn't tell her to quit it while in public without sounding crazy, the former substitute shinigami could not help but feel that perhaps he should have refused Satsuki's offer of protection in exchange for keeping Nui Harime away from his friends. The Grand Couturier was, after all, sitting not twenty feet away from him. What was the damn point of becoming the Vice President of Honnouji Academy if the one person you wanted to stay far away from was sitting almost within arm's reach?

"_It's like Nui is well aware of what Satsuki promised and is doing her best to piss me off. I swear she's trolling me or something."_

Putting Nui's disturbing interest in him aside for the time being, Ichigo focused on the matter at hand. When he showed up an hour before the ceremony like Satsuki wanted, she had been quick to lay down the rules and itinerary of the night's events.

Handing Ichigo a list, Satsuki had begun mentally reciting the order of events for the night. The ceremony would start with the standard introduction before she would abruptly switch topics and introduce her mother, Ragyo Kiryuin. When Ichigo foolishly asked why it was so important to introduce Ragyo, Satsuki had nearly beheaded him with Bakuzan for daring to refer to her mother so casually. Muttering a quick and sarcastic apology and averting his eyes from Nonon and Sanageyama's snickering in the background, Ichigo decided to get out with it and ask what his part was in all this. Satsuki's glare had doubled in intensity at Ichigo's continuing rude behavior but when he refused to back down, she had been forced to concede that she could not deal with him like a normal person. Where most students and even adults would be cowed by her presence and overwhelming willpower, such things had no effect on Ichigo.

After she thought about his question for far too long a time, which should have been Ichigo's first cue that something was off, Satsuki had softly smiled and said that he would need to give a speech.

"_How the hell could she expect me to give a speech when I only had an hour to do it?"_ Ichigo thought in annoyance as his frustration came to a head, _"It would have made a lot more sense to tell me this yesterday. What does she want me to do, make up crap about how 'amazing and powerful' she is?"_

Amazingly enough that was exactly what Satsuki wanted him to do.

Standing up and ignoring Mugetsu's pleas for him to activate her transformed state and get out of there, Ichigo took the microphone conveniently offered to him by a groveling One-Star student and made his way towards Satsuki at the front of the stage. While making sure not to look at his dad, who was snapping pictures, Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh that the microphone managed to pick up.

"So apparently I'm your new Vice President. Truthfully I have no clue what I'm supposed to do," Ichigo stopped briefly and gave a look of annoyance at Satsuki, who had moved to stand on the opposite side of Rei Hououmaru from her mother. Deciding to get it over and done with while mentally telling the consequences to go to hell, Ichigo snapped back to attention and said, "If I'm going to be your Vice President I should probably start with how much I didn't want the job. Satsuki asked me to take the job five times before I finally gave in and said yes."

Slightly curious about why Satsuki wasn't moving to stop him, Ichigo nevertheless continued, "Most of you probably hate me for not bowing down before the great Satsuki but I just don't care. All I wanted to do when I came to Honnouji Academy was to get through a full school year without anything crazy going on but as soon as I arrived I was pulled into a fight courtesy of our "glorious" Student Council President. Now if you'll please excuse me I have other, more important, places to be."

Fully vented of his frustration, Ichigo tossed the microphone to a still silent Satsuki and walked backstage. As soon as he opened the exit behind the stage he let out an audible sigh of relief. He was certain that the way the Elite Four were looking at him towards the end, especially Gamagori, that they would jump on stage to enact their strict form of discipline on him.

"_**Never ever do that again, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu swallowed nervously, a remarkable feat for a Kamui that lacked a mouth. Ever since Ichigo walked on stage and she saw the hundreds of people looking in her general direction, the normally confident and boasting Kamui had been reduced to a mute mess, unable to do anything more than move her body to let Ichigo know what she wanted. Senketsu's lack of empathy did not help either.

"Hey," Ichigo glared at his Kamui's eyes in equal annoyance, "How the hell was I supposed to know you would have stage fright?"

"_**Now you know,"**_ Mugetsu's eyes narrowed dangerously, _**"And you will never do it again or you'll suffer the consequences."**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Sure I will…"

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, things in the ballroom had quickly moved on after his tirade. While most of those loyal and devoted to Satsuki had been incensed at what he said, most of those in attendance had quickly forgotten when dozens of waiters and waitresses came out of nowhere with trays of high quality food, drinks and wines that were of a quality only Two-Stars were used to partaking in. The Mankanshoku family in particular had a photographic memory when it came to food and vividly remembered each and every single dish brought out to them. While they were depressed that they could no longer eat such wondrous food whenever they wanted, they were content with being a happy and loving family once more.

"It appears that your description of Ichigo was accurate," Ragyo Kiryuin majestically stepped down from the stage with a sly smile on her face. She had been quite pleased with Ichigo's performance just a few minutes ago. In fact, she was still shivering from the power and authority each of his words possessed. Turning maroon eyes at Satsuki walking respectfully at her side, Ragyo remembered watching the video of Ichigo and his Kamui defeating Junketsu. Mentally connecting with the Life Fiber being she had created so many years ago, Ragyo was intrigued when the Kamui's voice suggested nothing but admiration for Ichigo and Mugetsu.

"Thank you mother," Satsuki's voice was subdued as it always was in the presence of her mother. While she was the Student Council President, she knew her mother was the true ruler of Honnouji Academy and could easily dispose of her if she truly wanted to. For the moment she would play the helpless and subservient daughter, "I will let Inumuta know you found his information acceptable."

"Ichigo's Kamui is truly magnificent. It is a work of art and its Life Fibers are beautifully woven together," The Kiryuin matriarch seemed lost in her words before turning towards her daughter, "Ichigo would make a fine addition to the Kiryuin family. His compatibility with Life Fibers exceeds your own and his body truly seems to be made to be worn by clothing. He would be the perfect man for you to court, wouldn't you agree?"

A slight creasing of Satsuki's brows was the only sign of the embarrassment she felt at the conversation her mother had started, "I will admit that Ichigo had piqued my interests. He does not seem to be concerned with material wealth and views the power his Kamui grants him as nothing but a means to an end."

"He is truly Isshin's son," Satsuki stopped walking as she watched her mother and Rei Hououmaru continue forward, "I look forward to seeing what becomes of you and Ichigo."

"Yes mother," Satsuki felt something off as she watched her mother leave but for the moment put it aside as she made her way back to where her Elite Four were waiting. It was only as Sanageyama bowed his head towards her that she realized what it was she saw, or rather who she failed to see.

* * *

><p>...<p>

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><p>Ichigo silently walked through the empty halls of Honnouji Academy in deep thought as the sounds coming from the ballroom grew quieter. He knew what he did was probably going to come back and bite him in the ass tomorrow but in all honesty he was getting a little sick and tired of Satsuki always thinking she's better than him. While he was grateful for her assistance against Nui Harime the previous day, the fact that she apparently knew the Grand Couturier on a more than personal level was highly suspicious.<p>

"_**So what are you going to do now?"**_ Mugetsu had calmed down since leaving the ceremony and was back to her normal and impatient self. Letting the feeling of complete isolation with no eyes watching her every move circulate through her Life Fibers, she looked up at her wearer and said, _**"Satsuki Kiryuin is not going to ignore what you did. If I didn't agree completely with what you said, I would be calling you a complete idiot."**_

"Someone needed to bring her down a peg," Ichigo defended his actions with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Unfortunately I'm the only one who seems to have ever beaten her in a fight, which means she's probably going to want to figure out why I'm so strong. Damn, this is getting complicated. Things would be a lot easier if I didn't have to save Ryuko."

"_**Satsuki would have killed Ryuko."**_

"Maybe…" Ichigo frowned as something about Satsuki's expression that morning long ago came back to him. When he blocked her Bakuzan with his Tournesol, he had looked into Satsuki's eyes and noticed what could only be relief. At the time he thought Satsuki was relieved she finally had a worthy adversary to test Junketsu out against, which ended up working against her when Mugetsu's power proved too much for her Kamui to handle, but with everything going on Ichigo was beginning to have a different theory. Perhaps Satsuki was relieved because he had shown up in time to save Ryuko? If that was the case, than why was Satsuki sending out all the club captains after them and, from what Ryuko told him, order Mako to kill Ryuko?

"_Oh man, this is confusing,"_ Ichigo rubbed his eyes and yawned. Why couldn't people just announce their motives or reasons instead of hiding behind walls upon walls of conspiracies, gambits and schemes?

"_**But she can't do anything to you,"**_ Mugetsu's voice was positively beaming with praise as she spoke, _**"During our fight all those weeks ago as well as our collaboration against Nui Harime yesterday, it was our power that was greater. If we hadn't constantly drawn Nui's attention, Satsuki Kiryuin would likely have been killed by that monster. I just wish Junketsu would stop staring at me silently every chance it gets."**_

Ichigo looked down in surprise at his Kamui, "Wait just a second, shouldn't Junketsu talk? Why haven't I heard it say anything?"

"_**Junketsu has yet to say a word telepathically. If a Kamui wears a human and is, in turn, worn by a human it can telepathically communicate with their wearer. That is the reason why you and Ryuko are able to hear both my and Senketsu's voice. We trust you two enough to let you hear our actual voices. I don't know much about Junketsu's relationship with Satsuki Kiryuin, but it is quite likely she has less than an amiable relationship with the Kamui."**_

"I should tell her about this," Ichigo muttered out loud. When he saw Mugetsu looking at him with a suspicious gaze, he sighed and clarified, "Remember what happened at the end of my fight against Satsuki? Junketsu was trying to kill her. I don't like Satsuki any more than you do, but I'm not going to let her die just because we're on opposite sides."

Mugetsu growled softly before scoffing, _**"Fine, but don't make it too easy for her! Junketsu was holding back nearly half of its full power from Satsuki Kiryuin. If you help her form a true bond with her Kamui, it might make her too strong for us to beat!"**_

"I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Besides, now that I'm her Vice President or whatever I'm probably going to be – "

"That was a hell of a speech, Ichigo."

Before Ichigo was able to turn around and confront the owner of the familiar voice, he found his legs quickly swept out from underneath his body. As he slammed back-first onto the ground, he tried to get up only to find himself pinned heavily to the ground by a foot to the chest. Staring up into the amber eyes of his ambusher, Ichigo sighed and gave up struggling, "Hello Yoruichi."

Yoruichi Shihoin gave the former substitute shinigami a cat-like grin as she leaned on her leg, "How are you doing this fine evening? You seem a little down tonight, Ichigo."

"Oh, I'm just great aside from the fact that you're standing right on top of me!" Yoruichi chuckled at how easy it was for her to annoy him. Isshin's kid always did seem to have a short temper when it came to dealing with ladies. Removing her foot from on top of Ichigo's chest, Yoruichi stood back and watched as he got up and dusted Mugetsu off before giving her a sharp glare, "Why are you here, Yoruichi?"

"What kind of question is that?" Yoruichi butted her head against Ichigo's forehead and jabbed her finger into his chest, "What's so strange about a teacher checking up on her favorite student? If I didn't know any better, I would say you were upset that I stopped by!"

"Of course I'm suspicious!" Ichigo pushed back against Yoruichi as his eye began to twitch, "I've been at Honnouji Academy for almost seven weeks and the only time I've seen you is when you dropped off my sword."

Yoruichi gave Ichigo a gasp containing nothing but complete and utter shock at her student's harsh and critical words. When she saw that Ichigo wasn't moved by her acting, Yoruichi burst out into laughter, "I'm glad you haven't changed a bit Ichigo! If you had reacted any other way I would have made sure to beat some common sense back into the thick skull of yours. If you really want to know why I'm here, it's because I came to see you."

Ichigo backed off for the moment, "Me?"

"It's sort of a long story so I'm just going to start at the beginning," Yoruichi's amber irises shifted to the side as she gazed down the seemingly empty corridor. Expanding her senses, honed by centuries as a shinigami and captain of the Second Division, Yoruichi relaxed when she didn't sense anyone within range and turned her eyes back to him, "After I dropped off your sword and left, I found myself the target of an assassination attempt."

"What?" Ichigo had been expecting a ridiculous answer from the mischievous shinigami, but something like that was a shock.

"Oh please, who do you take me for?" Yoruichi sounded more insulted that Ichigo thought she was hurt from the assassination attempt than from the notion that someone would actually try to kill her. Grinning like a cat once more, Yoruichi folded her arms and said, "It will take a lot more than a simple rocket to take me out. The problem came from the person I had to fight – a girl by the name of Nui Harime."

Ichigo didn't answer right away as he pondered how the hell she always knew where to go. Swallowing the bile in his throat before it could rise any further, he twisted his head away from Yoruichi's penetrating gaze, "I know who she is. I've fought her twice now."

Yoruichi placed her hands on her hips and scoffed but didn't say anything. The memories of her fight against the Grand Couturier were still fresh in her mind. She never thought she would fight a human that was faster than Sui-Feng. If she hadn't continued training her speed and reflexes after the fight against Aizen and his arrancar forces, her surprise at Nui's immense speed could have been her downfall. Once she became used to Nui's speed, Yoruichi didn't have much of an issue avoiding her attacks. The problem was with Nui's terrifying endurance and regeneration. She didn't think even Kenpachi could walk away from having his head forced through nearly a foot of concrete and asphalt without getting at least slightly injured.

"While figuring out a way to counteract Nui Harime's strength and regeneration is important, it is not the reason I came to see you," Yoruichi reached into her jacket, a new one since the last one was torn up by a rocket, and handed Ichigo an old weathered journal that had the name SOUICHIRO embellished on the cover. Opening the old journal and flipping through the hand-written pages, Ichigo stopped when Yoruichi started to talk again, "Once I got back to Karakura Town and made sure Nui wasn't tracking me down, I headed back to Kisuke's shop. I thought it was awfully convenient that someone would come to kill me just after delivering your sword and showing you the picture and video. As I dug through the remains of the underground training room I found one of Kisuke's lockboxes."

"And this journal was in it?" Ichigo flipped to the first page of the journal and noticed that the date in the corner was from nearly nineteen years ago.

Yoruichi nodded, "There were two things in the lockbox – that journal and a note from Kisuke about Life Fibers."

When Ichigo gave her a surprised look, Yoruichi scoffed incredulously, "I know enough about Life Fibers now to be in the loop. Kisuke's notes contained a lot of disturbing information about the correlation between humanity and Life Fibers. I couldn't make heads or tails of what Kisuke was trying to say but one thing I was able to decipher was that Life Fibers have been around a long time, Ichigo. Kisuke was able to date Life Fibers and place their age to at least seventy thousand years. Life Fibers are alive Ichigo, and they've been around for far longer than the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"There was something else in the lockbox – a note written by Kisuke," Yoruichi's words brought Ichigo out of his thoughts concerning the age of Life Fibers and Mugetsu, "I thought it might be important but it turned out to only have a few scribbled sentences about some of Kisuke's theories on Life Fibers. It didn't make much sense to me, but Kisuke thought that all Life Fibers are capable of emitting and receiving an unknown signal. He ended the note with only a single word – Domination. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Domination?" Ichigo didn't have a clue what that might mean. It had to do something with Life Fibers but he couldn't figure out what it might mean. Deciding to forego secrecy, he glanced down at Mugetsu and asked, "That mean anything to you?"

"_**I am afraid not,"**_ Mugetsu answered curtly, _**"Unfortunately my knowledge of Life Fibers is limited. I am just as stunned as you are about the potential age of my Life Fibers. As for what Domination could mean I haven't the slightest clue."**_

"What a great help you are," Ichigo sarcastically muttered.

"Who are you talking to?"

Ichigo saw Yoruichi staring at him with a suspicious look in her eyes. Sighing dramatically, he pointed to Mugetsu's right eye and said, "I asked Mugetsu if she knew anything about what Kisuke wrote. It turns out she's just as clueless as the rest of us."

"_**Don't call me clueless. I just have a distinct lack of information pertaining to the matter at hand."**_

"That means you're clueless!" Ichigo snapped back, ignoring the amused grin on Yoruichi's face, "Why can't you just admit you don't know anything about this?"

Yoruichi clapped her hands right next to Ichigo's ear to regain his attention, "While I would love to continue listening to this one-sided conversation, I need to know if you have always been able to hear Mugetsu."

"What?" Ichigo ignored the return barb from his Kamui, "Ever since she woke up after I accidently got some of my blood on her, Mugetsu's been able to telepathically speak to me."

"That's…I don't know what to say to that," Yoruichi was having quite the hard time digesting what Ichigo told her. Kisuke's notes hadn't contained any information about a Kamui being sentient or able to talk and the fact that Ichigo was the only one able to hear Mugetsu caused alarms to go off in her head, "Are you sure you're hearing Mugetsu talk?"

It took Ichigo less than a second to understand Yoruichi's true question, "I'm not crazy! Ryuko can hear Mugetsu as well!"

"Fine," Yoruichi raised her hands in defeat. Perhaps she was wrong about whether or not Ichigo could hear Mugetsu. He was the one with the Kamui after all while she was going from the sparse notes Kisuke left behind. Cursing her best friend's photographic memory and his inability to keep written records, she grinned mischievously as something Ichigo said came to mind, "So Mugetsu's a girl? Are you two going steady?"

"_**Ichigo, what does she mean by 'going steady?'"**_

Ichigo, embarrassed by Yoruichi's question, opened his mouth to respond but was forced to stop when Yoruichi pressed her hand against it, "You might want to think about your answer and get back to me. It seems we have an uninvited guest."

"Oh, that's not fair" A childish voice echoed through the empty hall, "I was hoping to sneak up on you before you noticed I was here!"

Accompanied by a burst of melodious laughter, Nui Harime appeared from behind Ichigo and wrapped her left arm around his right arm. With a smile that stretched across her face, she looked up into Ichigo's eyes and stuck out her tongue, "I can't believe you were able to notice I was there, especially since I was trying super hard not to be found. I've always been good at hide and seek, you know? But it's so good that I found you Ichigo! I wanted to tell you that your little speech was just awesome and inspiring. I expect nothing less from my favorite cousin who actually beat Satsuki in a fight! I could beat her, of course, but it's just awesome to know that you're just like me now!"

"I'm nothing like you," Ichigo retorted, ignoring the strange feeling emanating from where Nui touched him.

"Why are you being so mean to me? Cousins should get along, you know," Nui pouted and puffed her cheeks out, "I mean, we're family and family should stick together. The warmth from our hearts beating as one just makes me happy!"

Turning her attention away from Ichigo and his lovely Kamui, Nui focused every bit of her intent and focus on Yoruichi. As the childish pout on her face vanished and her sapphire eye darkened in the shadowy hall, the Grand Couturier reached into her pink dress and casually pulled out the larger purple Scissor Blade, "Oh. It's you. I remember you. It's been quite a while. How have you been? Did you know I made a promise to myself after the last time we met? I promised that if I ever saw you again I would cut off one of your arms. Since being around Ichigo's put me in a good and cheerful mood, I'm going to be generous about which arm you get to keep. So pick the arm you happen to like the least, please!"

"You're a confident one," Yoruichi was unperturbed by Nui's threat. Instead of cowering or trying to run away, Yoruichi instead crossed her arms over her chest and gave the Grand Couturier a wide and confident grin, "But from what I remember, you were unable to land a single hit on me the last time we fought. Do you remember how I stole your blade twice and crushed your skull into the pavement? Let's face it, you may be able to heal from any injuries I could give you but you're never going to be able to even catch me!"

"Oh?" Nui's grin turned downright murderous as she vanished from next to Ichigo and reappeared in front of Yoruichi with her purple Scissor Blade held up high in the air. With a sadistic grin on her face, Nui's singular eye widened manically as she slashed towards through Yoruichi's body, "Hearing a human talk to me like that is so insulting! You should just lie down and die!"

The two halves of Yoruichi's body fell slowly to the ground and Nui's smile widened upon killing the one person that got away from her. That smile quickly vanished and was replaced by stunned disbelief as what she thought was a corpse vanished.

"Utsusemi."

Nui turned her head around to see Yoruichi standing unharmed down the hallway apart from a small tear on her jacket. Giving the Grand Couturier a mock salute, she sarcastically said, "You have speed but you'll never be able to catch me. I'm not known as the Goddess of Flash for nothing!"

"How interesting! A human that can avoid my attacks like that is really interesting. I'm going to enjoy cutting you open and finding just how you work," Nui was insulted that Yoruichi, a mere human, was able to avoid her attack. The Grand Couturier had been certain her Scissor Blade had sliced cleanly through Yoruichi's flesh and bone but despite her attitude and childishness, Nui had a sharp and keen mind. She understood that if Yoruichi was able to avoid her attack so easily then trying to kill her was going to be a problem.

"Well since that is out of the way, I'm going to head back Ichigo," Yoruichi nodded to Ichigo as she kicked open one of the windows. Before she leapt out into the night's cool air, she gave Nui one last mocking salute, "Be sure to call me if you ever need someone to show just how slow you really are!"

Nui puffed her cheeks out and huffed as Yoruichi disappeared into the darkness outside. She was still peeved that Yoruichi had avoided her attacks and wanted nothing more than to tear apart the dark-skinned woman limb from limb but that was what underlings are for! As soon as she got back to Revocs Nui made a mental note to order Rei to send a member or two of Xcution after Yoruichi. No one made a fool of the Grand Couturier and lived long enough to enjoy it.

"Well now that the wet blanket is gone, I have something super-duper awesome to tell you Ichigo!"

Nui spun on her heel and twirled around before pulling a piece of paper out of thin air. Handing it to Ichigo with an accompanying giggle, she wrapped her arm around his and leaned in, "You left the ceremony so quickly that Satsuki wasn't able to let you know about the Naturals Election coming up!"

Ichigo tried to pull his arm free but found Nui's grip to be like a vice, "Naturals Election?"

"Uh huh!" Nui nodded and stared happily at Ichigo, "It's all for that Ryuko Matoi girl! At least that's what I heard Satsuki tell her little stooges! It's supposed to start in a couple of days and you're going to be fighting too! Isn't that awesome?"

"Like hell I'm going to fight Ryuko!" Ichigo managed to tear his arm free from Nui's grasp and almost tore it out of the socket in the process. Rubbing his shoulder, he glared at Nui and asked, "What makes you think I'm going to do anything Satsuki says?"

"Huh?"

Nui tilted her head to the side and blinked owlishly before Ichigo's question hit her. Smiling and sticking out her tongue, she answered, "Oh, you got it all wrong! You're going to be fighting alongside Ryuko, at least if she survives the whole seven days! I'm really rooting for her, you know? She's going to be in for a really awesome surprise if she makes it to the last match! Good luck, Ichigo!"

Humming softly to herself, Nui began to skip her way back to Lady Ragyo's side. It was really good that she came to see how Ichigo was feeling after he stormed out of the ceremony. Who knows what lies that Yoruichi lady could have filled his head with if she hadn't come to save him?

"I can't see it."

Nui skidded to a stop as Ichigo spoke. Turning her head sharply around, her face adopting a pose of confusion, she asked, "What are you talking about, Ichigo?"

"I know you're Ururu's twin sister," Ichigo's words cut sharply through Nui's cheerful façade and the smile on her face immediately fell. As her normally bright blue eye darkened and seemed to drain of all emotions, Ichigo ignored it and continued, "But she's nothing like you."

"Please don't talk about things you have no knowledge about." The sheer lack of emotion in Nui's voice caused Ichigo to pause and take notice. Staring deeply into Nui's emotionless gaze, he realized he had seen that look somewhere before – on Ururu's face. Before he could question what she meant, Nui vanished in a burst of speed, leaving him all alone in the hallway.

"_**I said it once and I'll say it again. Nui Harime is a dangerous woman,"**_ Mugetsu's voice cut through the silence like a knife, _**"But she mentioned a Naturals Election. Are you going to participate?"**_

"Does it look like I have a choice in the matter?" Ichigo grumbled and began walking in the direction of his dorm, "Satsuki's got something planned…and that's not mentioning what Nui's has in store for Ryuko with her 'surprise.'"

"_**Agreed,"**_ Mugetsu's multicolored eyes narrowed as she tried to shake off the feeling of Nui's hands on her sleeves, _**"I don't know what that woman wants with Ryuko but I'm not going to just stand around and let it happen!"**_

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #14 – How a Kamui Changes its Look<br>**

There was a burst of static before Senketsu appeared in front of the camera. As his one eye loomed ominously in front of the lens, he backed off and waved with one of his sleeves, _**"Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of Kamui Tales! I'm your host Senketsu and tonight we're going to go over the various transformations or configurations of Kamui. First we'll start with – "**_

Senketsu's introduction to the omake was cut off harshly as Mugetsu flew out of nowhere and smashed the bottom part of her uniform into his mouth. As the male sailor uniform gagged as he was kicked off stage, eventually hitting something with a loud crash, Ichigo's Kamui huffed angrily and crossed her sleeves in a pose reminiscent of a pout, _**"Why are you the host of this omake? You're not the only Kamui able to do the job, you know!"**_

"_**I'm hosting it because I'm the readers' favorite Kamui!**__**"**_ Senketsu argued passionately as he hovered back onscreen and growled menacingly at an increasingly annoyed Mugetsu. Before she could argue back, however, a rude feminine voice interrupted Senketsu for her.

"_**Actually I'm hosting the omake."**_

Mugetsu and Senketsu looked to the left as the camera panned out to show Kinue Kinagase sitting calming in a chair with her legs folded over one another. It was obvious that with the headphones over her ears and her eyes focused squarely on the book in her hand that she hadn't been the one to interrupt their argument. When Kinue noticed the camera was zooming in on her face, she rolled her eyes and pointed with her thumb to Danketsu's narrowing eyes.

"_**The author has made me the host of this omake,"**_ Danketsu declared enthusiastically, _**"After my epic battle against Jackie Tristan no other Kamui could compare to my fucking power!"**_

Senketsu and Mugetsu shared a look before both Kamui rolled their eyes at Danketsu's boasting. Seeming to come to a mental decision at once, Senketsu raised his sleeve at Danketsu and asked, _**"You're lying. The author would never make a bloodthirsty Kamui like you the host of an omake! How do you know you're not lying?"**_

"_**Like this."**_

Danketsu turned her eyes up to her wearer and coughed to get Kinue's attention. When the elder Kinagase sibling continued to ignore her Kamui, Danketsu decided to take a more physical approach and forcibly took control of Kinue's hand long enough to get her to drop the book. While she was more than a little annoyed at her Kamui for forcing her to lose her place in the book she was reading, Kinue nevertheless reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar remote. Clicking on the button once and bringing up an image of Ichigo fighting Nonon while transformed into Mugetsu's Gufū configuration, she raised up eyebrow when Mugetsu and Senketsu depressingly deflated onto the floor.

With a happy tone in her voice, Danketsu began her narration, _**"Ok, listen up since I don't want to say this damn speech twice. Every Kamui has the ability to change their body in order to increase their battle potential. Mugetsu Gufū is a good example of what a Kamui can do when dealing with an airborne opponent like Nonon Jakuzure. By transforming each of Ichigo's legs into a separate propulsion system powered by the Life Fibers inside a Kamui, Mugetsu allows her human to fly under his own power. Hey, switch to the next slide, you annoying bitch!"**_

Kinue seemed to pick up the insult through her headphones because as soon as the expletive left Danketsu's mouth, she tossed the remote to a recovered Senketsu.

"_**Ah, thank you kind woman!"**_Senketsu blushed when Kinue nodded in appreciation. Dodging Mugetsu's attempt to claim the remote, he pressed the button and switched to the slide of Ryuko's first battle against Sanageyama, _**"Kamui configurations are not just limited to changing the field of battle. We can also shift forms to give our wearers new and unique abilities in combat. The invisible blade granted to Ryuko by my Senkou configuration is perfect for dealing with an opponent who relies on his eyes to avoid attacks."**_

Stopping as he finished his explanation, Senketsu looked around suspiciously when he noticed Mugetsu was no longer there. Turning to ask Danketsu if she saw her, he reconsidered when he saw the belligerent Kamui shouting at her wearer for giving the remote away. Kinue, due to her headphones and selective hearing, simply ignored her Kamui's ranting as she turned a page in her recovered book.

"_**Now Junketsu!"**_

Senketsu's eye widened in surprise as Satsuki's Kamui grabbed his sleeves from behind and held him tightly. Struggling to get free, he turned to the silent Kamui and shouted, _**"Junketsu? What are you doing in this omake?"**_

Junketsu averted her eyes away from Senketsu before pointing with her lapel in front of him. That gave the male Kamui just enough time to see Mugetsu appear out of nowhere and grab the remote from him.

"_**Serves you right,"**_Mugetsu growled before turning her attention to the other Kamui, _**"Thanks for the help Junketsu. You want to try this?"**_

Junketsu shook her lapels before picking up her dry erase board and marker, _"No thank you."_

Tearing his uniform free from Junketsu's grip, Senketsu scratched his sleeve in confusion as he asked, _**"We know you can speak. Anyone in an omake has the ability to read and view all the previous omakes.**__**"**_

Junketsu's eyes widened in fear before her whole uniform began shaking violently. Letting out a very feminine gasp of fright, Junketsu's eyes rolled up into her shoulders as she collapsed to the ground in embarrassment at someone actually hearing her voice.

"_**Oh great, you broke her,"**_ Mugetsu chastised her fellow Kamui as she nudged Junketsu's fallen form with one of her pant legs.

"_**I didn't break her,"**_ Senketsu countered before sighing and grabbing the top of Junketsu's uniform, _**"Anyway, we can't just leave her here. You grab her skirt and we'll find a nice hanger to put her on."**_

"_**Fine,"**_ Mugetsu spat as she dropped the remote and grabbed the other end of Junketsu, _**"But keep your sleeves where I can see them. I've seen how you transform! If you try anything on Junketsu I'll tear you apart one Life Fiber at a time!"**_


	27. Chapter 27: I Will Survive

_Wow. This chapter is the longest I've ever written. Without even accounting for padding or other things, it's sitting at a whopping 17,500 words. That breaks my old record by nearly two thousand words. So anyway, this chapter covers the entirety of Episode 8 (apart from the last minute or two). I didn't want to start the King of the Hill final battles (which will be different!) in the middle of a chapter. They are important and should be given the proper focus._

_This chapter is also focused more heavily on Ryuko than the last few chapters. I realized I was starting to focus too intently on Ichigo and needed to shift back to Ryuko for a bit. Some of what Ryuko (and Satsuki) says here will be similar to what she says in canon but it kind of hard not to use the script given. The entire point of going to her father's destroyed home will also be flipped over by the end of the chapter. So there is the highway chase from Episode 8 in this chapter and I will say that it's many times better than what happened in the anime._

_There's also a very slight retcon. Nonon's new Goku Uniform is dark blue with gold stars to help differentiate it better from the rest of the Elite Four._

_Oh, I didn't forget about Nudist Beach and Xcution. A very famous member of Xcution will also be mentioned. Don't forget to read and review and enjoy the chapter!_

_P.S. - Just a heads up, I kept Mako's 'Drive to Hell' song from the subbed version of Episode 8 since it's so funny. Kudos to the person that thought up that particular song for the series.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 27 – I Will Survive<strong>

"Fellow students of Honnouji Academy, it is time we begin anew!"

Satsuki Kiryuin's commanding tone echoed out over the horde of students standing shoulder to shoulder in the courtyard below. Every student at the academy, ranging from the multitudes of No-Star all the way up to the comparative handful of Two-Star, was in attendance. Even former club captains like Takaharu Fukuroda and Omiko Hakodate, who were demoted after losing to either Ichigo or Ryuko, stood silently at attention.

Slamming the sheathed Bakuzan loudly on the podium in front of her, Satsuki clasped the hilt of the Life Fiber blade with both of her hands and glanced at the person standing next to her. Despite what Ichigo thought he could accomplish by mocking and deriding her rule during the Parent Student Day ceremony, his speech had only helped to increase her admiration for him. Not many would dare to even speak a word against her. Turning her gaze away from the scowling Ichigo, she stared back down at the crowd and shouted, "I have read the abysmal reports from Parent Student Day and I find myself appalled! How can any of you stand in front of me with your heads held high? Has the standards of Honnouji Academy grown lax? The answer is yes! That is why starting today I am rebuilding the Honnouji Academy Student Council system from the ground up!"

Intense muttering spread throughout the courtyard as the students discussed what Satsuki could be planning. Ignoring the sounds of the students and their fruitless questions, Satsuki continued, "The rule against attacking other students without clearing it through the Disciplinary Committee is hereby rescinded! All of you now possess the freedom to attack any other student you please without repercussions!"

"Lady Satsuki sure is enjoying this."

Absentmindedly twirling her baton between her fingers, Nonon Jakuzure stood at attention behind Satsuki and to her immediate right. Dexterously stopping the baton as it nearly slipped out of her fingers, she ignored the glance Gamagori was giving her to focus on the feeling of her new Symphony Regalia Mark III. Even though Lady Satsuki awarded her the new version of her Goku Uniform last week, Iori had forbidden her from activating it for a period of two weeks under the excuse he wanted to observe its strain on her body. According to him, he could not increase the overall power of her Goku Uniform past the Mark II without subsequently raising the Life Fiber percentage as well, which now sat at a record 35%.

That was the reason why her Goku Uniform, which used to possess the standard Honnouji Academy grey coloring with black stars, now had a scheme of predominantly dark blue with golden stars emblazoned upon it. It was all in order to differentiate the power between the old and new class of Three-Star Goku Uniforms.

Nonon thought about what powers her new Symphony Regalia might have before her mood abruptly soured. She still hadn't forgotten how Strawberry had beaten her in her Mark II and if that embarrassment wasn't bad enough, Lady Satsuki also informed her Elite Four that Ryuko Matoi's Kamui was at a similar level to her own. Nonon didn't care how strong the Transfer Student was. She was mainly concerned with making Ichigo pay for humiliating her in front of the entire school. She was Lady Satsuki's best friend, damn it! She wasn't supposed to lose to a loser like Strawberry! Biting her lower lip, a soft growl escaping from her throat in the process, she angrily glared at Ichigo and muttered, "What's so special about Strawberry anyway?"

"Give it a break already."

A thoroughly perplexed, and slightly exasperated, Uzu Sanageyama crossed his arms while his bandanna, which was tied around his eyes to hide the self-inflicted handicap, blew freely in the breeze. Nonon had been in a bad mood ever since Satsuki had informed them of Ichigo's new position as Student Council Vice President and it was starting to get on Sanageyama's nerves, "You've been on Ichigo's case for the last week. Who knows what Lady Satsuki why she did what she did. Perhaps she is adhering to the old saying of 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer.' Ichigo is the only person to ever beat her in combat, which is a feat none of us can truthfully claim."

Sanageyama had no issues with Ichigo being Vice President, and thus his superior. If his fellow swordsman was even remotely unworthy of the position, Sanageyama was adamant Lady Satsuki would not have even considered him. That reminded him that he needed to thank Ichigo when he got a chance. If it was not for the sound and helpful advice after he lost his match to Ryuko Matoi and lost his Goku Uniform, Sanageyama would not have realized that he had grown dependent on his Tengantsu and let the rest of his skills weaken. Even with his eyes sewn shut and Shingantsu enabling him to see the world Sanageyama refused to be conceited. He needed to be ready for an opponent that could outmaneuver him.

"_That mysterious woman with the Kamui was able to slip through my Shingantsu with ease. If one Kamui wearer can do it, then it's likely Ichigo or Matoi can do so as well,"_ Sanageyama stood still as another stiff breeze swept across the upper levels of Honnouji Academy. As he sensed his fellow Elite Four's Goku Uniforms shifting in the wind, he recalled with distress a particular bad memory, _"One thing I am grateful for is Iori sewing me a bandanna that fits perfectly. I refuse to allow a repeat of the last time it fell off. No, I'm not going to think about it. I can still hear the first year students' screams of terror."_

"Keep your proverbs in that empty head of yours where they belong, wild monkey!" Nonon spat angrily at Sanageyama upon his attempt to calm her down, "The only reason I lost to Strawberry was because he caught me off guard!"

"Sure he did…" Inumuta's snide remark did not go unnoticed. Adjusting his glasses and locking gazes with an annoyed Jakuzure, Inumuta smirked and asked, "…was this before or after your sneak attack him didn't work? Do I need to remind you that Ichigo Kurosaki is now the Vice President of the Student Council and Lady Satsuki's right hand man? I'll break it down for you. Lady Satsuki was unable to best him in combat despite the fact that she is leagues above any of us, and therefore the chance you successfully beating Ichigo in battle is roughly one in a million…on a good day."

"Shut up doggy or I'll break your computer in two."

Down in the throng of students in the courtyard and away from the petty squabbling of the Elite Four, Ryuko Matoi alongside Mako and Ururu stared up at Satsuki with varying expressions on their faces. While Mako had a slightly peppy expression, signifying that she really had no idea what was going on but was simply happy to be there, Ryuko's face was furrowed in a mixture of frustration and confusion. Glancing to the scowling orange haired youth standing right beside Satsuki, Ryuko didn't know what to think of Ichigo's presence. On one hand she was still angry Ichigo had suddenly joined up with Satsuki Kiryuin, her enemy, but on the other hand she knew Ichigo didn't do it willingly. His speech during the ceremony last week still brought a smile to her face whenever she thought about it and Ryuko could only imagine the embarrassment Satsuki felt at Ichigo giving her a 'screw you' speech.

"_Still though…"_ Ryuko clenched her fists tightly enough to cause her Seki Tekkou to audibly crackle, _"…just what kind of game are you playing, Satsuki Kiryuin? Why did you make Ichigo your Vice President? __Are you blackmailing him?__"_

"Clandestine meetings, political alliances, treachery, anything and everything you can think of shall be permitted with the sole exclusion of criminal acts! If any of you even thinks of attempting a felony, you will be immediately incarcerated by the Disciplinary Committee and face my personal wrath!" Satsuki's aura and presence tripled in intensity as she finished speaking, causing the greedy and power hungry looks on the horde of students to abet slightly. Noticing Ichigo's relieved expression out of the corner of her eye, Satsuki allowed a pleased expression to grace her face. Did Ichigo truly believe she was so cold as to allow the students of Honnouji Academy to do anything and everything they pleased?

"You have until the end of the week to return to this courtyard alive and intact! If you manage to survive, use your strength and willpower to reclaim all that you once possessed and make it your own once more! Reclaim your social standings that you desperately cling onto in Honnouji Academy's first Naturals Election!"

Ryuko frowned and scratched her head, "Naturals Election? What the hell is she talking about?"

"It's a trick."

Upon hearing the softly spoken words, Ryuko turned towards Ururu. The normally quiet girl was staring attentively at Satsuki with a look of utmost concentration on her face, which clashed with her usually shy expression. Once she noticed Ryuko's gaze upon her, Ururu turned her sapphire eyes towards her and explained, "Satsuki's lying. I can see it in the way her face is tensing up."

"Really?" Ryuko focused intently on Satsuki but due to the distance couldn't see her face, "Are you sure about that?"

"Uh huh," Ururu nodded and pointed up at the Student Council President, "She said the Naturals Election is designed to remake the Student Council from the ground up, but the only ones that will be on it are the Elite Four and Ichigo. Satsuki is tricking everyone at Honnouji Academy into thinking they have a chance of gaining a Three-Star Goku Uniform when it is nothing but a farce."

"So this is all just a scam?" Ryuko growled and her glare towards Satsuki doubled in intensity. She didn't care if Satsuki wanted to do a stupid Naturals Election but she drew the line at getting people's hopes up before crushing them. When Senketsu tensed up as a ill omen drove through the horde of students, Ryuko grabbed Mako and Ururu's shoulders and began walking away.

"Where are we going, Ryuko?" Mako asked happily before seeming to remember something, "We can't leave yet! Lady Satsuki isn't done talking!"

"Don't worry about it Mako," Ryuko gently answered her best friend, "We're just going to find a better angle to watch Satsuki, ok?"

Mako's face lit up and stars appeared in her eyes, "Ok!"

Satsuki's eyes caught a speck of dark blue moving through the crowd of grey and white and immediately her mind knew it was Ryuko Matoi. Looking down at Ryuko and noticing the scowl on her face, Satsuki allowed a small hint of satisfaction to adorn her face. So Matoi knew the true intention of the Naturals Election? Perhaps her earlier assessment of Matoi's intelligence was incorrect. Quickly drawing Bakuzan out of its scabbard and stabbing it into the air, Satsuki allowed the early morning light to reflect off the polished black metal.

"This will not be a normal election where you choose a candidate to dictate your life. In the Naturals Election you will BE the candidate! Every single aspect of your persona shall be made public. Your strength! Your way of life! Your willingness to persevere at all costs! At 8:30 AM this Friday, a sudden death runoff election will be held amongst those that survive the week! You will fight one another and only those with the dedication to win shall emerge victorious! Show me that you deserve to stay at Honnouji Academy and I shall return your Goku Uniforms once more! Now fight, my fellow comrades of Honnouji Academy, fight and prove yourselves!"

A soft rumbling came from the gathered students as the greediest and most power-hungry among them immediately turned on their friends. As dozens of fights broke out in the crowd below, Satsuki turned around and slowly sheathed Bakuzan. As her Elite Four appeared before her, she closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards, "I expect to see all of you here on Friday morning. Understood?"

In one smooth motion all four members gave Satsuki a one armed bow, "Of course, Lady Satsuki."

"Very well," Satsuki knew all four of her closest comrades were going to make it to the Sudden Death Runoff Election. They needed to have their Goku Uniforms tested by an opponent that could push them to their limits and Matoi was the perfect person for such a task. With the power of Senketsu at Matoi's fingertips, the vulnerabilities and weakness in her Elite Four's Goku Uniforms could be detected and fixed.

"_That line of thought only truly applies to Gamagori and Inumuta,"_ Satsuki mentally corrected herself. Both Sanageyama and Jakuzure possessed upgraded versions of their original regalia, Mark II and Mark III respectively, and thus she did not need to test them for the same reasons as the other two. Sanageyama already fought Matoi in his Mark II and just barely managed to beat her. Satsuki was certain Matoi would know how to beat Sanageyama if they clashed for a third time. The issue bothering her was Jakuzure's Goku Uniform.

Jakuzure was testing a Mark III, which possessed a higher Life Fiber percentage than the other Three-Star Goku Uniforms. Satsuki was uncertain if activating such an article of clothing would have an adverse effect on Jakuzure's body but Iori and Inumuta's simulations suggest that since Jakuzure's resistance was high enough for her to potentially wear a Four-Star Goku Uniform, her Mark III should not mentally or physically affect her. However, just to be safe, Satsuki ordered Jakuzure not to activate her Symphony Regalia for a period of two weeks. That would give Iori enough time to go over the data concerning her Goku Uniform and make sure it was completely safe.

Just before Satsuki turned to Iori, who was standing patiently off to the side and awaiting her orders, Satsuki paused and asked, "Where do you think you are going, Ichigo?"

Already halfway to the elevator that would bring him down to the frenzy of students fighting in the courtyard below, Ichigo turned his head around and answered, "I have to catch a bus back to Karakura Town. You said I have until Friday so I'll be back here Thursday night."

"The price of your ticket shall be reimbursed," Satsuki said as she stepped closer to Ichigo. As her stern eyes locked with Ichigo's annoyed gaze, she explained, "As the Student Council Vice President, you are held to a higher standard than anyone else in Honnouji Academy excluding myself! If it became known that you left Honnou City for the duration of the Naturals Election, the credibility of my Student Council will be forever tarnished! You must stay within the confines of Honnouji Academy and allow yourself to be a goal for the masses to strive to overcome!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to respond but was forced to stop when he noticed that the Elite Four were no longer in front of him. Spinning around when he heard the doors to the elevator opening, he only caught a brief glimpse of the Elite Four before the doors shut once more and left him alone with Satsuki. As the sound of hydraulics screeched from somewhere far above him, he looked at Satsuki and asked, "What's going on?"

"Do not fret Ichigo," Satsuki gave Ichigo a smug look as she turned to Iori, "Iori, begin."

"Yes, Milady," The president of the Sewing Club gave Satsuki a small bow before pressing a finger against his ear, "Begin releasing the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer!"

"_**They're releasing a large amount of shredded Life Fibers into the air. Great, now I'm going to start sneezing,"**_ Mugetsu stared alongside Ichigo as twin jets from high atop the tower above them began spewing out concentrated streams of Life Fibers. As the glowing red threads surrounded the upper levels of Honnouji Academy in a virtually impenetrable hourglass-shaped barrier, Ichigo reached for Tournesol strapped to his back when Satsuki's voice cut through the air.

"I would not recommend that, Ichigo," Satsuki advised evenly. With her body covered in a faint red light due to the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer surrounding them, Satsuki gave Ichigo a cursory glance before continuing, "The finely shredded Life Fibers in this barrier circulate at speeds exceeding 200 meters per second. Even with the immense power of Mugetsu at your fingertips, you will find it impossible to penetrate."

"So you trapped me here with you," Ichigo's hand did not leave Tournesol's hilt. On the contrary, he began pulling the blade out of its sheath, "Do you have something planned against Ryuko? Even if this barrier is impenetrable, I'll still find a way through to stop you."

"Relax Ichigo."

Even as the sounds of fighting coming from outside the barrier intensified, Satsuki continued to look nonplussed. Turning away from Ichigo, her heels softly clicking along the roof as she went, Satsuki motioned for him to follow her. Ichigo, seeing no alternative due to the barrier preventing him from leaving, did so reluctantly with his hand ready to draw Tournesol if Satsuki tried to pull anything.

"You have my word that my Elite Four shall make no move against Ryuko Matoi or her friends during the Naturals Election," Satsuki stepped into her private quarters and gave Soroi, who was waiting for her to arrive, a curt nod. As Ichigo slowly walked in behind her, she sat down in a chair and calmly picked up the cup of tea from the tray Soroi was holding. Taking a small sip from the calming liquid, she motioned with her hand for Ichigo to sit down across from her.

"No thanks, I prefer to stand."

"As you wish, but you are going to be staying here from now on," Satsuki, upon seeing the reddening look on Ichigo's face, chuckled softly, "That is not what I meant. Soroi has prepared your quarters and Gamagori has already taken the liberty to transfer all your belongings. It is beneath your station as Vice President of Honnouji Academy to live in the dorms. Even the Two-Star students possess better accommodations. A wearer of a Kamui deserves better than that."

"It was fine to me," Ichigo countered without care. He had a vague idea why Satsuki was acting this way but it did not mean he was going to fall for it, "Don't think you're going to win me over like this. Ryuko, Mako and Ururu are my friends. Just because I'm working for you does not mean I'm on your side. I'm only your Vice President because we both know how dangerous Nui Harime is. If you try to do anything to my friends, I won't hesitate to stop you."

"Ichigo, I – "

Satsuki was cut off, a first to her, as Ichigo brushed off her words and left to go to his quarters. As Soroi sighed in anticipation of the trouble the orange haired youth was certain to be, Satsuki failed to notice the slight clenching of her fingers. When she heard the telltale sound of ceramic cracking, she looked and saw that her hand had accidently crushed the teacup.

"Let me get that for you, Milady," Soroi quickly walked over and carefully began picking up all the pieces of ceramic. As he places the shattered remains of the teacup onto the tray, he asked, "Young Ichigo seems to be a headstrong boy, Milady. He reminds me greatly of his father, Master Isshin."

"I am aware that you have worked for my mother all my life but how well did you truly know Ichigo's father?"

Soroi gave a polite chuckle as he picked up the last piece of ceramic, "Master Isshin was always a pleasure to be around. In your mother's younger days before she met your late father, he was the only one that could make her smile. It's a shame that the passage of time changes us all."

"He will not be any trouble, Soroi," Satsuki propped her cheek against her hand as the sound of Ichigo closing the door to his quarters reached her ears. Letting an annoyed sigh escape her lips, she turned towards the windows, tinged red by the barrier, and explained, "Ichigo may be exasperated and irritated but he will not move against me. He is fully aware of the threat the Grand Couturier represents and will work with me as long as I have my mother keep Nui away from Honnouji Academy."

"Please forgive me for what I'm about to say, Milady, but the Grand Couturier is a disturbed woman. No person should ever take pleasure from the things she does."

"It is fine, Soroi. I agree completely with you. Now if you will excuse me, I am feeling tired," Satsuki gave her servant a respectful nod as she stood up and made her way to her bedroom. As soon as she was alone in her room, she let out a tired sigh and began removing Junketsu from her body. Satsuki found it strange that the strain Junketsu put on her body abetted ever so slightly ever since Ichigo became her Vice President.

"Perhaps it is a previously unknown Kamui reaction," Satsuki mused to herself as Junketsu fell to her feet, leaving her almost completely naked. As the strain of pushing against Junketsu's bloodlust vanished, Satsuki let out relieved sigh. If there truly was a connection between her Junketsu and Ichigo's Mugetsu that somehow tempered her Kamui's behavior, Satsuki wanted to know about it.

Giving one last scornful look at Junketsu, which she quickly placed in its protective bulletproof case, Satsuki walked to her bathroom to fresh up. The strain of Junketsu always left her body feeling tired and numb. She could not contemplate the endurance Ichigo or Matoi possessed to not only wear their Kamui's on a daily basis but do so without showing any strain. As she turned the faucet, causing hot water and steam to fill the bathroom, Satsuki thought back to Ichigo's behavior just a few minutes ago.

She knew he would be upset with her decision to trap him inside the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer but she had done the same thing to herself. If anything were to happen to Honnouji Academy or Honnou City, Satsuki would be unable to respond until midnight on Friday, when the barrier would naturally dissipate. Satsuki expected Ichigo to be open to a polite and respectful conversation between two equals but his hostile attitude made that highly unlikely.

"_I have four days to mend the hostility Ichigo feels. If I don't, then several of my plans will be in ruins,"_ Satsuki leaned against the tiled wall and sighed angrily. As the hot water cascaded down her back, allowing her to momentarily forget the strain of wearing Junketsu, Satsuki felt getting Ichigo to see her point of view would be easier said than done.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>For most of her life, Ryuko had viewed her family's home as a stain, a part of her past that she never wanted to remember. Whenever she did think about her early childhood within the mostly empty and quiet halls and rooms, she would instinctively scowl as memories of a distant father too busy to play with his daughter came to mind. Sure, she had toys other childhood interests, but it just wasn't the same as having a father.<p>

"Wow!" Mako stared at the burnt and ruined manor looming before her. Determined to get a full view of the large mansion, Mako tilted her head upwards and promptly lost her balance. Landing on her back with nary a groan, Mako let out a comforting laugh and asked, "Did you live here, Ryuko?"

"It's my family's house," Ryuko answered with a small shrug. She didn't have any connection to her first home now that her dad was gone. To her, it was nothing but burnt wood that contained nothing but bad memories. Walking past Ururu, who was helping get Mako back onto her feet, Ryuko placed her hand against the front doors and pushed. The aged doors, damaged by the explosion and subsequent fire, put up only a token effort before creaking open.

"Ryuko," Ururu's quiet voice broke the silence Ryuko was enjoying. The normally meek girl was really glad that Ryuko asked her to come along on a trip to her house but she never expected to see something like this. A terrible thing happened here, Ururu could feel it in the air and see it on Ryuko's face, but she felt it wasn't her place to pry for answers, "What happened to your house?"

"You lived in a big house?" Mako, who had quickly recovered from her self-inflicted blunder with nothing more than a few scraps, was back on her feet next to Ryuko and Ururu. As the imaginative and happy girl stared at the mansion in awe, she seemed to realize something was wrong. The mansion was in ruins! Grasping both of Ryuko's hands in her own, she tearfully asked, "You lived in a wreck of a house like this? So you were poor, too!"

"I wasn't living in these ruins, Mako," Ryuko shook her head at her best friend's lack of attention, but allowed a small smile anyway. She wouldn't want Mako to be anything else even if she had all the power in the world. Stepping into the house and retracing the path toward the trapdoor near the back, she trailed her fingers against the ash-covered wall and said, "It was burnt down six months ago."

Ururu, her attention wavering as she sensed how Ryuko's home must have once looked, said, "It's almost as big as Uryu's house."

"Huh? Ryuko turned to Ururu, "Who is Uryu?"

"Uryu is Ichigo's friend from Karakura Town," Ururu explained briefly as her eyes caught sight of the golden evening sky through a hole in the mansion's roof, "So you lived here with your dad?"

"I wouldn't call it living," Ryuko grumbled as the memories, or lack thereof, of her father came to the forefront of her mind. Her talk with Ichigo's dad really helped put things in perspective. It lightened the burden on her shoulders to know that her dad truly loved her and was proud of everything she did. Perhaps things would have ended up differently if he had only known how to express it.

Noticing several blackened pictures on the ground, Ryuko knelt down and picked one up. Carefully clearing the scorched glass of dust and ash, she stared at the picture of her dad smiling next to a much younger version of her, "Dad said mom died right after I was born and her death hit him hard. I think mom's death is what caused him to focus on his work. He was a scientist and while he tried his best to raise me, I don't think he could do it all by himself. He was proud of who I was but knew deep down that he couldn't take care of me. I think that is why he sent me away to the dorms once I went to grade school."

"That's so sad, Ryuko!" Mako's eyes had large tears in them as she listened to her friend's story.

"Yeah…" Ryuko bit her lower lip and let out a sad sigh, "Dad never said why I had to go away and for a while I hoped he would come pick me up. We were a family, so why would he just abandon me like that? After a few months without hearing from him I began acting out. I guess I was hoping if I got into enough trouble, the school would call him and he would have to come see me, but nothing ever worked. By the time I reached high school I just stopped caring and joined a gang. I thought once I graduated from high school I could leave and forget about him forever, but then six months ago I got a message from him. He wanted to talk to me and make up for lost time. It was really hard to believe that he wanted to see me but I was so hopeful that I want back home for the first time in ages. But when I got there…"

"He was dead, right?"

Ururu shrunk under the suspicious gaze from Ryuko and stared at her feet, afraid to look her friend in her eyes. She hadn't meant to offend Ryuko's feelings, so in a subdued tone she continued speaking, "I could tell something bad happened here the moment we arrived. You told us your dad was killed six months ago, so when you started talking about him I realized this must have been where he died. At first I didn't want to say anything because it was your dad, you know, but I'm sorry if I insulted you, Ryuko."

"No, it's not your fault, Ururu" Ryuko let out an exasperated sigh before continuing forward.

"Is this why you're always so angry, Ryuko?" Mako slid up next to a visibly saddened Ururu and gave her shy friend a big friendly hug to make her feel better.

"For a long time I thought I hated my dad," Ryuko momentarily ignored Mako and Ururu when she finally found the steel trapdoor that was the start of the whole mess. If she hadn't been standing on it during that rainy day all those weeks ago, she would never have found Senketsu. Tracing out the rusted edges of the entrance with her red Scissor Blade, Ryuko calmly stood next to the trapdoor and jammed her blade into the spacing between the two doors, "But once he died, I realized that even though he was my dad, I knew next to nothing about him. Ichigo's dad said he designed clothing, so who would want to kill him? I need to know what his last words meant and why he thought I should have this Scissor Blade. I also need to find out why my dad created you, Senketsu. Finally, I need to track down the bitch that killed him! There's a reason Nui Harime murdered my dad and once I find her, I'm going to demand she tell me why!"

"I-I've met Nui Harime…"

"What?" Ryuko's head twisted around so quickly that she was afraid she might snap her neck.

"I-I said I've seen Nui Harime before," Ururu raised a trembling hand to her mouth and subconsciously bit down on her finger. Looking away from a shocked Ryuko, her eyes began watering as she said, "I've run into her a few times at Honnouji Academy. I-I don't think she's a student, since she comes and goes randomly, but she's obsessed with Ichigo. I first ran into her during No Late Day. She was even there during Parent Student Day."

As her mind processed what she heard Ryuko's anger momentarily got the better of her. Clenching the handle of her Scissor Blade tightly with both hands, afraid of what she might do if she let go, Ryuko took a series of ragged breaths in an attempt to calm down. After nearly a minute or so of trying to focus her mind on anything but her father's murderer, she felt as normal as she was going to feel.

Letting go of her Scissor Blade, her arms limply falling to her sides, Ryuko let out a loud sigh and asked, "What did she look like? Ichigo's mentioned her name but he's never told me what the hell Nui Harime actually looks like."

Ururu's eyes narrowed sadly, which was a bad sign, as she answered, "I-I thought you already knew. You were looking at her throughout the entire ceremony."

"_I was looking at her? Who could Ururu be – "_

It was then that the true gravity and weight of Ururu's words sunk in – that creepy blonde girl sitting next to Satsuki's mother was Nui Harime! She had been staring at her father's killer the entire night and she didn't have a damn clue!

"_She fucking knew who I was the entire time! She was sitting there smiling at me because she was gloating about murdering my dad!"_ Ryuko's anger threatened to boil over and it took all her self-restraint to calm down. She could not get angry at her best friends for something they had nothing to do. As her lips trembled from anger, she remembered something else about that night. After Ichigo left, she had seen Satsuki and her mother talking to Nui Harime and from the way they were acting, it looked like Satsuki knew Nui quite well.

"_Satsuki had something to do with my dad's murder! I'm sure of it. She probably sent Nui Harime after him, but why? Why would she do it?"_

Ryuko wanted nothing else but to track down Nui Harime and make her pay for what she did, but her anger abated as she remembered what Ichigo's dad said to her. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around Nui's throat and demand answers but what would she become in the process? Her dad was dead and nothing, not even killing Nui Harime, would change that. Unable to think about what she would do if she ran into Nui, Ryuko decided to think it over for a while. It wasn't like she was just going to run into Nui right around the corner. She had time to think of a plan and, if that failed, get Ichigo to help her.

"_Ururu said Nui's obsessed with Ichigo. Perhaps he might know something about her that I could use to take her down."_

"Hey Ryuko, are we going down there?"

Ryuko turned her attention to Mako, who was staring down the open trapdoor with a bundle of rope wrapped securely around her arm, and gave a relieved laugh. She had originally planned on coming back to her home to find some answers about her father and why Nui Harime killed him, but with everything she just heard perhaps it was best she go back home. She still didn't know why her dad created Senketsu or the Scissor Blade but maybe it was best she not find that out right now. Knowing that Nui Harime was not only taunting her about murdering her dad, but walking around Honnouji Academy whenever she pleased, was far more important.

"_**Your blood was almost boiling for a moment there, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's deep voice helped to erase the last dredges of anger in her system. Her Kamui had warned what might happen if she got too angry but like an idiot she completely forgot about it. Ryuko knew she might snap if she ran into Nui, which was perhaps very likely, but she needed to do everything in her power to keep her anger under control.

"Yeah, you're right, Senketsu. I was being an idiot for a second," Ryuko apologized to Senketsu, who gave a satisfied grunt, and picked up her Scissor Blade. Collapsing the red Life Fiber weapon down into the palm of her hand and putting it away in her pocket, she pulled Mako back away from the edge of the trapdoor, "Nah, we don't need to go down there anymore Mako. I got all the answers I need for the moment."

"Aw," Mako pouted childishly, "But I wanted to go spelunking with you guys!"

Ryuko chuckled at her best friend's attitude. She appreciated how Mako always knew how to cheer her up when she was angry or nervous. Noticing Ururu standing a little distance away with a forlorn look on her face, Ryuko walked over to her and said, "Hey Ururu, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you or Mako."

"It's ok, Ryuko, you didn't mean to get angry at me."

Ururu was grateful Ryuko wasn't angry anymore, but to be perfectly honest she didn't blame her friend for being angry with her in the first place. If she hadn't kept her knowledge of Nui Harime a secret from Ryuko, perhaps she wouldn't have snapped like she did. As she gave Ryuko a small smile, which seemed to be enough for Ryuko to turn and walk out of her home, Ururu's face quickly fell as she felt the guilt of lying to her friends circulate through her body.

"_How can I tell Ryuko the truth?"_ Ururu thought miserably as she slowly followed after Ryuko and Mako, _"How can I tell her that I'm Nui's twin sister?"_

Even a week after the revelation that she and Nui were twin sisters, identical in nearly every single way, Ururu still wasn't over the initial shock. She wanted to deny it, but Mr. Kurosaki was the one to tell her and he was perhaps the most trustworthy person she knew. He would never say something as painful and hurting as that unless it was the entire truth. So since she truly was Nui Harime's twin sister, various questions plagued Ururu's mind.

"_Why did she turn out this way? If we're twins, shouldn't we be more alike? I-I mean Karin and Yuzu aren't exactly the same, but I'm not a violent killer like Nui. What could make her turn out the way she did?"_

"Hurry up, Ururu!" Mako's loud voice echoed throughout the landscape as she shouted back into the ruined mansion, "Ryuko wants to go home and the gas gauge says the scooter's full, so it's going to be a fun-filled road trip! We're even getting ice cream!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Tsumugu Kinagase stared in tense silence at the woman sitting across the table from him. The dim light of the interrogation room made it hard for him to make out the prisoner's expression, but that was not important. Folding his hands on the metal table in front of him, he stared at where he knew her eyes to be and said, "Let me tell you two pieces of useful information. First, your Sanguinaire Raiment is completely destroyed. In fact, several of our technicians are currently examining it. I see you are smiling about something. That brings me to my second piece of useful information. We've already located each and every bug, tracker, and piece of surveillance equipment placed upon your person – all twenty three of them. Ragyo Kiryuin does not know where you are."<p>

"Do you really think I care about your useless information?" Jackie Tristan tried to lean forward but the shackles and chains holding her down prevented her from moving more than an inch. Even without her Life Fiber uniform to augment her strength, Nudist Beach was not going to risk assuming Xcution members were not taught other, more specialized, skills in case of capture, "Etes-vous un idiot? There's nothing you can do to scare me."

Tsumugu narrowed his eyes but did not say anything. Instead he opened a folder and spread its contents across the table. Staring deep into Jackie Tristan's eyes, he saw the dark-skinned French woman's expression harden.

"I see you understand what I'm showing you," Tsumugu lit up a cigarette using the lighter on his wrist. Taking a deep drag from it before sighing and releasing a large cloud of smoke, he gruffly said, "That's yesterday's financial reports from Europe. As you can plainly see, Revocs share of the European market has dropped nearly eighty percent over the last week since we took out that Distribution Facility. 'Terrorism' they call it, but I bet Ragyo Kiryuin knows exactly who it was that failed her. She's going to be gunning straight for you, so you might as well tell us what you know."

For just a moment Jackie Tristan looked like she might actually speak but instead she spat at Tsumugu's face, "Aller en enfers. You won't get a word out of me, you Nudist pigs! I'd rather die by Lady Ragyo's glorious hands than turn traitor!"

"I see," Tsumugu wiped his cheek clean of the offensive substance and let out a disappointed sigh. Taking another drag from his cigarette to calm his nerves, he momentarily glanced at Jackie eyes before punching her in the face.

"C'est quoi ce bordel, c'est que pour?" Jackie shouted angrily as blood began leaking from her nose.

"I do not like being lied to," Tsumugu growled ominously as he ground his still lit cigarette between two fingers, "Do you think I came in here without any backup? This room is constantly being monitored by several operatives. We know everything that goes in here, from our pulses to the fact that for the last two hours you've been trying to pick the locks on your shackles with a hairpin. I would not bother continuing to try. Those shackles will not open without both the key and the concurrent release signal."

"You think you have me in your clutches, then?" Jackie Tristan asked sarcastically before rearing her head back and laughing. Giving the two guards at the door a sadistic grin, causing them to raise their Sewing Machine Guns at her in response, Jackie ignored the two laser sights hovering over her heart and leaned forward as much as she could, "C'est drôle! You beat me but what do you plan on doing now? Even that woman with her beautiful Kamui isn't enough to defeat Lady Ragyo! Xcution will hunt all you Nudists down and slaughter you like the naked pigs you are for daring to stand against Lady Ragyo!"

"I see," Tsumugu's face was emotionless as he stood up to his full height. Without giving the imprisoned Jackie another glance, he turned and walked towards the exit to the room. Before leaving, however, he turned to one of the two elite Nudists guarding the captured member of Xcution, "Do not let your guard down for a second. That woman might not possess any more Life Fibers but that does not make her any less dangerous. If her shackles so much as jingle, you take her down. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

Rapping his knuckles against the door, Tsumugu waited for the locks to disengage and let him out. Every interrogation room in the Nudist Beach headquarters had doors that did not allow anyone inside to leave. Tsumugu had been involved in enough hostage situations with Kiryuin spies to know that allowing the prisoner even the slightest glimmer of hope of escape was grounds for disaster. It was right as he stepped out of the room that Jackie's arrogant voice returned.

"Tell me one thing, Nudist." Jackie Tristan leaned back in her chair with her face framed by the shadows of the room and scoffed, "How many of your friends did I kill over the years? Was it ten or maybe fifty? I kind of lost track since you pigs all look alike to me."

The guards tensed up at the obvious bait but Tsumugu was more collected than that. With one hand placed firmly on the frame of the door, in case he lost control of his temper, Tsumugu turned one eye to an amused Jackie and said, "You, personally, have killed seventy three of my friends and colleagues."

Not wanting to stick around to hear the answer Jackie seemed to be on the verge of saying, Tsumugu left the room and waited until the door sealed shut behind him before reaching into his vest and pulling out another cigarette. Interrogations always made him want to smoke and that woman was causing him to consider quitting cold turkey.

"_Damn it. Four days of interrogation and she still hasn't cracked. I thought for sure the Europe information would cause her to fold but it only seemed to harden her result. I'm running out of ideas,"_ he thought in frustration as he walked into the observation room that was located right next to where Jackie Tristan was being kept. Strolling past the Nudist on shift in the room, he went to take a drag from his cigarette when a purple clothed hand grabbed the cancer stick out of his fingers and easily crushed it into a fine power.

"Those things are going to kill you."

Tsumugu gave Kinue a half-hearted glare before his expression softened, "At the rate things are going, the Life Fibers might just win over cancer. I did not know you were still here at base. The flight itinerary had you scheduled to head to Moscow yesterday evening."

"Command ordered me to stick around for a little while longer," Kinue rubbed her fingers to get the last traces of tobacco and nicotine off Danketsu before folding her arms. Jackie Tristan was an incredibly dangerous woman that was also extremely devoted to Ragyo Kiryuin and the Life Fibers, which caused Kinue to wonder. Did the woman chained down in the room in front of her actually know what Ragyo's plans are for the human race? A better question was whether or not she wanted to know the answer to that, "With the new prisoner, it was felt that the power and presence of a Kamui could help to boost morale and prevent her from attempting to escape."

"You know how I feel about Kamui," Tsumugu briefly glanced at Danketsu's eyes and narrowed his own. Pulling away from the Kamui's gaze, ignorant of the rather colorful language being thrown at him by the vulgar Life Fiber being, he stared at Jackie's injured body and asked, "Could I have beaten her?"

Kinue gave her brother a questioning look, "Why do you want to know?"

"That…woman," Tsumugu found it difficult to call Jackie Tristan a human after everything she's done, "Killed seventy three of my friends and fellow soldiers. I would have liked nothing more than to riddle her body with needles until she couldn't move."

"If you want the honest answer, Tsumugu, then no you could not," Kinue was always truthful with her brother. He may act tough and strict to his fellow Nudists but she knew that he was only like that because he didn't want anyone else to end up in her position – bound to a Life Fiber being for the rest of her natural days, or however long that was. In the ten years since the accident Kinue had noticed she'd barely aged at all.

"Her Sanguinaire Raiment would have outlasted you even with its obvious weakness," Kinue continued without delay, "Both her speed and strength were higher than anything possessed by Satsuki Kiryuin's Three-Star Goku Uniforms and her raiment's defense was strong enough to shrug off my Carnifex's needles. Don't take this the wrong way, brother, but a normal human could not have hoped to beat her."

"She must have given you a difficult time," Tsumugu commented as he subconsciously flexed the hand that he had used to strike Jackie Tristan. He had not meant to break Jackie's nose again and would need to have a paramedic be brought in to take another look at her nose, "Your report described how you broke her nose, but they failed to mention the stab wounds along her arms and legs. Even with that Kamui, I mean Danketsu, speaking with you, that level of violence is not something I've known from you."

Tsumugu noticed Danketsu looking up at his sister and assumed Kinue was listening to her Kamui. Even though the prospect of a human and a Kamui getting along still disturbed him, he could tolerate it a lot better than he used to. Ever since his foray to Honnouji Academy and the subsequent revelation that Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi were on friendly terms with their Kamui, Kinue had shifted back from the cold, unfeeling woman he had grown used to towards something resembling the sister that he remembered.

"Jackie Tristan had Life Fibers sewn around the muscles in her arms and legs," Kinue answered after a moment, "By the strength of the weave and the difficulty I had in locating them, I would hazard a guess and say they were the Grand Couturier's work. I had to remove them while we were flying over the Mediterranean Sea to prevent Ragyo Kiryuin from tracking her. As for the multitude of wounds, let's just say Jackie did not appreciate what I was doing."

Kinue paused as a faint muttering began to fill the room and from the accent and pronunciation she could tell it was French. Turning towards the Nudist, a specialized translator brought in to deal with anything Jackie Tristan might utter in French, she asked, "What is she saying?"

"Just one moment, Colonel," the Nudist pressed a finger against his earpiece for several seconds before answering, "It's a little difficult to hear, but I believe the prisoner is saying, 'S'il vous plaît pardonnez à votre humble serviteur, ma dame,' which is French for, 'Please forgive your humble servant, my lady,' over and over again."

"That bitch is praying to Ragyo Kiryuin for forgiveness?" Tsumugu growled and slammed his hand against the table, startling the Nudist operative, "It's pathetic, but for all we know it could just be an act. We've had Revoc spies in the past try to pull a similar stunt. I bet the moment we let our guard down, that woman is going to get free and take down as many of us as she can."

"But sir," The Nudist turned and asked, "How can the prisoner get out? The door won't open unless done both manually and from this control panel, the air is circulated from a sealed reserve and even the guards cannot leave without your direct approval. Even if she does escape her shackles, we could just fill the room with knockout gas and get her back under."

Tsumugu tried to respond but found his sister's hand pushing back against his chest. Walking until she was only inches from the four-inch thick glass separating her from Jackie Tristan in the interrogation room, Kinue said, "We are not dealing with common criminals. That woman is a member of Xcution, the elite fighting force of Revocs, and has personally killed hundreds of our fellow soldiers. Unlike the Elite Four Satsuki Kiryuin's set up at Honnouji Academy, Jackie Tristan has been trained to kill using every part of her body. Just because she no longer possesses her Sanguinaire Raiment does not mean she is no less dangerous. She is actually more dangerous now than ever before."

"I-I don't understand ma'am."

"My sister is trying to give you two important pieces of information," Tsumugu reached for a cigarette, more out of habit than need, only to realize Kinue had stolen the carton when he wasn't looking. Scowling at his sister, who gave him a smug look in response, Tsumugu said to the Nudist, "The first thing is that when that woman had her Life Fiber uniform, we knew what she was capable of. If she still had her raiment and escaped, we would at least know how to deal with her. The second, and most important, piece of information is that I should not have to tell you, a seasoned Nudist operative, all that I just did."

The Nudist barely had a second to let Tsumugu's words sink in before Kinue's Genji blade was sunk into his body directly through his heart. As he slumped dead at the controls, Kinue pulled her blade out and looked down at the cooling corpse with a mixture of derision and pity.

"A spy, just like the others," Kinue said as she swiped her Genji blade through the air before sheathing it once more.

Tsumugu turned the body over and grimaced at what he found inside the man's body, "Life Fibers. He must have been Mentally Refitted recently, a day or two ago by the looks of it, our screening methods would have caught him if the Life Fibers were in his body for more than a week. From the shoddy stitching pattern and the lack of subtly, it could only be the work of one man – Shukurou Tsukishima."

Shukurou Tsukishima was the only other member of Xcution, aside from the recently captured Jackie Tristan, whose abilities were known to Nudist Beach, and it was kind of hard not to notice. Tsukishima's Mémoire Raiment allowed him to inflict Mental Refitting on anyone his specialized sword cuts. While he was not nearly as fast or strong as Jackie Tristan, Tsukishima more than made up for it by constantly sending men and women to Nudist Beach bases as deep undercover spies.

"He's getting more brazen but his methods are getting sloppier. This man did not have an ounce of formal training before being Mentally Refitted. Tsukishima must be getting desperate," Kinue muttered as she turned the body over and look the spy in the face. After failing to recognize the man from anywhere in her past, she looked up at her brother, "It is likely Tsukishima sent him only after I captured Jackie Tristan. The fact that this man spoke fluent French and Japanese would have easily made him the interpreter or translator for any interrogations. He would have then been able to take the transcripts of anything Jackie, or you, said back to his master once he had freedom to leave."

Kinue pulled out a Life Fiber from the man's body before letting the glowing thread fall off her finger. She had met Tsukishima long ago, but at the time she hadn't known who he was. It wasn't until he tried to cut her with his katana that she recognized him and fought him off. She would have won if not for her unharmonious relation with Danketsu at the time, which limited the length she could fight. From what the Life Fiber technicians in Nudist Beach could figure out, Danketu's Life Fiber strength and density was so high that the Kamui was basically negating Tsukishima's Mental Refitting the moment his blade touched her body. That made Kinue the only person in Nudist Beach that Tsukishima was afraid to fight.

"We need to take him out. Now," Tsumugu's forceful voice brought several more Nudists to the room. Upon seeing their dead comrade, and the Life Fibers inside his body, they began shouting into their earpieces about a potential breach of security. As a silent alarm rang out through the base, Tsumugu turned to his sister, "The General says you need to be on standby in case Ragyo Kiryuin pulls anything but that's bullshit. If we don't take Tsukishima down he will continue to send spies until he finds someone competent. The latest intent, from Isshin Kurosaki's sources, place Tsukishima somewhere in California. Go to the United States, track him down and kill him. No capture, no interrogation. The moment you spot Tsukishima you take him down."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><em>We're on a drive, on a drive, on a drive down to hell!<em>

_Flying upside-down until we get there! Hey!_

_We've gone off the road and are flipping through the air!_

_You get a pileup when you crash into another car!  
><em>

_If you do all that, we're going to go to hell!_

_We're going on a drive, on a drive, on a drive down to hell!_

"Matoi, can't you make them stop singing that awful song? I'm going to break a tooth from constantly clenching my jaw."

"Do you think anything I say will make them stop?" Ryuko answered rhetorically with her head propped up against the side of Gamagori's car. Letting out a tired yawn, the day's events finally catching up to her, Ryuko glanced over to Mako and Ururu sitting next to her. While Mako had been the one to originally begin singing, her best friend had soon coaxed Ururu into singing along with her and Ryuko had to admit that Ururu had a great voice. It was better than Mako's at any rate, "Besides, I already asked them to tone it down a bit. Remember how bad it was ten minutes ago? I thought I was going to have a stroke from the horrendous lyrics."

"Point taken," Ira Gamagori shuddered as the memories he had quickly suppressed came back to him. It was horrifying to realize that Mankanshoku and Tsumugiya's current singing was magnitudes better than what it he had been. Gamagori was beginning to think that there was a darkness lurking deep within Mankanshoku's subconscious, "Tsumugiya is an unstoppable force and an immovable object all rolled into one girl. Mankanshoku, on the other hand, has never had a red light in her life."

"That's right, Gamagori!"

Mako, who had stopped singing once she heard her name being used, flipped over the front passenger seat and sat down next to Gamagori, "Every traffic light in my life is yellow because I'm always on the move!"

"So you move through life with caution despite the urge to stop? I can see the wisdom in such a philosophical outlook," Gamagori chuckled in amusement before his expression hardened, "Put on your seatbelt, Mankanshoku, and in the future do not attempt such a dangerous maneuver while in a moving vehicle. As the Disciplinary Committee Chair, if something were to happen to you under my watch I would place the blame entirely on myself."

Mako smiled and raised her hand in a salute, "Ok, Gamagori! Mako Mankanshoku will place her safety in your giant arms!"

"That's not what I meant," Gamagori stated exasperatedly while Ryuko rubbed her hand over her face and Ururu let out a sigh. Rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand and staving off the urge to reprimand Mankanshoku, which would probably amount to trying to empty the oceans with a bucket, Gamagori was about to ask her to buckle up when he saw another car pull up next to him with its honk blaring in the evening, "What's the matter with them? The rules of driving are clear that this is a no-passing zone!"

The driver of the offending vehicle turned his helmeted head towards Gamagori and made a gesture with his hand in the shape of a gun. Gamagori, seeing the rudeness in the gesture, frowned and shouted over the wind, "You're breaking the rules of the road! Slow down and fall back!"

Instead of listening to Gamagori, as the Disciplinary Committee Chair assumed he would, the driver accelerated and pulled to the left. As soon as he was fully in front Gamagori's car, the driver clenched his fist and immediately three people dressed identically to him stood up in the backseat and aimed their weapons at Gamagori and his passengers.

"What the hell?" Ryuko dove forward as soon as she saw the three men and quickly pushed Mako down to the floor. As airsoft pellets assaulted the vehicle, Ryuko kept one hand on Mako's head to hold her down and reached for her Scissor Blade, "Stay down, Mako! It's dangerous. Hey, wait a minute, where the hell's my Scissor Blade?"

"I'm sorry, Ryuko," Ururu's soft voice reached Ryuko's ears easier than should be possible, "But I'm going to borrow your Scissor Blade for a moment."

While Gamagori's car shook and vibrated as the three men continued to fire upon it, the airsoft pellets leaving visible and deep dents in the pink metal and shattering the windows, Ryuko looked and saw Ururu standing up in the backseat, "Get down, Ururu! You don't want to get hit by those things!"

"Thank you for the concern, Ryuko, but I'll be fine. Please keep Mako safe," Ururu gave Ryuko a friendly smile as she held up the Scissor Blade, already bleeding towards the familiar purple color Ryuko had seen the first time Ururu held the blade, and began swinging it through the air. There was a constant pinging sound as the airsoft pellets ricocheted off the Scissor Blade, which resembled a purple blur as Ururu moved it too fast for normal human eyes to see.

"W-What the hell is that girl?" One of the men stuttered as he ran out of ammunition and reached to his belt for another clip.

"Holy crap, that's Tsumugiya!" Another of the men shouted in fear as a streetlight illuminated Ururu's features, "S-She's the one that beat up Sanageyama with her bare hands and without a Goku Uniform!"

"That's impossible! There's no way a girl without a Goku Uniform could take down one of the Elite Four!" The first man answered back angrily as he resumed firing, "She's going down!"

Ururu had heard enough by this point. She had thought her display of strength would cause the three men to back down and retreat without a fight, but it seemed it had achieved the exact opposite. Taking a step forward, she pushed off into the air with enough force to cause Gamagori to temporarily lose control of his car for a second. Spinning through the air, her purple Scissor Blade slicing apart any airsoft pellet that was aimed at her, Ururu landed on the hood of the opposing vehicle with nary a sound.

"What the hell?" The driver's muffled voice shouted in surprise before he pointed at Ururu, "Shoot Tsumugiya, you idiots!"

While one of the men continued shooting suppressing fire at Gamagori's vehicle to keep the member of the Elite Four from retaliating, the other two turned around and opened fire at Ururu. However, it soon turned out to be a futile act as Ururu deftly spun the Scissor Blade through the air, deflecting and destroying all the airsoft pellets long before they had a chance to reach her. Once the sound of empty chambers reached her ears, a sign that the two men were finally out of ammo, Ururu readjusted her grip on Ryuko's Scissor Blade and said, "Please forgive me for destroying your car."

"Go to hell, Tsumugiya!" The driver pulled out an airsoft pistol and used it to smash through the windshield. Aiming the weapon at Ururu's forehead, he shouted, "You might have unnatural strength, but you can't block a bullet at point blank range!"

As the airsoft pellet left the driver's pistol accompanied by a bang of compressed air behind it, Ururu leaned her head to the right, allowing the projectile to pass within an inch of her head, before thrusting the Scissor Blade downwards through the engine. The Life Fiber weapon easily passed through the steel and metal of the engine before stabbing deeply into the road beneath. With its momentum abruptly brought to a halt by the combined strength from Ururu's body and the Scissor Blade, the car flipped upwards into the air before landing on its side.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Ururu gave the four injured men a polite bow, but they were in too much pain to do anything but groan in response. Turning around, Ururu walked towards Gamagori, who had stopped the car once she jumped out. Hopping back into the backseat and giving Ryuko the Scissor Blade, Ururu saw Gamagori staring at her in stunned surprise and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gamagori stared passively at Ururu, hoping to see the familiar emblems of the Goku Uniform on her clothing, but the girl was wearing nothing more than a customized No-Star uniform. He still remembered what she did when Sanageyama had been ordered by Lady Satsuki to question her. No one should be as strong as Ururu without a Goku Uniform and yet he had just watched her do something that should have killed a normal human.

"Hang on Matoi!" Gamagori floored the gas, causing Ryuko to tumble backwards.

"Damn it," Ryuko rubbed the back of her head and turned around. Accelerating towards them down the highway was dozens of vehicles similar to the one Ururu took down. Standing on the back seat with her red Scissor Blade resting gently on her shoulder, Ryuko scoffed and asked Gamagori, "So who the hell are these guys?"

"The AAA Club," Gamagori explained as he swerved to the side to avoid a hail of pellets. As one of the vehicles accelerated until it was side by side with them, Gamagori grunted and twisted the steering wheel to the left. The occupants in the other car were not prepared for their vehicle to be slammed against the highway barrier and spun out of control before crashing in a smoking heap. Staring at the wreckage in the rearview mirror, Gamagori finished by saying, "After Lady Satsuki announced the Naturals Election, the Automotive, Airsoft and Aeronautics Clubs merged together to form the AAA club."

"So what do we do?" Ryuko asked angrily, "These guys are starting to piss me off."

"You will do nothing," Gamagori ordered as he shifted gears and his car lurched forward, "It's my Three-Star Goku Uniform they're after. You, Mankanshoku and Tsumugiya are just unlucky enough to be caught up in all this."

"What about Senketsu?" Ryuko grabbed a handful of her Kamui, causing Senketsu to growl in annoyance at her rough handling, "Wouldn't a Kamui be a better prize than your Goku Uniform!"

"True, but Lady Satsuki's determined that no one else can wear your Kamui without dying. You must have remarkable constitution to wear such a draining outfit."

Ryuko blushed in embarrassment before a loud thrumming in the air drew her attention. Turning around, she instinctively ducked as two helicopters passed several feet over her head. With her hair whipping violently in the air from the violent wind being kicked up, Ryuko saw nearly a dozen AAA members hanging on ropes off the sides of the helicopters with airsoft rifles in their hands.

"What's the matter, Gamagori?" An obnoxious voice shouted through loudspeakers. As Gamagori's eyes narrowed, one of the helicopters turned partially to the side, allowing him to see a short and pudgy man with red flame-like hair in a white jumpsuit with the familiar Two-Star pattern embroidered on it standing with one hand gripping a rope to keep him from falling out. Grinning savagely, Ryusuke Todoroki, the former captain of the Airsoft Club, raised his left arm and aimed his enormously oversized airsoft weapon at Gamagori's car, "Do you think that your wreck of a car will help you escape from me? I am the president of the AAA club, Ryusuke Todoroki, and your Three-Star Goku Uniform shall be mine!"

Todoroki waved his arm in the air and the other helicopter circled around until it was on the other side of Gamagori's car. As Ryuko's eyes focused on all the AAA Club members training their weapons on them, Todoroki's mocking voice shouted, "So you're Ryuko Matoi? Funny, I thought you would be taller. Wearing a Kamui would have been the ultimate prize but I don't feel like dying today, so here's the deal, Gamagori! You stop your car and throw the keys out onto the road where one of my members can pick them up. You will then step out of the car and place your hands over your head after handing your Goku Uniform over to me!"

Gamagori stared menacingly up at Todoroki, "And why should I do that?"

Todoroki snapped his fingers and instantly over a dozen airsoft rifles were trained on Mako, Ryuko and Ururu, "If you don't comply with my demands, my men will pump Ryuko Matoi and her friends full of holes!"

"Threatening students in front of the Disciplinary Committee Chair? You have some nerve," Gamagori shouted furiously. Ryuko Matoi might be in opposition to Lady Satsuki's plans but she had yet to do anything more than fight willing opponents. Unlike the barbarian of a student threatening him, Matoi was a very amiable woman off the battlefield and was not prone to involving innocent students in her schemes.

"Matoi," Gamagori slammed on the breaks, causing his damaged car to screech to a grinding halt. Taking the keys out of the ignition, he tossed them several times in the air before throwing them off to the side as requested, "I need you to do me a favor while I'm dealing with my mistake."

Ryuko, who was busy glaring heatedly at the AAA Club members that dared to threaten her friends, whispered back as her hand inched towards her Seki Tekkō, "What?"

"When I give the signal want you, Mankanshoku and Tsumugiya to get down," Gamagori's eyes were focused intently on the helicopter with Todoroki landing in front of them. If righteous glaring could set things ablaze, Todoroki would already be on fire, "Releasing my Goku Uniform will most likely result a lot of collateral damage. As the Disciplinary Committee Chair it is my duty that students do not get caught up in the crossfire."

Ryuko gave Gamagori a confused look, "But we're enemies. Why are you helping me?"

"We will have our fight, Matoi," Gamagori explained as he opened the drivers-side door and got out, "But it shall not be tonight! Lady Satsuki has given the students of Honnouji Academy leeway to fight one another for power and prestige, but threatening to kill a fellow student is inexcusable! It is my duty as a member of the Elite Four to make Todoroki see the errors in his judgment!"

Gamagori stepped around until he was in front of his car. With his massive arms folded in front of his body and an unamused look on his face he watched as Todoroki stepped off the helicopter. The former captain of the Airsoft Club pointed his excessively large weapon at Gamagori as his club members surrounded him, "I see you're a man who knows when he's beaten, eh Gamagori?"

"Do you think such a pitiful display of weaponry is enough to cause me distress?" Gamagori shouted angrily, "You are going to need a lot more guns to make me flinch!"

"How pathetic, Gamagori!" Todoroki shouted maniacally and snapped his fingers. As all his club members raised their airsoft weapons at Gamagori, he pointed his own and said, "But no matter how much you beg or plead there's no way I'm going to go easy on you!"

"It will take more than the likes of punks like you get me to beg!" Gamagori roared in retaliation as he stomped his feet and spread his arms out, "Someone like you, who threatens innocent students, is not even capable of getting me to fall to one knee! You are unworthy! Three-Star Goku Uniform: Shackle Regalia!"

An outpouring of light and four-pointed stars from Gamagori's body caused Todoroki and his club members to cover their eyes lest they go temporarily blind. Once the light died down enough to be able to see once more, the club captain saw Gamagori's transformed state but could not believe what his eyes saw, "What the hell is going on? He transformed into something like that?"

"What's the matter, Todoroki?" Gamagori's voice, muffled by the myriad of bandages and wraps covering his body, asked rhetorically, "Aren't you going to attack me?"

"Damn that smug bastard!" Todoroki sneered and ordered one of his men to fire several rounds at Gamagori. When the pellets did nothing more than bounce off Gamagori's Shackle Regalia, he raised his hand, "Stop. Something's not right."

The member that had fired at Gamagori turned and asked, "W-What do you mean, captain?"

"Gamagori's Goku Uniform is unlike anything we've seen before. Both Jakuzure and Sanageyama's Goku Uniform were combat-capable but Gamagori doesn't seem to be able to move. Not with all those bandages hindering him. There must be some sort of secret to his so-called Shackle Regalia," Todoroki weighed his options before coming to a quick conclusion. Gamagori was the largest of the Elite Four and therefore his Goku Uniform must be the weakest. His boasting must be to psyche his club members out of attacking him. Well it was not going to work.

"Nice try, Gamagori," Todoroki pointed his airsoft machine gun at Gamagori. As if obeying some unseen signal, every other member did the same as well. When he saw the two helicopters had their airsoft guns trained on Gamagori's form, Todoroki grinned, "But I'm not going to fall for you bluff. Light him up boys!"

Roaring collectively, all the AAA Club members cocked their weapons and fired a veritable downpour of airsoft pellets at Gamagori's Shackle Regalia. Much to Ryuko's amazement, who had stuck her head up to see what Gamagori was doing, all the pellets did nothing more than bounce harmlessly off the bandages and wrappings before falling to the pavement.

"Damn," she muttered as Gamagori seemed to withstand a rocket to the face without flinching, "That thing's hard."

"It's not just hard, Matoi!" Ryuko's eyes stared transfixed on Gamagori as his body began to bubble and convulse sporadically. At first she was worried he was in trouble when he she heard him begin moaning sensually, she realized just exactly it was he was doing. Ururu seemed to know what Gamagori's moans meant as well. The notoriously shy girl had a large blush of embarrassment on her cheeks and was covering her eyes with her hands.

"What…the hell…is he doing…?"

"That's it! Punish me as much as you like! More! More!" Gamagori was shouting enthusiastically as he body seemed to tense up under the onslaught of airsoft pellets, "I've been very bad! Each time you hit me, it feels like my heart is whipped. Yes! Just like that! The more it's whipped, the stronger I become!"

"Oh god," Ryuko slid down the seat until she was thankfully unable to see Gamagori's twitching body, "He's a goddamn pervert."

"You are mistaken, Matoi," Gamagori said between groans of pleasure, "I am not a pervert."

"Gamagori is right, Ryuko!" Mako was the only one of the three of them to still be watching Gamagori, "He's actually a pervert with an old man's face!"

"I am neither an old man nor a pervert, Mankanshoku," Gamagori stated as his form began to grow in size, "I am only nineteen years old."

"I don't want to be here anymore, Ryuko," Ururu was now covering her entire face with her hands as she sat hunched over in the back of Gamagori's car. Even through her fingers, Ryuko could see the blush on the girl's face, "Mr. Urahara warned me about people like Gamagori. He said if I should run if I ever met someone who takes pleasure from pain."

"You need not fear me or my powers, Tsumugiya," Gamagori said as his body seemed to be on the verge of explosion. As the wraps covering his form began to fray and tear, he shouted, "The instant that my climax is reached, all the power that I've been saving inside my body will explode outwards in one massive strike!"

"Three-Star Goku Uniform: Scourge Regalia!"

In a shower of stars, Gamagori's body transformed a second time, sending out dozens of spiked whips similar to the ones he normally uses. Faster than Todoroki or his men could react, each and every vehicle owned by the AAA Club was destroyed in an overly dramatic explosion while all the members were stripped of their Goku Uniforms. Only Todoroki remained conscious long enough to view Gamagori's monstrous secondary form and the image he saw would be burned in his mind for weeks.

"_**So it seems us Kamui are not the only ones capable of a secondary transformation,"**_ Senketsu muttered to himself.

"Yeah, that seems about right," Ryuko whispered back as she watched Gamagori take out the AAA Club, "Fighting someone like him is going to be tough, Senketsu, but he doesn't seem to have the same overwhelming aura as Sanageyama did that morning."

"I do apologize for tonight's events."

Gamagori's form rippled before he transformed back into his normal body accompanied by a burst of light and stars. Picking up his keys from the side of the road, he started his car back up and twisted his head around, "Now that I have dealt with that interruption, where would you prefer I drop you three off? Your scooter needs gas, correct?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Satsuki Kiryuin stared in disgust at the students gather below. Even from the height she was standing at she could sense the greedy and ravenous looks plastered on most of the students below. They were all hungry for the power of her Goku Uniforms and she knew they would do anything, accomplish any deed no matter how moral, if it meant having the power given by Life Fibers.<p>

"Do you see them, Ichigo?" Satsuki asked quietly and contemptuously to her compatriot standing right beside her, "Every one of them would like nothing more than to once again obtain the power granted by my Goku Uniforms. Their expressions show that they lust for such power. It sickens me to see such behavior for the so-called rulers of the planet."

Ichigo didn't say anything as he gazed over the crowd. After a moment he turned his head and asked, "Is everything you said true?"

Satsuki was stoic as she turned her head into the wind. Many things had been accomplished in the four days Ichigo and her were safely secured within the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer and while not all of it was good, she was not prideful enough to believe that for a moment, it was satisfactory. While she had not told Ichigo absolutely everything about her plans and motives, Satsuki was pleased Ichigo was able to piece everything together from what she did tell him. Even though she did not manage to get Ichigo on her side during those four days, it had been enough to open his eyes to her reasoning.

"Yes. Every single word that left my mouth during our conversations was the truth," she said quietly after a moment of contemplation. As an unfamiliar ripple passed through her body, Satsuki recognized it as Junketsu readjusting itself, which was an entirely new feeling to the Student Council President. Neither Ichigo nor she knew what was going on, and Ichigo's Kamui seemed in the dark about it as well, but over the last four days Junketsu seemed to have become slightly more tamed in comparison to its old behavior. It was not nearly enough for Satsuki to let her mental and physical guards down, but the slight drop in blood draining would allow her to wear Junketsu for nearly half an hour more per day. A nominally small amount of time to a normal person but to someone like Satsuki Kiryuin, thirty minutes was everything.

"I see…" Ichigo still could not believe what Satsuki told him. While at first he had been dismissive, rightfully so, of her attempts to befriend him, he knew that she was not someone to lie. The fact her story about Life Fibers was so outrageous only helped to make her words seem more believable.

"_How could I think that Satsuki's mom is planning on using Life Fibers to convert everyone in Honnou City into more Life Fibers when she holds the Great Culture and Sport Festival?" _Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and turned away from Satsuki to look out over the bay in the distance,_ "I knew there was something off about that woman but to think she was insane and a monster? Damn it. Wait a second, if Ragyo's planning to turn people into clothes then why isn't the Soul Society stepping in to stop her? Something like that should have the Old Man gunning straight for Ragyo."_

"_**I understand your confusion about the matter as well, Ichigo, but I think Satsuki is telling the truth. I did not like the feeling Ragyo Kiryuin emitted when we met her. I fully believe that woman is capable of something of this magnitude,"**_ Mugetsu's voice brought Ichigo out of his thoughts and back to the real world.

"Dad must've known," Ichigo responded to his Kamui as he remembered the look on his dad's face around Ragyo, "I haven't seen him look that serious since the winter. He knew something was up with Ragyo."

Mugetsu looked up at her wearer, _**"What are you going to do about it?"**_

"For now, I'll just wait and see what happens," Ichigo said with an annoyed groan, "Ragyo's all the way back at Revocs right now and it's not like I'm going to just go storm the company or anything. I don't like it, but my best bet to figuring out what exactly is going on is to stick close to Satsuki."

"Attempting a brash assault on my mother's company would be suicidal, Ichigo," Satsuki had easily overheard his one-sided conversation with Mugetsu and once again looked down at her own Kamui, "Even if you were to breach the front doors, you would be forced to contend with my mother's elite fighting force, Xcution. If, by some chance you defeated them, you would have to then fight the Grand Couturier and Rei Hououmaru before finally confronting my mother. Now stand at attention and keep your mouth shut."

Satsuki stepped forward and slammed Bakuzan on the podium, drawing the attention of the gathered students below, "I welcome you back, comrades of Honnouji Academy!"

Even though the hundreds of students made it impossible to visually count them, Satsuki could tell that approximately a quarter of those that were in attendance on Monday were standing below. It disappointed her that barely anyone recognized one of the secret tenets of the Naturals Election. One did not need to fight in order to win. Fighting would only tire one out and make them unable to compete in the Sudden Death Runoff. She was pleased to see her Elite Four and Ryuko Matoi in peak condition. They would need it for the next event.

"I will admit that you have surpassed my greatest expectations! To survive four days of nonstop fighting against your fellow peers is nothing to scoff at! Those of you gathered here for the Sudden Death Runoff Election are the best of the best! However, the last week of fight is only the first step! All of your battles have been closely monitored and investigated! With all that in mind, prepare yourselves for your next challenge! The process of choosing the new Three-Star students begins now!"

Satsuki slammed Bakuzan on the ledge in front of her and immediately the entire courtyard of Honnouji Academy began rumbling as six spiked pillars rose out of the ground. Giving Ichigo a tense look, Satsuki watched as Ichigo sighed before running forward and landing on the pillar right front of them.

"Each of these towers represents those that will partake in the new regime!" Satsuki noticed Ryuko Matoi staring up at Ichigo and was pleased that the deep anger she had come to be defined by had lessened over the week. Stepping forward until she was standing right on the edge of the platform, Satsuki pulled Bakuzan out of its scabbard and raised it up into the air, "I have not been deaf to your complains about Ichigo Kurosaki's ascension to the Vice Presidency of the Student Council! Each complaint against the Student Council is taken seriously and without humor! Therefore he will stand amongst the five that make it up as an equal. Show me that you deserve the position better than Ichigo Kurosaki and it shall be yours. Let the Sudden Death Runoff Election begin!"

"Damn it," Ryuko was getting more and more annoyed as her fellow students continued to hit her as they ran towards the five pillars. Raising her fist and slamming it into a One-Star's face before he could pass her, Ryuko narrowed her eyes as she saw students being blown off some of the pillars. Looking more closely, she noticed that on top of four of the pillars stood Satsuki's Elite Four.

"Ururu was right," she muttered angrily as she drew her Scissor Blade, "This whole Naturals Election is nothing more than a sham, but if Satsuki wants to be devious then to hell with manners! I'll just have to play by my own rules!"

Letting out a loud cry, Ryuko held her Scissor Blade out and raged forward. Cutting down the students who unfortunately happened to be in her path, Ryuko quickly reached the only pillar that did not have Ichigo or one of the Elite Four standing on top of it. Without slowing down in the slightest, Ryuko pressed one of her white sneakers against the surface before she began sprinting up the vertical surface against the pull of gravity. Shouting angrily as she used her Scissor Blade to knock off any students still clinging onto the spikes jutting horizontally out from the pillar, Ryuko soon reached the top of the column. Gripping the edge of the top with her hand she flipped herself into the air before landing in a graceful crouch.

"That was a nice little scam you had going on, Satsuki," Ryuko shouted smugly as she pointed her Scissor Blade at Satsuki, "But I figured out this whole Naturals Election was nothing but a trick long ago!"

"Oh?" Satsuki raised an eyebrow, "And what makes you say that? Those already in position of power will have an easier time retaining power. That is a fact of nature someone like you should be intimately familiar with."

"Tch, whatever," Ryuko grunted in annoyance.

"I would show Lady Satsuki some respect if I were you, Transfer Student," Nonon Jakuzure's voice had returned to its characteristically sweet tone over the last four days. As a breeze kicked up, ruffling her blue Goku Uniform, Nonon pointed her baton at Ryuko, "It was only because of her that we're allowing you to partake in this election. If you keep being rude, I'm going to make sure you get kicked back down into the dirt where you belong."

"Is that right, Snake?" Ryuko smirked as Nonon's smiled evaporated upon the mentioning of her hated nickname, "I'd like to see you try. Ichigo beat you once already. I'm sure that fancy new Goku Uniform is simply compensating for your lack of power."

"Why you – "

"Lady Satsuki!" Gamagori's loud and boisterous voice cut Nonon off before she could spit out her first curse. After making sure his fellow member of the Elite Four was going to remain silent until he was finished speaking, Gamagori turned to address Satsuki, "I have spoken with my fellow members of your Elite Four over the course of the Naturals Election. It is by unanimous decision that I come forth to you with a proposition for a new rule for the Sudden Death Runoff Election!"

"Is that so?" Satsuki saw the looks of conviction on her Elite Four and closed her eyes. Taking in a deep breath before exhaling, she asked, "What is your proposition?"

"Our request is quite simple, Lady Satsuki," Uzu Sanageyama answered instead of Gamagori, "While each one of us wishes to fight Ryuko Matoi in single combat, we all have grievances against Ichigo Kurosaki as well."

"Indeed," Houka Inumuta added, "Please forgive my insolence, but while fighting Ryuko Matoi would be a fitting end to the Naturals Election, there are more pressing matters. It is our collective opinion that allowing Ichigo Kurosaki to be your Vice President was an error."

"He is strong, Lady Satsuki. There is no doubt about his combat abilities or power," Gamagori respectively continued, "But he lacks several key qualities that your second-in-command should possess!"

"We've known you for years, Lady Satsuki, but Strawberry's only been here for a couple of months," Nonon finished off with a bit of anger and envy in her voice, "Seeing someone like him promoted above us is an insult!"

"You all make valid arguments," Satsuki smirked at the audacity of her Elite Four to question her decisions. She knew they were unhappy with her announcement concerning Ichigo and that it was only a matter of time before they made their complaints public. Moving a strand of hair off her face, Satsuki looked at Ichigo before turning to each of her Elite Four, "Before I agree to such a request, I must know which two of you hold the most grievances against Ichigo?"

It was Nonon, who was expected, and Sanageyama, which was a surprise to Satsuki, that raised their hands. Upon seeing the two members with the most against Ichigo, Satsuki tilted her head back and chuckled, "Then it is settled. I will allow your request to go through."

The ground began to shake once more as a large platform rose up in the center of the courtyard, "The venue of the Sudden Death Runoff Election is as follows! Matoi, you and Ichigo will alternate opponents. Ichigo, if you win your battles against those that would see you toppled I will allow you step down from your position without any complaints. Matoi, if you emerge victorious I shall tell you who killed your father as well as where they might be found!"

Ryuko narrowed her eyes. So Satsuki was in league with Nui Harime after all. Such a notion wasn't surprising to her but nevertheless she nodded, "Fine then. Once I kick their asses I'm going to force you to tell me everything!"

When the screen on the side of the Naturals Election Polling Place lit up and announced that the first match would be between Inumuta and Ryuko, Ichigo was about to sit down and think about what he was going to do when a loud and familiar voice managed to make itself heard over the roaring of the crowd.

"Ichigo! Over here, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's head whipped around towards the voice and he was not the only one, Both Inumuta and Ryuko and paused in mid-stride upon the voice announcing his name. Walking over to the side of his pillar, Ichigo scanned the crowd until he saw a familiar face in the audience. With an expression of both relief and confusion etched on his face, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Orihime? What are you doing here?"

Orihime Inoue, with her natural long orange hair, stood in the crowd wearing the Karakura Town High School uniform. She had tried to wear something else, but the mean guards at the entrance to Honnouji Academy had ordered her to remain in her school uniform. She hadn't caught most of it, due to being in awe at the large entrance to the academy, but it had something to do with making sure visitors from other schools were clearly visible.

"When your dad came home, he told everybody you were on the Student Council! So I came to Honnou City to cheer for you!" Orihime shouted back happily as she waved her arm. As her uniform hugged her ample chest, causing more than a few male students in the audience to ogle her, Ichigo groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It appeared that Orihime was still as naïve and clueless as ever when it came to her body.

"Who is that girl?" Ryuko looked at the girl Ichigo was talking to and immediately felt that she was staring at Ichigo's equivalent of Mako, if Mako was a buxom orange-haired girl.

"The Transfer Student actually asked an intelligent question," Nonon didn't know who Orihime was, but for some reason just looking at the well-endowed teen was making her feel more and more inadequate by the minute. Stomping her foot on the ground and pointing her baton at Ichigo, she shouted, "Who is that girl and how the hell does she know you, Strawberry?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at Nonon's demand, "She's a friend from Karakura Town. Hey Orihime, are any of the others here?"

Orihime adopted a pensive look before shaking her head, "I tried to get everyone else to come cheer you on but they were all super busy! Chad volunteered to help the school put in the new swimming pool and couldn't take any time off no matter how much I asked! Tatsuki really wanted to come, but she found out that her Karate Championship in Osaka was this week and couldn't make it. I tried asking Uryu but…"

"Let me guess," Ichigo finished for her, "That four-eyed bastard came up with an excuse to insult me?"

"Well…not in so many words, but yeah!" Orihime chuckled nervously before noticing what Ichigo was wearing, "Oh! That uniform looks so pretty Ichigo! Is it custom made? It looks like it's staring at me."

"It's custom made," Ichigo hesitantly answered, much to Mugetsu's frustration at being referred to as a mere piece of clothing.

"Ok, I'll see you around Ichigo!" Orihime waved enthusiastically to Ichigo as she spotted someone in the crowed, "I'm going to go hang out with Ururu! We'll both cheer for you until you win!"

"Oh great," Ryuko sighed as Orihime left, "She is exactly like Mako."

"_**Concentrate on the upcoming fight and not on the girl,"**_ Senketsu's harsh tone brought Ryuko back to reality, _**"Do you remember the power of Gamagori and Sanageyama's Goku Uniform? We cannot allow ourselves to hold back even for a moment."**_

"Right," Ryuko nodded and jumped onto the stage, "Let's do this Senketsu!"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #15 – Meetings in the Night<strong>

**Monday – 11:30 PM**

On Monday night Mugetsu relaxed in the luxury a Kamui such as her should have.

"_**Ah, this is the life,"**_ Mugetsu stretched out on the couch in Ichigo's room. It was quite considerate of her wearer to give her enough of his blood for her to move around. Mugetsu had felt a little guilty asking Ichigo, but he was more than happy to give her enough blood so that she could remain awake and mobile throughout the night.

"_**This almost makes me wish Ichigo and Satsuki weren't enemies,"**_ Mugetsu sighed and hung the top of her body off the edge of the couch. She might dislike Satsuki Kiryuin, but that butler of hers certainly knew how to iron a Kamui in all the right places. Mugetsu had thought Ichigo knew how to iron but Soroi was a master at the craft. The only way her ironings could get better was if Soroi's nephew didn't always try and observe her reactions.

"_**That Iori watches me like I'm some sort of animal,"**_Mugetsu folded her sleeves behind her lapel and sighed. She didn't know how Junketsu put up with all the nonsense in Satsuki's life but it would be a lot easier if the Kamui would talk to her. How on Earth was she supposed to hold a conversation when Junketsu would simply stare at her silently? It was starting to get a little creepy.

Sensing something moving in the peripherals of her vision, Mugetsu turned her eyes towards the door to Ichigo's room and saw Junketsu peeking in. Once Satsuki's Kamui noticed it was spotted, it quickly ducked back out, leaving a very confused Mugetsu alone once more.

"_**It's too late to deal with whatever Junketsu's up to,"**_ Mugetsu yawned and closed her eyes, _**"I'll tell Ichigo about it tomorrow…maybe…"**_

**Tuesday – 11:30 PM**

It rained Tuesday night.

Mugetsu stood by the window in Ichigo's room and stared out into the storm. She really liked watching the rain for some reason, but the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer circulating around the top of Honnouji Academy did a perfect job of keeping the rain and wind away, which caused Mugetsu to deflate sadly.

"_**I wish I could see the rain. It's much better than looking at Life Fibers all the time,"**_ Mugetsu concentrated and could barely make out the glow of fire through the red Life Fibers. It appeared that the Naturals Election was still going on and somewhere out there was Ryuko and Senketsu. Pressing her uniform up against the glass, she sighed and scratched her fabric, _**"I wonder how Senketsu is doing? I bet he's getting Ryuko into a lot of trouble without Ichigo and me to bail him out. Despite how much I don't like his childishness I would rather not see a fellow Kamui injured. There are only four of us in existence, after all."**_

Mugetsu paused as she thought over something before adding, _**"But Danketsu can go to hell for all I care."**_

When the door to Ichigo's room opened, creaking softly in the quiet night, Mugetsu's lapels perked up. Looking towards the door, she saw Junketsu hopping over to her. The mute Kamui did not look at her as it hopped onto the table next to Mugetsu and stared outside.

"_**Aren't you going to say anything?"**_ Mugetsu asked sarcastically. When Junketsu only stared at her for a moment before turning its attention back to the window and the storm raging just over a hundred feet away, Mugetsu sighed and groaned, _**"That's what I thought…"**_

**Wednesday – 11:30 PM**

On Wednesday Mugetsu asked to sleep on a hanger.

Mugetsu might have preferred to sleep stretched out across any surface she wanted, but whenever she woke up there would be wrinkles in her Life Fibers that would only go away after being ironed. While she did not mind one bit of Ichigo or Soroi ironed her, she knew too much of a good thing was bad.

As she slept peacefully on the hanger next to Ichigo's dresser, Mugetsu was woken up when there was a slight pulling on the hem of her pants. Waking up with a start and looking around for any possible intruder, Mugetsu quickly calmed down when she saw that the intruder was actually Junketsu staring up at her from the floor.

"_**This is starting to get annoying,"**_ Mugetsu looked over at Ichigo, who was thankfully still asleep, before focusing her gaze on Junketsu, _**"I don't mind hanging out with you but the silence is really starting to creep me out. Why don't you just talk and say what's on your mind or something? Kamui are incapable of being mute, after all."**_

When Junketsu hopped back and seemed to avert its gaze, Mugetsu noticed something incredibly familiar about the Kamui's behavior. Pulling herself off the hanger with ease, she landed in front of a startled Junketsu and began examining her fellow Kamui's uniform. Yes, now that Mugetsu had a closer look at Junketsu's untransformed state, she could see just why the Kamui's behavior seemed so familiar.

"_**I think I understand why you do not talk,"**_ Junketsu's uniform tensed up as Mugetsu threw her sleeve over her shoulder epaulets and sighed, _**"Your behavior is just like Ichigo's friend, Ururu, so that means you're really shy, right? Oh, I can't wait to tell Ichigo about this! Who would believe Satsuki Kiryuin's Kamui would be extremely shy?"**_

Before Mugetsu could continue, Junketsu pulled itself free and fled the room, slammed the door in the process.

"Mugetsu?" Ichigo let out a yawn as he sat up in bed, "What are you doing up?"

Mugetsu stared at where she last saw Junketsu before turning to her wearer, _**"I thought I heard something."**_

"It's probably Iori trying to install bugs in my room again," Ichigo groaned tiredly as he laid back down, "If I ever catch him doing it, I'm going to beat the crap out of him…"

**Thursday – 11:30 PM**

On Thursday Mugetsu decided to take the initiative.

As soon as Ichigo fell asleep, Mugetsu pulled herself off her hanger and left the room. Walking down the room, giving a friendly salute to Soroi, who stared back with a blank expression at the freely moving Kamui passing by, Mugetsu eventually reached her goal. Opening the door to the room where Junketsu was kept, Mugetsu looked out over the moon-filled sky before focusing on her goal.

"_**I see you're awake," **_Mugetsu stared up at Junketsu, who looked back down. While Junketsu's eyes looked to be stoic and aggressive, as Satsuki had come to know her Kamui, Mugetsu could see that Junketsu was actually quite nervous right now. From the number of restraining bolts pinning Junketsu into the case, it appeared that Satsuki had found out about her Kamui's late night strolls.

"_**I want to apologize for last night," **_Mugetsu rubbed her lapels and sighed. She really wasn't that good at apologizing for anything. Senketsu was the one who always apologized for what he did, and didn't, do, _**"I didn't know you were actually afraid of talking. I mean Senketsu talks all the time and I can't get him to shut up and Danketsu is just a pain in the ass to listen to. It seems that every other word out of Danketsu's mouth is a curse. If we Kamui actually had mouths, I would force Ichigo to wash hers out with soap and water just for good measure."**_

When Junketsu's posture relaxed, Mugetsu gave her fellow Kamui a salute, _**"So while our wearers don't like each other, what do you say we be friends? I have nothing against you even if you might be as strong as me."**_

The voice that eventually reached Mugetsu was not what she expected. She would have thought Junketsu, with her aggressive bloodlust and fighting power would be male like Senketsu, but the voice that she heard was definitely feminine. Even though she was pinned down, Junketsu's uniform rippled until an identical fang-filled mouth to Mugetsu's own appeared, _**"I would like to be friends."**_

"_**Ok, good. For a second there I thought you were going to be just like Danketsu! Boy, that's a relief!"**_ Mugetsu waved goodbye to her fellow Kamui and turned to leave, _**"I guess this means you won't stalk me every night from now on, right?"**_

"_**What do you mean?" **_Junketsu's soft voice asked in honest confusion, _**"I've been told that stalking is the appropriate method when dealing with family. We are both true Kamui and are therefore siblings."**_

Mugetsu did not like the sincerity in Junketsu's voice. The Kamui actually believed what she was saying, _**"Who taught you that?"**_

"_**My mother, Ragyo Kiryuin, taught me. I may have been created by two humans but it was mother who sewed everything I needed to know into my Life Fibers, "**_ Mugetsu inwardly cringed at the mention of Ragyo. When she had been near that woman, it felt like every Life Fiber in her being was being energized in a completely wrong way. It did not help that Ragyo wanted to turn everyone in Honnou City in Life Fibers, even though Mugetsu didn't know how she planned to do something like that.

"_**If we're going to be friends, I'm going to need to teach you a few life lessons. Lesson number one is…"**_

That conversation lasted until the early dawn hours. As Mugetsu dragged her tired body back to Ichigo's room and collapsed on the couch, she had a strange inkling that Junketsu didn't learn a damn thing. As unconsciousness claimed her, Mugetsu could not forget that Junketsu was paying more attention to her than to what she was saying.


	28. Chapter 28: Bad Moon Rising

_Wow, Chapter 28 was finished much sooner than I thought. I guess it's because I'm getting right into the fighting scenes and away from story-building and character development. I'm sure none of you care about that since you're going to enjoy reading both the chapter and the omake. This chapter is the one that also pushes the total word count of the story past 300,000 words with 900 reviews and 900+ Favorites and Alerts. I thank each and every one of you that takes the time and effort to write a short response to my work. If you are impatient about the details for the next chapter, I do post ongoing snippets of the chapters on Spacebattles and Sufficientvelocity on a daily or two day period. So sit back and enjoy the chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 28 – Bad Moon Rising<strong>

**Moscow, 9:45 PM MSK – Two Days before the Sudden Death Runoff Election**

The man sitting behind the command terminal in the Revocs Server Room ran a hand through his dark hair as he impatiently watched the progress on the screen. It had taken every last resource he had in his possession, but he had managed to influence Revocs security to avoid the room for eleven minutes. That gave him more than enough time to log into the secure terminal, pop in his flash drive and download everything that he needed to do.

_**Download Progress – 85.2% (358.31MB / 420.55 MB)**_

_**Estimated Time Remaining – 51 Seconds**_

"This would have been a lot harder if my security wasn't already top level," the man muttered quietly to himself before his eyes narrowed. He needed to keep the noise he made to a minimal. Turning his eyes up into the darkened corner of the room, the man saw the faintest glimmer of sliver in the shadows.

"_An acoustic sensor capable of detecting a person's speech over the sound of the servers…"_

Ragyo Kiryuin's security, both human and technological, was notoriously tight, especially after her daughter's information specialist, Houka Inumuta, hacked into the servers. Ragyo wanted to crucify the boy to make him an example to the rest of the world for what happens to those that try to harm Revocs. The man didn't know what it was Satsuki told her mother, but at the end of the day Inumuta was still alive and had all his limbs.

_**Download Progress – 97.9% (411.72 MB / 420.55 MB)**_

_**Estimated Time Remaining – 5 Seconds**_

The man impatiently tapped his finger against his leg as he watched the meter on the monitor finish. As soon as the message 'Download Complete' appeared, he quickly pulled the flash drive out of the computer and placed it securely in a hidden pocket in the lining of his jacket. Turning to leave, the man checked his watch and noticed he had just over a minute until security began making their first rounds.

"That's plenty of time."

The information he was carrying was very important and needed to get to Nudist Beach as soon as possible. He had risked more than just being killed obtaining it. If Ragyo Kiryuin figured out what he was doing, the full wrath of that woman would come crashing down so hard that the man wouldn't have an afterlife to look forward to.

Carefully opening the door to the server room, the man glanced back and forth in the empty hallway and once he saw the coast was clear, walked out and locked the door behind him. Walking slowly past the darkened windows showing the snowy Moscow night, the man placed his hands in his pockets. He didn't need anyone, especially Raygo Kiryuin's cameras, picking up on the faint trembling of his hands. Even if the security wasn't observant enough to detect such minute movements, the man wasn't going to take his chances with someone like Ragyo.

"Yo, Ginjo! Long time no see!"

Kugo Ginjo calmly turned around and gave a friendly wave to the approaching Moe Shishigawara. He was the newest member of Xcution and among the youngest as well. There were a few younger than him but none of them had been given as much power right after joining than Shishigawara. His strength was so great that within weeks of being inducted into Xcution, Shishigawara had been granted commanded of the entire Russian Security Force by Ragyo Kiryuin herself. However, despite all his power Shishigawara was still new and thus did not possess the experience necessary to see through Ginjo's deception.

"Oh, I didn't see you Shishigawara," Ginjo chuckled amiably at his fellow Xcution member's exuberance, "If I knew you were around I would have brought some ramen or something. Besides, it's only been about a month since I last talked with you in person."

"Ugh, you know how much I don't like ramen," Shishigawara grimaced in disgust as he skidded to a stop in front of Ginjo and leaned over to catch his breath. While he was a member of Xcution, the seventeen year old Shishigawara sometimes overexerted himself, often to comedic effect when he would be running down a hallway to somewhere important and suddenly drop to the ground from exhaustion. Blinking in thought as something passed through his mind, Shishigawara ran a hand through his mostly shaved head and asked, "Yo man, I thought you were still in Buenos Aires. Why would you leave the beaches for someplace miserable like this? Man, why would Lady Ragyo dump me off in something like this frozen wasteland is beyond me."

"I would be careful of what you say about Lady Ragyo," Ginjo's face was stoic as he chastised the younger member of Xcution, "Comments such as that could be grounds for punishment."

"R-Really?" Shishigawara began to sweat nervously until he saw a smile spread across Ginjo's face. Huffing in embarrassment he punched Ginjo in the shoulder with his tape-covered left hand, a reminder of his years as a kickboxer, and snorted, "Damn it! How'd you get so good at lying? You used to not be able to lie to save your sorry ass!"

Ginjo shrugged, "I've been practicing. How else am I supposed to pick up women at the beach?"

"You're one lucky bastard," Shishigwara huffed and adjusted the tape on his hands. They always seemed like they were coming loose, "So why are you here anyway? Are you ready to spar against my Loterie Raiment again? I'll win this time for sure! I've been practicing on controlling my power and I'm certain the collateral damage will be low. Man, Hououmaru was so scary when I accidentally destroyed one of Lady Ragyo's private helicopters with my power. That woman can yell like a banshee. My ears were ringing for days afterwards!"

Shishigawara was one of the more normal members of Xcution and Ginjo liked to take some small amount of credit for that. He was, after all, the one to help Shishigawara survive the brutish and hellish initiation into Xcution. It was not enough for one to have abnormally high resistance to Life Fibers to be inducted. They also had to pass a series of tests and programs to see how to best fit them with specialized raiment. That would be difficult enough on its own but the proctor of the initiation was Nui Harime.

The Grand Couturier took great pleasure in breaking down as many recruits as possible as she test fit raiment on their bodies. That was why out of the twenty or so Xcution recruits per year only one or two survive to join the group. That small number of people is almost always mentally broken down by Nui's methods to the point they see Ragyo Kiryuin as some sort of living goddess whose every step was holy. Ginjo was glad that when he was the second to join Xcution nineteen years ago Nui Harime had not yet appeared out of whatever hellhole spawned her.

"Hououmaru does have a voice on her for being such a small woman," Ginjo chuckled before his expression hardened, "And while I would like to spar against you to see how you've improved I can't. I only stopped by to say hello before heading over to Europe. With Jackie captured by Nudist Beach, Lady Ragyo wants me to take command of the European Security Force."

"Damn Nudists," Shishigawara spat on the ground and cracked the knuckles on his right hand, "How the hell did they even take down Jackie? Her Sanguinaire Raiment was powerful as hell! I sure as hell couldn't beat her in a straight up fight without getting in a lucky shot or two. How did those Nudists do it?"

Ginjo checked his watch and saw that the pilot of the helicopter, who he had bribed tremendously to defect, would only remain for another fifteen minutes before departing, "I don't have much time but I suppose I could fill you in on a little secret. While Jackie was taken before reporting what was happening, Hououmaru's analysis of the scene suggests that a Kamui was involved."

"A Kamui?"

Shishigawara staggered back. Of course he knew the legendary Kamui made up of purely Life Fibers but he never thought Nudist Beach would have something like that in their possession. The only question was how Nudist Beach got their hands on one of the sacred garments. There were three Kamui in existence and all of them were at Honnouji Academy, which Lady Ragyo had declared forbidden to each and every member of Xcution for unknown reasons.

"That's right," Ginjo narrowed his eyes and whispered, "I would keep my eyes and ears open, Shishigawara. If someone as experienced with her raiment as Jackie was taken down, then it is likely any of us could be defeated as well. Don't get cocky and full of yourself or you might find yourself defeated."

Shishigawara gave Ginjo a respectful salute, "Of course, Ginjo! I won't let you down."

"You really need to lighten up. We're both members of Xcution after all," Ginjo waved to Shishigawara as he turned to head towards the roof and the helicopter. Once he was in the air, he would breathe a sigh of relief but until that point he would need to be on his guard.

"_This would have been easier when Ragyo Kiryuin and the Grand Couturier were both at Honnouji Academy but I could not make a move without being spotted,"_Ginjo typed in the passcode to the elevator and waited until the doors shut before closing his eyes. Absentmindedly patting his jacket where the flash drive was, Ginjo leaned against the side of the elevator and folded his arms, _"Jackie's capture could not have come at a worse time. Ragyo's guard is going to be up now that Nudist Beach possesses the power to take down a member of Xcution. Hopefully what I got will be enough to even the odds."_

When the elevator doors opened, Ginjo involuntarily shivered. The night was getting colder and it was only a matter of time until the main brunt of the blizzard hit Moscow. If he could leave before then, it would work to help delay any retaliation from Revocs until the storm passed. Zipping up his jacket and folding his hands in his pockets, Ginjo calmly walked across the snowy rooftop towards the helipad. Even now, when things were almost over, he needed to keep a clear head. Ragyo Kiryuin and those working for her needed him to let his guard down for only a second. Ginjo wasn't about to give them that chance.

"It's good the see you, sir," The pilot slid the door on the side of the helicopter open and offered Ginjo a welcoming hand, "Are you all finished? I would like to leave before the storm hits. The latest forecast puts the storm less than twenty miles to the west of the city."

"There's no need to wait," Ginjo sensed something in his peripheral vision. Turning his head slightly so as to not draw suspicion, he glanced over the quiet and empty roof, "In fact, we should probably leave right now."

The pilot snapped off a quick salute before hurrying back into the cockpit. As the rotors above the helicopter whirred into life and began to spin, disturbing the snow that had fallen on them, Ginjo stood near the open side of the helicopter and braced his hand against the cold metal. Someone very familiar and extremely dangerous was quickly making their way towards his location. Already his ears could pick up the sounds of an explosion in the distance. From the lack of subtly in his pursuer's actions, it was clear to Ginjo that Nui Harime was not particularly pleased to hear of his treachery.

"_The question is how she knew what I was doing. I didn't doubt that my flight from Argentina would be quickly noticed by Ragyo Kiryuin, but for her to send out the Grand Couturier with such frightening precise timing means my plan was compromised from the very beginning."_

Ginjo knew from the moment he decided to do what he did that if he ran into Nui Harime there would be way he would get out alive. The Grand Couturier would give him some small glimmer of hope before crushing it beneath her overwhelming power and strength. That was why he chose to enact his plans tonight. The blizzard approaching Moscow would limit visibility from the air and with his sabotage of the only other helipad at the Revocs compound, Nui Harime would be forced to land at Domodedovo International Airport nearly six kilometers away. Six kilometers might seem like a lot, but it would only buy him about two minutes to escape from the Grand Couturier.

"_I have about a minute,"_ Ginjo breathed a sigh of extreme relief as the helicopter began lifting off the ground. Sixty seconds would be more than enough time to get out of range of all of the Grand Couturier's abilities. With any luck, he could fly far enough into the storm that she wouldn't be able to give chase from the ground. Clasping a shaking hand around his X-shaped pendant dangling freely from his neck, Ginjo was well aware that his Cuirassé Raiment did not stand a chance against Nui's power. Her Scissor Blade, compounded with her strength and speed, would easily tear through his raiment's armor with one clean blow.

"_I don't think I've ever been this frightened of an opponent before,"_ Ginjo looked down at the retreated rooftop with a nervous expression. He remembered quite vividly what happened after his rebellion against the Soul Society after their false accusations. He thought after everything he did for the Soul Society as a substitute shinigami they would believe his word. He couldn't have been more naïve but even staring down three captains, including Jushiro Ukitake, as they forcibly removed his shinigami powers did not cause him to feel nearly as much fear as fighting a pissed-off Nui Harime.

As the blowing snow began to obscure the ground below, Ginjo saw a pink figure appear out of nowhere on the roof below. Even though he was unable to see the Grand Couturier's face, Ginjo could sense she was looking directly at him and the intent behind her stare was enough to force him to break out in a cold sweat. Sliding the door of the helicopter closed and sitting down in a chair, Ginjo breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he had gotten away.

That was until a purple Scissor Blade skewered upwards through the helicopter's floor in front of his leg and everything quickly went to hell.

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><p>Ryuko Matoi stared at the teal haired teenager across the ring from her with barely concealed suspicion.<p>

"_So what does he have up his sleeves?"_ Ryuko's eyes dropped from Houka Inumuta's smug expression to the PDA held in his left hand. The Information and Strategy Committee Chair seemed to be more focused on whatever was on his little device than the upcoming fight. Out of all the Elite Four, Inumuta was the only one she hadn't really come in contact with. She had already fought Sanageyama's Blade Regalia twice, witnessed Jakuzure try to sneak attack Ichigo in the hallway in her Symphony Regalia and got a personal showing of Gamagori's Shackle Regalia two nights ago.

"_Whatever it is, I 'm willing to bet that it has something to do with technology,"_ Ryuko was starting to get annoyed at Inumuta's ignorance of the upcoming fight in deference to his PDA, _"Damn it, don't tell me he's one of those snooty 'I know everything about you' people."_

"_**The taste of your blood has changed, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's steady voice brought Ryuko out of her thoughts, _**"Is something wrong?"**_

Ryuko huffed and groaned, "This guy is really starting to bug the hell out of me, but his aura is nothing like the other three. It's almost like he not even close to being on the same level as the rest of Satsuki's little goon squad."

Senketsu's eye narrowed in understanding, _**"I've noticed the same thing, but you should not let your guard down. Satsuki Kiryuin might have chosen him to be on her Elite Four for reasons other than power."**_

"You got a point there." Ryuko took a calming breath to steady her nerves. This was what she had been waiting for. While she already knew who killed her dad, she needed to know Satsuki's relation to Nui Harime and why she did it. If she didn't find out the answer, Ryuko knew it would bother her for the rest of her life, "I'm ready when you are, Senketsu."

"Such valuable data…"

Inumuta's off-hand remark brought Ryuko's attention away from Senketsu and completely on him, "Huh? What are you muttering about?"

"Oh, forgive my commentary," Inumuta tucked away his PDA and absentmindedly adjusted his tinted glasses. Giving a light chuckle, he explained, "I could not help but record your one-sided conversation with your Kamui just a moment ago. Please do not give me that surprised expression, I've already seen and recorded Ichigo Kurosaki doing the same thing with his Kamui. It is very exciting to capture such valuable information. Do you mind satiating my curiosity and describing what your Kamui's voice sounds like? I find all my sensors unable to pick up a single acoustic sound."

"Go to hell," Ryuko muttered and spat on the ground. There was no way she was going to tell someone like Inumuta anything about Senketsu, "Why don't you just ask Ichigo if you're so goddamn curious?"

Inumuta's body seemed to the tense up and his mouth disappeared as his high collar snapped shut in front of it, "Unfortunately my methods of collecting data surrounding Ichigo's Mugetsu has been complicated by the difficulty of the task."

"_**Hmm…"**_ Senketsu seemed puzzled by Inumuta's explanation, _**"I wonder what he means by that."**_

"He means that the last time he tried to do anything to Mugetsu I threatened to destroy his laptop," Ichigo shouted from the pillar he was sitting down on. Seeing the pointed glares from Jakuzure and Gamagori, he returned the favor with an annoyed look of his own and turned his attention back to the upcoming fight.

"T-That's beside the point," Inumuta's composure nearly slipped as he remembered Ichigo grabbing his laptop and threatening to tear it in two. He would have tried to call Ichigo's bluff by threatening to report his actions to Lady Satsuki, but Inumuta realized something important in that instance of seeing his most precious computer held just out of reach – Ichigo wouldn't care in the slightest.

"Oh really? It doesn't seem like it's not important," Ryuko had a smug grin on her face as she drew her Scissor Blade from the pouch on her hip and willed it to extend to its full size.

"Say what you will, Ryuko Matoi, but I've been reviewing your combat data," Inumuta's expression hardened slightly at her mocking of him. No one would get away with insulting his reverence of data and information, "Your Kamui's transformation against Sanageyama's Blade Regalia was truly intriguing. I wonder how such a configuration would work against an opponent who knows what to look for."

Ryuko pointed her Scissor Blade at Inumuta, "Let's fight and find out! I'll show you just how much Senketsu can kick your ass!"

Satsuki watched the exchange between Ryuko and Inumuta before raising her voice and calmly stating, "The first round begins…now."

"Understood, Lady Satsuki," Inumuta smirked as his eyes were hidden behind a glare reflecting off his glasses, "Shall we get started, Ryuko Matoi?"

Without waiting for Ryuko's answer Inumuta threw his arms out to his sides as the three black stars emblazoned on his Goku Uniform lit up. Ryuko was forced to squint slightly as the bright light enveloping Inumuta's body shone across the stage. As the light died down just moments later, Ryuko stared on in veiled interest as Inumuta emerged from his transformation and said, "Three-Star Goku Uniform: Probe Regalia."

"Probe Regalia, huh?"

Ryuko was expecting something large and intimidating like the other three members of the Elite Four, but Inumuta's Probe Regalia seemed to go in the opposite direction. His Goku Uniform covered his entire body apart from his mouth and hair and had a predominantly dark blue coloring with green holographic keyboards lining his thighs and arms. As Inumuta began weirdly typing on the keyboards in various positions, Ryuko's eyebrows rose and she folded her arms, "Is this it? It's nothing like the other three. Actually, now that I think about it, it looks like it came out of a show I saw a while ago with giant robots."

"_**Whatever the case may be, I'm getting a strange feeling. It's almost as if I'm being stripped bare,"**_ Senketsu growled irritably as a confident smirk came from Inumuta. He didn't know what the Information and Strategy Committee Chair was thinking but it made him feel uneasy. Shuddering as a sense of being violated coursed through his uniform, causing Ryuko to glance down at him in concern, Senketsu turned his eye up to his wearer and declared, _**"Finish this before I feel any more violated. If we lose here Mugetsu is never going to let me live it down."**_

"No need to tell me, Senketsu," Ryuko raised her forearm and gripped the pin on her Seki Tekkou. Grinning confidently as she pulled the pin out, she added, "After all, I wouldn't want to make you look bad in front of your crush. Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"

As she was clad once again in Senketsu's transformed state and felt her Kamui's power, along with hurriedly denied remarks of his relationship with Mugetsu, course through every fiber of her being, Ryuko let out a deep sigh and gripped her red Scissor Blade with both hands. The Information and Strategy Committee Chair had yet to do anything in their fight apart from continuously typing on the green keyboards lining his body in strange and disturbing poses. While she still didn't have a clue about what tricks and abilities Inumuta had, based on his Probe Regalia she figured it had something to do with computers and information.

"So you automatically transform into your initial state?" Inumuta rhetorically asked as he took in every detail from Ryuko's body. Every screed of visible information he could get from Senketsu was being stored within his Probe Regalia's hard-drive for Iori to go over later on. Giving a pleased grin, made even more apparent by his hidden eyes, he said, "While your standard combat configuration is impressive, I would have preferred you go right to your Senkou mode."

Ryuko narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "Like I give a damn what you want! I'm not going to let a data fetishist like you tell me what to do! In fact, I'm going to beat your sorry ass without using Senkou just to piss you off!"

Inumuta grinned savagely as he typed feverously on his Probe Regalia, "Come then, Ryuko Matoi! Show me the power of your Senketsu!"

As Ryuko gave a battle-shout and flew across the stage towards Inumuta, twin blasts of energy rocketing out from the backs of Senketsu's eyes, Orihime Inoue was watching the fight with a visible blush stretching across her face, "Mako, shouldn't Ryuko be embarrassed to wear such a…um…revealing outfit?"

"Not at all," Mako exclaimed proudly to her new friend from the No-Stars section of the stands. Raising her arms excitedly and clapping her hands together, she explained, "Ryuko has a great body and is proud of the way she looks! Senketsu may expose her body for the rest of the world to see but Ryuko is confident about her appearance! She shows off her body and great rack for the rest of us to admire! There is no reason to not show off what you got, after all!"

"Ryuko named her uniform Senketsu?" Orihime cutely raised a finger to her lip as she pondered what seemed to be an important enigma. Unbeknownst to her, the action inadvertently caused several nearby male students to faint from blood loss, "That's strange…I wonder if it has anything to do with Ichigo naming his Mugetsu?"

"Of course it does!" Mako explained passionately, "Both Senketsu and Mugetsu are Kamui, school uniforms made of Life Fibers that give their wearers super-duper powers!"

Orihime was confused about what Mako was talking about. She remembered Uryu mentioning something similar to Life Fibers when she asked him about his summer job last year but Uryu had seemed to come up with excuses involving his dad dying whenever she asked. Honnou City was a really amazing place, but then again Karakura Town didn't have the high school perched at the highest point in the city, which was an awesome idea. It would be just like a fortress that could keep out invaders and anyone trying to take control of the city!

"Wait a second! That's it!" Orihime slammed her fist into an open palm and shouted triumphantly, "You're saying that Ryuko and Ichigo can transform their Kamui into new uniforms with superhuman powers and abilities? I thought it was strange Ryuko would wear something other than the Honnouji Academy uniform but now it makes perfect sense! Ryuko must secretly be a Sentai who goes around solving crimes and saving people and Ichigo must be her newly inducted and unwilling recruit!"

"That's exactly what Ryuko does!" Sparkling stars surrounded Mako's eyes as she locked hands with the equally imaginative Orihime. Almost as if it was a reaction waiting to go off, as soon as the two overactive teens locked hands they were surrounded by a bright pink backdrop of light not too different from Satsuki's own but at the same time nearly twice the intensity. While everyone nearby was forced to move away lest they go blind from the light, Mako smiled and said, "Ryuko and Ichigo are like superheroes that are thrust into an impossible world against villains that keep getting stronger and stronger!"

"I know," Orihime happily agreed, memories of her time in the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo coming to the forefront of her mind. While those memories weren't one she particular enjoyed, especially the ones in Hueco Mundo, the past was the past and therefore shouldn't be dwelt upon. Aizen was defeated and his army vanquished, "You've been here the entire time, Mako, so do you know if Ryuko or Ichigo have catchphrases or poses?"

"Hmm…" Mako pursed her lips and the pink backdrop died down momentarily before resuming its usual intensity, "Nope, but they have their own transformation sequences and everything!"

Orihime blinked as her mind tried to process what Ichigo's Mugetsu transformation might look like before she noticed something and looked around. She had been so engrossed in her conversation with Mako that she missed seeing Ururu leave, "Hey Mako, did you see where Ururu went?"

"Oh! She left to go get some snacks!" Mako answered with a gluttonous look on her face. With a trail of drool leaking from her mouth, she began listing off all the food Ururu was going to buy with the money Ichigo gave her from his Vice President stipend, "She's going to go get popcorn, corndogs, crackerjacks, hot dogs, hamburgers and every other food I can't remember!"

"That sounds wonderful, Mako!" Orihime joyfully agreed, "So while we wait for Ururu to get back with the snacks we should think of a nemesis for Ichigo and Ryuko to constantly battle. They can't be superheroes without a villain. You have anyone in mind?"

"What about Lady Satsuki?"

The bubble voice coming from right next to Mako caused both girls to turn around and the pink backdrop to vanish once and for all. Sitting right next to Mako with a pleased expression on her face and her hands clasped firmly behind the nape of her neck was Nui Harime.

"You look familiar," Mako's eyes narrowed in rare suspicion before the familiar happy expression returned to her face, "Have we met before?"

"Maybe…" Nui drawled up secretly as she stuck her tongue out cutely before turning her singular sapphire eye up to Ryuko's fight against Inumuta. She really did not care to watch Ryuko beat Satsuki's little goon. What she was looking forward to was seeing Ichigo utterly destroy the humans and their Goku Uniforms with the awesome power of Mugetsu. Giving a girlish chuckle from the anticipation, she tilted her head to Mako and answered, "But then again, I just have that kind of face, you know."

"Lady Satsuki?" Orihime looked puzzled at the honorifics given to the name, "Isn't she the Student Council President and Ichigo's boss? You know something, Uryu's the Student Council President back in Karakura Town but everyone just calls him Uryu even though his family is rich. I think he would be really embarrassed if I called him Lord Uryu."

"Uh huh," Nui nodded and filed away that particular piece of information. Orihime was one of Ichigo's friends from Karakura Town, so he probably had some sort of friendly feelings for her. She would refrain from hurting or killing Orihime unless absolutely necessary since it would make Ichigo upset and Nui did not want to upset someone she loved as much as her cousin, "But there's a reason I mentioned Lady Satsuki. I heard that she knows the identity of whoever killed Ryuko's dad but she won't say who it is. That's why Ryuko's fighting her quirky miniboss squad, you know."

"Ryuko's dad is dead?" Orihime was visibly saddened by the news and promised to comfort the girl when she got the chance. Turning her attention back to the fight as a curse echoed through the stadium, courtesy of Ryuko, Orihime folded her hands across her lap and wished Ryuko the best of luck.

"God damn it!" Ryuko shouted as her red Scissor Blade was avoided when Inumuta spun out of the path with barely an inch of space, "Your Probe Regalia is really starting to piss me off!"

Inumuta leapt away from Ryuko and quickly began typing on his keyboards. As Ryuko continued to get more and more frustrated with her failure to hit him, her accuracy would begin to suffer. As his sensors predicted another attack, Inumuta leaned to the side and out of the way of Ryuko's Scissor Blade, "At your current level there are no way you can hit me. I've already analyzed the data from your battle against Sanageyama's Blade Regalia and while your speed may be slightly greater than my own, I can still predict and thus avoid your attacks. You might as well use Senkou since there is no way you – "

The Information and Strategy Committee Chair was silenced as a black and red fist slammed into his face and catapulted him backwards through the air before he landed on his back. With her fist smoking and an angry glare on her face, Ryuko snorted and shouted, "People like you piss me off! You're one of those people that think just because they've analyzed everything that they can anticipate every move their opponent makes!"

"_I underestimated her,"_ Inumuta pulled himself up and took a ragged breath. As the physically weakest of the Elite Four, his stamina and endurance were magnitudes less than Gamagori's. A few more hits like that and he would be down for the count, _"She's even faster than my data predicted? Has her connection with her Kamui increased in the last few weeks to this point? I'll need to up my output if I hope to collect enough data about her Kamui for Lady Satsuki."_

"There's only one way to beat the crap out of someone like you!" Ryuko continued as she stared down Inumuta. Gripping her Scissor Blade tightly in both hands, she pointed the weapon at her opponent and shouted, "And that is to be as reckless in battle as possible! You cannot predict my moves if I don't know them myself!"

Rushing towards Inumuta in a burst of speed, her red heels pushing off the ground hard enough to crack the stone composing the stage, Ryuko quickly and suddenly switched her footing around just as she was about to reach Inumuta before sprinting past him. The Information and Strategy Committee Chair was unprepared for such an abrupt change in her battle strategy and was forced to dedicate more and more of his Probe Regalia's processing power to analyzing her new battle pattern.

"Do you think because you can think on your feet I cannot follow your movements?" Inumuta gloated as his furiously typed on his keyboards, "I've already analyzed your new strategy and stance. I cannot be hit by you any – "

Inumuta's smug gloating was interrupted as Ryuko recklessly dropped her guard, switched her Scissor Blade to her left hand and smashed her fist into the bottom of his chin, causing spittle to fly freely through the air.

"That is what happens when you try to analyze everything in battle!" Ryuko shouted as Inumuta's body bounced away from her before he managed to regain his bearings and land on his feet. As his feet left twin trails of dust along the ground as he skidded to a stop, Inumuta took a ragged breath and wiped away a small amount of blood that was leaking from his lips. Staring at her through his visor, Inumuta saw Ryuko grin and point her Scissor Blade at him, "Is this seriously all you can do? At this rate I won't even need to break a sweat to defeat you."

"I see what's happening," Inumuta said after catching his breath. Quickly moving his hands around his keyboards as data streamed down his visor, he grinned and ignored the beads of sweat dripping down his face. Ryuko's strength was greater than his data indicated. If he was hit with a few more of those attacks there was a great risk of his data being lost or corrupted, "Every few seconds you are shifting your stance and boosting your reaction speed to overcome my Probe Regalia's ability to predict and counter. How intriguing. While Goku Uniforms are capable of temporarily boosting their Life Fiber connections, the effect for a Kamui should be many times greater, but I wonder…"

Ryuko scoffed and spun her Scissor Blade around her wrist, "What are you muttering about?"

"I'm curious as to how long your body can withstand your current rate," Inumuta explained as his body slowly began to fade away from in front of Ryuko. Just before he vanished completely, Inumuta gave Ryuko a wide smile and shouted, "The concept of how a human can move like you do simply by donning clothing composed of Life Fibers is inconceivable. Show me how strong someone can become when wearing a Kamui, Ryuko Matoi!"

"What the hell?" Ryuko stepped back and fervently looked around the stage for her opponent, "He disappeared?"

"Camouflage, eh?"

Sitting on top of his pillar, Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he watched Inumuta fade away into the air. His camouflage was nearly perfect and Ichigo was certain if he was fighting the teal haired teen, he wouldn't be able to see even the faint outline his eyes were currently tracking. It took time and effort for him to notice the barest of changes in the light coming from Inumuta's movements and that was time he would not have in a fight.

"So you've noticed it, Ichigo Kurosaki," Gamagori respectfully acknowledged Ichigo even as he kept his attention on the fight below. Matoi's battle against Houka Inumuta was not going exactly as planned. The goal of the first match was to test the limits of Inumuta's Probe Regalia while collecting data on Matoi's Senkou configuration. Out of the three Kamui at Honnouji Academy Matoi's was the only one with an additional combat mode, but at the rate the battle was going she was going to defeat Inumuta without using it. Folding his arms and glaring at Inumuta, in the hopes his fellow Elite Four would understand his mental directions, he added, "But I'm afraid Matoi has lost the battle."

Ichigo turned his focus away from the fight, and Ryuko's attempt to locate Inumuta, to ask Gamagori, "What the hell are you talking about? The hacker can't even lay a hand on Ryuko."

"You have yet to see the full power of Houka Inumuta's optical camouflage!" Gamagori boasted loudly enough that Ichigo almost moved to cover his ears, "When his Probe Regalia shines with the light of a thousand suns, white butterflies will gather and rest their wings on a snowman!"

There was a sudden and awkward silence as not only Ichigo, but Jakuzure and Sanageyama, looked at Gamagori. The silence was broken when Ichigo shook his head and said, "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. How are butterflies related to camouflage?"

"Oh? Even Strawberry doesn't understand your stupid metaphors, Froggy. Perhaps you should learn to speak normally," Nonon drawled out sarcastically and watched Gamagori's face redden from both anger and embarrassment.

"_**He vanished completely from sight, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu warned, _**"Be careful."**_

"I admit I underestimated your cunning," Inumuta's voice echoed from behind Ryuko but when she twisted her body around she saw no one there. When Inumuta spoke again his voice came from her right, "But when dealing with haphazard and dangerous attack from an opponent like you, I find the most effective measure is not to block or counter, but to avoid and dodge. It takes more processing power to derive a counter to an attack than to simply avoid it."

Ryuko avoided the first attack through sheer luck. Inumuta had been close enough that as he went to punch her he barely touched her Scissor Blade, allowing Ryuko to notice his presence and duck below the blow. The second strike to her stomach and the subsequent dozen blows did not fail to connect. Blow after blow rained down on her and while the damage and pain were low thanks to the defensive properties of Senketsu's armor it was still enough to force her back to the edge of the stage.

"Damn it," Ryuko wiped a small trail of blood from her lips as she glanced over the edge towards the ground far below. As she was contemplating what to do, her ears picked up the subtle sound of motion just a few feet away from her. Snapping her leg out, she was luckily greeted with a cry of pain as the invisible Inumuta was blasted back and away from her.

"What?" Inumuta's voice rang out from beneath his optical camouflage, "How did you hit me?"

"I heard Gamagori mention your technique was called optical camouflage. That means you turn invisible, right?" Ryuko asked as she thrust her Scissor Blade into the ground and closed her eyes. As she strained her ears to their limit, Senketu's assistance only further boosting the limit of her hearing, she added, "But I can still hear you! Now that I can tell where you're going to be from your footsteps, your little invisibility trick is pointless!"

"_Such valuable data,"_ Inumuta thought stoically as he invisibly walked around Ryuko from a safe distance. His eyes narrowed beneath his visor as his sensors picked up Ryuko's eyes somewhat accurately following his footsteps, _"Allowing Ryuko Matoi to gain such an easy avenue to attacking me would be bad. I suppose I will have to kick things into third gear to protect the data I've gathered."_

"I did not expect your Kamui to heighten your senses so drastically," Inumuta admitted and briefly flinched when Ryuko's eyes focused directly on him. Regaining his composure, he quickly typed several macros and command into his Probe Regalia and smiled as a high-pitched whine emanated from his Goku Uniform. Noticing the perplexed look on Ryuko's face, he smirked and said, "What you just heard was my very own Acoustic Cancelling software. Now you won't be able to hear anything from me but my voice."

Instead of getting angry, Ryuko pulled her Scissor Blade out of the ground and held it horizontally in front of her body. As she was surrounded by a faint red aura, she scoffed and said, "That's fine with me. If I can't hear or see you, then I'll just have to attack everyone at once! Senketsu Senkou!"

In a brief flash of light Senketsu was transformed into his more armored and powerful Senkou form. As twin bursts of steam shot out of her shoulders and hips as she became accustomed to the power circulating through her body, Ryuko held her Scissor Blade up, red and black jagged lines covering it once more. Taking a moment to steel her nerves, she let loose a loud cry and ran towards where she last heard her opponent before skidding to a stop and swinging her Scissor Blade horizontally in the air.

"This is what I've been waiting for, Ryuko Matoi!" Inumuta shouted triumphantly as the sensors in his visor picked up the invisible blade extending out from Ryuko's Scissor Blade. Leaping into the air, his legs tucked up as far as they could go, Inumuta laughed as he avoided the attack that nearly destroyed Sanageyama's Blade Regalia Mark I, "The data on your Senkou configuration is simply astonishing! Show me more of this hidden form!"

"Go to hell!" Ryuko shouted as Inumuta continued to avoid her attacks. Even if she could no longer hear his footsteps, she could still faintly hear his breathing and that was good enough for her to aim with. Judging by how Inumuta's breathing was getting faster and faster, Ryuko figured her attacks must be getting more accurate.

"_Her attacks are getting more accurate. How can she still hear me?" _Inumuta gasped in shock as one of Ryuko's Senkou attacks raged towards him. Improvising a defense by leaning back and planting his hands on the ground, he was stunned when a thin line appeared on his Probe Regalia. After running a quick system check, and breathing a sigh of relief when his scans said his data was not compromised, Inumuta tried to formulate a plan, _"This is getting too dangerous. My processing power cannot keep up with this level of fighting for much longer. Matoi's attacks are getting more accurate and my evasion rate is falling exponentially. I have perhaps a minute before it will be impossible for me to evade her attacks. I should consider forfeiting to preserve the data I've collected."_

"This is getting far too dangerous. I can see that I am no match for you," Inumuta announced as he deactivated his optical camouflage, "Perhaps it is time that I resigned myself to my fate. I, Houka Inumuta, do hereby…"

While Inumuta was mulling over the various methods he could end the fight without risking damaging his Probe Regalia, Ryuko was doing some heavy thinking of her own. She was trying to come up with a way to hit someone that could predict and avoid her Senkou strikes. Senkou wrapped her Scissor Blade in a layer of invisible energy that greatly increased its range and cutting power but it was useless if she couldn't hit anything with it.

"_Damn, and here I thought Sanageyama was the only one that could dodge Senkou."_ Glancing down at her Scissor Blade and noticing just a small piece of cloth hanging off the edge of the weapon, Ryuko grinned. Even if she couldn't hear Inumuta's footsteps any longer her attacks were getting more and more accurate with every swing. That last attack had barely nicked Inumuta's Probe Regalia and it was only a matter of time until she got a solid hit.

"_It sucks that I don't have time,"_ she thought annoyed as she glanced around the arena for any sign of Inumuta. If she could simply see through his optical camouflage then she wouldn't need to overthink things and could simply hit him. Fighting an invisible opponent was starting to really piss her off, _"And I'm running out of options. Every time Senkou misses I waste the energy and blood Senketsu's stored and I don't know what other tricks the four-eyed bastard has in his Probe Regalia. If it comes down to it, I suppose I could always use that…"_

"Hey Senketsu," Ryuko whispered to her Kamui, causing him to look at her. Grimacing nervously, she said, "I have an idea but it's risky. Do you remember what I tried doing during our second fight against Sanageyama?"

"_**Yes. I remember that attack quite well. I warned you it was dangerous and yet you still used it,"**_ Senketsu's pupil narrowed as he recalled their defeat. When they woke up at Mako's house after collapsing unconscious on the ground, they had no idea how they got there. It was only later on that Mako said a strange woman dropped them off and Ichigo explaining who it was that did it, _**"Please don't tell me you plan on using it again. The last time you tried it used up so much of your blood and energy that you were knocked unconscious by it."**_

"I know," Ryuko admitted quietly. She remembered just how much pain she had been in after using the attack and was not keen on doing it again. She had forced Senketsu to go through with her plan despite his warning and they both suffered because of it, "I know the technique's risks and how much energy it uses. I'm asking you if you're up to trying it again."

Senketsu was shocked that Ryuko was putting her trust in him and he would have started crying if they weren't in the middle of a battle. Taking a second to compose himself, Senketsu said, _**"Yes. I'm willing to do that technique once more, but this time it will be different. You remember the toll it took on your body and know what to expect. I'm certain if use it you'll be exhausted and forced back to my basic transformation but this time you will still be conscious. Just try not to miss…"**_

"Tch," Ryuko took a deep breath and scoffed, "Don't worry, Senketsu. I know better than to miss with this technique. With everything riding on this fight I can't afford to miss."

"_**Agreed, I'm ready when you are. Let's make it count, Ryuko!"**_

As Ryuko was enveloped in a turbulent red aura, she noticed Inumuta reappear across the arena and raise his arms. He was mumbling something but she couldn't hear him, so as she raised her Scissor Blade into the air above her head. Unlike the first time she used this technique, Ryuko was much better prepared for the heavy toll Niban Genkai would take on her body. Already she could feel her energy being sapped away, drawn up into her Scissor Blade to increase the overall power of the attack. Gritting her teeth to deafen the pain she was beginning to feel, she let out a shout as jets of steam shot out from her Kamui, "I can't hear a word you're saying but I don't care! Just try to dodge this attack you annoying, invisible bastard! Let's go Senketsu! Senkou – Niban Genkai!"

"_This isn't in my data!"_ Inumuta was forced to cover his eyes as the jagged red and black lines covering Ryuko's Scissor Blade began shining brightly enough that it seemed her entirely blade was glowing. As his visor's sensor adapted to the change in brightness, he involuntarily took a step back, _"This is the same attack she used against Sanageyama's Blade Regalia Mark II but it's on an entirely different level. The energy flow and density are on an entirely different level from the data I've collected. I need to surrender now before she attacks."_

"There's no need to use such a powerful technique on me," Inumuta announced with false bravado as a fierce wind appeared, "I know when I've been beaten."

"What?" Ryuko shouted as the last of the red aura surrounding her body was sucked up into her Scissor Blade, which had transformed into a large glowing two-handed version of itself, "I still can't hear a word you're saying!"

"W-Wait!" Inumuta pleaded indignantly as he moved to deactivate his Probe Regalia and surrender, "I give up!"

"Like hell I'm going to allow a coward like you to surrender!" Ryuko raced across the arena, twin jets blasting out from her back, before leaping into the air. As she reached her apex, she let out a roar as she swung her Scissor Blade downwards, "Take this! Seni-Soshitsu!"

Inumuta never had a chance to evade the attack. By concentrating everything she had into that one attack, Ryuko not only increased the power of the attack but also its width. Even as he began running to the side to avoid the attack, Inumuta's sensors were all blaring alerts that the probability of avoiding the attack was zero.

"No! No! No!"

The attack hit him with the force of a small explosion and it was only by the great power granted to him by his Probe Regalia and Ryuko's lack of a desire to kill him that Inumuta survived. As his body was enveloped in the energy detonated by Ryuko's attack, Inumuta could only scream as his Probe Regalia was torn apart at the seams and all the data he collected during the fight was deleted.

"Ha…ha…ha…"

The world briefly wavered around her and Ryuko collapsed down to one knee, her Scissor Blade helping to prop her up, as gentle wisps of steam rose from Senketsu's creases and folds. She was still conscious, which was a lot better than what happened during her fight against Sanageyama. When she tried using Niban Genkai all on her own, it left her so drained that it knocked her unconscious, but when she asked Senketsu to help her it only left her utterly exhausted. Perhaps she would need to listen to Senketsu's advice more in the future. As every muscle in her body protested her actions, Ryuko stood back up.

"At least I took that guy down," Ryuko took a ragged breath and grinned when she saw Inumuta's naked but otherwise uninjured form laying on the stage in front of her. As the Life Fibers that were woven into Inumuta's Probe Regalia drifted through the air and were absorbed into Senketsu, causing her to briefly glow with a red aura, Ryuko smirked at a visibly scowling Satsuki and raised her fist, "That's one down, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

"Indeed," Satsuki answered back passively before turning her attention to Sanageyama, "Your match against Ichigo Kurosaki will begin in ten minutes Sanageyama."

The blind kendo user nodded and stood up, "Yes, Lady Satsuki. I shall go prepare my Blade Regalia Mark II."

Back down in the arena, Ryuko was feeling the first dredges of energy returning to her. Taking a calming breath and transforming Senketsu back into his normal uniform, she turned to walk back to her pillar when her Kamui asked, _**"Niban Genkai?"**_

"Hey!" Ryuko gave Senketsu an annoyed look and pulled at his fabric, "I had to come up with a name for that attack in the middle of a battle! I thought something like 'Second Limit' sounded really cool! Besides, I didn't hear you offering any suggestions."

"_**Perhaps,"**_ Senketsu conceded before adding, _**"But I come up with the name for the next technique."**_

Ryuko huffed and said, "…fine."

As she walked up the collapsible flight of stairs so conveniently provided for her by Satsuki Kiryuin, Ryuko noticed Ichigo walking down for his upcoming back. Flashing him a confident and victorious smile, she gave him a thumbs-up and said, "That's one down."

"I saw," Ichigo smirked as he remembered the look on Inumuta's face as Ryuko ignored his surrender. It didn't take Ichigo long, especially since he was privy to all of the Student Council meets due to being the Student Council Vice President, to see why someone like Inumuta, who had an obsession with collecting and analyzing data surrounding Kamui and Goku Uniforms, would agree to a king of the hill battle. His goal had to be collect data on Senketsu and then surrender so the data could be analyzed by Iori. Ryuko's destruction of his Probe Regalia was probably the worst thing that could happen to the teen hacker.

"Niban Genkai, huh?" Ichigo looked over Ryuko's shoulder at Inumuta. The teal haired teen had regained consciousness and was putting on a tracksuit being handed to him by a One-Star student. Ignoring Inumuta whining over his lost data, Ichigo said, "Interesting choice for a name. I suppose I should get ready for my fight against Sanageyama. The bastard's going to be tough."

"I know," Ryuko's eyes narrowed as she recalled her second fight against Sanageyama, "His Shingantsu is really something, Ichigo."

"Don't worry about me," Ichigo waved off Ryuko's worries and walked past her, "I have a plan."

Once they were out of Ryuko's earshot, Mugetsu turned her eyes upward and asked, _**"You have a plan?"**_

"No," Ichigo admitted with a carefree shrug, "I know firsthand that plans never last long. I'll just see how strong Sanageyama really is and wing it. That's always worked for me before."

"_**And here I thought you knew what you were doing."**_ Mugetsu commented sarcastically, _**"Just don't lose. I want to be able to gloat to Senketsu that I defeated an opponent that he could not."**_

"Relax, Mugetsu," Ichigo stared up at Satsuki, who seemed to be looking directly at him as well. Turning his gaze away from Satsuki, Ichigo could not help but feel as if something bad was going to happen. Over the past few weeks, he had come to associate such a particular feeling with a certain blonde girl. He couldn't see her watching him but Ichigo could sense that Nui Harime was nearby. If he knew the Grand Couturier as well as he thought he did, Nui probably had something in store for him.

* * *

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><p>"Way to go, Ryuko! You won! You won!" Mako jumped in the air and cheered as she watched her best friend in the entire world defeat Inumuta. While Orihime was clapping happily besides her and with a smile on her face, it was Mako that was constantly replaying the awesome fight in her head over and over again. The way Ryuko jumped into the air and hit Inumuta with a Scissor Blade made out of pure energy was like something out of a movie. It even had a name!<p>

"That was amazing, Mako," Orihime was suitably impressed by the power displayed by Ryuko's Niban Genkai attack. While her ability to sense spiritual pressure did not seem to work on Ryuko or anyone in Honnou City for that matter, she could sense that her Kamui was incredibly power. If she had to guess, Orihime would say that Niban Genkai could have taken out someone like Renji or Rukia if Ryuko managed to hit them.

"_You know it's strange. Ever since I left Karakura Town to come cheer Ichigo on I've noticed how…different the rest of the world was."_

It was almost like a veil was lifted from her eyes the moment she stepped outside of Karakura Town. It was strange, and highly ironic, that compared to the rest of the world Karakura Town was relatively normal looking. When she turned to ask Mako a question, Orihime noticed something odd about the way Nui Harime was watching the fight. At first it looked like the blonde haired girl was simply fixated on Ryuko's battle but the intensity in her single eye frightened Orihime. Quickly composing her nerves before she was seen, Orihime gently shook Mako's jittering shoulder and asked, "Hey Mako, are Life Fibers really this powerful?"

"Life Fibers can do anything!" Mako explained happily before noticing Orihime's confused expression, "That's a silly question to ask! You should already know all about Life Fibers since Revocs puts them into all their clothing. I've seen some of their advertisements on the television Matorou stole. Revocs, which is owned by Lady Satsuki's mother, says all their clothes have a small amount of Life Fibers to 'prevent wear, tear and other clothing-related problems.' It's kind of strange you don't know that already, Orihime."

"Well…" Orihime scratched her chin and looked away, "The thing is, I've never heard of Life Fibers until my friend Uryu came back from his summer job at Revocs last year. I wanted to ask him all about his job for my summer essay but he was all hush-hush about it. He wouldn't say anything about Life Fibers other than that they were some corporate secret or something!"

"There's no Revocs-brand clothing in Karakura Town? How odd," Nui Harime said with fake surprise. She, of course, knew exactly why anyone from Karakura Town would not know about Life Fibers. Ichigo's dad was doing an impressive job at keeping Lady Ragyo's influence out of his town. It was funny to think in the entire world Karakura Town was the only place that was entirely free of Revocs clothing.

"I have a question, Orihime!" Mako had moved on from the issue of Orihime not knowing about Life Fibers and was already focusing her attention on something that was apparently far more important, "How long have you known Ichigo? I met him all the way back on Student Evaluation Day. This was even before I met my best friend Ryuko! Ichigo is my first friend and Ryuko is my best friend because she saved me from being dipped like a French fry in a vat of boiling oil, which would have ruined my reputation since I did not have my sexy panties on that day!"

Orihime smiled sadly at Mako's imagination and said, "It's actually rather sad to think about my first time seeing Ichigo. When I was twelve years old my older brother got into a car accident. I carried him to the nearest doctor, Ichigo's dad, but they weren't able to save him before the ambulance came. It wasn't until a few months later I found out that the boy who answered the doorbell and tried to help save my brother was actually Ichigo."

"That's really sad, Orihime," Mako was beginning to comically cry after hearing the story.

"Please don't cry, Mako! That happened a long time ago and I'm quite over it!" Orihime exclaimed in embarrassment. When she saw Mako still was about to cry, she looked around and let out a happy gasp, "Look, Ururu's back!"

Immediately Mako's mood shifted from sad to happy. Whipping her head around so fast that an audible crack should have been heard, Mako saw Ururu walking towards them and gasped in shock, "You're right! Ururu's back with the snacks and it looks like she got one of everything just like we asked!"

Ururu walked through the stands towards her friends while balancing two stacks of food in her hands and apologizing every few seconds whenever she accidentally bumped into someone. When she finally reached Mako and Orihime, she looked over the side of the food and snacks and her expression immediately hardened upon seeing Nui Harime sitting around looking innocent, "What are you doing here?"

Orihime looked from Ururu to Nui and then finally back to Ururu, "You know her, Ururu?"

"There's no reason to be such a stick in the mud. I'm here for the same reason you are," Nui explained coyly as she ignored Ururu's suspicious gaze. Cutely sticking out her tongue, she saw Ururu's expression hadn't changed and giggled, "I'm here to watch Ichigo fight. He is my cousin and I should be here to support my family. You really should be doing the same thing, you know."

Ururu passed off the food to an expectant Mako without taking her eyes off Nui, "I don't believe you."

"Gosh, that's really mean of you to say, Amu. Are you trying to hurt my feelings?" Nui whined childishly before her attitude perked up. Clapping her hands in front of her body and puffing her cheeks out, she looked away from Ururu towards Mako and said, "I really thought you would understand my motives."

"I didn't know Ichigo had a cousin," Orihime was confused. If Ichigo had a cousin then why hadn't she heard of her before? Ichigo wasn't someone to hide family and Orihime knew for a fact his dad would have told everyone in earshot, "You don't look anything like his dad so are you related to his mom?"

For a moment Nui's face shifted and changed before the saccharine smile appeared once more, "That's an awfully rude thing for you to suggest. There's no way I'm related to someone that common."

Ururu continued to stare at Nui despite knowing the Grand Couturier wasn't going to do anything anytime soon, "What do you want with Ichigo?"

"Gee, it's bothersome to repeat myself," Nui pouted and began idly kicking her legs, "I already told you I'm just here to watch my cousin have some fun! I pinky-swear that I will not lay a finger on Ichigo for the entire day just so you can relax and smile instead of being all gloomy. It's just so depressing to see that frown on your face every time we see each other."

"If you try anything – "

"Hush!" Nui exclaimed joyfully as she appeared in front of Ururu and placed a finger on her lips, "Ichigo's fight is just about to start and I don't want to miss seeing my cousin have lots of fun!"

As Nui giggled and slide back next to Mako, she failed to notice the slightly disturbed expression on Orihime's face. The normally happy and carefree girl had sensed something off about Nui ever since she appeared and her interaction with Ururu, someone Orihime knew to normally be stoic and hard to provoke, made her skin crawl. Rubbing her hands over the goose-bumps forming on her arms, Orihime watched as the images on the screen changed to show Ichigo and Sanageyama.

"_Please be careful, Ichigo."_

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"I've been waiting for this battle for quite some time, Ichigo Kurosaki."<p>

Uzu Sanageyama had his hands tucked into the pockets of his Goku Uniform as he descended the steps opposite that of Ichigo. Stepping gently into the recently rebuilt arena, he turned towards his opponent and gave a satisfied smirk. His Shingantsu was telling him Ichigo's heart rate was calm and steady but that he was cautious and tense at the same time. It seemed Matoi had told Ichigo of her fight against the Athletic Committee Chair and the power of his Blade Regalia Mark II. That was good. It meant Ichigo knew the power he possessed and yet was truly willing to face a power capable of clashing with a Kamui.

"Is that so," Ichigo responded rhetorically as his hand inched towards Tournesol sheathed on his back.

"Yes," Sanageyama laughed as he pointed at Ichigo, "It was thanks to your advice that I've managed to come to this point."

"I gave you advice?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he tried to recall telling Sanageyama anything important. The only time he could have given him some advice was after Ryuko managed to beat him but he couldn't have possibly taken what he said to such a literal extreme.

"It was after my defeat against Ryuko Matoi!" Sanageyama shouted angrily before calming down and composing his features. Scoffing and whipping his head toward the pillar where Ryuko was standing, he continued, "It was thanks to your advice that I learned how to see the world as it truly is. With my eyes sewn shut all my other senses have expanded to the point where nothing can remain hidden from me! So because of how you helped me I'm going to fight you fairly. This match will be no tricks, traps or secrets. We will fight with nothing more than our skills with a blade!"

"Back up just a damn second," Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose and he tried to process what Sanageyama was saying. There was no way that Sanageyama was so desperate for a rematch against Ryuko that he would sew his own eyes shut. Who in their right minds would think that was a good idea? Dragging his hand down his face, he said, "When I told you that, I was telling you that your reliance on seeing everything led to your defeat and that you should think about training your other senses to match your eyes. I was suggesting you wear a blindfold or something. Why would you think blinding yourself was a good idea?"

There was a tense silence throughout the stadium as Sanageyama seemed to ponder Ichigo's words. Before he finally answered, Sanageyama glanced up at Satsuki, "Sometimes you need to sacrifice something important to you in order to gain something of far greater value. I am quite aware that I could have done other things besides sew my eyes shut but my loss to Matoi was not the only thing I lost that day. I also lost my honor as one of Lady Satsuki's Elite four. By sewing my eyes shut and casting away Tengantsu for Shingantsu, I've proved to her my undying loyalty."

Sanageyama's mood shifted as he grinned manically and threw his arms out, "Did we come here to talk or fight Ichigo? Prepare yourself! Three-Star Goku Uniform: Blade Regalia Mark II!"

In a bright flash of light the large and imposing form of Sanageyama's upgraded Blade Regalia crashed onto the stage in front of Ichigo. The Blade Regalia looked different than the last time Ichigo saw it. While it wasn't nearly as bulky as its original form Ichigo could sense its power was greater. Staring up at the armored green form looming over him, Ichigo reached for the spaulder on his left shoulder, "Get ready, Mugetsu. This fight isn't going to be easy."

"_**His aura is strong but nothing we cannot handle,"**_ Mugetsu commented dryly. She didn't know why Ichigo was worried. There was no chance that Sanageyama would be nearly as difficult as Nui Harime. Telepathically sighing and rolling her eyes, she added, _**"The problem is going to be his Shingantsu. If he can truly detect everything around him, he will be able to detect and predict our attacks long before we can hit him. You have any ideas?"**_

Ichigo gave his Kamui a confident smile as he slammed his hand down on the spaulder, "If Sanageyama can truly see everything, then we'll just have to attack faster than he can react. Let's do this! Life Fiber Initial Release: Kamui Mugetsu!"

A gust of wind blew ominously through the stadium built in Honnouji Academy to accommodate the final battles of the Naturals Election. As Ichigo, clad in Mugetsu, stared up at the much larger Sanageyama and his Blade Regalia, he readjusted his grip on Tournesol and slid his left foot back. Gently concentrating on pushing power to the Life Fibers in Mugetsu's legs, Ichigo stepped to the side and abruptly vanished from sight.

"Oh?" Satsuki's mouth quirked upward in silent satisfaction. She was intrigued that Ichigo was using the same high speed technique that failed against Junketsu against Sanageyama's Blade Regalia although as she watched afterimages of Ichigo form around the arena she could not feel envious that Junketsu was incapable of such feats. Was it still true that she alone possessed a true Kamui or was the opposite now true? Both Ichigo and Matoi's Kamui have shown the ability to change into configurations beyond the initial transformation and yet Junketsu has shown no inclination of doing so.

"_They converse with their Kamui on a daily basis but Junketsu remains eternally silent to my ears,"_ Satsuki's hands tightened against the hilt of Bakuzan as her failure to elicit even the most basic of communication from her Kamui was thrown back in her face. How was she supposed to face what was to come if she had to fight Junketsu for control every time she wore it? Both Ichigo and Matoi were beginning to surpass her and she was unable to keep up.

"This must be the high speed technique you used against Lady Satsuki. It's impressive," Sanageyama complimented as various afterimages of Ichigo appeared around him. He had witnessed Matoi use a similar technique but it was not nearly as fast or perfected as Ichigo's. Even his Shingantsu was having trouble pinpointing Ichigo's location as every time he would turn to where Ichigo would be the orange haired teen would adjust his speed and throw off his game, "But it's not enough!"

Spinning around faster than his Blade Regalia suggested he could move, Sanageyama struck out with his massive shinai and managed to parry Ichigo's Tournesol before it could hit his back much to the former substitute shinigami's surprise. As Sanageyama adjusted his grip on his shinai to release a counterattack, Ichigo modified his speed in mid-step and calmly spun around the wooden weapon before vanishing.

"_Damn,"_ Ichigo cursed as he was almost hit by Sanageyama, _"His Shingantsu really is something special. That was the speed I used to hit Satsuki with but Sanageyama was able to evade and counter without any problems. I should push Mugetsu a little more but I need to test out something before I do."_

Sprinting around Sanageyama until he was once again behind him, Ichigo shifted his weight onto his front foot to slow down before blasting off towards his opponent with Tournesol raised above his head. Just as he was within inches of landing a solid blow on Sanageyama's Blade Regalia, his opponent twisted his body to the side, leaving a small series of illusionary afterimages behind him, before slamming his shinai into Ichigo.

"_**Ichigo!" **_ Mugetsu shouted in concern as her wearer tumbled along the stage before coming to a stop.

"Nothing's broken, Mugetsu," Ichigo answered bluntly and without a hint of pain as he stood back up, much to Sanageyama's surprise. The Athletic Committee Chair had gotten a solid hit on Ichigo's torso and yet Ichigo didn't seem any worse for wear. Rubbing his side and letting out a small grunt as he felt a tender spot, Ichigo turned back to Sanageyama and told Mugetsu, "I was just testing something out."

"Huh?" Sanageyama could not hear Mugetsu but he inferred from Ichigo speaking that he must be talking to his Kamui, "What are you talking about?"

Ichigo looked at Sanageyama but did not say anything as he once against drifted to the side before abruptly vanishing. However unlike the previous time Ichigo's speed was being pushed to the limit. "Do you like it?" Ichigo's voice echoed from several different places at once. With several of his images speaking in conjunction, he said, "It took some time but I finally managed to figure out the limits of your Shingantsu. Even if you can hear, feel or sense everything around you there is still one thing holding you back – your reaction time. Even if your Shingantsu can detect me, if you can't react in time then you can't stop me!"

To prove his point Ichigo turned in mid-step, causing a small crater to form in the ground from the force, and left a large gash along the side of Sanageyama's Blade Regalia before quickly resuming his movement. Forced to step backwards from the power of Ichigo's strike, the sound of creaking metal and steel reverberating through the area in the process, Sanageyama forced one foot down and gripped the giant shinai in his hand as tightly as he could.

"_Ichigo is right,"_ Sanageyama admitted as he felt another gash appear on his left arm before he could react, _"His speed is greater than when he fought Lady Satsuki, which means Iori and Inumuta's battle data is useless. I thought my Shingantsu would be perfect for dealing with Ichigo but he takes one look at me and breaks down my technique in seconds. Ignoring his speed for the moment, what I can sense tells me that nothing is being wasted. His movements are more fluid and precise than Matoi's and barely any energy is wasted on superfluous actions. It is almost like I'm fighting Lady Satsuki."_

It was not until Sanageyama felt Ichigo cleave through part of his faceplate, leaving a large gash and causing part of the covering to fall loudly to the floor, that he decided enough was enough. Sanageyama struck the ground with both of his feet to increase his footing and slammed both of his armored gauntlets together in front of his Blade Regalia. As his hands disappeared and were replaced by a large shinai nearly three times the size of the one he had just been using, Sanageyama roared, "I expected nothing else from the man who has gained the favor of Lady Satsuki but this is where it ends, Ichigo Kurosaki. I might respect you as a fellow swordsman but I must defeat you for Lady Satsuki's sake! You've shown me your power so let me return the favor and demonstrate the resolve of a man who is willing to sacrifice!"

"_What's he doing?"_

Ichigo stopped running and jumped away from Sanageyama until he felt he was at a safe distance. As he witnessed the Blade Regalia's hands vanish only to be replaced by a much more massive shinai, he tightened his grip on Tournesol and tensed his muscles, _"That cannot be good. Ryuko almost lost to this guy and she never mentioned anything about this attack so he must have not used it against her."_

"_**His power is growing, Ichigo," **_Mugetsu muttered in a tone filled with suspicion and dread. While the power coiling up inside Sanageyama's Goku Uniform was nowhere near the level of power she had felt behind every one of Nui Harime's strikes, it was still something they shouldn't ignore, _**"Be on your guard. I'm willing to bet my stitching that Sanageyama is preparing to unleash everything he has to finish the fight. Blocking it is out of the question. The energy I feel is similar in nature to Senketsu's Niban Genkai and thus highly dangerous."**_

"You don't need to tell me to be careful, Mugetsu," Ichigo answered without diverting his attention from Sanageyama. "I would need to be an idiot to think I couldn't be hurt just because you're a Kamui. If anything, I need to be careful not to get cocky. Get ready. Here it comes."

"Embrace the power that I sacrificed my eyesight for, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Sanageyama raised his massive shinai over his head as his Blade Regalia pushed itself into overdrive. In a massive and onetime burst of speed that could not be replicated without overheating his Goku Uniform, Sanageyama dashed across the arena and swung his shinai towards the surprised Ichigo, "Take this! Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken!"

Events seemed to move in slow motion to Ichigo as he watched Sanageyama swing his shinai downwards. Even with the burst of speed he used it was not enough to fully close the distance between them, which meant there was a good three meters between the spot where the shinai would hit the ground and where Ichigo was standing. Quickly realizing that there was no way he could dodge to the side or parry the strike, Ichigo did the only thing he could possibly do and threw his body backwards into the air directly away from Sanageyama just as the shinai impacted the ground and everything exploded in a blaze of green and white.

Ryuko was forced to cover her eyes as the massive explosion blanketed the arena in a cacophony of light and sound. Once the light died down enough for her to look, she glanced fervently over the arena for any sign of Ichigo and shouted, "Ichigo!"

"Don't tell me that's all it took," Nonon sarcastically quipped as she crossed her arms and pouted childishly. She wanted to be the one to kick Strawberry's ass, damn it! Pointing her baton down at the arena, she growled, "How dare you take my victory away from me, Wild Monkey! I was supposed to be the one to kick that stupid Strawberry's ass, not you!"

"Watch your tongue, Jakuzure," Gamagori growled menacingly to his fellow member of the Elite Four. His personal beliefs about Ichigo Kurosaki aside, he was still Lady Satsuki's Vice President and thus was deserving of a respectful tone and manner. As the Disciplinary Committee Chair, it was his duty to upload the rules and regulations of Honnouji Academy even if he did not personally agree with them. Rules were derived for a reason and without them everything would devolve into anarchy as he witnessed during the Naturals Election, "This fight is not yet over."

"Huh? What are you smoking?" Nonon tilted her head towards Gamagori in disbelief before scoffing, "There's no way Strawberry could have survived an attack like that. Even if he does have a stupid Kamui he should still be on the ground unconscious and in a lot of pain."

"Gamagori's words hold the truth, Jakuzure," Satsuki's voice cut through their argument with ease, causing both members of the Elite Four to turn upwards, "Sanageyama's Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken is indeed a powerful move but it requires connecting directly with his opponent to achieve maximum effectiveness. Watch and take note of what happened."

There was a shifting in the air before Ichigo emerged from the top of the massive explosion clad in Mugetsu Gufū. After flying nearly fifty feet into the air he turned around and landed roughly on the edge of the arena furthest away from Sanageyama. Collapsing down to one knee as Mugetsu reverted to her base transformation accompanied by a sparkling of blue stars, Ichigo stabbed Tournesol into the ground as he gulped in much needed air.

"Damn it, that hurt like hell," he sputtered as several trails of blood leaked down his face. While Mugetsu's form was covered in scorch marks and burns from the explosion, his split decision to jump into the air and activate Gufū saved the both of them from getting any serious injuries. By throwing himself away from the blast, Ichigo limited the impact of the heat and shockwave on his body, allowing him to escape with relative minor injuries. Pushing his body back onto its feet and pulling Tournesol out of the ground, Ichigo wiped some of the blood that was getting into his eyes onto the back of his arm, "I don't want to get hit by something like that again. Are you alright, Mugetsu?"

"_**I feel like I was just run through a dryer but I'll be fine,"**_ Mugetsu sarcastically answered as she regained her bearings. That explosion had taken a toll on her coordination and the world seemed to still be spinning, _**"The better question is how you're doing, Ichigo. As a Kamui my pain threshold is naturally greater than a human's."**_

"I'll be fine," Ichigo answered gruffly as he rubbed a kink in his neck. Already he could feel the pain in his body beginning to abate, which continued to strike him as odd. Even when he was a shinigami, something like Sanageyama's attack should have hurt him for a while. There was no logical reason why he was feeling better so quickly except if Mugetsu was healing his body without realizing it. Placing Tournesol on his shoulder, Ichigo's brow creased as he thought for a moment before asking, "I hate to admit it but I don't think my speed is going to be enough to defeat Sanageyama. Every time I hit him I could tell his reactions were getting quicker and more accurate. His Shingantsu really is something if he's able to keep up with us. You got a battle form up your sleeves like Senketsu's Senkou I can use?"

"_**Unfortunately it's not that simple,"**_ Mugetsu explained with venom in her voice. She did not like being reminded of the fact Senketsu was able to unlock a battle configuration before she could. She and Ichigo were the ones to fight Satsuki Kiryuin and survive against the monster that was Nui Harime. It was wrong on so many levels that they still didn't have the equivalent of Senkou. Shivering in suppressed anger, Mugetsu turned her eyes to Ichigo and growled, _**"While I don't like that Senketsu managed to have a battle configuration before me, it's not as simple as just wishing it into existence."**_

Ichigo began to see Sanageyama's massive form appear from gaps in the smoke and dust, "What's the problem?"

"_**An advanced configuration requires a specific stimulus,"**_ Mugetsu explained, _**"You are able to use Gufū because during our fight against Jakuzure you needed to be able to fight her in the air. My Life Fibers responded to your mental request and adjusted themselves and evolved to counter the problem. Senketsu's Senkou is no different. Ryuko needed to be able to hit Sanageyama through his Tengantsu and thus Senketsu responded to her mental desires. If you truly are in need for a battle configuration all you need to do is imprint your mental desires and wishes upon my Life Fibers. I will do my best to consciously open my Life Fibers to your request to speed up the process, but you need to mentally dominate and force your ideas onto them for the configuration to be created. Are you ready?"**_

"Sorry Mugetsu, but that just doesn't work for me."

Ichigo held Tournesol in front of his body and took a deep breath as memories of his time as a shinigami filtered through his mind. He remembered the night that started it all and how he gladly been willing to risk his very life to save his family from a hollow. He recalled storming through both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to save his friends despite people telling him it was suicidal. Closing his eyes, his body enveloped in a blue aura with the same coloring as the blade in his hands, Ichigo thought back to his final clash against Aizen, the man who wanted to be a god, and how he sacrificed his powers to stop the mad man. As the aura continued to intensify around him, Ichigo recalled the words Zangetsu said to him during his battle against Kenpachi.

"_Can you hear his blade mourning, Ichigo? He has never listened to that voice. If a shinigami and their zanpakuto do not trust each other and work together, then their strength will be diminished. For someone who believes in his own strength, it is impossible for him to understand such a fundamental concept."_

"Forcing my ideas and beliefs on anyone just doesn't sit well with me," Ichigo announced as Mugetsu's power continued to shift and contort. As his orange hair began shining with a bright blue light similar in color to Tournesol, he said, "If you say that's the only way for me to get stronger then forget about it. You're my friend, Mugetsu, and I would never force you to do anything even if you wanted me to. You can yell at me for being stupid or idiotic but I'm just that kind of person. If you are still able to create the new form, then I want it to be one where I can use your power to protect my friends from those that would hurt them. I don't need to be any stronger than that!"

"_**Ichigo…"**_ Mugetsu was shocked at Ichigo's response and her eyes began tearing up as a wave of emotion hit her. Quickly clamping down on the feeling before she began blubbering and crying like Senketsu was so often doing, Mugetsu's eyes widened as a burst of power shot through her Life Fibers, _**"Very well then! You can leave this to me, Ichigo! I know what I must do so call out the name of the configuration and I shall forever refer to it as such!"**_

"Thanks, Mugetsu," Ichigo grinned and turned towards the awaiting Sanageyama, "Sorry for the wait but I'm going to have to end this fight now. Mugetsu Zangetsu"

In a burst of blue energy and light Mugetsu's form around Ichigo shifted and changed. The white armor covering his arms and legs body from his neck down thinned out and looked to be more streamlined while the shoulderpads Mugetsu's eyes rested upon now jutted upwards and greatly resembled Junketsu's. As his hands clenched tightly around Tournesol, wisps of blue-colored steam rising randomly off the hardened Life Fiber blade, Ichigo felt Mugetsu's energy and Life Fibers connect with the Life Fibers in Tournesol. While the blade did not change its overall appearance, it was now faintly glowing with the same coloring as Mugetsu's power.

"This is the thrill I've been waiting for, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Sanageyama shouted as he beheld Mugetsu's new form, "I would not want to defeat you unless you are at your very best!"

He couldn't believe that Ichigo was not only conscious but able to fight after getting hit by his Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken. All of Iori and Inumuta's tests suggested that the power output of the strike would be more than enough to incapacitate a Kamui wearer of Matoi's level with a direct hit. Swinging his shinai to disperse the remaining dust and smoke, he stabbed the weapon through the air at Ichigo, "You were smart enough to avoid getting directly hit by my Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken, but I'm glad I missed! It was only because I missed that I'm now able to witness your new form! Zangetsu, was it? Well then! Show me the power of your Zangetsu! Hold nothing back because I sure as hell won't!"

Ichigo shifted his feet and smirked at his opponent, "Heh, I didn't expect you to, Sanageyama."

Out of the entire Elite Four, Sanageyama was the only one that Ichigo had mutual respect for. Gamagori was a stickler for rules that disliked Ichigo because he was under the notion Ichigo needed more time and maturity to be Satsuki's Vice President, Inumuta disliked him because Ichigo threatened to break his laptop and Jakuzure loathed him for too many reasons for Ichigo to list.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Ichigo said as he tensed his legs while Sanageyama did the same, "I just figured out how to use Zangetsu so I really don't know how powerful Mugetsu is going to be. I don't want to accidentally kill you or anything."

"Do not think I am unwary of your power, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Sanageyama smashed his gauntlets together once more. Raising the powerful shinai over his head, he continued, "To not be cautious would end in my defeat! That is why I am going to end this with every last bit of power my Blade Regalia possesses! I do not care if it leads to the destruction of my Goku Uniform! Defeating you would more than make up for such a loss! Let's end this, Ichigo! Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzan – "

Sanageyama's words were chocked off as Ichigo vanished from both the sight of those observing the fight as well as his Shingantsu before abruptly reappearing inside his Blade Regalia's guard. While Mugetsu's Zangetsu configuration was her battle form, his Kamui's specialty would always be speed. Each Kamui had one specific trait or ability that they excelled in more than any other Kamui. Senketsu had the greatest overall raw strength, Junketsu had the highest endurance, Danketsu had the greatest defense and Mugetsu had the highest speed. These traits would always influence the battle form of the Kamui once they were unlocked and acquired while helping to make up for the deficiencies in their base form.

Senketsu's Senkou configuration helped to increase Ryuko's speed, which was the slowest of the three Kamui at Honnouji Aademy, while augmenting her natural strength with a blade of invisible energy. Mugetsu's Zangetsu was no different. In his Zangetsu mode, Ichigo's strength, defense and overall endurance did not increase or decrease in the slightest. While he was already naturally tenacious and strong, what changed was that his speed, which was already the fastest, boosted up to the level that shattered Sanageyama's Shingantsu wide open.

"Sorry about this," Ichigo apologized as he reversed his grip on Tournesol as the Life Fiber blade was covered in a turbulent sheath of blue energy, "but it's time to finish this! Getsuga Tenshou!"

Everyone, from the students in the stadium to Ryuko, Satsuki and the remaining members of the Elite Four, watched as the energy around Ichigo's Tournesol detonated in a massive explosion of blue energy reminiscent of a nuclear explosion's mushroom cloud. As the shockwave of the attack reached the stands, blowing dozens of students out of their seats, the smile on Nui Harime's face continued to widen with absolute glee.

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #16 – <strong>**Do Not Pass Go**

Satsuki stood in front of the modest house with a mixture of confusion and suspicion on her face. She did not expect to come to Karakura Town so soon after adjusting her plans for the School Raids Trip, but with Honnouji Academy on a three day break for Culture Day with many of the students going home for the extended weekend, she had ample time to scout out the town. Perhaps she should have ordered Inumuta to collect more data on any traps because as soon as she entered the boundaries of Karakura Town a shock raced through her body and she found not only Junketsu but every single Goku Uniform had been rendered powerless by some immense force.

While her Elite Four were worried about the ramifications of not having their Goku Uniforms working, Satsuki assuaged their fears by reminding them that they were not here for battle. This was simply a scouting mission to test and collect data on any measures Karakura Town might have in advance of the School Raids Trip. Knowing the city had an Anti-Life Fiber barrier was immensely valuable.

"Gamagori, if you will."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Gamagori strutted forward towards the door in front of the house. Swallowing nervously as he anticipated what lay behind the threshold, he raised his hand and rang the doorbell of the Kurosaki household.

"Go answer the door, Ichigo," A female voice unfamiliar to Gamagori shouted from inside the house.

"I'm not going to answer it. It's my freaking turn!" Ichigo's voice answered back, "If you're so interested, then why don't you go answer it, Tatsuki?"

"Because it's not my damn house," the newly-named Tatsuki countered loudly. As Gamagori, along with Satsuki, Inumuta and Jakuzure, listened they heard a loud crash before Tatsuki added, "I'm just about to kick your ass so like hell am I going to get up and answer the door!"

"If I may make a suggestion to end this foolish argument about who's going to answer Ichigo's door," A voice Satsuki recognized as Uryu Ishida spoke up, cutting Ichigo off before he could argue back, "Why not just let Chad see who is at the door? He just finished his turn and thus is the one who needs to wait the longest before going again."

"…fine," A deep voice conceded before a series of footsteps approached the door. Stepping back as the door opened, Gamagori was greeted with the stoic visage of Sado Yasutora, better known as Chad to his friends. Staring at the nearly equal in height Disciplinary Committee Chair from behind messy brown hair, Chad asked, "Can I help you?"

"I'm afraid not," Gamagori folded his arms behind his back and swept his arm around towards the waiting Satsuki, "Lady Satsuki wishes to speak to Ichigo Kurosaki and thus he is the one she will talk with. Please retrieve him for us."

There was a loud shout of dismay from the room, which caused Chad to turn and look at what was happening. After a few seconds he turned back to the waiting Gamagori, "I'm sorry, but Ichigo is a little busy at the moment."

"What the hell is Strawberry doing that's so damn important?" Nonon growled in annoyance while stamping her foot impatiently on the ground, "We came all the way out here to see his stupid face so he better have a damn good reason for ignoring Lady Satsuki!"

"You want to know what Ichigo is doing?" Chad slowly and patiently asked, causing Nonon to grit her teeth in anger. After a moment of looking at the four people outside Ichigo's house, he answered, "…he's playing Monopoly and I think he just landed on Boardwalk."

"Ha!" Tatsuki slammed her hand against the table, "You landed on Boardwalk! Pay up Ichigo!"

"Oh, damn it," Ichigo muttered, "Fine, take my money. I'm going to see what's taking Chad so long."

Ichigo appeared at the door a moment later and a scowl immediately formed on his face as he saw who was out there, "What are you guys doing here and how the hell did you know where I lived?"

"As the Vice President of the Student Council your address is required in case an emergency appears at Honnouji Academy," Gamagori explained quickly before stepping to the side, "But that is not important compared to the matter at hand. Lady Satsuki would like to speak with you in private."

"If Satsuki has anything to say, she can say it in front of Chad," Ichigo argued and pointed to the stoic teen, "I trust him with my life."

Something about the way Ichigo said that startled Gamagori, but Satsuki began speaking before he could ask what Ichigo meant, "Good afternoon, Ichigo. Since Honnouji Academy is closed due to Culture Day, I've decided to visit Karakura Town."

Ichigo looked past Satsuki at Inumuta, who was typing on his PDA, and Jakuzure, who seemed to really not want to be here, before asking, "Really? And did you have to bring your entire entourage with you?"

"Wherever Lady Satsuki goes, we go!" Gamagori declared.

"Calm down, Gamagori," Satsuki raised her hand and Gamagori immediately deflated and stepped back, but he was not oblivious to how Chad took a few steps forward. Once she was certain Gamagori would not act on his own, Satsuki continued, "I want you to give me a tour of the city. As a resident of Karakura Town you know most of the landmarks, locations and points of interest."

"I'm actually quite busy today," Ichigo was a little annoyed how Satsuki managed to find him. He came home during the holiday just so he could get away from her for a few days and yet she still managed to track him down! Sighing loudly and rubbing the back of his neck, he knew she would not take no for an answer and he did not feel like fighting her on his doorstep, "But if you think I'm going to give you a tour, you can – "

"You cheating son of a bitch!"

Ichigo was cut off as Uryu was thrown through the front window of his house before the quincy slid painfully across the road. As he stared in shock at the damage to the window, a foot appeared in the broken frame and a second later a royally pissed off Tatsuki Arisawa jumped outside. Without even giving a cursory glance to the four complete strangers in front of Ichigo's house, she grabbed Uryu's arm and began painfully twisting it behind his back, "Did you think I wouldn't notice you stealing from the bank? Just because you're the heir of the Ishida Conglomerate does not mean I'm going to go soft on you!"

"It wasn't cheating," Uryu answered as he managed to throw Tatsuki off his body. Standing up and wiping dust off his clothes, Uryu waved to Satsuki before turning back to a still angry Tatsuki, "It was merely sound investment, but that's not something I would expect someone like you to understand. Besides, it appears something rather important has come up."

"What are you talking about?" Tatsuki turned and followed Uryu's gaze towards Satsuki, "Oh. It's her, but who the hell are the other three and does that girl seriously have pink hair?"

"What was that, you commoner?" Nonon shouted indignantly at Tatsuki.

"They are the Student Council of Honnouji Academy," Uryu answered tiredly as he held Tatsuki back from physically kicking the crap out of Jakuzure, "Satsuki Kiryuin is the Student Council President."

"Oh," Tatsuki calmed down before she shrugged and walked back towards Ichigo's house. As she stepped onto the destroyed window, she turned to Chad and said, "When you're done talking with them or whatever out here, it's your turn."

"Ok," Chad began to follow Tatsuki, but through the front door, and turned back to Ichigo before leaving, "…call if you need any help on the tour."

"Wait, you think I'm going to actually do it?" Ichigo asked.

"But of course," Uryu smirked as he patted Ichigo on the back, "You are the leader of our group and as the leader it is your solemn duty to take control of the situation."

Ichigo glared at Uryu's retreating back before turning to Satsuki, "So, you want to get this tour started or what?"

"Yes," Satsuki closed her eyes in order to get a grip on the questions and emotions raging through her body. She did not know how to react to the knowledge that Ichigo's friends were similar in both personality and temperament to her own Elite Four. As much as she wanted to interrogate Ichigo as to the exact relationship he had with his friends, she had come to Karakura Town for a reason. Turning her body to the side and allowing Ichigo to walk ahead of her, she said, "Since you are familiar with the layout of Karakura Town I'll let you take the lead."

As Ichigo grumbled and began walking down the street with Satsuki and her irate Elite Four, or rather three, following him, Tatsuki's joyful shout could be heard down the block, "That's one more victim on Park Place! Time to pay up, you four-eyed bastard!"


	29. Chapter 29: God Save the Queen

_So here is Chapter 29 and I must say things are beginning to reach a crescendo. I would like to mention that there is a potential time error. In the original anime, the first fight against Gamagori took place at 1:00 PM sharp while Ryuko was ready at 8:55 AM. Since Inumuta went first (and he doesn't care about such things as a schedule), the entire fight sequence has been moved to the morning. Several things have been changed, all of which are good or bad for the various protagonists and antagonists. This chapter also starts off with another Isshin flashback so enjoy and don't forget to read and review!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 29 – God Save the Queen<strong>

_Twenty Years Ago_

_Consciousness returned slowly to Ragyo Kiryuin. As her eyes slowly opened and her pupils adjusted to the lighting in her bedroom, Ragyo thought back on everything that happened prior to her regaining consciousness. Out of all the events of the night the only things that she remembered with distinct clarity were a soothing voice drawing her to the Original Life Fiber that promised the world and wanted nothing in exchange and Isshin Shiba at her side. When she tried to recall what may have happened in the intervening time or why Isshin was at her home, Ragyo found her mind drawing a blank._

"_What happened last night?" she wondered with a lack of emotions in her temporarily weak voice. Ragyo knew she should be more worried about her lack of memories but some small part of her mind was telling her that it wasn't prudent to press the issue for the time being. That same voice, in the soothing tone Ragyo had herself used years ago when Revocs was just starting out as a major player, was saying that she shouldn't be so worried since she was alive and uninjured._

"_Thank the stars you're awake, Milady," Soroi Mitsuzou breathed a loud sigh of relief as he quickly entered Ragyo's bedroom. He had been in and out of the bedroom several dozen times in the hours between Isshin storming out of the basement with Ragyo in his arms and Ragyo waking up in her bed. As he walked past the large windows where the first traces of dawn were already beginning to break over the eastern horizon, Soroi put the phone back down onto its receiver. He had mentally vowed that he would respect Master Isshin's wishes to not call the hospital unless Lady Ragyo did not wake up for eight hours._

"_Is that you, Soroi?" Ragyo turned her eyes towards her servant before focusing her attention once more on the ceiling. Thoughts were beginning to swirl inside her head and she was starting to have difficulty differentiating what was real and in front of her from the things she was seeing in her mind._

"_If you were expecting Miss Hououmaru, I'm afraid you are going to have to wait until the afternoon," Soroi explained in his characteristically calm tone of voice. As he began pouring a cup of tea, bitter like Ragyo preferred, he noticed Ragyo's attention had drifted away from him and towards the sun rising over the horizon. Picking up the tray and walking over to Ragyo's bedside, Soroi continued speaking as he prepared everything, "Miss Hououmaru was so worried about you that she drove all the way to Karakura Town and informed Master Isshin. I dare say from the way his car was parked half on the front lawn, the news must have been quite dire."_

"_Isshin is here?"_

_Ragyo's mind was beginning to pull itself together and things were starting to become a lot clearer than they ever have before. She now remembered Isshin accompanying her down to the lowest level of the basement housing the Original Life Fiber and trying to tell her something. Ragyo's eyes narrowed imperceptibly as she tried to remember what Isshin might have said but it was just no use. As much as she knew she should be at least a little worried about what may have happened to her, Ragyo felt absolutely no sense of worry or nervousness. In fact, she felt nothing but a sense of serenity and calmness that would have caused her to pause and take notice any other day._

"_Last I checked Master Isshin is pacing back and forth in the front foyer. He will be happy to hear that you've recovered from your ordeal," Soroi explained to his mistress as he handed Ragyo her tea._

_The beginning of a smile adorned her face upon hearing of Isshin's worry for her. As Ragyo sat up to take the cup of tea, a bright rainbow light immediately filled the room. The light permeating every shadowy corner of the room was so intense that Soroi involuntarily let go of the tray in order to cover his eyes lest he go blind. Even as the sterling silver tray clattered noisily to the ground, hot tea soaking into the sheets near her body from Soroi dropping the tray, Ragyo seemed strangely unconcerned about the accident. Instead, as her eyes stared at the rainbow light emanating from somewhere behind her with admiration, she pulled the blankets and sheets off her body and stood up._

"_Please forgive me, Milady," Soroi apologized profusely as he tried to look up at Ragyo but was constantly forced to avert his gaze._

"_There is nothing for you to be sorry for, Soroi," Ragyo calmly stated as she walked completely naked across her room until she was standing in front of a full length mirror. For a long time Ragyo stared at her reflection, her mind examining and investigating every aspect of her new body. Her once beautiful and silky black hair that Isshin joked must take her hours every morning to get just right, now shone with a lustrous silver color but it was the rainbow undertone that her once sapphire blue, now maroon, eyes focused intently on. Curling a finger inside the locks and watching the rainbow coloring shifting and morphing around as she did so, Ragyo let her arm drop down to her side._

"_Where is Isshin, Soroi?"_

_Ragyo hadn't meant it, in fact she couldn't understand why she did it, but her tone towards Soroi had been cold and demanding, which was completely unlike how she usually was. Immediately regretting it upon seeing her friend and servant flinch away, she ignored the voice telling her not to worry about what other people thought of her and asked, "I'm sorry Soroi. I must still be exhausted after what happened. You said that Isshin was in the foyer. Do you think he is still down there? I would like to find out what happened to me and it seems like he's the only one that knows."_

"_Yes. The entire time that you have been resting Master Isshin has not left the confines of the foyer apart from checking up on you approximately every hour," Soroi explained with a slight nod. For just a second, when Ragyo asked him where Isshin was, Soroi was convinced that someone else was talking. The sheer coldness and callousness in Ragyo's voice was like nothing he'd ever heard from her._

"_I see…" Ragyo's eyes dropped down away from the mirror towards her hands._

_There was something different about her body despite its nearly identical appearance to how it used to look. As she clenched her fist, careful not to hurt herself, Ragyo felt power course through her limb. She could not explain how she knew, but some small part of her mind was whispering to her that the Original Life Fiber had imparted into her a small piece of itself. Unclear as to what that meant, Ragyo made a mental effort to turn her gaze away from the mirror in order to get dressed. As she slipped the simple robe over her nude form Ragyo experienced a moment of clarity, the first one since she regained consciousness. She needed to speak to Isshin as soon as possible and for some odd reason the voice in her head was in complete agreement with her._

_As her delicate hand clasped the door to her bedroom, Ragyo paused in mid-step, "Soroi, let Rei know that if the trip back to the manor is too taxing at the moment, she can spend the night at Isshin's house. I'm sure Masaki would be more than willing to let her stay for the night."_

"_I'll do so right away. I'm sure Miss Hououmaru will be most pleased to hear the news of your hasty recovery."_

_As Ragyo left her bedroom, and Soroi, behind to search for Isshin, she could not explain the feeling of anger welling up in her chest after mentioning Masaki. She had no qualms with the woman. They were friends after all and while she would always be upset that she lost Isshin to Masaki, Ragyo was not angry about it in the slightest. So why did the thought of harming Masaki for daring to touch Isshin pass briefly through her mind?_

_While Ragyo was coming to terms with what happened to her, a worried Isshin Shiba was pacing in the front foyer of the Kiryuin Manor. He did not know how long he had been walking back and forth but his feet were beginning to leave wear marks in the ornate rug and Ragyo was sure to be upset about that. Letting out a loud sigh, a sign of the annoyance he felt at the situation he was currently in, Isshin looked at his cell phone held gingerly in his palm before clenching his hand around it. He and Masaki had agreed to buy one of the expensive devices, which Kisuke offered to pay entirely for, so that if an emergency came up he could call Masaki and tell her what has happened. Given the connection between his gigai and the hollow inside Masaki's soul, it seemed like a rather sound idea at the time._

"_What should I do?" Isshin muttered to himself as he ran a hand through his new silver hair for what seemed like the hundredth time._

_Isshin had no idea how or why it happened. After he regained consciousness from whatever the big ball of yarn downstairs did to him, Isshin carried Ragyo upstairs as quickly as he could. That should have been the first sign something was wrong. Even though he was in a special gigai with enhanced strength and endurance, running up the enormous flight of steps with Ragyo on his back should have left him winded at best, but when he escaped from the basement he wasn't tired at all. He would have chalked it up to the adrenaline coursing through his body but when Soroi brought out a mirror to show him his new appearance, Isshin's skin nearly went as white as his new hair._

_The black hair that Masaki always said was too oily and needed a good scrubbing was now completely silver like Toshiro's. When Isshin saw what his hair became, he fell to his knees and pounded the floor in despair, completely unaware that he was causing the wood to crack and buckle. Isshin knew that if Toshiro, or even Ryuken, saw his newly silver hair they would either laugh at him or welcome him to their little club._

"_That's not the worst part," Isshin mumbled as he looked into a mirror and stared at the rainbow light shining out. Grabbing one of the glowing locks, he pressed his face against the polished surface and groaned, "I look like a freaking Christmas tree! I don't know what the hell the Original Life Fiber did to my hair, but why on Earth would it think making my hair glow in the dark like a rainbow was a good idea? I need to tell Kisuke what happened but how?"_

_When he had been dragged into the Original Life Fiber alongside Ragyo, visions of what that thing intended to do to humanity and the planet were seared into Isshin's memory. He could not allow any of what he saw to happen. Isshin needed to tell someone like Kisuke what he saw so that some sort of countermeasure could be created. The Original Life Fiber needed to be destroyed at all costs or, if that was impossible based on what he saw, sealed away for all eternity. The only problem with Isshin's fool-proof plan was that he literally could not tell anyone of what the Original Life Fiber had planned._

_At first he tried to call Kisuke up to tell the former captain what happened to him but as soon as he grabbed his phone to dial Kisuke's number, something within Isshin's mind blanked out and he completely forgot Kisuke's number. Worried slightly at that point, he remembered that he had Kisuke's number in his list of contacts but just as he selected the number and pressed to call, Isshin found his hand completely unresponsive. It was only after he tried to write down what happened down in the basement and what he saw that Isshin realized that the Original Life Fiber was insidiously clever. It put some sort of failsafe into his body that prevented him from doing anything against it. Isshin realized that as soon as he picked up a pen and immediately forgot how to read or write. It was only when he dropped the pen on the floor that he remembered he was literate._

"_Ok, let's think this through," Isshin collapsed onto a couch and placed his cellphone on the table in front of him. He needed to think things over and he didn't need the Original Life Fiber to get involved. Remembering a trick Kisuke taught him about how he once bought Yoruichi a birthday present without the sneaky captain catching on, Isshin said out loud, "Apparently I cannot mention or communicate anything about a…certain activity…to anyone else. I'm going to need to be extremely clever about this if I'm going to get anything done."_

_Frowning when a lock of silver hair fell in front of his eyes, Isshin was just about to blow it out of his face when the room he was in was illuminated by a rainbow light that was, for once, not coming from his own hair. Realizing that Ragyo must have awakened, he turned around and quickly blushed when he saw her in nothing but a thin silk robe that hugged her body way too much._

"_Hello Isshin."_

_Ragyo ignored Isshin's embarrassed sputtering as she walked past the man and sat down next to him. After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, she turned to him and asked, "Do you remember what happened to us?"_

_Isshin blinked and scratched his chin, "You mean before or after we were eaten by the living ball of thread downstairs?"_

"_Its name is the Original Life Fiber! You will address it by its proper name!" Ragyo snapped fanatically before immediately calming down. Staring at her trembling hands, when she spoke again her voice came out in a whisper, "I'm sorry for that Isshin. I'm just confused by what's happened to us. Our hair and eyes have both changed color but it was the things I remember dreaming about that envelop the entirely of my attention."_

"_So you saw the visions as well?" Isshin asked carefully. He did not why Ragyo snapped at him about his casual nickname for the Original Life Fiber but it was best that he not antagonize her until he's figured out what happened._

"_Yeah," Ragyo refused to look at Isshin, instead keeping the sole focus of her now maroon eyes on her hands clasped firmly together on her lap. She did not know why she snapped at him for what he called the Original Life Fiber, but for some reason as soon as he mocked it an intense feeling of rage welled up inside her. She was angry that he was desecrating its greatness and he needed to know that._

"_So what do we do now?" Isshin leaned back and blew a strand of silver hair out of his eyes. The fact that he could mention the visions to Ragyo implied that he could communicate the Original Life Fiber's plans and motives to anyone that already knows about them. That might make things easier in the long run, "You said the Original Life Fiber has been downstairs for generations, right? I'm starting to wonder just how old that thing actually is. Do Life Fibers even age?"_

"_The Original Life Fiber's mortality cannot be measured by humans," Ragyo answered stoically as the knowledge of what Isshin sought suddenly appeared in her mind. She knew of where the Original Life Fiber came from and how long it has been around. Compared to humans Life Fibers were effectively immortal, which caused a feeling of awe to well up deep inside Ragyo, "What are we going to do, Isshin? Rei and Masaki are going to ask questions about our change in appearance and that's not mentioning the world at large."_

_Even though he was slightly worried about Ragyo's quick and abrupt changes in persona, Isshin nevertheless kept a straight face, "Well, the first thing I'm going to do is figure out a way to dye my hair and dim my newly discovered headlights. I'm way too young to have silver hair and I would rather go bald than look anything like Ryuken. Once that's taken care of we can figure out what to do about the Original Life Fiber. That thing's been down there forever so I don't think a few more days are going to bother it too much. Now come on, you shouldn't be walking around right after waking up. I'm sure Soroi is worrying his head off."_

_Ragyo nodded as she allowed Isshin to wrap her arm gently around his shoulder. As he helped her walk back to her room, Isshin was unaware of the sly smile beginning to spread across Ragyo's face. He was equally unaware of the way her hand was slowly caressing his shoulder._

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><p>"Getsuga Tenshou!"<p>

It was the utterance of those two words that ended the fight between Ichigo Kurosaki and Uzu Sanageyama. As the former substitute shinigami seemed to teleport inside the Athletic Committee Chair's guard and carved a deep gash in his opponent's Blade Regalia Mark II, the energy being fed through Tournesol's Life Fibers exploded outwards in a titanic explosion on a scale not unlike Ryuko's Niban Genkai and put Sanageyama's Hissatsu: Isshin Zenzanken to shame. It was no small wonder why Sanageyama, who was unable to react in time to the attack even with his Shingantsu, wasn't able to dodge the Getsuga Tenshou or even mitigate the damage.

While the attack's name was unfamiliar to every observer apart from a select few, Ichigo's new Getsuga Tenshou, even though it shared the same name, was inherently different from what stemmed forth from his shinigami powers. While it seemed like both attacks released a crescent arc of energy that enveloped anything they hit in a massive explosion that could only be mitigated by a superior defense, Mugetsu's Getsuga Tenshou was actually an attack that combined the Life Fiber severing power of Tournesol with the Ichigo's blood and energy that coursed through Mugetsu's Life Fibers.

When Mugetsu's Getsuga Tenshou manages to connect with a target, the massive wave of energy will split apart into thousands of smaller blades too small for the eye to see. Each of these smaller attacks will then instantaneously strike every exposed surface on Ichigo's opponent's body before going critical and exploding in a massive eruption powerful enough to create a mushroom cloud tinted deep blue and large enough to cover nearly the entire battle arena in the explosion.

"How did Strawberry manage to hide something this powerful up his sleeves?" Nonon Jakuzure growled as she watched the explosion through squinted eyes. Tilting her drum major's hat downwards until it covered her pink eyes, Nonon seethed as she realized Ichigo was still stronger than her. If Ichigo was capable of unleashing an attack like that, which most likely obliterated Sanageyama, than her Symphony Regalia Mark III wouldn't fare much better.

"God damn you, Strawberry!" Nonon stomped her foot angrily on the ground as her face flushed from embarrassment at being shown up. Pointing her baton at where she assumed Ichigo was standing, she shouted, "Don't think this changes anything! Even with your strength I'm still going to kick your sorry ass!"

Subtly listening to Nonon's angry rambling, Satsuki Kiryuin stared at the ever expanding cloud of dust and smoke on the battle arena in front of her with a mixture of wonder and interest. For barely a second, just when Ichigo's Tournesol connected with Sanageyama's Blade Regalia, Satsuki felt his power skyrocket until it eclipsed what she was capable with Junketsu. Looking sparingly down at her Kamui, she saw Junketsu's eyes focused on where Ichigo had last been seen.

"_So even Junketsu is aware of the power Ichigo's Kamui possesses,"_ Satsuki turned her attention back to the battle arena before glancing over at Matoi. Ryuko was staring at the fight, most likely enraptured with what Ichigo had just down, and Satsuki could not blame her. If she was a woman with less self-control, her mouth would be agape and she would be wondering out loud the full extent of Ichigo's powers.

"_It is not just Ichigo, but also Matoi,"_ Satsuki corrected her line of thinking as she recalled watching Ryuko's Senkou configuration. While her plan had always been to push Ryuko along so that she would be strong enough for the fights to come, Satsuki did not appreciate being left behind. Configurations like Senkou and Zangetsu were powerful but Satsuki knew that ingenuity could win out over raw power and speed given the right environment and intelligence. She had even begun to contemplate the drawbacks to Ichigo and Ryuko's powerful attacks. The problem Satsuki was facing was not as complicated as Life Fiber attacks. It had to do with her inability to force Junketsu to adapt and evolve into similar fighting configurations.

"_What do Ichigo and Matoi possess that allow them to order their Kamui to transform?"_ Satsuki's eyes refocused as the dust began to clear and two figures emerged, _"I am aware they can mentally listen to their Kamui and communicate with both their own Kamui as well as each other's. I've tried asking Ichigo to listen to Junketsu but he's said my Kamui does not talk. Could there be something wrong with Junketsu?"_

As the smoke and debris from the Getsuga Tenshou began dissipating into the surrounding environment, two figures began to emerge with the first being Ichigo. Knocked out of Mugetsu's Zangetsu configuration by the amount of energy the Getsuga Tenshou required, Ichigo barely took three steps before he began stumbling forward.

"Like hell I'm going to lose!" Ichigo grit his teeth as he stabbed Tournesol deep into the arena's floor to keep himself from collapsing to the ground, "I'm not going to fall here!"

"_**I'm sorry, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu's apologetic voice reached Ichigo moments before he was surrounded by blue stars and realized Mugetsu had transformed back to her normal uniform. Turning her tired eyes up to her wearer, the Kamui said, _**"That Getsuga Tenshou used up most of my stored blood and energy. If I had remained transformed for a few more seconds I risked sucking your blood dry. I'm sorry."**_

Ichigo didn't respond to Mugetsu's apology as a series of wracking coughs tore forth from his chest and spittle mixed with blood sprayed on the floor in front of him. His Getsuga Tenshou, which he somehow instinctively knew was designed to destroy Life Fibers, had only scraped him when it connected with Sanageyama. Mugetsu hadn't complained about the hit apart from a slight muttering of pain so why the hell did he feel like crap?

"…Ichigo…"

Sanageyama's pain-filled voice tore Ichigo's attention away from his own problems. Twisting his head around, his eyes wide in shock at the fact his opponent was still conscious after being hit point blank by his Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo saw Sanageyama still standing in the midst of his attack. The Athletic Committee Chair's body was covered in cuts and bruises and aside from several stubborn pieces his Blade Regalia was virtually destroyed. Taking in a ragged breath as his senses returned to him Sanageyama managed a single step towards Ichigo before another piece of his green armor cracked apart, fell to the ground and dissipating into its component Life Fibers.

"What…" The green-haired swordsman took another step and his bandanna, already burnt and frayed by the power of Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou, split apart, showing his scarred eyes for all the world to see. Unconcerned about his appearance Sanageyama raised his shinai, the wooden weapon torn off roughly halfway up the blade, and raised a shaking arm at Ichigo. Taking a moment to steady himself on his feet, Sanageyama stared at Ichigo and asked, "…what…was that attack?"

Feeling the pain in his own body beginning to abate, Ichigo pushed himself back onto his feet and said, "It's called Getsuga Tenshou."

"Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer, huh?" Sanageyama grinned as he collapsed to his knees. Now completely naked as the last of his Blade Regalia dissipated into nothingness, Sanageyama had a satisfied look on his face as he fell backwards into unconsciousness.

Ichigo continued to stare at Sanageyama's unconscious form before a loud buzzer rang through the stadium, signaling that the match was over and he had won. As several One-Star students associated with the Medical Relief Club appeared on the battle arena to check on Sanageyama, Ichigo turned towards Satsuki with a look of annoyance on his face. The Student Council President stared directly back at him, never lowering her gaze or showing a single emotion on her face. Eventually Ichigo turned away and walked back to his pillar to rest for his second fight against Nonon Jakuzure. Sanageyama was a difficult opponent but at least he was honorable. Nonon, on the other hand, had a grudge against him and Ichigo knew that would carry over into their battle.

Satsuki watched Ichigo for a few seconds, her hands tightening around Bakuzan's hilt as she beheld the accusatory stare returned to her. Expressing not a single emotion on her face, she turned her gaze to Gamagori and spoke, "Gamagori, due to necessary repairs your match against Matoi will be delayed one hour. It shall begin in ninety minutes instead of thirty. Prepare yourself accordingly."

"Understood, Lady Satsuki," Gamagori respectfully bowed to Satsuki before sitting down on his pillar. Folding his arms across his massive chest, a frown of displeased seemingly etched on his face, Gamagori was not pleased with how the Sudden Death Runoff was proceeding. The matches were supposed to begin at 1:00 PM sharp but Inumuta had the nerve to start his fight against Matoi at 8:55 AM. Did the former member of the Elite Four not realize that schedules and rules were put in place to keep order amongst the chaos? Gamagori wanted to protest to Lady Satsuki about the changed time but when Satsuki allowed the first fight to commence, he knew his words would have no weight. If Satsuki thought Inumuta's fight should begin early in the morning than he would stand aside and respect her verdict.

Gamagori took a calming breath as he mentally prepared his mind and body for his match. Ignoring Inumuta disregarding the established venue time for the moment, he focused on the true purpose of the matches against Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki. The Three-Star Goku Uniforms of the Elite Four may be more powerful than anything else at Honnouji Academy barring the Kamui wearers and Ururu Tsumugiya, but there were those out there with more power. The true purpose of the Sudden Death Runoff was for their Goku Uniforms to be tested for flaws and weaknesses in the stitching. Apart from the unintended destruction of his Probe Regalia, it was expected for Matoi to defeat Inumuta in battle but none of them expected Ichigo to win the way he did.

The simulations Inumuta had shown to the rest of the Elite Four indicated Ichigo would beat Sanageyama, much to the Athletic Committee Chair's irritation. It was predicted based on his Kamui's known strength, as well as the recordings of his fight against Satsuki, that Ichigo would win but only after a long and brutal battle that would allow valuable information and data to be collected on his Kamui. Sanageyama's new Blade Regalia Mark II in conjunction with his Shingantsu was supposed to be able to stand up against the phenomenal speed of Ichigo long enough for Inumuta and Iori to collect what was needed, yet Ichigo not only managed to win but he also completed destroyed Sanageyama's Blade Regalia with a previously unseen attack.

"_I should have fought Matoi first! Rules are meant to be enforced, not disregarded at the first sign of trouble! Inumuta should have known better!"_ Gamagori snorted at the cowardly way Inumuta tried to back out of his fight against Ryuko. The king of the hill battles were designed to be fought until one opponent falls unconscious or has their uniform destroyed, neither of which happened to Inumuta. Gamagori would never say it, but the Disciplinary Committee Chair was satisfied when Ryuko ignored Inumuta's surrender.

"_Unfortunately the data Inumuta's Probe Regalia collected about Matoi's Senkou mode was lost when his Goku Uniform was destroyed,"_ Gamagori noted in dissatisfaction, _"His Goku Uniform's power would have been valuable in figuring out just what Ichigo Kurosaki did to defeat Sanageyama. The way Ichigo moves and fights cannot be explained by what Inumuta dug up on him. Where did he receive such advanced training?"_

"Way to go!" Mako Mankanshoku cheered jubilantly from the stands, "You're number one, Ichigo!"

Mako was ecstatic throughout Ichigo's entire fight against Sanageyama and even Orihime joined in towards the end. That final super awesome attack Ichigo used to create the picturesque blue mushroom cloud was cool and all but it would always be second to the enormous blade of energy Ryuko used against Inumuta.

"Please lower your voice," a snobbish voice sarcastically said, "Even though it is impossible, your shrilling tone is actually interfering with my sensors."

Sitting in the stands right next to Orihime was Houka Inumuta, the now former Information and Strategy Committee Chair. Clad in a spar red tracksuit with a high collar that rose until just above his nose, Inumuta looked a little worse for wear after his fight against Ryuko. His face, at least what could be seen above the zipped up tracksuit, was covered in small bandaged and he was currently forced to wear his second pair of glasses after Ryuko destroyed his favorites.

"So you are the one that Ichigo Kurosaki was talking to before my fight against Ryuko Matoi," Inumuta mumbled as he fervently typed on his laptop. The loss of his Probe Regalia and all the data held within it was staggering and Inumuta hoped Iori was able to salvage something from the security feeds of the fight. Pressing one key before reaching up and unzipping the collar of his tracksuit so he could speak, Inumuta turned his attention to Orihime sitting next to him, "The colors and style of your uniform indicate you go to Karakura High School. Just how well do you know Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Oh…well…" Orihime tapped her fingers together in embarrassment and looked away from Inumuta, "Ichigo is my friend and since I had some time off from school I thought I should come by and cheer him on. His dad said Ichigo would benefit from having a friend here to cheer him on and that I was the best person to go."

"I see," Inumuta rapidly typed in what Orihime was saying into Ichigo's profile in the Honnouji Academy database. After seeing Ichigo demolish Sanageyama and his Blade Regalia, Inumuta was starting to believe the history he gathered on Ichigo was woefully lacking in detail and substance, "Please go on. The data I'm gathering from this conversation is most enlightening. I would prefer if you could tell me where Ichigo might have obtained his fighting skills and instincts. Please do not skimp out on the details and be as specific as you can."

"You want to know about Ichigo?" Orihime hummed quietly to herself as she thought about Inumuta's question. It wasn't like she could tell him about Ichigo being a shinigami and fighting supernatural villains bent on becoming a god, but then again Orihime never expected Life Fibers to be able to grant people superpowers. Still, Orihime didn't think Ichigo would appreciate her talking about him behind his back, "Actually, it's very complicated. You see it all started when – "

"Hang on just a minute!"

Mako suddenly appeared between Inumuta and Orihime, causing the latter to nearly fall off her seat in surprise. As Orihime managed to regain her composure, Mako crossed her arms over her chest and gave the teal haired teen a piercing stare, "It's wrong to ask a girl you just met such personal questions! You need to go on a date first and get to know here before even thinking about asking her stuff like that. I've known Ryuko for a while know and there are still things she won't tell me about herself despite my best attempts at bribing her with food and affection! Besides, have you even stopped to consider how your philandering ways are hurting Jakuzure's feelings?"

"Like I care what Jakuzure thinks," Inumuta scoffed and adjusted his glasses with the tip of a finger. Rolling his eyes as Mako stared at him with her cheeks puffed out, he turned back to his laptop, "I have a lot to do and your rambling is beginning to get on my nerves. Why don't you go annoy your other friends and leave me in peace?"

When he still felt Mako's gaze lingering on him, Inumuta turned to chastise her again but froze when he saw who was on the other side of Orihime. Sitting happily with her hands clasped on her lap was a very familiar blonde haired girl.

"_The Grand Couturier is here?"_ Inumuta thought in a subdued panic while relieved Mako had turned to blabber to Orihime, _"I thought Lady Satsuki said Nui Harime was forbidden from returning to Honnouji Academy by her very mother? This is not good. I need to tell Lady Satsuki."_

Inumuta moved his finger to press the hidden emergency signal on the bottom of his laptop when Nui, without turning her attention away from the battle arena, stared at him with her single sapphire eye. As the smile on her face widened every so softly upon noticing his panic, Inumuta fully comprehended what Nui was telling him. If he tried to so much as warn Satsuki about her presence, Nui would cleave a path through as many humans as necessary to kill him.

"_Damn."_

Inumuta gripped his laptop to steady his shaking hands. Risking a glance back at the Grand Couturier, Inumuta noticed that Nui was no longer looking at him but he did not think for a second that her attention had moved on. He knew without a doubt that the Grand Couturier was still paying close attention to his every move.

"_Ok, think carefully,"_ Inumuta took a second to calm his racing heart, causing Orihime to glance over the top of Mako's head. Ignoring her question of whether he was feeling alright or not, Inumuta closed his eyes and thought carefully on what he should do, _"Ururu Tsumugiya is the key to telling Lady Satsuki. She seems to be able to keep up with the Grand Couturier in terms of strength and speed. If I set up the board just right I could force Nui Harime to deal with Ururu's interference while I make a break for Satsuki."_

"Planning things behind my back isn't very nice, you know," Nui's childish and happy voice cut through Inumuta's line of thought like a sharp blade, "That's the sort of thing that can get people into all sorts of trouble!"

As his heart pounded against his chest, Inumuta turned his head and saw that Nui was not speaking directly at him. Ururu had noticed Nui focused completely on Inumuta for some reason and tried to take advantage of her lapse of attention and steal the purple Scissor Blade away from the Grand Couturier. Although she did not understand how she knew, Ururu could sense where Nui was hiding the hardened Life Fiber blade and knew just what to do to steal it away from her twin sister.

"That was a nice attempt. Really, it was!" Nui laughed and stuck out her tongue as her hand grasped tightly around Ururu's wrist. As she stared into a pair of blue eyes that were so familiar to her own, Nui pouted cutely and giggled, "I love how you're trying to bond and all that, but we can always do that later when we get to know each other a bit more."

"You're planning something," Ururu accused stoically as she tore her wrist free from Nui's grip.

"You give me far too much credit," Nui closed her eye and looked up at where Ichigo was standing. It was almost time for the big surprise and she couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces. Giving her twin another glance, Nui continued, "I already gave my promise to not touch Ichigo and I always keep my promises, you know. So why are you all hot and bothered, Amu?"

Ururu saw Orihime had turned away from Mako towards them as soon as Ichigo's name was mentioned. In an uncharacteristically emotional outburst Ururu's eyes narrowed and she said, "I know you are planning something. If you try to hurt any of my friends I will make you suffer."

Nui was about to respond with a childish laugh at Ururu's threat but stopped as she realized just how familiar her twin's tone of voice was to her own on the rare occasions when things did not go her way. The Grand Couturier locked gazes with Ururu's sapphire eyes and saw the same look of promised rage her own eye had possessed after the man who called himself Isshin Matoi destroyed her left eye. Easily hiding the foreign feeling of nervousness deep beneath layers of saccharine joy and psychosis, Nui sighed dramatically and huffed.

"You sure do like to talk!" Nui glanced over at Inumuta and giggled when the teal haired teen flinched, "But talking is talking and fighting is fighting! Our hearts may be like two peas in a pod but I would never do anything to hurt my favorite cousin. You can count on that!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"My, my," Aikuro Mikisugi muttered to himself as he ran a hand through his shaggy blue hair, "Things are really starting to get interesting down there."<p>

Aikuro leaned over the railing far above the crowd of spectators below as he watched Ichigo demolish Uzu Sanageyama and his Blade Regalia with a single attack. That last attack Ichigo used, the Getsuga Tenshou, seemed extremely powerful and something Aikuro needed to be wary of in the future. All the experiments and tests Nudist Beach did on Danketsu's Life Fibers, with Kinue's consent of course, indicated that when a Kamui evolves too quickly it's stitching can become unstable, which can lead to the wearer losing control over the Kamui's power. Senketsu and Mugetsu's powers were increasing too quickly for their own good. If either of them were to lose control, it would be a repeat of what happened ten years ago.

"Well, I don't ever want that to happen again," Aikuro quietly scoffed. Peering at the arena through a set of binoculars, Aikuro zoomed in on Ryuko and then Ichigo before scratching at his hair. Truth be told, he found Ryuko's Senkou attacks fascinating from a scientific point of view. It was quite ingenious of her to use her imagination to shift the outputted power of Senkou into various powerful attacks.

"Ryuko could stand to learn some self-control, especially with the Grand Couturier focused on her," Aikuro concluded with a sigh as he lowered the binoculars. Leaning over the railing and looking at Satsuki Kiryuin across the stadium, he asked, "Shouldn't you be hiding? The last time I checked little Miss Satsuki was still trying to catch and dissect you."

"Humph!"

Kon stepped out of the shadows where he was most definitely not hiding from Satsuki Kiryuin. Walking over to Aikuro, the disguised nudist sparing the mod soul a quick glance, Kon leaned against the railing and scoffed, "Ichigo's dad sent me here to keep an eye on him. How can I do that when I'm certainly not hiding from Satsuki? Besides, there's no way I can enjoy the view of Ryuko's fine body from inside the air ducts!"

"Please consider what you say about Ryuko," Aikuro's voice was cold as ice as he menacingly waved several needles at Kon, "She is the daughter of a dearly departed friend, so if you keep trying to sneak glances at her I will be forced to do something terribly nightmarish to you."

"You don't need to worry about doing anything to my vulnerable body. I've already learned my lesson," Kon shivered as he recalled how Ryuko hunted him down and almost killed him three times already. The first time he thought she was just overreacting but after the next two times Kon concluded Ryuko was going to kill him if he tried again so he made sure that he was never in a place where she could think he was peeping on her. If he was sitting on the floor when Ryuko walked into a room, Kon would quickly get up and move out of the way.

Jumping up onto the railing and wiping dust off his plushie body, Kon pointed his stub of an arm at Aikuro and asked, "Anyway, Ryuko's going to fight next, right? That means she's going to be up against that large and scary man sitting down way over there. Ichigo's fight was fun to watch and all but it was just so predictable. I knew he was going to kick Sanageyama's ass from the moment the fight started. You know anything about that Gamagori bastard?"

Aikuro shifted his eyes to look at Kon. He was still trying to get used to the idea of conversing with a Life Fiber being that was not trying to assimilate him as a power source. Professor Matoi notes and Isshin's information about Ragyo's plans indicated that Life Fibers needed a living human to function as a mobile power source, but Kon was able to function and move around on his own. It was a fascinating subject that Aikuro would have preferred to learn more about but Isshin had personally vouched for Kon's loyalty and so he was forced to push away any disgust he had for Kon in order to focus on the matter at hand.

"It's hard for me to say," Aikuro shrugged and sighed lazily, "I'm just a lowly teacher so I really haven't been able to see any of the Elite Four's Goku Uniforms apart from when they fought Ryuko or Ichigo. First there was Jakuzure's Symphony Regalia, then there was Sanageyama's Blade Regalia and we both just saw Inumuta's Probe Regalia. Truth be told, I don't even know what Gamagori's Goku Uniform looks like."

"Goku Uniforms are really strange," Kon's beady eyes focused on Satsuki Kiryuin before he looked away. He didn't want that ruthless woman finding him again.

"Every Goku Uniform is stitched by the President of the Sewing Club, Iori Shirou, to match the inherent qualities and abilities of the student," Aikuro explained, "Going by his self-proclaimed title of Satsuki's impenetrable shield, Gamagori's Goku Uniform must have something to do with defense or protection. Ryuko's going to need to think on her feet if she wants to win. Raw power might not cut it this time."

Kon tapped his head in thought as he walked back and forth on the railing. Ever since he woke up he'd been having a really bad feeling that something was going to go wrong. His encounter with Nui Harime was still giving him nightmares. Despite her outward appearance as a relatively normal-looking teenage girl Kon was able to see that she wasn't human and that scared him more than any hollow or arrancar. How anyone could look that cute and be that psychotic boggled Kon's mind but the mod soul wasn't about to go ask Nui why she was insane. If he ever saw the Grand Couturier again in his long lifetime it would be too soon.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Kon spun around and pointed at Aikuro, "Ryuko is plenty strong and way too stubborn to give up. If she could chase me down for over ten minutes just for accidentally peaking up her skirt than she should have no trouble taking on this Gamagori guy!"

"I've been looking everyone for you, Aikuro. I even checked the teacher's break room for you but they said you weren't there all day."

Aikuro chuckled at the gruff voice as its owner made his way towards the undercover Nudist Beach operative. Lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, Tsumugu Kinagase paused as he let smoke drift out of his mouth before speaking, "Let me tell you two pieces of useful information. The first is that you should take off that depressing outfit as soon as possible. It's making me feel suicidal just by looking at it."

"Hey now, I made this disguise myself! It's not that bad, is it?" Aikuro let out a nervous chuckle as Tsumugu mocked his getup. He needed to go undercover at Honnouji Academy for Nudist Beach so what better way to do so than as a lazy and scruffy teacher? Rubbing the back of his neck, Aikuro muttered, "Besides, I'm undercover, remember? It wouldn't be good for everyone to see my full nude glory."

Tsumugu purposely avoided answering Aikuro's rhetorical question as he noticed Kon watching their conversation. He had been briefed about the Life Fiber plushie's loyalty to Isshin and his son and thus had not immediately pumped it so full of needles that he resembled a pincushion. Clenching the cigarette between his teeth, Tsumugu said, "The second is that I do not trust the creature standing beside you. Even though Isshin vouched for its loyalty, I will be keeping a close eye on it."

"Yeah, well, I don't like you either," Kon grumbled and hopped onto the ground accompanied by a soft squeak.

Kon had only the faintest of ideas why everyone thought just because there were Life Fibers in his plushie that he was dangerous. Life Fibers really didn't stack up compared to some of the things he's witnessed in the last few years. That did not mean the mod soul wasn't thinking about them. Life Fibers were what made Senketsu and Mugetsu powerful and sentient so Life Fibers must somehow be alive, which made Kon wonder how something that was essential yarn be alive in the first place. There was something the mod soul was missing and Kon had a strange feeling Isshin sent him here knowing full well what was going on. This was the last time Kon was going to do Ichigo's dad any favors even if there were hot girls involved!

"_Boy would I love to just tell these people that I'm a mod soul and not a Life Fiber creature or whatever. The looks on their faces would be priceless but why did Ichigo's dad have to stitch my pill into this body?"_

Tsumugu gave the mod soul another glare before reaching up and clicking on the buckle holding the large silver case on his back. As the case crashed to the ground with a soft thud, Tsumugu turned around and undid the latches holding it closed. Flipping the lid up with one hand and flicking his cigarette away with the other, Tsumugu began assembling his customized M-98 Window Anti-Life Fiber Model Type-3. While clicking the various components into place, Tsumugu began talking to Aikuro, "Headquarters got your request yesterday. They were not pleased with what you were asking, especially since Isshin's forbidden us from going after Masaki's son."

Aikuro reached into his pocket and handed Tsumugu a recording of Ryuko's fight against Inumuta, "Ichigo's power concerns me but it's Ryuko that I'm worried about. I'm certain if push came to shove Ichigo could control his Kamui but Ryuko is still holding onto a lot of pent up anger and emotions. I would have warned her against participating in the king of the hill battles but little Miss Satsuki had to push up the time from 1:00 PM to 9:00 AM. If Gamagori's fight was first, it's likely he would have forestalled the first fight, allowing me a chance to talk to Ryuko."

"You don't need to say any more," Tsumugu cut in as he finished assembling the sniper rifle. Leaning his forehead against the Anti-Life Fiber weapon, he reached inside his shirt and pulled out a simple necklace with a familiar bullet hanging gently off it. Staring at the bullet that nearly ended everything a decade ago, Tsumugu said, "I promised Kinue I would save this special adhesive bullet for the time when she finally lost control of her Kamui and went on another rampage. If anyone was going to finally give my sister the rest she deserved it was going to be me. Even though Kinue's no longer in danger of losing control to her Kamui, I'm still wary about letting you use this bullet."

"Think of it as a precaution in case anything goes wrong," Aikuro said with a shrug, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure we won't end up having to use it."

"Let's hope not. Tell me, have Matoi and Kurosaki gotten that strong that even someone like you is worried?" Tsumugu growled.

Aikuro leaned back on the railing, "Both of them managed to easily secure wins against Three-Star Goku Uniforms using attacks that concentrated all the energy in their Kamui into one massive strike. Ryuko's was called Niban Genkai and Ichigo called his Getsuga Tenshou. You didn't see the attacks completely destroy a Three-Star Goku Uniform in one swing. Not even little Miss Satsuki could do something like that while wearing Junketsu. You remember your fight against Ryuko, right? Now imagine fighting her again but this time your needles have a quarter of their suppressing effect while her strength and speed are twice what they were. Could you beat her?"

"No, I could not," Tsumugu admitted without hesitation. Grabbing the scope off his M-98 Widow, he handed the magnifying device to Aikuro and continued, "Kinue said that I would be unable to stand up to the likes of a Raiment so what chance do I have against Matoi after she's gained experience using her Kamui?"

Aikuro gave his friend a light chuckle out of amusement, "It's not like you to admit your weakness. Kinue's return really must have affected you."

Without looking Tsumugu reached over and grabbed the undercover nudist's shirt in his hand, "If you so much as tell anyone that I'm getting soft I'm going to publically humiliate you in the worst possible way."

"Now hang on a minute!" Aikuro was beginning to sweat at the threatening aura surrounding Tsumugu, "There's no need for violence. No one here said you were getting soft! I sure as heck didn't say anything like that!"

There was a pregnant pause as both Aikuro and Tsumugu looked down at Kon. The mod soul plushie was reading a comic book he pulled out of nowhere and had stopped paying attention to their conversation ages ago. Noticing the stares from the two men, Kon looked up and bluntly asked, "What the hell are you two looking at? Can't you see I'm busy reading my articles?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko sat in a relaxed crouch as she waiting for the clock beneath the battle arena to read 11:00 PM. It was only a few minutes until her fight against Gamagori and she was starting to feel the initially effects of anxiety. The sight of Gamagori transforming into his Shackle Regalia the other night was still ingrained in her memory and it was making her wonder just how powerful the Disciplinary Committee Chair actually was.<p>

"_**Ryuko, your heart rate and blood pressure are rising. Are you nervous about the upcoming fight?"**_ Senketsu's familiar voice asked, cutting through Ryuko's reminiscing.

Giving an exasperated huff of annoyance, Ryuko propped her chin on her fist and sighed dramatically, "It's nothing to worry about, Senketsu. I'm just thinking about how strong Gamagori was the other night. His Shackle Regalia may look downright ridiculous but there's no getting around how powerful it is."

"_**Yes,"**_ Senketsu agreed, turning his eye toward the still sitting large teen. The male Kamui had been concerned about Gamagori's power as an indication of the strength of the rest of the Elite Four but Ryuko's battle against Inumuta hadn't been that troublesome, _**"He seems to be the only one to possess a secondary transformation like Mugetsu and myself. You should keep your guard up against him. There's no reason to take unnecessary risks at this point."**_

"Who do you think I am? I'm all about safety, Senketsu!" Ryuko boasted proudly. When she heard Senketsu growling at her, Ryuko rolled her eyes, "Ok, fine. I'll be careful against Gamagori, but you know, I thought these Elite Four jerks would be stronger."

"_**What do you mean?"**_

Ryuko stood up and stretched her legs before she let out a sigh of contentment as her muscles and joints popped back into place, "Inumuta wasn't that tough. If his Probe Regalia didn't have that optical camouflage ability we could have beaten him without using Niban Genkai. Sanageyama has his Shingantsu but we both watched Ichigo wipe the floor with him by moving too fast for Sanageyama to keep up with. I'm starting to get the feeling that we're being played."

"_**Nonsense,"**_ Senketsu shook his body around Ryuko in order to show his displeasure at such a stupid notion, _**"Why would Satsuki Kiryuin throw her most powerful followers at us just so they could take a dive? It makes no sense."**_

Ryuko grinned at Senketsu's reaction. Turning her eyes towards the battle arena, she noticed the clock read 10:59 AM and let out a confident smirk, "Well, it's almost time Senketsu. Just one more fight and we get to find out from Satsuki why Nui Harime had to kill my dad. I'm kind of hoping she tries to resist just so I can beat the smug look off her face with your power. We never did get to have our rematch against Satsuki, did we?"

"_**No, we did not. Ichigo and Mugetsu saved our lives that morning and managed to beat Satsuki Kiryuin before we could do so,"**_ Senketsu answered as a set of red steps extended down from the pillar Ryuko was standing on. As she calmly walked down the steps, her gaze never leaving Gamagori, Senketsu turned his eye upwards, _**"Please don't tell Mugetsu this, but I really do want to fight Satsuki Kiryuin and Junketsu. My Life Fibers are highly dissatisfied with that mockery of a battle you had against her before our proper synchronization."**_

"You don't need to tell me that," Ryuko boasted as her hand reached for the pin on the Seki Tekkou, "It would be really annoying to never have a proper battle against Satsuki. It might just drive me crazy. Let's go, Senketsu! Life Fiber Synchronization: Kamui Senketsu!"

Fully clad in Senketsu's transformed state and with her energy replenished after her usage of Niban Genkai, Ryuko stared across the battle arena at the stoic Gamagori. Hefting her red Scissor Blade onto her shoulder, Ryuko smirked at the Disciplinary Committee Chair, "Yo, Gamagori, don't expect me to go easy on you just because you helped us the other night!"

Gamagori gave Ryuko a sly grin of his own before his expression hardened. Smashing his gauntlet-covered fists together before spreading his arms wide, he shouted, "I would not expect any less from the likes of you, Matoi! You might as well consider this your final transformation! Your ascent towards Lady Satsuki ends here! Three-Star Goku Uniform: Shackle Regalia!"

Ryuko narrowed her eyes as Gamagori transformed into the familiar bondage uniform she saw the other night. Even though his appearance and inability to move his arms or legs made Gamagori seem like an easy target, Ryuko knew better than to attack him. The memory of the entire AAA Club unloading everything they had against Gamagori's Shackle Regalia only to be completely and utterly destroyed remained at the forefront of her mind. Deciding against doing anything stupid, like attacking him, Ryuko planted her Scissor Blade into the arena and sat down on the handle, all the while giving her opponent the meanest glare she could muster.

"What are you doing?"

The calm and blunt question caused Ryuko to tilt her head to the side in confusion, "Huh?"

"This is a fight," Gamagori's muffled voice was audible to Ryuko despite being all the way across the battle arena, "Is a fight not what you wanted, Matoi?"

Ryuko locked her right heel inside the handle of her Scissor Blade and propped her arm on her knee, "That's a dumb question. Of course I wanted to fight you."

"If that is the case then you should be attacking me instead of sitting around doing nothing."

"Do you really think I'm going to fall for something like that?" Ryuko chuckled to herself as she hopped off her Scissor Blade and pulled the Life Fiber weapon out of the ground. Walking back and forth on the arena, her Scissor Blade perched lazily on her shoulder, Ryuko gave Gamagori and knowing stare, "I remember watching your Goku Uniform absorb the power of anything thrown at you. Do you honestly expect me to go charging at you with my Scissor Blade? I'm just going to stand way over here out of range of whatever you may be planning until I can think of something."

"It appears I overestimated your intellect, Matoi. I thought you were surely smarter than this!"

Gamagori's Shackle Regalia began to shift and contort as several strips of the cloth armor composing the outer layers of the Goku Uniform began peeling off and twisted into whips. Ryuko stared in stunned surprise as nearly a dozen whips hovered in the air around Gamagori and gripped her Scissor Blade tightly in preparation for the attack that was sure to come. She was thus shocked when Gamagori, instead of attacking her, turned his whips on himself.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ryuko asked as she watched Gamagori flagellate himself with his own attack.

"Did you not consider I might have anticipated your actions?" Gamagori shouted as his body began to bloat menacingly. As he continued to whip himself, using the power of his Goku Uniform to reach the level of power needed, he stared at Ryuko and said, "I knew after my display the other night that you would no doubt come to understand the power of my Shackle Regalia. That is why if there is no one to discipline me, I am able to discipline myself!"

"What are you talking about?" Ryuko grit her teeth and leapt back as Gamagori expanded to triple his initial size. His secondary transformation was about to appear and she did not want to be anywhere near him when he brought out his Scourge Regalia, "Using your power to discipline yourself makes no sense! Where does the damn power come from?"

"The power comes from my punishment!" Gamagori declared as his body swelled to near the critical point, "As I use my own technique to punish myself, I quickly bring myself to the climax. That is the power of my Higi Jijo-Jibaku, Matoi! Now witness my true power and realize your weakness! Three-Star Goku Uniform: Scourge Regalia!"

In a burst of power, the cloth armor of Gamagori's Shackle Regalia tore apart to reveal the Scourge Regalia waiting underneath. As a flurry of spiked tentacles and whips crackled around Gamagori, slamming into the arena hard enough to crack the stone tiles, Ryuko spun her Scissor Blade around her wrist and let out a shout as he did her best to deflect as many attacks as possible. While Ryuko was pushing Senketsu and her body to their limits to deflect the multitude of attacks, a different story was going on for the other two remaining contestants. Nonon had a smug grin on her face as she casually dodged and ducked out of the way of Gamagori's errant attacks while Ichigo was using Tournesol to cut and deflect any that strayed too close to him.

"Hey!" Ryuko shouted as one of Gamagori's whips twisted around her guard and smacked her butt. Spinning around and using her Scissor Blade to sever the offending whip, she felt her back arch forward as Gamagori took advantage of her lapse of concentration and proceeded to pummel her over and over again before slammed her body down to the ground right near the edge of the arena.

"You better not fall out of the battle arena, Matoi!" Gamagori shouted boisterously as he continued to smack Ryuko's body with his whips, "If you fall off the edge, you will automatically lose the battle!"

"I know that!" Ryuko shouted as she quickly rolled to the side before flipping to her feet as one of Gamagori's whips came crashing down on to the ground. Deftly leaping and dodging around the spiked tentacles chasing after her, she nevertheless answered, "I kind of figured that out when Inumuta tried to kick me off the edge. You Elite Four bastards sure do like to not tell all the rules, don't you?"

"It was an unspoken rule!" Gamagori announced as all the whips flailing through the air suddenly retracted back, hiding his Scourge Regalia inside his Shackle Regalia once more.

"Huh?" Ryuko spit on the ground as he cautiously observed her opponent, "Hey, Gamagori bastard, why did you go back to your stupid Shackle Regalia?"

Gamagori seethed at the lack of respect Ryuko was giving him but knew that the perpetrator of such an obnoxious nickname was Ichigo Kurosaki. He had been the one to first come up with it and he was no doubt the one to pass it on to Ryuko, "Did I not explain myself to you already, Matoi? All the power I collect from being punished and disciplined is released in my Scourge Regalia. Do you see the futility of attacking me? You must realize that in a contest of pure endurance and stamina I can outlast you, so I must ask what your next move is. Are you going to give up or would you like to continue being punished?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm not the kind of girl who goes for the kinky stuff you're into. All this discipline and punishment talk is starting to make me feel nauseous. As for your question…" Ryuko gave Gamagori a menacing smirk as she sprinted across the battle arena with her Scissor Blade held to her side, "…I'm going to give you your answer right now! Senketsu Senkou! Your Shackle Regalia is history! Seni-Soshitsu!"

Ryuko felt the Senkou enhanced Seni-Soshitsu slice across Gamagori's Shackle Regalia without hitting any form of defense but she was shocked when Gamagori did not so much as move. As Gamagori turned around to face her, an almost impossible task given his current state, Ryuko saw that all her Senkou-empowered Seni-Soshitsu managed to do was leave a small tear across the width of Gamagori's chest.

"_**His Goku Uniform does not have any Life Fibers on its surface,"**_ Senketsu explained to a stunned Ryuko, _**"What concerns me is that even if there was nothing for me to absorb using Seni-Soshitsu, Senkou should have still been enough to cut through it. His Shackle Regalia's defenses are indeed formidable."**_

"Impressive. I did not expect you to actually damage my Shackle Regalia," Gamagori admitted as his form began to bloat and expand once more, "My Shackle Regalia is covered in specialized cloth armor, forged and reinforced secretly to increase its power! If you have any chance of defeating me, you'll have to pierce through it and stab your Scissor Blade directly into my proper uniform!"

"That's not a problem," Ryuko motioned with her hand to her transformed state, "I've already proven Senkou can cut through your stupid cloth armor. So all I need to do is cut you a few more times and it's game over for you!"

"Indeed, your Senkou attacks are most formidable," Gamagori's body continued to swell as he resumed hitting himself while Ryuko stood by waiting, "In most cases increased cutting power and range would be a dangerous combination."

Ryuko was blown off her feet as Gamagori's Shackle Regalia exploded outwards once more. As she felt the many spiked whips and tentacles slap every exposed part of her body, Ryuko heard Gamagori shouting, "But in this case it is not true whatsoever! I am Lady Satsuki's ultimate shield. I will withstand the attacks and punishments from anyone daring to stand against her without fail! Even if I have to discipline myself, I will not allow you to stand in Lady Satsuki's presence. My tenacity and determination knows no bounds, Ryuko Matoi! I am going to crush you right here and now!"

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to lose to the likes of you!" Ryuko shouted back as she spun her Scissor Blade around and destroyed any whips that tried to attack her. Rushing towards Gamagori, her Scissor Blade glowing red from the power she was feeding it, Ryuko leapt into the air as Gamagori reached onto his back and pulled out two spiked chakram.

"What is it you truly fight for, Matoi?"

"What kind of question is that?" Ryuko seethed as Gamagori's chakram stopped her Scissor Blade. Noticing the Disciplinary Committee Chair's weapons cracking under the superior power of her Senkou-enhanced Scissor Blade, Ryuko ducked back and swung her weapon through the air. Growling when Gamagori dodged to the side to avoid the invisible blade, she shouted at him, "Why do you even care what I'm fighting for? Aren't you only fighting because your precious 'Lady Satsuki' ordered you to? I'm surprised you can even dress yourself without Satsuki Kiryuin telling you what to do!"

Instead of taking the bait as she hoped, Gamagori pressed his offense. As she was constantly forced to dodge and avoid his whips while clashing with his seemingly infinite supply of chakram, Ryuko realized that although Senketsu's Senkou configuration gave her greater power and speed it did not help if she was overwhelmed by too many attacks.

"Do you truly believe finding out who murdered your father will get you anywhere in life? If you fight solely for personal vengeance, then you are not worthy of Lady Satsuki's attention!" Gamagori let out a righteous roar as he hit Ryuko with everything he had. Even with her Scissor Blade Ryuko found herself quickly tumbling through the air towards the edge of the arena platform. As she tried desperately to stab her Scissor Blade into the ground to stop her momentum, she felt one last whip smack the bottom of her chin and send her careening over the edge.

"But you will never get that chance, Matoi, because your hopes of defeating me end here!"

"_**Ryuko!"**_

"Damn that bastard!" Ryuko spun her body around and tried to stab her Scissor Blade into the side of the battle arena. As glowing sparks briefly flashed into existence when the tip of her weapon barely touched the surface of the arena, Ryuko realized she was just a few inches too far away. With blue eyes widening in fear as she continued to fall away from the platform, Ryuko let out a wordless shout as she disappeared into the smoke obscuring the ground below.

"Is this truly all you can muster, Matoi?"

Satsuki watched the perturbed smoke where Ryuko had fallen for several seconds before closing her eyes and scoffing. For a while she had been under the belief Ryuko would use her anger and tenacity to force herself back to her feet time and time again. These matches were not just designed to pick out the flaws of her Elite Four's Goku Uniforms but also grant Ryuko and Ichigo experience with fighting those that expertly wield Life Fiber. Matoi's fall here, while unfortunate, did not have any long or short-term ramifications on her plans. The School Raid Trip would proceed on schedule whether Ryuko got her answers or not.

"Oh? Is this all the Transfer Student can do? This is such a disappointment, wouldn't you agree Strawberry?" Nonon had a haughty smirk on her face as she turned to face Ichigo, but that look quickly fell when she saw Ichigo lightly dozing off with his head leaning on his fist. Growling and grinding her teeth together, Nonon stomped her foot angrily and shouted loudly, "What are you doing, Strawberry? The Transfer Student just lost her fight so why the hell are you taking a nap?"

Ichigo opened one eye and scoffed in annoyance, "I wasn't sleeping, damn it."

Nonon's glare intensified at Ichigo's dismissal of her question, "Why aren't you worried about Gamagori winning? You should be screaming out the Transfer Student's name in fear or something by now!"

"What makes you think I'll do something stupid like that?" Ichigo argued angrily before turning his attention to the battle arena below, "Besides, Ryuko hasn't lost the fight yet."

"Of course she's lost the fight, Strawberry!" Nonon growled and pointed down at the arena with her baton, "The Transfer Student fell all the way down to the ground! There's nothing – "

Nonon's sarcasm was cut off midsentence when a loud boom exploded from within the dust and smoke obscuring the ground. Stepping to the edge of her pillar to see what was making all the noise, Nonon was blow backwards onto her ass as Ryuko rocketed upwards into the sky just a few feet away from her.

"This is great!" Ryuko darted and soared through the air above Honnouji Academy. Senketsu's flight configuration was truly amazing. Unlike Mugetsu's Gufū, Senketsu's Shippu merged her lower body into one solid rocket that gave her more power and speed but at the cost of decreased maneuverability. Turning her head toward the swept-back wing where Senketsu's eye had shifted to, Ryuko gave her Kamui a smirk, "I didn't know you were this reckless, Senketsu."

Senketsu shivered from the praise, _**"Anything Mugetsu can do I can do as well. It is as simple as that. I was not about to let her hold something over me."**_

"I knew you could do it, Senketsu!" Ryuko grinned savagely as she hovered a few feet over the arena floor. Holding her Scissor Blade against the back of her neck, she stared confidently down at the waiting Gamagori, "I bet you're wondering what form this is. It's called Senketsu Shippu! Your stupid rule about falling off the arena doesn't matter anymore now that I can fly, Gamagori bastard!"

Gamagori was insulted by what Ryuko was insinuating. How dare she presume that just because she can fly that he cannot defeat her with technicalities! Pulling out several chakram from his back, he threw the spiked weapons at Ryuko while his whips crackled through the air towards her, "I've put up with your presumptuous attitude long enough, Matoi! You continue to refuse my generosity? Your rebellious attitude ends here!"

"Generosity?"

Ryuko looked at the Disciplinary Committee Chair in confusion with her head cocked to the side. She had no idea what Gamagori was talking about but if it was anything like what he said the other night, she really didn't want to know. Dodging around a thrown chakram, Ryuko grinned as she began flying away, "You can take your generosity and shove it! As if I would even consider losing to someone like you! I have questions for your precious Satsuki Kiryuin about my dad's killer and nothing's going to stop me from getting them!"

"Your petty vengeance is not worth Lady Satsuki's time, Matoi!" Gamagori screamed as he doubled his assault, "Have you refused to even think about what you're doing? You have no chance of defeating me! NO CHANCE AT ALL!"

"That's a load of crap!"

Ryuko boosted beneath the arena, ducking down as a chakram passed dangerously close to her head, before flying back up on the other side behind Gamagori with her Scissor Blade at the ready. Rocketing towards Gamagori with her Scissor Blade held out to the side, she was just about to pierce through his Scourge Regalia when all of his whips suddenly retracted back around his body. As her Scissor Blade ricocheted off the cloth armor surrounding his Shackle Regalia, Ryuko temporarily lost control of her motion and was forced to drag her blade across the arena floor to regain her balance.

"Damn, I was so close," Ryuko wiped the side of her mouth off on the back of her hand and spat on the ground, "I almost had him that time. Just one more second and this fight would have been over."

"_**That cloth armor is really tough. Even Senkou was barely enough to cut through it. It seems that unless you can somehow get inside of his Shackle Regalia, Gamagori is going to continue to hide whenever you go on the offensive."**_

"How do you suppose I do that? Should I bite one of his whips before he pulls them back in?" Ryuko rolled her eyes and glanced up into the reddening sky, "I have an idea and it requires Shippu. Ready for the most reckless thing you've ever done, Senketsu?"

"I grow tired of your insubordination, Matoi!" Gamagori finally finished whipping himself and burst out of his bindings clad in his Scourge Regalia once more. Reaching onto his back and pulling out half a dozen chakram, three per hand, he shot his whips at Ryuko and shouted, "I thought that if I shackled and whipped myself, my fellow students would see my righteous behavior and correct their own in the process. I hoped they would mend their own ways and not require my direct intervention for that is my goal as the Disciplinary Committee Chair – to lay down the law of Honnouji Academy and impose order and uniformity on the students!"

"You're still going on about that?" Ryuko rolled her eyes as she darted through the air while using her Scissor Blade to cut any whips she could not avoid. Ducking beneath an expertly thrown chakram, she shouted, "I already know all this so why the hell are you explaining it to me again!"

"YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, MATOI!"

Gamagori threw his arms out and Ryuko tensed as every single one of his spiked whips grabbed a chakram, "The Shackle Regalia is the beating heart of my hopes and desires but despite all my hard work students like you remain out there that refuse to learn and mend their rebellious ways! It is with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes that I use the cleansing whip that is Scourge Regalia! Now face the true horror of the Scourge Regalia, Ryuko Matoi, and despair!"

Ryuko swung her Scissor Blade as the whips shot towards her, "Get ready, Senketsu."

Senketsu stared at Ryuko suspiciously, _**"Ryuko, you never told me your plan."**_

Ryuko grinned, "You'll see."

"Have you finally learned your lesson, Matoi?" Gamagori asked as Ryuko was pummeled with his whips. Despite her newfound ability to fly, Ryuko did not know Gamagori was used to fighting an opponent that could maneuver in three dimensions. Jakuzure had required a lot of practice to get used to her Symphony Regalia Mark III and Gamagori had been the one to offer his assistance.

"Like hell I have!" Ryuko roared as she swung her Scissor Blade rapidly in front of her body and destroyed all the whips surrounding her. Glaring at Gamagori, Ryuko spun around before the jets beneath her legs flared to life and she rocketed high into the skies above Honnouji Academy before disappearing into the clouds.

For over a minute everyone, from the audience of students in the stadium to Aikuro watching from high above, stared at the trail of exhaust leading into the sky in anticipation for Ryuko's attack. When nothing happened and there was no sign of Ryuko, angry mutterings could be heard being whispered in the stands. Huffing in annoyance with his eyes locked on the red skies above, Gamagori shouted, "Have you fled like a coward, Matoi?"

Satsuki did not share Gamagori's outburst of anger but she did not say anything to the contrary. It took a clear mind and a sharp intellect to realize that Ryuko Matoi had not, in fact, fled the battle as so many people were beginning to suspect. Such an act of cowardice was against Matoi's nature and Satsuki would be stunned if that was indeed what happened. Casting her gaze on Ichigo, who seemed just as unworried about Ryuko as she was, Satsuki tightened her grip on Bakuzan and muttered, "It is unfortunate that your mind has become obsessed with resolve, Gamagori, for if you aren't careful it shall turn into arrogance."

"Lady Satsuki!" Satsuki glanced down at the battle arena and saw Gamagori turned to face her. With his loud voice reverberating throughout the stadium, he declared, "Since Ryuko Matoi has fled the field of combat I am requesting that you declare me the winner!"

"You should be cautious with what you say, Gamagori," Satsuki replied evenly, "For the match is not as over as you think."

Gamagori gave Satsuki a questioning look and was about to ask her what she was talking about when a bright flash of red light pierced through the thick clouds covering Honnouji Academy. Peering up into the sky, he was shocked to see Ryuko blasting down towards him at a speed he didn't think possible. Realizing that if Ryuko's Scissor blade hit his Scourge Regalia at that speed the match would be over Gamagori rapidly retracted all his whips and tentacles and formed his Shackle Regalia once more.

"That's not going to work this time!" Ryuko shouted as a loud crackle of thunder echoed through the stadium as she broke through the sound barrier. As her velocity continued to increase, no small thanks to the large thrust from Shippu, Ryuko quickly shifted out of her flight configuration into Senkou and shouted over the roaring wind, "If my Scissor Blade isn't sharp enough to cut through your stupid cloth armor on its own then I'm going need to improvise! Try to withstand this! Seni-Soshitsu!"

Making a turn sharp enough to kill a normal human just as she was about to hit the arena, Ryuko blasted across the stage and sliced through the cloth armor composing Gamagori's Shackle Regalia like it was tissue paper. Before the Disciplinary Committee Chair could even think of moving, Ryuko spun around and slashed him again with enough force to propel him several feet into the air.

"I-Impossible!" Gamagori spat out as he was stripped of his Goku Uniform, "My cloth armor!"

"Humph," Ryuko grinned as the Banshi from Gamagori's Shackle Regalia were absorbed by Senketsu, "Your cloth armor may not have any Life Fibers but my Senkou attacks can still cut through it. All I needed was a running start and your cloth armor was history! This match is over, Ira Gamagori!"

Turning away from Gamagori, who was beginning to get back onto his feet while completely naked, Ryuko gave Senketsu a pleased smile, "You're one hell of a Kamui, Senketsu."

Senketsu's eye closed in happiness at the praise, _**"It was your idea that won the match, Ryuko."**_

"But I couldn't have done it without you," Ryuko answered and gave Senketsu's collar a light dusting off. As her Kamui shook around her body, she said, "That's two wins. Now we just need to wait for Ichigo to kick Nonon's ass and I'll finally get Satsuki Kiryuin to tell me what she knows."

"Disgraceful!"

Ryuko's ears picked up the sound of a blade being drawn. Turning around, she saw Gamagori had a dagger in his hands and was about to stab himself in the stomach, "H-Hey! What are you doing?"

Before Gamagori could lower his arms, there was a light laugher as a pink boot lightly tapped him in his massive stomach and sent him bouncing along the battle arena. With her leg still raised in the air, one hand propped against her cheek and the other holding down her pink dress so that humans didn't see anything they should not see, Nui Harime dragged out her words as she spoke, "I'm sure Satsuki wanted to say something like 'wipe away your own tears' or something but it's just so annoying to see naked apes just refuse to lay down, you know. Wouldn't you agree, Ryuko?"

Ryuko stared in stunned surprise at who was standing right in front of her without a care in the world. As her face contorted in anger at seeing the person who killed her dad acting normally, she shouted, "Nui Harime!"

"Huh?" Nui tilted her head to the side and blinked owlishly as Ryuko shouted her name. She was sure Ryuko didn't know about her since she was very careful when it came to secrets. That meant someone must have been very naughty and told Ryuko and ruined the surprise. Spinning around on her heel and holding her pink parasol on her shoulder, Nui giggled and stared at Ichigo, "Did you have to spoil the big surprise, Ichigo? I wanted Ryuko to be really shocked by my cute and amazing reveal! It's just not the same if she already knows all about me, you know!"

Ichigo locked gazes with the Grand Couturier without flinching. Nui's power may be greater than his own but Ichigo was not about to show any nervousness around her, "Of course I told her all I knew. You not only killed Ryuko's dad but you also attacked Kisuke."

"Attacked?" Nui seemed confused by Ichigo's choice of words before she remembered who Ichigo was referring to, "Are you talking about Mr. Urahara? I'm surprised that you know about that, but then again you are my favorite cousin! Of course I attacked him! He committed the ultimate taboo of creating a Kamui. Humans aren't supposed to go to certain places, you know, but that shopkeeper was really strange. He actually gave me a difficult time before I finally managed to kill him! Although by the end he was bleeding just like any other human."

Ichigo gripped Tournesol and stood up but was stopped when Satsuki appeared before him. Holding Bakuzan toward Nui, Satsuki narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why are you here?"

"That's such a silly question, Lady Satsuki!" Nui huffed and leaned onto her pink parasol. As her body was floating sideways in the air, she giggled and added, "You know that I couldn't stay away from all the fun you were having!"

Satsuki stared coldly at the Grand Couturier, who returned the favor with a pleased expression in her single sapphire eye, before she slowly began unsheathing Bakuzan from its scabbard, "My mother has expressively forbidden you from stepping foot within Honnouji Academy after Parent Student Day. You might not care about what I say but even someone like you will listen to my mother."

Nui's face seemed to show just the tiniest amount of worry before it quickly disappeared and was replaced by a smile, "Nope! I'll have you know Lady Ragyo changed her mind! She said that if I was a good girl and didn't go near Ichigo I could stay for as long as I wanted! While I would love to do nothing more than play with my cousin and bond as a family I made a promise and you're supposed to keep your promises, you know."

Satsuki opened her mouth to respond but stopped when Ichigo stepped in front of her, "Tell me something, Nui Harime. Mugetsu is the Kamui that Kisuke created so why did you kill him and not me?"

"Don't be silly and ask such ridiculous questions Ichigo!" Nui chirped as she felt Ryuko's anger rising by the second. The Grand Couturier loved when a plan came together but any interference would ruin everything. Leaning forward, her chin propped on the top of her pink parasol, Nui puffed her cheeks out and explained, "You're my cousin so I could never do anything to hurt you, Ichigo! Mr. Urahara was nothing but a lowly human who thought he could hide something as high-class as a Kamui from me. Mugetsu is a true Kamui so if it's worn by someone like you then I have no problems with you!"

"Hey!" Ryuko raised her voice to gain Nui Harime's attention, "So you must be Nui Harime. Tell me something. Why did you kill my dad?"

"Why indeed," Nui spun around comically before she suddenly appeared right next to Ryuko, "It's really strange that you want to ask something you already know the answer to!"

Ryuko leapt away from Nui and raised her Scissor Blade, "What are you talking about?"

"You know so much about me and yet I care so little about you!" Nui smiled and reached into her dress before pulling out a familiar purple Scissor Blade. Spinning the blade around her wrist while making cute grunts, Nui pointed her own Scissor Blade at Ryuko and giggled, "See this? I pulled it out of your dad's body! Doesn't that just make you really mad? We should fight and have lots of fun!"

The look on Ryuko's face brought a smile to Nui's face. The look of sheer hate and loathing was perfect for what she had planned for that man's daughter, but when Ryuko bit her lip hard enough to draw blood instead of attacking her, Nui had a look of genuine surprise etched on her face.

"You must think I'm stupid or something," Ryuko spat out a glob of blood as she forced herself to calm down. She could tell Nui was intentionally baiting her but Ryuko was too smart for that. Giving the surprised Grand Couturier a cocky grin, she said, "Did you honestly think I would just attack you because I'm pissed off at you? I sure as hell want to smash your face into the ground and beat you until you're a bloody pulp but Ichigo's told me all about you. You're stronger and faster than Satsuki Kiryuin. If Ichigo can't beat you on his own than anything I do will be pointless!"

Nui leaned sadly on her Scissor Blade, "Gosh, you really know how to ruin someone's fun, don't you? I thought that I would surprise you with this Scissor Blade and then have a fun battle that we could both enjoy, but it seems my big plan has failed. Months of planning against you foiled by your newly acquired self-control. What am I going to do with my life now that my plan's fallen apart?"

Turning to walk away, Nui took three steps before she suddenly turned around, clapped her hands and winked at Ryuko, "Ah! That's why it is always a good idea to have a Plan B!"

"Plan B?" Ryuko glared heatedly at Nui as she raised her Scissor Blade, "What the hell are you talking about now?"

"Not going to tell you!" Nui giggled childishly as she spun around once and clapped her hands excitedly, "Just wait right here! I'll be back in just a second!"

When Nui vanished from sight, Ryuko thought the Grand Couturier's immense speed would be the biggest shock of the day. She had been able to somewhat keep up with Ichigo's speed when he fought Sanageyama up until the very end but she hadn't even seen Nui take a single step. How the hell was she going to fight if Nui actually tried to attack her? As the gears in her mind spun rapidly in order to come up with a plan, Ryuko heard a loud commotion coming from the stands before Nui reappeared in front of her. What Ryuko saw held firmly in her grasp caused her breath to hitch in her throat.

"M-Mako!"

Held above the ground in Nui's left hand was Mako, who was trying fervently to get free of the Grand Couturier's grip, "Ryuko! This strange girl who showed up before is trying to kidnap me! I'm too young for an arranged marriage to an old, rich man!"

"Your voice is really annoying," Nui told Mako as she held her purple Scissor Blade in her right hand, "If you don't be quiet, something really bad might just happen to you!"

"Wait!" Ryuko sprinted towards Nui, pulling the pin out of her Seki Tekkou and transforming wordlessly as she raced towards Nui.

"Nope, it's too late, Ryuko!" Nui giggled as she held her Scissor Blade behind Mako, "Say bye!"

Without a single shred of hesitation Nui plunged the Scissor Blade into Mako's chest and directly through her heart, causing the girl squirming her in hand to spasm in pain before quickly going still without saying another word. Flicking the body off her Scissor Blade, Nui watched Mako roll to a stop several feet away from Ryuko with a pool of blood beginning to form underneath her body. Lightly giggling, Nui stabbed her blade into the ground and sighed, "Gosh! That was a lot of fun! So do you want to fight me yet, Ryuko? If you don't, I still have Plan C, you know, but it's going to require that I get a few things!"

Ryuko didn't hear a word Nui was saying as she knelt in horror next to Mako's lifeless body. Raising a shaking hand towards her best friends face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wished this were nothing but a nightmare, Ryuko turned to Nui with a dead look in her eyes when she felt something snap inside her chest. With red steam wafting off her body, Ryuko staggered back to her feet, heedless of Senketsu's voice screaming at her to calm down, and roared as everything seemed to become covered in a boiling red haze. As she felt her body contort and warp painfully, Ryuko only had a single thought on her mind – kill Nui Harime.

"Golly, now that you're all dressed up, Ryuko, the fun can begin!" Nui cheerfully explained. She could sense both Satsuki and Ichigo rushing towards her back, both of them already clad in their respective Kamui, but Nui didn't really care about them. She was going to have lots of fun and no one was going to stop her. As a berserk roar filled with both fury and lamentation pierced through the air, Nui giggled softly and held up her Scissor Blade. She loved it when a plan came together.

* * *

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #17 – It's Just Acting<strong>

Mako was running around in a full-blown panic after watching Nui impale her on the large screen that took up an entire wall of the room, "Eh, I'm dead? I can't be dead! If I'm dead, does that mean everyone else is dead as well? Have I joined a cult? I don't remember drinking any fruit punch!"

Ryuko ignored Mako's rambling in order to focus on memorized the lines for the next episode. Unlike most of her fellow actors, she dedicates a lot of time to her character's emotions and passions. That was the downside of playing a character that was constantly annoyed and angry at everything around her. If Ryuko didn't act perfectly then they would have to redo the whole scene again.

"Let's see here…" Ryuko mumbled as she turned the page in her script and realized she was going to need a lot of cough drops for all the growling and roaring she was going to have to do in the next episode. Banging her head against the table, she muttered, "Damn it, my throat is going to kill me tomorrow. I just know it."

"I don't know why you're so upset, Ryuko," Nui Harime blew a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes, "You're not the one that has to act all sugary and sweet with one of your eyes covered. Do you know how many times I run into things every day?"

"I know, Nui, I know," Ryuko sighed and turned her head towards Satsuki. Her fellow actress has her face buried nose-deep into the script and was doing her best not to make eye contact with any of them. Ryuko thought it was extremely ironic that Satsuki, who played someone that was pompous and overbearing, was extremely shy off set. Ryuko could count the number of times Satsuki actually talked to them without having her face buried behind a book.

"Please calm down, Mako," Ururu said politely from right next to Nui. The two sisters, who ironically were twins that played twin sisters, looked nothing alike but had nearly identical personalities off set, "I'm trying to memorize my upcoming fight and I don't want to mess it up."

"Oh, sorry Ururu," Mako apologized and sat down, "You know how my imagination gets!"

"Tell me about it," Nui rolled her eyes and leaned on her arm, "Half the fandom already hates me and they haven't even seen this episode yet. I bet that once this episode airs everyone will want to murder me. Do they even realize how hard it is to constantly troll all you guys while breaking the fourth wall? Even the readers don't notice half the stuff I say. Perhaps the director should just flash a sign whether I troll someone."

"That would be too obvious," Ururu commented.

"Hey, where's Ichigo?" Ryuko looked around for her fellow actor, "He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"Ichigo got called on set at the last minute," Nui answered stoically as she texted on her phone, "Apparently the director wants to try something new in the next episode and wanted Ichigo's opinion on it. I saw Ragyo there so it must be an important scene."

"Ragyo was there?" Ryuko sighed and turned her attention back to her script. Ragyo was a great person to work with but the amount of time the woman needed to get her silver and rainbow hair to look the way it did was simply astonishing. Ryuko's single red bang only needed a twenty minute touch up every day but Ragyo's hair alone required two hours of work. Leaning back in her chair, Ryuko said, "Glad I'm not her. I would hate to have to walk around with glowing hair all day."

"You should turn to page seventy one, Ryuko," Satsuki muttered quietly from behind her own script, "When you put on Junketsu, your hair is supposed to become just like Ragyo's."

"Wait. What?" Ryuko tore through her own script until she saw what Satsuki was saying. Staring down at the offending words in the hopes her glare would delete them, Ryuko said the only word that could come to mind.

"…fuck."


	30. Chapter 30: Heart of Glass

_So here is Chapter 30 but I have a big announcement – I have reached 1,000 reviews for __**To My Death I Fight**__! This is a big occasion for me since when I started this story I never thought it would be this damn popular but all of your reviews and author alerts say otherwise…so thank you for all the effort of reviewing after every chapter. It really means a lot to me…but enough expository banter! You came here to read a chapter and damn it, you're going to enjoy it!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 30 – Heart of Glass<strong>

"And…here we go!"

Nui Harime beamed happily at the chaos enveloping Satsuki's little stadium. While the students in the stands around her were fleeing for their very lives Nui was staring in glee at Ryuko in front of her. As blood began to boil and leak out of Senketsu's seams and Ryuko's body began contorting and twisting violently into something it was never meant to be, the Grand Couturier giggled in pure joy. Nui honestly hadn't expected to resort to Plan B to get Ryuko all dressed up in what she needed to wear. Don't get her wrong, though. Nui always planned on killed Ryuko's best friend ever since she heard her annoying voice.

"That just goes to show how dull humans are. You think they'll do one stupid thing and then they go do something else. Gosh, you would have thought something would have killed them all by now!" Nui noted sagely as a piece of debris collided with her head and instantly vaporized into dust. Holding her purple Scissor Blade lazily behind her back, Nui watched as Ryuko finally emerged from the red steam.

"Wow! You look super awesome, Ryuko!" Nui clapped her hands cheerfully as she psychotically stared at the twisted and misshapen creature that used to be Ryuko. Due to the transformation, Ryuko's skin had turned an unhealthy green while her neck, legs and exposed abdomen were covered in splotches of red blood that appeared to be constantly leaking out from the spiked jutting out of her body. While Ryuko's Scissor Blade had fused to her right arm into a caricature of a weapon, her left arm had enlarged until it was nearly the same size as the rest of her body. As Ryuko's head twitched, blood spurting from the spikes in her neck, Nui sighed in delight at her plan coming together. She was so ecstatic that when she spun around and caught both of Satsuki and Ichigo's wrists in her hands, she still had a joyous look on her face.

"That wasn't very nice, you know. Sneak attacks are so last year, after all," she cheerfully reprimanded as she stared happily at Bakuzan and Tournesol, both of which were hovering just inches from her own skin with the sole intent of killing her. As she easily forced the Life Fiber blades away with her supernatural strength, Nui lazily flicked her wrists and sent both Ichigo and Satsuki flying through the air before then both managed to safely land on the feet. As the battle arena began to shake and crumble from Ryuko's transformation and fight, Ichigo ran and grabbed Mako's body before jumping off the platform and landing safely on the ground below.

"Damn," Ichigo looked sadly at Mako's unmoving form as he gently placed her on the ground before focusing all his attention on Nui. He couldn't afford to get sentimental right now. He needed to deal with the very real danger that was Nui Harime before he thought about Mako. When a roar from the berserk Ryuko tore through the air as she leapt at the Grand Couturier, Ichigo could not help but ask an equally disturbed Satsuki, "What happened to Ryuko?"

"I'm afraid Ryuko Matoi has lost control over her Kamui," Satsuki explained matter-of-factly as she landed next to him and rotated the shoulder of the arm Nui had grabbed. After clenching her fist several times, she turned her blue eyes to Ichigo, "By being pushed emotionally over the edge, Matoi's lost all control over Senketsu and has merged with her Kamui into an unholy monstrosity. There is nothing that can be done besides putting Matoi out of her misery before she focuses her attention on the students."

There was a large crash followed by a resounding boom as Ryuko swung her left arm at Nui only to miss and strike the ground instead. Wincing as he was buffeted by a burst of heavy wind, Ichigo tightened his grip around Tournesol, "I don't believe that."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed, "Believe what you want, Ichigo, but the fact of the matter is what you see before you. Matoi is no longer in control of her actions and is a threat to anything around her. If we do not put her down it is only a matter of time until she exhausts all the blood in her body and dies of exsanguination. Nui Harime knows that and will most likely drag out the battle as long as possible to make Matoi suffer."

"I still don't care!" Ichigo glared at Satsuki and noticed that her Elite Four, including Gamagori, had appeared behind her at attention. Not sparing them another look, Ichigo began walking back towards the fight, "I'm going to save Ryuko because she is my friend. I don't give a damn if I'm your stupid Vice President or even about what your mother's planning. All I care about right now is saving Ryuko before she dies!"

Satsuki stood aside as Ichigo shifted into his Zangetsu configuration and vanished in burst of speed. While her eyes were capable of following his increasingly fast movements, she noted that Ichigo's speed now outclassed her ability to react and dodge while wearing Junketsu. Crushing the envious feeling in her chest, Satsuki snapped her fingers and immediately all four members of her Elite Four were standing behind her. Closing her eyes and taking a second to focus her thoughts, Satsuki slammed Bakuzan into the ground, "The complete destruction of the battle arena means the Naturals Election must be put on hold. Gamagori, Inumuta and Sanageyama; you three shall evacuate the students."

"What about me Satsuki?" Nonon asked.

Satsuki gave Nonon a stern look before answering, "Jakuzure, since you are the only one with a Goku Uniform, you shall assist me in helping Ichigo neutralize Matoi."

While Satsuki was planning her next course of action, Nui Harime was having a grand time!

Dodging around the berserk Ryuko's fist, laughing as her opponent missed her once again, Nui brought a hand up to her cheek and sighed, "I thought this was going to be fun but it's just so boring when you can't put up any challenge whatsoever. I mean, you power is really high but you're just so darn slow! Gosh, if I knew this was what you were going to turn into I might have put off murdering your best friend for a little longer!"

Nui's words seemed to trigger something in Ryuko's mind because as soon as she mentioned Mako, Ryuko let out a loud roar before her speed abruptly increased. Spinning around the attack with her arms tucked cutely against her chest, Nui stuck her tongue out at Ryuko, "Nope! That's still not enough to even think of touching me!"

"Then how about this?"

Nui blinked owlishly as a fist impacted against the side of her head. As her body bent comically around the limb, Nui let out a giggle as she spun in the air before landing back on her feet with nary a scratch on her nearly perfect face. Humming quickly to herself, Nui clapped her hands together and laughed, "That was a really good attempt, Ichigo, but you're going to have to try a little harder if you want to hurt me."

With his arm outstretched and clad in his Zangetsu configuration, Ichigo noted with a small amount of satisfaction that he was now able to land at least a sneak attack against the Grand Couturier. After thinking back on all his past encounters with Nui, Ichigo had begun to realize that she had been letting him hit hurt the entire time. Grimacing as his heart pounded in his chest at the prospect of fighting Nui alone, Ichigo brought Tournesol up into a defensive stance.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just have to try a bit harder to kill you," Ichigo growled as every muscle in his body tensed from the anticipation, "After what you did to Mako, I don't think anything less will be appropriate."

"Why do you care about some dull and boring human, anyway? You and I are far better than them!"

Ichigo blinked and suddenly found Nui standing in front of him with a look of expectation evident in her sapphire iris. With a look of extreme sadness etched on her face, she asked, "Could it be that you think I'm not important, Ichigo? Why do you keep shoving me, you very own cousin, away when all I want to do is love you?"

"Like hell I care about any of that!" Ichigo blitzed around Nui and tried to stab her through the neck but found to his irritation that the Grand Couturier had simply leaned out of the way. Staring over her shoulder into Ichigo's angry eyes, Nui giggled as she gripped Tournesol in her hand.

"That was really amazing!" Nui complicated Ichigo before she absentmindedly brought her other arm up and blocked Ryuko's attack with her purple Scissor Blade. Ryuko let out an unholy moan of anger before Nui spun around and kicked her in the chin, causing a spurt of blood to rain through the air, before following up with a punch that sent Ryuko flying across the stadium into a wall. Pouting in disappointment at how easy that was, Nui turned her attention back to Ichigo and stared at Mugetsu's transformation, "Gosh! Your Kamui is really amazing, Ichigo! Looking at it up close and personal is way better than in the stands like a human!"

Ichigo leapt away from Nui and raised Tournesol, "I'm going to stop you and save Ryuko!"

Nui pursed her lips cutely as she seemed to think about what Ichigo was saying. After a couple of moments of intense internal debating, Nui shook her head and pouted, "Hmm…nope! You can only do one thing or the other and I'm sure not going to let you save Ryuko! I'm still somewhat mad at what her dad did to my eye. It's only fair that she suffer a painful death for what he did to me. Besides, I worked really hard on my big surprise for her and you had to go a ruin it by telling her all about it! Since you are my cousin I love you but that doesn't mean I'm just going to –"

There was a tense moment of silence as everyone stared in shock and amazement at what cut off the Grand Couturier in mid-sentence. Satsuki was staring in bewilderment from on top of Nonon's Symphony Regalia Mark III as she flew down towards the fight. Aikuro and Tsumugu could not believe their eyes even while the former prepared to fire the special adhesive bullet that would stop Ryuko but also potentially kill her.

"Ururu…"

Standing between Ichigo and Nui, with her fist lodged firmly in the latter's stomach, was Ururu Tsumugiya. As her pigtails were buffeted by the wind she kicked up while moving so quickly, Ururu looked into her twin's eye, "…you killed Mako."

Nui gasped as pain, true pain, radiated out from her stomach. She was a Life Fiber hybrid that was supposed to be able to heal from any wounds, apart from those caused by the complete Sword Scissors, in a matter of seconds. That was why her eye refused to heal no matter how much Lady Ragyo tried. Isshin Matoi had been sure to strike her eye with both blades before dying, taking away one of the most beautiful aspects of her body in his dying breath. Nui couldn't understand why Ururu could continue to hurt her so badly. When Lady Ragyo stabbed and severed her limbs when she was younger, she did so just so Nui could see that she could recover in only a few seconds. None of those attacks had hurt but the single punch from Ururu was causing her to gag.

"What…" For once Nui had a lack of words as she tried to rationalize what was happening to her. Gripping Ururu's wrist with both of her hands, Nui grit her teeth and asked in a rare moment of complete normalcy, "How can you hurt me? This isn't supposed to be happening!"

If everyone was shocked by the Grand Couturier's alien outburst, Ururu was not showing it. Removing her fist from Nui's stomach, Ururu took a step back as the Grand Couturier managed to stay on her feet. Nui glared heatedly at Ururu even as her body finally began healing itself. As the pain in her stomach rapidly began vanishing, Nui held her Scissor Blade in a death grip and growled, "I don't care if you are my sister! You hurt me! ME! Now die!"

Nui did not like to use her full power in battle. Part of it was because as a Life Fiber hybrid using her full strength on a human, even if they were wearing a Kamui, was the same as saying they were strong enough to stop her. She would never admit that, not to herself or to others, and so Nui willingly held back her power whenever she was allowed to go out and have fun. When she fought against Satsuki and Ichigo's combined efforts at the Power Station, Nui hadn't used more than forty percent of her total strength and even that was more than enough to run circles around the two Kamui wearers. Even Ryuko's berserk form required no more than twenty percent of her power.

But Ururu was different.

Ururu was her twin sister, a fellow Life Fiber hybrid, and leagues above anything a human was capable of doing. That was why Nui was going to stop holding back. As her single sapphire eye darkened and her teeth appeared to file down to jagged daggers, Nui charged towards her twin sister with the sole intent of killing Ururu. She refused to feel pain ever again and even if it cost the twin sister she craved, Nui would never be hurt again.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Nui charged at a speed that would have anyone at Honnouji Academy, even Ichigo, unable to follow. Every time one of her pink boots touched down the ground, Nui seemed to vanish before reappearing several feet away. With a maniacal look on her face and her Scissor Blade sparking against the ground, Nui swung her blade through the air with the singular intent of decapitating her twin sister for the crime of making her feel pain. No one would ever hurt Nui Harime again!

Ururu watched Nui charge to attack her with a stoic expression on her face. Even as her twin sister moved to kill her, Ururu did not allow the hatred she felt for the Grand Couturier to impact her judgment. Nui was just as strong as she was and thus was not an opponent she could afford to attack in a frothing rage. With the benefit of a clear mind aiding her, Ururu swiftly stepped to the side, barely avoiding being sliced by the Scissor Blade, and grabbed Nui's wrist in a gentle embrace.

"W-What?" Nui stared in shock and fear as Ururu calmly avoided her attack and grabbed her wrist. Staring into Ururu's emotionless gaze with a trembling eye, Nui tried to force her Scissor Blade forward and, when that failed, asked in a whisper, "How are you doing this? How can you make me feel pain?"

"Because I have friends," Ururu said bluntly as she slammed her knee into Nui's stomach. The Grand Couturier let out a gasp as she was propelled into the air before slamming hard into the walls of Honnouji Academy. With her foot still in the air, one hand holding down her skirt, Ururu continued emotionlessly, "You killed Mako. I could never lose to someone like you."

"Ururu," Ichigo wasn't as shocked as everyone else at Ururu's display of power. His dad had explained her relationship with Nui and at first Ichigo refused to believe it, but after thinking about it he started to see similarities between the two. Taking a single step towards Ururu, who hadn't moved since kicking Nui Harime, he raised his hand and promptly stopped when she turned towards him with emotionless eyes.

"She killed Mako, Ichigo." Even without emotions in her voice, Ichigo could sense the sadness permeating every word Ururu said. Mako had been one of the only people in the world that truly understood and got along with her. Even though she wasn't the smartest or the strongest, Mako had been able to make Ururu feel happy and now that Nui killed her, Ururu didn't know how to feel.

"I know, Ururu. Dammit, I know," Ichigo tried to say more but was forced to turn his attention to Ryuko. The berserk Kamui wearer had finally recovered from being knocked away by Nui and was making a beeline directly for him. Letting out a nervous breath as he understood what needed to be done, Ichigo began to walk towards Ryuko when it hit him. Quickly turning back to Ururu before she could take off after Nui, he quickly said, "Ururu, Mako may not be as gone as you thought. Orihime is here, remember?"

The look in Ururu's eyes as she realized what Ichigo meant changed instantly. As much as she would have liked to just grab Orihime and bring her to Mako, Ururu knew that Nui was only a few moments away from coming back. Ururu couldn't risk Nui killing Orihime before Mako could be healed. Pushing off the ground with enough force to leave a small crater in her wake, Ururu flew through the hole Nui's body had made in Honnouji Academy and slammed her feet against the Grand Couturier's Scissor Blade. As identical sapphire eyes stared with equal expressions into each other, both sisters mentally made the same promise to make the other one pay for what they did to them.

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><p>Aikuro Mikisugi cursed as he was forced to dodge to the side, his back roughly hitting the wall, when a piece of debris was flung into the air from far below. Carefully watching the nearly one ton block of rock and debris slowly fall back to the ground, the undercover nudist quickly pushed himself back to his feet and ran across the fallen glass and metal with the M-98 Widow slung across his shoulder as a resounding crash echoed from the impact behind him. Aikuro had woken up with such high hopes for the day and now it looked like it was going to be a total disaster. Kinue had specifically warned him about the Grand Couturier's plans concerning Ryuko and like a total fool he believed all his preparations were enough to stop whatever it was Nui planned to do.<p>

"_I was a fool,"_ Aikuro mentally berated himself as a loud crash shook the outer wall of Honnouji Academy he was running across. Chancing a look down and noticing Ryuko's twisted, misshapen body, Aikuro grimaced, _"How could I not see this coming? I severely underestimated the Grand Couturier's brutality."_

There was one course of action left for Aikuro to take before he would even think about using the special adhesive bullet on Ryuko. As much as he promised he would be the one to take the shot if the worst came to pass, Aikuro was having a hard time rationalizing killing Professor Matoi's only daughter. Tossing the M-98 Widow resting on his shoulder over to Tsumugu Kinagase, who caught the weapon while he placed a clip into his sewing machine gun, Aikuro reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

"Is this really the time to be making a call?" Tsumugu asked rhetorically as he slung the M-98 Widow over his shoulder and holstered his sewing machine gun against the small of his back.

"This is the perfect time to make a call," Aikuro answered hastily, "Before we get ourselves mired into a mess that we can't get out of, I think it would be wise to call the one person that may be able to offer help in saving Ryuko."

"I warned you about Matoi's lack of self-control," Tsumugu angrily growled at his colleague. The younger Kinagase sibling was having a difficult time adjusting to the situation at hand and it was only because he knew what would happen if Ryuko escaped that his mind was focused. As memories of Kinue's own transformation and rampage ten years ago filtered through his mind, Tsumugu glanced down at the berserk Ryuko and cursed, "I damn well told you to take her down before she became too powerful. Even Kinue told you what would happen if she lost control! Matoi wore her emotions on her sleeves and now she's been completely swallowed by her clothes."

Aikuro didn't respond to Tsumugu's harsh comments as they finally reached their destination. Skidding to a stop near the edge of the wall closest to the battle far below, Aikuro ducked down and pressed the phone against his ear. After he rang several times, and his heart rate increased at the prospect of no one answering it, a tired voice answered, _"Hello?"_

"Hello Isshin," Aikuro answered before he and Tsumugu were buffeted by a shockwave, "We have a problem – Code Veronica."

Despite the situation devolving around them into a mixture of chaos and death, Isshin Kurosaki's voice had a distinct lack of urgency. It was almost like he expected something like this to happen and when he spoke, Aikuro noticed a normalcy in the older man's tone.

"_Code Veronica…that's not good. I know it may look bad but if Tsumugu's there then things might not be as bad as they appear. First things first, though. What triggered Ryuko's berserk configuration? I thought for sure Ichigo's presence and my conversation with Ryuko would have dampened her rage and hate towards Nui Harime enough for her not to lose control of Senketsu."_

Aikuro grimaced as he struggled on what to say. Staring down over the side of the wall, the blue haired teacher was stunned when Ururu Tsumugiya appeared out of nowhere and hit the Grand Couturier hard enough to not only knock the air out of her but blast a crater into the far wall of Honnouji Academy. As the entire school shook from the impact, Aikuro regained control of his motor functions and answered, "Your plan did work. Ryuko was able to control herself enough that she did not recklessly charged at the Grand Couturier, but…"

"…_but? What happened, Aikuro?"_

As he was about to answer, Tsumugu tore the phone out of his hand and held it up to his ear. Stepping over to the edge of the wall and watching as the Grand Couturier was thrown into the main building of Honnouji Academy, Tsumugu narrowed his eyes before answering the question, "Isshin, Nui Harime had a backup plan in case her initial attempt at enraging Matoi failed. She killed Mako Mankanshoku right in front of Matoi's eyes. That's what triggered her current berserk state."

On the other end of the line, Isshin was relieved Yuzu and Karin weren't home to see him like this. There were not many times Isshin could recall being visibly enraged or upset enough to get angry. One of them had been when he was fighting that strange hollow the night he met Masaki and another was when he realized that Ragyo had been the one to kidnap Ichigo from right under his nose. As a sense of power stifled the air in the Kurosaki Household, Isshin moved into a room without a window as his black hair flaked away to silver and a bright rainbow light began shining from somewhere within it.

Isshin rubbed his now maroon eyes as his disguise failed due to his anger at the situation. He had anticipated Nui would be depraved enough to hurt one of Ryuko's friends in a misguided attempt at getting back at Souchiro for what he did to her eye. He may have done his best to live life as a normal human being, but he could fully understand Nui Harime's innate rage at her injury. As a Life Fiber Hybrid, Nui was most likely unaccustomed to actual pain and injuries. To be hurt and not instantly heal probably filled her with fear that she was human, which was something Ragyo undoubtedly raised her to not believe.

"I wonder how you would have turned out if I could have saved you as well." Isshin muttered with his hand over the phone. He didn't need Aikuro or Tsumugu hearing this. There were many things Isshin regretted doing, and not doing, in his life and being unable to take Nui with him when he removed Ururu from Revocs was high on that list. Ururu had turned out fairly normal after being raised by Kisuke and it pained him to think of how Nui would have been in a similar situation if Ragyo hadn't been the sole person to raise her.

Tsumugu was starting to lose his patience when Isshin did not speak for nearly a minute. Just as he was about to put the phone down and deal with Matoi himself, the older man finally spoke, _"I knew Nui would have a Plan B, she's a lot smarter than most people give her credit for, but I was certain Ururu's presence at Honnouji would be enough of a deterrent to keep Nui from trying anything."_

"Who, or what, is Ururu Tsumugiya?" Tsumugu demanded tensely, "She's not a normal girl, Isshin, and the fact that she just kicked Nui Harime clear across the academy rubs me the wrong way."

"_Ok. I'm going to tell you two everything so put the phone on speaker,"_ Isshin waited a moment for Tsumugu to do just that before continuing, _"This is very important. Ryuko can last no longer than fifteen minutes in her berserk state before she runs out of blood. I'm going to tell you two a couple of very important pieces of information. Do not ask any questions until Ryuko is saved, understood?"_

Tsumugu seemed suspicious of where Isshin was going with this but the combined effort of Aikuro's glare and the adhesive bullet he still had hanging around his neck caused him to nevertheless nod in agreement, "Alright. Tell us what we need to know and start with Ururu Tsumugiya."

"_I was going to start there anyway. Ururu is Nui Harime's twin sister."_

Isshin waited a moment for the shock to pass through the two nudists before he continued, _"About seventeen years ago I managed to remove Ururu from Revocs and Ragyo's control. I knew Ragyo would focus all her efforts on tracking me down and getting her daughter back so I did the best thing I could and left her in the hands of an old friend to be raised as a normal girl. He didn't know about Ururu's origins and I didn't make it a point to tell him. Even Ururu did not know of her true family until I told her on Parent Student Day."_

"That explains a lot," Aikuro was still a bit stunned by the fact Ururu Tsumugiya was the twin sister of Nui Harime. Headquarters was going to have his head for not figuring this out on his own. Mentally noting to blame Isshin, which was the truth after all, AIkuro asked, "Now about Ryuko?"

"_If Ryuko truly lost control over Senketsu, then she would be dead,"_ Isshin answered bluntly, _"Since she's still alive, some part of her is controlling what she does and going by what Nui did, it's probably the goal of killing Nui. I'm sure Ichigo is doing his best to try and break through to Ryuko but from what I've seen the only one able to do that without fail is Mako. That is why you need to find and bring Orihime Inoue to where Mako is. Tell her I said it's ok and she'll do the rest."_

"I don't know how finding a random girl will help," Tsumugu muttered in annoyance before noticing Kon, who was sitting on his shoulder, appear to perk up considerably upon the mentioning of Orihime's name. Grasping the adhesive bullet in his hand, Tsumugu said, "Unless the girl is able to raise Mankanshoku from the dead, she's completely useless. It's better if I use the adhesive bullet on Matoi. It will knock her out of her berserk state with a 45% chance of survival."

"_That brings me to the second piece of information,"_ Isshin's voice became cold and even across the phone Aikuro and Tsumugu broke out in a cold sweat as he spoke, _"Do not repeat what I'm telling you to anyone. I've already made sure Satsuki's hacker friend can't hear my voice so do not speak a word of this to anyone at Nudist Beach. Orihime Inoue's survival is vital because she alone possesses the ability to reverse causality."_

"Impossible!" Tsumugu shouted in a rare outburst of emotion and surprise, "That would mean – "

"_She can reverse events to before Mako was killed, effectively bringing her back to a state before dying. Now you see why it is important you do not mention this to anyone. Orihime is the only one able to save Ryuko. If Ragyo were to find out about her powers, it would be bad, but if Nui were to realize her plans depended on a single girl's survival, nothing would be able to stand in her way."_

"I understand," Aikuro grabbed the M-98 Widow from Tsumugu before lying down on his stomach. Staring through the scope at the twitching form of Ryuko, he sighed and said, "I'll do my best to keep Ryuko pinned down from up here while Tsumugu does his best to track down this Orihime Inoue. The problem is going to be time, Isshin, since we only have about ten minutes to find her."

"You can just leave finding Orihime to me!"

Kon jumped off Tsumugu's shoulder and turned off the phone before turning his undivided attention to a perplexed Aikuro. Tapping his stuffed chest proudly, he gloated, "Ichigo's dad made sure to build into my lovely body the ability to track down any of Ichigo's friends in case they got in trouble. I know exactly where my gorgeous princess is, so if you want to find Orihime in time and save Ryuko you will have to bring me along with you!"

"Very well, then."

Tsumugu roughly picked Kon off the ground and held him in front of his face, "I don't have time to tell you two useful pieces of information. Just bring me to Orihime Inoue and you will live to see the sunset, got it?"

Kon snapped off a nervous salute as Tsumugu pressed the muzzle of his sewing machine gun under his chin, "Y-Yes sir!"

Satisfied with Kon's answer, Tsumugu took a step back before running towards the edge of the wall. As he fell downwards towards the stadium, where hundreds of students had yet to flee to safety, he glanced at the mod soul plushie, "Tell me something. How far down the rabbit-hole am I going to have to go before Isshin explains just how this Orihime can do what she can do?"

"Oh trust me, there's a lot that Ichigo's dad hasn't told you," Kon explained mysteriously as Tsumugu landed in a crouch, "It's kind of annoying, isn't it?"

"Yes," Tsumugu answered stoically before grabbing Kon once more, "Now find Orihime Inoue."

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><p>When Ragyo Kiryuin failed to infuse her first two daughters with Life Fibers, even discarding the second one like trash soon after she was born, she realized her once human body would never be able to bear a child capable of bonding with Life Fibers at the same level as herself. Despite being blessed with a portion of its power and turning her into a Life Fiber Hybrid, Ragyo knew the power of ancient creature far eclipsed her own. If anything could grant her the children she needed, it would be the Original Life Fiber. After many weeks of failed experimentations and testing Ragyo was finally able to insert several of her fertilized eggs into artificial wombs built within the Original Life Fiber.<p>

After several months passed with Souchiro growing suspicious of her constant excursions down to the Original Life Fiber, Ragyo finally decided to check on the progress of her experiment. She already knew most of her fertilized eggs would not survive the normally lethal process of being infused with Life Fibers, but Ragyo expected at least one of the nearly three dozen to have survived. It was to her eternal pride and amusement that not only had one actually survived but had split apart in the intervening months into two healthy embryos, each of which glowed with a satisfying purple color.

As she carefully examined the twins that would help herald the world into a new age, one that was ruled by Life Fibers, Ragyo had already come up with names for them. She could not call them Kiryuins, for that would draw too much attention from the public and Souchiro about where the twins had come from. Instead Ragyo decided for them names that would signal what they truly were and their purpose for existing.

Nui and Amu Harime.

More than seventeen years later Ururu Tsumugiya crashed through several floors of Honnouji Academy, her body leaving a nearly perfect imprint behind as she well, before she exploded through the ceiling of the grand ballroom that had been the location of the Parent Student Day ceremony. Twisting around as she flew towards the ground, Ururu slammed feet-first into the ground, cracking it for a good fifteen feet around her. Moving to take a step forward, Ururu stumbled as a lance of pain shot up her left leg, courtesy of an injury sustained during her fight against Nui Harime. Biting her lip and pushing past the pain, Ururu took advantage of the momentary lapse in fighting to gather her thoughts.

"She's much tougher than I thought," Ururu muttered as the pain in her leg began to diminish. Perking up when she sensed her opponent rapidly falling towards her, Ururu spun around and punched upwards as Nui swung downwards. Her gauntlet-covered fist met Nui's purple Scissor Blade in a titanic shower of purple light and stars before both girls were thrown away from each other.

As she skidded to a stop, her pink boots destroying the polished marble flooring with ease, Nui's face lacked both the normal cheery and saccharine look she was known to wear as well as the psychotic rage she wore whenever things did not go her way. Instead of either of those, Nui simply possessed a seething anger towards Ururu. Staring at her broken left arm before focusing her sapphire eye upon her equally injured opponent, Nui still could not understand how her twin sister could be hurting her so badly. The Life Fibers in her body should have healed her a long time ago but every injury she's sustained in her battle against Ururu remained on her body. Tasting something weird in her mouth, Nui spat on the ground and noticing there was blood in her saliva.

Gritting her teeth angrily, her single eye narrowing in rage at yet another sign that something was wrong with her body, Nui dashed towards Ururu with her Scissor Blade ready to swing down towards her opponent's neck. Grinning savagely as she saw Ururu bring her arms up to block her attack, Nui took one more step before she vanished and reappeared behind Ururu with her Scissor Blade poised to skewer her.

"Take this!" Nui shouted angrily, her tone lacking any cheerfulness.

Years of training under shinigami like Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin allowed Ururu to sense Nui's incoming attack as soon as the Grand Couturier appeared behind her. Ducking down and spinning to the side as Nui's Scissor Blade attempted to pierce her body, Ururu felt pain radiate from her shoulder. While her quick reflexes had allowed her to avoid a major injury, Nui's speed managed to cut her shoulder, causing her uniform to stain red from her blood.

"You're really quick!" Nui shouted, her tone expressing a mix of anger and satisfaction. She was still incredibly angry that Ururu was not only making her feel pain but also seemed to be keeping up with all her attacks. At the same time she was immensely satisfied that there was someone out there besides Lady Ragyo and Isshin Shiba that could fight her on an even level. As much as Satsuki liked to say how strong and authoritative she was, the firstborn Kiryuin daughter could not hold a candle to Nui's full power even if she used Junketsu. Her sister, on the other hand, was forcing Nui to give it her all. Holding her Scissor Blade in front of her body, purple light reflecting off the blade onto her face, Nui grinned savagely, "But I'm really busy today so do me a big favor and just stand still!"

Nui sprinted at Ururu with her Scissor Blade already arcing through the air, her feet taking off fast enough to crumple the floor behind her. Even as she attacked her twin sister with a flurry of attacks too fast for even Ichigo in Mugetsu Zangetsu to avoid, Nui saw with irritation that Ururu was either dodging out of the way or deflecting her attacks with her Powersoul Mark II gauntlets. Every time her blade clashed against them, Nui could sense hardened Life Fibers within the gauntlets repel her strikes and could not help but be amazed at the craftsmanship. Lady Ragyo had told her that hardened Life Fibers could only be cast into bladed weapons in order to keep the Life Fibers stable, but whoever made Ururu's gauntlets had seemingly overcome a problem both Lady Ragyo and the Grand Couturier could not find a solution for.

"Those gloves of yours are simply to die for! You must tell me who made them!" Nui shouted as she spun around, her Scissor Blade dragging along the ground accompanied by a shower of sparks. Tensing the muscles in her right arm, she exploded forward at full power and connected her blade against Ururu's guard, causing Ururu to skid several dozen feet along the ground before coming to a stop.

Ururu narrowed her eyes as a cloud of dust was kicked up but she was still able to sense Nui Harime descending through the air towards her. Quickly crossing her arms in front of her body, she caught the Grand Couturier's Scissor Blade between the protected portions of her arms. As Nui floated in the air above her sister, her pink Lolita dress fluttering gently in an unfelt breeze, she leaned forward until her face was only inches away from Ururu's and asked, "Was it the same man that created Ichigo's Kamui and blade? Did Kisuke Urahara make these lovely gloves of yours?"

"Don't you mention Mr. Urahara's name!"

Nui let out a gasp of pain as Ururu managed to push her Scissor Blade away from her body and smashed her fist into her stomach. Using her Scissor Blade as a crutch, Nui pushed herself away from her twin sister until she was a comfortable distance away. Letting go of her weapon in order to hold her hurt stomach, Nui clenched her teeth and shouted, "What's so great about these naked apes that you would fight me? You're my sister. We were supposed to work together to bring Lady Ragyo's dreams to fruition!"

"I don't care if you're my sister," Ururu retorted as she began favoring her right leg, "You killed Mr. Urahara and Mako. I won't forgive you no matter what you say."

"Do you know how long I've been here watching you?" Nui asked as she reached for her Scissor Blade once more. The anger she was feeling toward Ururu was beginning to die down, only to be replaced by a feeling of betrayal. Amu was her sister, they were supposed to do everything together and make sure nothing could stop Lady Ragyo's plans. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. Amu wasn't supposed to be fighting her like this. It had to be the fault of all those humans she hung out with, "I've watched you and Ichigo mingle with Satsuki and the other humans and treat them as your equals. They're nothing but food for Life Fibers, so tell me why you care whether I killed one stupid human or twenty?"

Strafing to the left as Nui attacked her, Ururu reached out and clasped her hands around the Scissor Blade. Hooking her fingers inside the hole near the handle, Ururu held onto the blade firmly as she answered, "Mako was my friend. She didn't care that I was shy and didn't like to talk to other people. She did nothing to you, but you killed her because you were angry at Ryuko's dad for no reason."

"No reason?" Nui smashed her knee into Ururu's stomach, causing her to let go of the Scissor Blade and take a step back. In a move reminiscent of how the fight started, Nui immediately spun around and kicked Ururu squarely in the chest, sending her bouncing along the ground across the ballroom, "NO REASON? He tore out my eye!"

As Ururu flipped onto her feet and recovered from Nui's kick, she looked up and saw the Grand Couturier gripping the edge of the purple eyepatch covering her left eye with her hand. Staring intensely into her twin's eyes, Nui proceeded to tear off the eyepatch had been the sign of her disgraceful loss against Ryuko's dad seven months ago. Blue eyes widening from shock, Ururu asked, "What happened to your eye?"

Under the eyepatch that took up most of the left side of Nui's face was a jagged x-shaped scar stretching across her left eye. Where her eye should have been there was nothing but the telltale glow of the purple Life Fibers from inside her body. Crushing the eyepatch in her hand before throwing it away, Nui snarled at Ururu and said, "Ryuko's dad did this to my eye! I could live with him tricking me into taking this Scissor Blade instead of Ryuko's Kamui. If that had been all he did, I wouldn't have even bothered to try and kill Ryuko, but he destroyed my eye!"

"…that gives you no right to go after Ryuko," Ururu answered after a moment of hesitation. Sliding her foot back, wincing slightly from the pain, she brought up her purple gauntlets and asked, "You killed him though, so why would you go after Ryuko?"

Instead of answering her question, Nui sprinted towards Ururu and smashed her Scissor Blade against her Powersoul gauntlets. Staring angrily at the twin sapphire eyes that she should still possess, Nui spat, "You and I are both Life Fiber Hybrids! We're better than those lousy humans with their stupid problems and lack of power and intelligence, yet Ryuko's dad had to go and do this to me! I can regenerate my arm if it's cut off but what he did to my eye will never heal! I'm going to be half-blind for the rest of my life! As my sister you should know how that feels!"

"Unfortunately, I do not," Ururu answered with a hint of annoyance before she pushed Nui away from her body. Springing forward before the Grand Couturier could recover, Ururu delivered several quick punches to Nui before ending with an uppercut that sent her flying into the air and slamming into the ceiling.

"And then there's you," Nui continued while ignoring the blood streaming from several new cuts on her face. Flipping onto her feet while hanging upside-down on the ceiling, Nui pointed her Scissor Blade down at Ururu, "Every time you hit me, I feel pain and bleed, but the worst thing is that I can't heal! What have you done to me to make me feel so weak! Tell me!"

Nui crouched on the ceiling before pushing off with enough force to destroy a good chunk of it. Falling down towards Ururu while screaming angrily, Nui tried to bisect her sister only for Ururu to quickly jump out of the way. As her Scissor Blade cut deeply into the marble floor, Nui shook her blonde hair out from in front of her eyes, "Between you and me, I hope Ichigo is able to bring Ryuko back to her senses. I want to keep killing her friends so she feels the same amount of pain I feel whenever I look into the mirror!"

Forced onto the stage when she avoided Nui's downward slash, Ururu was about to attack when a thought passed through her mind. Several things Nui did over the past few weeks were bothering her and Ururu needed to understand more. Relaxing her body, Ururu asked, "What about Ichigo?"

Nui paused in mid-step, her Scissor Blade trembling from the force of her grip, as Ururu's words reached her. She truly loved Ichigo. He was the son of the man Lady Ragyo loved, was really strong and best of all was exactly like her. Lady Ragyo had taught her that family, especially those that were blessed by the Original Life Fiber, were more important than anything else. They were the only ones that would survive the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet and help spread Life Fibers throughout the universe.

"Ichigo is my cousin," Nui's voice dropped to a low whisper as she tilted her head forward, her long blonde hair hanging in front of her face made it impossible for Ururu to see anything. Lowering her purple Scissor blade into the tip of the weapon barely touched the floor, Nui looked up at Ururu with a vacant expression in her eye, "I hate Ryuko for what her dad did to me so I plan to make her death as long and painful as possible, but don't you ever say I would hurt Ichigo. He's my family and family needs to stick together, but that's not something I expect someone like you to understand."

Ururu noticed Nui's arm tensing up and quickly spun to the side as the Grand Couturier swung her Scissor Blade and released a crescent of pressure that left a large gash in the wall behind her. Skidding to a stop before leaping into the air to dodge Nui's next long-range attack, she said, "Ichigo told me about what you did to him while Ryuko was fighting Mako. He said you nearly killed him."

"He wasn't supposed to still be asleep!" Nui shouted before flicking her wrist and morphing the purple Scissor Blade into a double-bladed scythe. Holding the transfigured weapon by the handle, she bit her lip and stared at her twin, "Ichigo was supposed to already be awake. I saw him heal from my attacks right before eyes. I wasn't trying to kill him, but when he kept playing dumb with me I just couldn't stand it any longer! If I needed to hurt him some more so he finally woke up, I was ok with that! Once he was awake and his eyes were opened to the real world, he would have forgiven me and we would have been a happy family…but then Satsuki had to come and interrupt it. She ruined everything!"

With one of her arms out of commission, Nui's prowess with her transformed purple Scissor Blade was greatly diminished. That did not mean she could not still fight. Spinning the scythe around her wrist, the purple weapon nothing more than a blur in the air, Nui dragged one end of it along the ground before slicing up through the air. There was a split second pause before a trail of purple energy raged across the ground towards Ururu, who only had a moment to defend herself before an explosion that could be seen from Honnou City enveloped her.

"Ha…Ha…Ha…"

Nui panted from exhaustion after having used so much of her energy in that one attack. She was experiencing so many new and ugly feelings this morning that she mentally promised herself to never be taken off guard again. Leaning on her Scissor Blade, Nui smirked and marveled at the destruction her attack caused, "Gosh, I guess I don't know my own strength."

As she waited for Ururu to emerge from the attack, since it was nowhere nearly strong enough to kill someone like her, Nui sensed something approaching from below her feet. Quickly leaping back, Nui barely avoided being blindsided by Ururu, who had forced her way upwards through the floor in an attempt to take the Grand Couturier by surprise. As she stared at the fist passing only inches from her face, Nui stared into her sister's eyes for several seconds before she brought her leg up and kicked Ururu in the arm. Propelling herself away from her sister, Nui flipped through the air before landing on the ground with nary a sound.

"That was quite scary," Nui beheld her sister's appearance. Ururu was covered in blood, all of which stemmed from the myriad of cuts dotting her face and arms. Intrigued by the prospect that her sister wasn't bothered at all by the pain, Nui pointed her Scissor Blade at her and asked, "But you look all worn out and bruised. Perhaps you would like to give up now?"

"You're wrong," Ururu countered emotionlessly as she brought her arms up into a fighting stance, "My friends are counting on me to defeat you. I cannot lose to someone like you."

"Someone like me…?" Nui tilted her head to the side, her hair falling down to cover up her missing left eye, "…that's not a nice thing to say. In fact, it was very mean of you to suggest we're any different. Mon-Mignon Prêt-à-Porter!"

Ururu watched as dozens of clones, identical in every way to the Grand Couturier, popped into existence around Nui. As she took a step back to assess the situation and think, Ururu sensed that none of Nui's clones possessed more than a fraction of the Grand Couturier's full power. While that would make defeating the clones not as difficult as she original thought, Mr. Urahara had taught her to never underestimate an opponent despite their power. Just because the clones may not be as strong or fast as her doesn't mean they don't possess other abilities that more than make up for that.

"Don't you just love being around yourself?" Nui grabbed one of her clones, which still wore an eyepatch and had a saccharine smile plastered on its face, and brought it in for a one-armed hug. Smashing her face against her clone, both of them looking straight at Ururu, Nui grinned and said, "There's no better person to have around then yourself I always say! Now before I end this stupid spat between us, why don't you go ahead and use Mon-Mignon Prêt-à-Porter? It will make defeating you much more exciting, you know!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I can't do anything like this," Ururu muttered back quietly.

"Of course you can!" Nui pushed away from her clone and walked towards Ururu with her hand on her chest right where her heart was, "Our hearts beat as one, Amu! We both came from the same bundle of Life Fibers so everything I can do, you can do as well! And I know you're thinking about how stupid it is of me to tell you all this. Just between the two of us, this is the only time in my entire life that I've fought someone at my full power. Lady Ragyo's little bodyguard squad is simply boring once they get their Raiment. You would think a uniform that's half Life Fibers would put up enough of a fight to last more than ten seconds against me. La vie est drôle."

As much as Ururu did not want to hear Nui talk, several things the Grand Couturier mentioned led her to reconsider for the time being. Apparently there existed a group under Ragyo Kiryuin that possessed the equivalent of a Five-Star Goku Uniform. Deciding to stall for time while she came up with a better plan to neutralize Nui long enough for Orihime to help Mako, Ururu asked, "If you are my twin sister then you must know what you're doing is wrong. We are the same and yet we have different ideas and concepts of morality. Why are you doing this?"

Nui was strangely silent as she pondered Ururu's question before she spoke, her voice as stoic and level as Ururu's usually was, "Lady Ragyo is my mother. There is nothing I would not do for her. Now that's enough expository banter! Go ahead and bring out your clones so we can have some real fun!"

"No."

Ururu shook her head in refusal. As Nui's eye widened in surprise as her twin's answer, she continued, "Maybe you're right. Perhaps I can create clones the same way you can, but despite all that I won't stoop to your level. We may be twins that are the same in almost every way, but I'm not you and I will never be you. I'm going to fight you and make you pay for what you did to Mako, Mr. Urahara and Ryuko's dad."

"Gosh, for some reason you sure are talkative lately. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Nui's voice lacked any sort of amusement as she tried to understand what was going on inside Ururu's mind. Throughout her entire time watching Ichigo and Ryuko, Nui had never heard her sister utter more than a sentence or two at a time. There was something strange going on and it wasn't just affecting Ururu, but her as well. Nui had felt her normally expressive personality calming down more and more as the fight progressed. She had never been this passive in her life and it was annoying her to feel this way.

"Stooping down to my level? That wasn't a very nice thing to say, you know," Nui clenched her teeth and tightened her grip on her Scissor Blade. Hefting the weapon with ease onto her shoulder, Nui twirled around and exclaimed, "I think you need to learn proper manners! Go get her girls!"

With a resounding cry of 'Oui,' all the clones raced towards Ururu, who watched them approach with a dispassionate stare. She knew Nui wouldn't send her clones at her unless she had something planned so with a burst of power Ururu jumped up into the air. Waiting for the clones to come up after her, Ururu cocked her fists back and silently let loose a flurry of powerful punches that not only destroyed all the clones within range, which reverted to pink scraps of clothes upon being defeated, but also blew away every other airborne clone from the resulting shockwave.

"What the hell is going on?"

Nui seethed as she observed Ururu deal with her clones with practiced ease. Sure she could have done the same thing to her clones with only one arm, they were quite weak after all, but it was the fact she was at a disadvantage in a straight fight against her sister that had Nui's incredible intellect racing to fight a solution to her problem. With her arm broken, thus limiting the effectiveness of her Scissor Blade, the worst scenario Nui could think of was Ururu blowing through all her clones and proceeded straight to her. She may have put up a good effort in their past clashes, but without her normally legendary regeneration it was all bluster. Ururu's left leg may be partially broken, courtesy of a lucky strike by her, but it seemed as if her sister's ability to use her legs hadn't diminished at all. As Ururu slammed into the ground in front of her, destroying most of her remaining clones, a completely foreign though passed through her mind.

"_I-I can't beat her…"_

Summoning as many clones as she could, the scraps of cloth flying out of her large pigtails before transforming into her exact replicas, Nui's one eye trembled as she watched her sister destroy her clones while constantly moving closer and closer towards her. Holding her purple Scissor Blade in front of her body, ignorant of the sheen of cold sweat coating her skin, Nui began to slowly back away, _"I have to get away from Amu until my arm heals. If I don't escape, she's really going to kill me!"_

"Where are you going?" Ururu's calm voice asked from within the crowd of clones before, in a massive burst of purple energy, destroyed every single replica within twenty feet of her body.

"That's none of your business!" Nui shouted with false bravado before spinning around and sending out another wave of clones. As all her clones rushed towards Ururu at the same time, Nui spun around on her heel and headed in the opposite direction. Turning her head around and blowing a mocking kiss to her twin sister, Nui decided it was time to cut her losses and get away. She had perhaps thirty seconds before Ururu destroyed all her clones, but for Nui that was enough time for her regeneration to finally snap back into shape and start working again. In the meantime, there was something Nui wanted to check.

"Hmmm…" Nui's bubbly personality began to reassert itself, much to her joy, and she smiled widely as an idea came to her. Swinging her Scissor Blade lazily through the air with her right arm, Nui watched as the wall in front of her exploded into nonexistence, "Gosh, I wonder how Ichigo is doing against Ryuko? I haven't heard anything for a while, so he either killed her or managed to bring her back. I can work with both options but I really should go check up on him! My cousin could do with some cheering up after watching his friend die, after all!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Ichigo grunted as his back hit the outer wall of Honnouji Academy hard enough to not only crack the surface around him, but cause a small hole to be blown out the other side of the wall. Pulling his body out of the indentation it made in the wall, Ichigo quickly leapt back to his feet and dodged to the side as Ryuko came crashing through the air. Running horizontally along the wall reminiscent of how Satsuki Kiryuin did in her fight against him, Ichigo began to realize that his plan wasn't working. Nothing he said seemed to be able to pierce the haze of rage and sorry clouding Ryuko's mind. The only person who could have possibly brought Ryuko out of her current state was Mako and she was dead.<p>

"_Damn it, where is Orihime?"_ Ichigo's eyes looked across the courtyard for any sign of his friend but with all the smoke and dust clogging the air from his fight against Ryuko it was damn near impossible to see anything.

"Mugetsu, can you try talking to Senketsu?" Ichigo asked as he turned around, his heels slightly digging into the wall as he skidded to a stop. Holding Tournesol out to the side in a one-handed grip, Ichigo's eyes narrowed and his body tensed as he sensed Ryuko beginning to chase him once more.

"_**I've been trying since Ryuko lost control of Senketsu,"**_the Kamui answered seriously with a lack of her usually annoyance. Mugetsu might have found Senketsu's general attitude irritating to no end, but even she would never wish for what happened to her fellow Kamui, _**"Ryuko's raging emotions around Mako's murder by Nui Harime is swallowing up any conscious thoughts Senketsu might have. Ryuko and Senketsu have merged into a monster with the singular drive of taking out her rage on anything that catches her attention."**_

At that moment Ryuko leapt towards Ichigo, her enlarged left arm dragging along the wall as she let loose a roar and charged forward even faster. Swallowing his nervousness at fighting his friend, Ichigo raced towards Ryuko with Tournesol already moving through the air as Ryuko swung the red Scissor Blade fused with her right arm. Blue blade met red in a shower of energy and light as both combatants sought to overpower the other for different reasons. When Ryuko moaned in a distorted voice and began pushing back with more force as a spurt of blood arced out of her neck, Ichigo grimaced and pushed back with even more force. For a second there was nothing but silence as the light emanating from the fight intensified before the pressure reached a critical point and was released in an explosion powerful enough to envelop half of Honnouji Academy in a cloud of debris.

"Mugetsu Gufū!"

As his legs morphed into the familiar twin jets and Mugetsu's eyes extended back behind him, Ichigo flew up in the air as the segment of wall exploded into dust around him. Flying high above Honnouji Academy, Tournesol at the ready and his eyes scanning for Ryuko, he was stunned when he saw his body covered by a massive shadow. Descending towards him while emitting a bestial moan, Ryuko twisted her misshapen body around and swung her left arm at Ichigo. With no time to dodge the attack, Ichigo did the best thing he could think of and quickly brought Tournesol in front of his body. As her bloody fist hit Ichigo's blade, he was blasted down to the ground with enough force that he temporarily broke the sound barrier with a resounding crackle before slamming into the ground.

"Damn…"

Ichigo pulled himself out of the rubble a little worse for wear and watched as Ryuko hit the ground some distance away from him. While Mugetsu looked scuffed up with a few tears, he was relatively uninjured apart from a few scrapes and cuts on his face. Standing back on his feet and letting a deep sigh escape his lips, Ichigo began to move towards Ryuko, hoping that another plan to help her would come to mind, when Mugetsu spoke.

"_**Ryuko does not have much longer to live, Ichigo. The rate at which Senketsu is absorbing her blood means she has around seven or eight minutes before she dies."**_

"What?"

"_**It is as I said. Ryuko has lost control of Senketsu and, thus, will die soon,"**_ Mugetsu paused, her eyes narrowing as she thought back on something Ichigo said earlier. Looking towards her wearer with a suspicious stare, she asked, _**"You told Ururu that Orihime was here. What did that mean?"**_

Mugetsu's question caused Ichigo to pause. He was conflicted about whether he should say anything to his Kamui about Orihime. He knew he would never be able to keep his past a secret forever since trouble always seemed to find a way to come to him, but he hoped he would have more time. Looking around at the death and destruction surrounding him, Ichigo made up his mind, "I mentioned Orihime to Ururu because she has a special ability to reject events. If I can get Mako to her, Orihime can use her ability to reject Nui Harime ever killing her."

"_**That's impossible,"**_ Mugetsu's multicolored eyes widened in stunned shock as words seemed to temporarily fail her. She looked into Ichigo eyes, hoping he was kidding around, but when she saw nothing but truth in them she asked, _**"How is that possible. No human should possess such ability."**_

"Believe me, I know," Ichigo muttered. He was one of the few people that knew just how dangerous Orihime's ability truly was. Her current level of power was kept in check by her morality and lack of willingness to fight, but Ichigo knew what might happen if someone, such as Sosuke Aizen, were to have it.

When a pained moan followed by a scream of agony echoed through the smoke-filled area, Ichigo stepped back and readied himself for what was to come. Ryuko's attacks were getting faster and more powerful by the second. While he was confident he was stronger than her for the time being, Ichigo didn't want to risk Ryuko getting too out of control. He still wanted to save her, but if she killed him, there would be no stopping her until she died.

"God damn it!" Ichigo seethed in a mixture of anger and sorrow, "Don't make me do it, Ryuko!"

Ryuko appeared to not have heard him as she continued to half-shamble, half-sprint towards him, blood squirting into the air with every step she took. As she let loose a scream and leapt into the air to attack Ichigo, Ryuko was blindsided when Satsuki appeared out of nowhere and slammed her heel into her neck. Roaring in pain as a stream of blood spewed from her neck, Ryuko was sent flying across the courtyard before crashing into the far wall with a loud echo.

"I thought you were better than this, Matoi! Snap out of it!"

Satsuki clicked her heel against the ground as she held Bakuzan's hilt with both hands. Ichigo had done an admirable job holding down Ryuko without killing her, but that was going to change now that she was here. There was no way that a girl who's being worn by her Kamui would be a match for her. As she watched Ryuko getting back onto her feet, blood spraying out with every step she took, Satsuki placed the palm of her left hand on top of Bakuzan's blade and shouted, "Matoi! You are little more than a beast in your current state. I doubt you can understand a single word I'm saying!"

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked as he landed next to Satsuki, who gave him a quick glance but kept the majority of her attention on Ryuko. In Matoi's current state, she would be focusing all her misguided attention on the most recent focus of her ire. Thanks to her earlier kick, Satsuki knew that would be her.

"I'm here to offer assistance in taking out Matoi," Satsuki answered calmly. As twin blasts of steam shot out from Junketsu's shoulder pads, the Kamui silently wishing to fight against Ryuko and Senketsu. Satsuki would never say that she wanted to help Ichigo out of the goodness of her heart. If asked, she would explain that Matoi's rampage was putting the lives of her fellow students in danger, which was completely true. She would never confess that Ichigo's words caused her to rethink her priorities.

"I've already tried to talk Ryuko down," Ichigo said and shook his head as the memory of Mako being impaled from behind by Nui vividly passed before his eyes. He couldn't afford to lose his focus during the fight, "Ryuko doesn't have much longer and the only one that can help her at this point is Mako."

"I am uncertain if you hit your head during your valiant attempt to save Matoi, Ichigo, but Mako Mankanshoku is dead," Satsuki said bluntly. Ignoring Ichigo's angry glare to focus on Ryuko, who was undoubtedly already back on her feet, she added, "You can rest assured that Nui Harime shall not get away with this. The moment our fight against Matoi is concluded I will be informing my mother of the Grand Couturier's actions. Nui Harime has overstepped her boundaries as the Grand Couturier and she shall be punished severely for it."

"That doesn't help Mako," Ichigo bit back sarcastically.

Satsuki did not immediately answer as she slowly rotated Bakuzan through the air until she was holding it vertically in front of her face. Pressing her forehead against the cold black metal-like Life Fibers composing the blade, Satsuki snapped her eyes open, "There is no changing of the fact that Mako Mankanshoku is dead. Dwelling on the past will achieve nothing apart from forcing you to drown in your sorrows! Face the present with open eyes and a clear mind, Ichigo!

Racing forward as Ryuko came barreling towards them, Satsuki let out a defiant shout as she clashed blades with the berserk Kamui wearer. Bakuzan, tinged blue by the glow emanating from Junketsu, was naught but a black blur as Satsuki managed to counter and deflect all of Ryuko's haphazardly thrown attacks. Slamming her blade against Ryuko's deformed left arm, a burst of power causing the ground beneath their feet to crater inwards, Satsuki reversed her grip on Bakuzan and with Junketsu firing out a burst of steam forced Ryuko away, where she proceeded to crash through one of the pillars created for the Sudden Death Runoff before becoming embedded in the outer wall of Honnouji Academy.

"Rest assured, I will not hold you accountable for your reluctance, Ichigo," Satsuki panted, the exertion of using all of Junketsu's power causing the Kamui to test her willpower and determination. Gritting her teeth and pushing the Kamui's mental probes away from the sanctuary that was her mind, Satsuki turned to Ichigo, her blue eyes as cold as ice, and said, "I am aware of your relation with Matoi. It would be extremely dishonorable for me to force you to kill Matoi so step aside and let me finish this."

As Satsuki stepped forth to deal the final blow to Ryuko before she could recover, she felt a hand firmly gripping her wrist. With both his brown eyes and Mugetsu's multicolored ones narrowed, Ichigo warned, "I'm not going to let you kill Ryuko."

"It matters not what you think!" Satsuki declared. Pushing Junketsu's power upwards even more, the Kamui's blue lines beginning to glow, Satsuki pulled her wrist free of Ichigo's grip, "It is my duty as the Student Council President of Honnouji Academy to keep the student population safe from harm. If that means finishing off Matoi, who has already been consumed by the murderous impulses of her Kamui, than that is a burden I am willing to shoulder!"

Ichigo continued to ignore Satsuki's orders and stepped in front of her to bar her path before she could head towards Ryuko. Pointing Tournesol at the eldest Kiryuin daughter, he grimaced and said, "I took the position as your Vice President to keep my friends safe from Nui Harime, but I see that's amounted to _fucking nothing_! Despite your promise to keep them safe from her, she's not only been here for days, but she murdered Mako right in front of my eyes! So tell me, Satsuki, why the hell I should listen to anything you have to say?"

Satsuki tried to speak but every time she tried to formulate a response the words just seemed to fail to come together. Ichigo was absolutely right about everything he just said. She had given him her promise as a Kiryuin to keep his friends and family safe from Nui Harime's machinations and now Mako Mankanshoku was dead. She had no right to order him around, whether through persuasion or force, and she couldn't find it in herself to argue with him. It was through either luck or coincidence that as Satsuki was beginning to pull her mind out of the slump from Ichigo's question that a familiar man dressed in guerrilla military gear landed nearby.

"Kurosaki!

With Mako's limp body cradled carefully in his arms, Tsumugu Kinagase barely flinched as an explosion erupted nearby. Gently placing Mako on the ground, Tsumugu gave Satsuki a cold sneer before looking at Ichigo, "Kurosaki, how much do you know about a girl called Orihime Inoue?"

The randomness of the question snapped Satsuki out of her self-induced slump. Turning around and pointing Bakuzan at Tsumugu, she narrowed her eyes, "I remember you. You were the Nudist Beach intruder who had the gall to invade my academy. Tell me one thing before I have you punished for your insolence, why have you –"

Before Satsuki could finish asking her question, Ichigo shoved past Satsuki and stepped forward until he was eye to eye with Tsumugu, "How do you know that name?"

Tsumugu stared back at Ichigo as he pulling out a cigarette and lit it. Taking a deep drag from the cigarette before expelling out a cloud of smoke, he grimaced and answered, "Your dad told me all about her. He wanted me to keep it quiet but at this point I'm less concerned about a secret and more concerned with keeping the collateral damage to a minimum and saving Ryuko. Now answer my question, Ichigo. Are you familiar with Orihime's unique talents?"

Ichigo nodded, which was all Tsumugu seemed to need. Turning away from Ichigo, Tsumugu frowned and shouted, "Alright, get out here! We don't have much time!"

"R-Right away, sir!"

As Orihime, still dressed in her Karakura High School uniform jogged towards them from around a piece of debris, Ichigo found that he was more confused about how Tsumugu found her rather than the fact she was here.

"I see by your expression that you're confused, so let me break it down for you," Tsumugu bit the end of his cigarette and breathed out through his nose. He really hated have to explain things more than once, but kids these days just needed everything explained to them one step at a time. Picking the cigarette out of his mouth between two fingers, he growled and said, "That little Life Fiber plushie your dad sent was able to track this girl down, but the damn coward ran away as soon as I turned my back on it. Ok girl, do your thing before Ryuko Matoi decides to come over and join us."

"Um…" Orihime twirled her hands around nervously. She really didn't know what to do. Tsumugu had told her Ichigo's dad explained all about her powers, but after showing off her powers led to Aizen kidnapping her and nearly killing Ichigo, she was reluctant to show them around strangers. Looking down at Mako's body, whose chest was stained red from blood, Orihime's dark brown eyes dropped and she bit her lip before asking, "Ichigo, what should I do?"

"You do whatever you think is right, Orihime," Ichigo answered before the ground began shaking. At first he thought it was from Ryuko but the explosion he felt was coming from deep within Honnouji Academy. Twisting towards the building, Ichigo saw a column of purple-tinged energy explode out of the academy. Whatever was going on in the fight between Ururu and Nui, it was getting more intense. That one attack contained more power than the Getsuga Tenshou he used against Sanageyama.

"What are you talking about, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Satsuki demanded, using Ichigo's full name to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, "What can this girl possibly –"

"Soten Kisshun, I reject."

Everyone apart from Ichigo watched in stunned disbelief as Orihime pressed her fingers against the hairpins in her burnt orange hair before two balls of light shot out and began hovering around her head. Holding her hand out and allowing one of the Shun Shun Rikka to land on her palm, Orihime smiled as the spirit took off again. Twirling around each other in midair, the two spirits flew towards Mako's body before splitting apart and encasing her in an oval-shaped barrier. Holding her hands out and closing her eyes in order to better concentrate, Orihime pushed all of her willpower into bringing Mako back to life.

"This is impossible," Tsumugu muttered in disbelief as he watched the damage to Mako's chest slowly but surely reverse itself. Looking down at the lit cigarette in his fingers, he flicked it away and said, "That's it, I'm quitting smoking."

Satsuki's overall opinion was similar to that of Tsumugu's but at the same time was much more pronounced. She grew up around Life Fibers and thus she knew everything they were capable of doing. She would not have allowed her fellow students to wear Goku Uniforms if she thought otherwise, but what she was observing went above and beyond what normal Life Fibers were able to do. Walking past Ichigo, who was watching Orihime with reserved silence, Satsuki placed her hand on the glowing orange surface and noticed it was quite sturdy. Pushing down with more force, Satsuki realized her strength wasn't going to allow her to pierce the barrier.

"…_**human…ability…let…once…again…"**_

"What did you say?"

"Huh?" Orihime looked up from Mako's healing body when she heard Satsuki speak to her, "I didn't say anything."

"Never mind," Satsuki lowered her hand from Orihime's Soten Kisshun. There was something strangely familiar about the construct of light but she couldn't place just how it felt so familiar to her. Turning towards Ichigo, she sighed deeply as she sheathed Bakuzan, "Are you completely certain this girl can revive Mankanshoku?"

"This is our only shot of saving Ryuko," Ichigo answered passionately as his body tensed up. They didn't have long before Ryuko came back and from the volume of the scream she was really pissed off.

"Let me tell you two important pieces of information, girl. The first is that we don't have a lot of time before Matoi crashes the party," Tsumugu growled as he held both of his sewing machine guns up and crouched behind a piece of upturned rock. Making sure his weapons had full clips, he propped his back against the debris and reached into his vest, "The second is that I don't have nearly enough supplies to stall her if she comes. The mines I placed around the area should buy you about a minute."

Ichigo turned towards the Nudist Beach mercenary, "What mines?"

In order to answer Ichigo's question, Tsumugu raised his hand and allowed everyone to see the detonator in his hand. Slamming his thumb down on the red button on the top, Tsumugu's body was highlighted in orange and red as the entire courtyard behind him exploded as fifty well-placed mines detonated nearly simultaneously. Glancing over the rubble as he watched Ryuko scream in agony as she fell into his well-placed trap, Tsumugu stood up and said, "Those mines, now quit talking to me and heal Mankanshoku. I don't think I did anything more than piss Matoi off."

"Don't worry," Orihime shook her head and lowered her arms. Turning her head and giving Ichigo a relieved smile, she said, "I'm almost done. Just a few more seconds and Mako should be good as new."

As Orihime's Soten Kisshun began dissolving into a myriad of orange-colored fireflies, the last touches to Mako's body were being finished. The wound in her chest where her heart was had already closed up, leaving nary a scar behind, while her No-Star uniform was nearly finished stitching itself back up. When the last traces of blood disappeared from Mako's body, Orihime let out a tired sigh and stood up, "I'm finished."

Despite watching Orihime defy the laws of nature as she knew them, Satsuki was still shocked into silence when she saw Mako's eyes open. The normally carefree girl blinked once, then twice, before quickly sitting up and patting down her chest where she remembered getting stabbed.

"Oh my gosh, what happened? I remember being kidnapped by this funny girl with really long blonde hair before a weird purple thing that looked like Ryuko's weapon skewered me like a shish kabob. Then I was all ghostly and see-through and I was floating around through the sky like a jet! Then I thought I might float away like a balloon so I looked down and saw my body and boy, was there a lot of blood. Oh! There was also this weird chain on my chest, but it's gone now. So anyway, where am I and how did I get here?"

"She's fucking alive?" If Kinue could see him now, she would most likely be sharing Tsumugu's disbelief in what they were seeing. Collapsing backwards against the outcropping of rock, Tsumugu's face was the picture of disbelief as he watched Mako get back to her feet and dust herself off.

"_**I can't believe what I'm seeing,"**_ Mugetsu muttered in a reserved tone. She was a Kamui, one of the most powerful things on the face of the planet, and yet nothing she did could compare to the miracle she just witnessed. Shaking her Life Fibers to remove the sense of strange familiarity she had surrounding the Soten Kisshun, Mugetsu didn't say anything further as she turned her eyes to Junketsu. While Satsuki was focused on Mako, her Kamui was looking right back at Mugetsu. It seemed that both Kamui, with a lack of words, had come to the same conclusion.

There was something nightmarishly familiar with Orihime Inoue's abilities.

"Huh, why is everyone staring at me?" Mako finished dusting off her uniform and looked around. Now that she thought about it, everything looked rather strange. The entire school looked to be in disarray but the most important thing was that all the snacks Ururu brought were missing! Twisting her body around and noticing Satsuki's intense stare, Mako quickly sputtered about and bowed, "Ah, Lady Satsuki! I'm sorry but I don't know how I got here. Did you come to hear more about my crazy dream where I died and was a ghost? Hey, where's Ryuko and why is Ichigo and the strange man that Ururu nearly beat up here?"

"There's no time to answer your questions!" Tsumugu leapt back and fired his sewing machine guns into the air as Ryuko emerged from the rubble with a loud roar. As soon as his weapons clicked empty, Tsumugu dropped them onto the ground before he reached into his vest and tossed several pin cushion bombs at Ryuko. While the Anti-Life Fiber weaponry detonated in a flash of different colors, Tsumugu was just about to resort to his spool grenades when Ryuko moaned painfully before her misshapen body emerged from the smoke and fire. Her neck spun and twisted painfully as her alien eyes focused intently on Tsumugu, who began to back up when he noticed her gaze squarely on him. With a resounding shout that destroyed everything within a few feet of her body, Ryuko leapt into the air at Tsumugu with the sole intent of killing him.

"Shiten Koushen!"

Right before Ryuko could kill Tsumugu a triangular golden shield appeared in front of him and blocked the entirety of Ryuko's attack. There was a pregnant silence for a split second before Ryuko began to scream in something that could only be described as resulting from the most intense torture one could conceive before she was violently and painfully thrown backwards along the same trajectory she had leapt from.

"I'm sorry, Ryuko," Orihime muttered defiantly, "But I won't let you hurt anyone!"

"Orihime…"

"Huh?" Orihime blinked and turned around when she heard Ichigo's voice. The former substitute shinigami was looking at her with surprise and she quickly realized that Ichigo had never seen her use Shiten Koushen, so blushing in embarrassment, Orihime let out a nervous chuckle, "O-Oh that? Well, you see, while you were here at Honnouji Academy I was really bored and decided to try and make myself stronger. Chad and Uryu helped me out a lot, you know, and eventually I found myself able to use Shiten Koushen!"

"No, it wasn't that," Ichigo's attention was on Ryuko in the distance, who still seemed to be screaming. He was worried about why she would have felt pain after running into Orihime's Shiten Koushen. Her Santen Kesshun and Soten Kisshun didn't actively damage anyone that tried to push through them, "I can be concerned over your new ability later on, right now we need to save Ryuko. She only has a few minutes remaining before she dies of blood loss."

"Why not just allow Matoi to die?" Satsuki asked in her usual pragmatic way. Sitting down on a piece of rubble with Bakuzan laying gently against her shoulder, the Kiryuin heiress was in a state of semi-meditation in order to get her raging emotions under control. She had seen many things in her privileged life but someone able to not only revive the dead but heal every single one of their injuries went above and beyond that. Even Nui Harime's monstrous regeneration couldn't help her if she was already dead. Sensing a strange feeling of apprehension from her Kamui, which manifested as a non-intrusive rippling of Junketsu's armor, Satsuki added, "If Orihime truly can raise the dead as we've seen, then wouldn't allowing Matoi to perish make saving her easier?"

"Eh?" Mako slapped her cheeks with her hands. Rushing over to Orihime, she grabbed the girl's much larger chest and starting shaking her, "Ryuko will die if she's killed by blood loss! You have to use your superpowers like Lady Satsuki said to save her! My dad can't afford paying the insurance company if Ryuko gets anymore hurt!"

"I-I'm sorry, Mako, but Soten Kisshun doesn't work like that," Orihime held her hands in front of her face and looked away sadly so she couldn't see Mako's betrayed expression, "It's true Soten Kisshun can revive people who have died, but I'm not going to let Ryuko die just so I can bring her back to life. My powers are used to help people that did not have someone helping them. To use my powers like you say…that's not the kind of person I am! If…if I do that, than I wouldn't know who I was anymore."

"This is not the time for you to discuss your moralities!" Tsumugu growled as he clicked the last two needle clips into his sewing machine gun and spun around to delay Ryuko's arrival as long as possible, "Matoi is nearly back and she's pissed off to no end! So either you allow Mankanshoku to do what she needs to do or let Matoi die!"

"Do not worry!" Mako stepped forward and clenched her fist dramatically in front of her body. Giving Ichigo a look that possessed nothing but determination for the task she needed to accomplish, she declared, "Mako Mankanshoku will not allow her best friend in the entire world to die of blood loss! My dad's clinic won't survive the internet reviews if she did!"

Rushing past everyone in a blur of motion, Mako threw herself in the oncoming Ryuko's path. Spreading her arms outward and planting her feet firmly on the ground, she took a deep breath and shouted, "Snap out of it, Ryuko!"

For an instant it didn't seem to have any effect and both Satsuki and Ichigo moved to intercept Ryuko before she could kill Mako a second time. All their preparations and worry was for naught, however, as just when Ryuko's Scissor Blade arm was about to behead Mako, it stopped mere inches from her exposed neck.

Opening her eyes, which she had involuntarily shut a few seconds ago, Mako looked up and saw Ryuko's misshapen face hovering inches above her own. Her best friend's fang-filled mouth, in which the telltale red glow of Life Fibers could be seen, appeared to be opening and closing every few seconds while her large yellow eyes glanced over every inch of her body. Twitching once and taking a step back, Ryuko raised her right arm and gently, at least to her, touched Mako's face.

"Yeah, it's me Ryuko!" Mako cried and wrapped her arms around her best friend, heedless of the fact that the boiling blood inside Ryuko was starting to actually burn her. Even if she were to know that was happening, Mako wouldn't care. Saving her best friend was much more important than getting a stupid tan. Wrapping her entire body around Ryuko's green midsection, Mako cried and said, "I'm alright now, Ryuko, so please come back to normal. I know you must feel really bad about what happened but come back to normal so we can talk this over like friends! I'll bring popcorn and soda and we can watch a movie, just don't die on me! I-If you don't, I'm prepared to slap you until you're all better!"

Ryuko stood there with Mako holding her for several seconds before she spoke, her voice sounding like she and Senketsu were talking at the same time, _**"…Mako…"**_

Immediately after uttering that sole word, Ryuko began to groan as her body seemed to snap back and forth. As the Life Fibers within Senketsu realigned themselves out of the mess Ryuko's sorrow and rage had forced them in, Ryuko's body began to revert back to her normal appearance. As the last vestiges of her berserk transformation disappeared, her red Scissor Blade clanging against the ground as she lost her grip on it, Ryuko smiled at Mako with tears in her eyes before collapsing from blood loss.

"Ryuko!"

"Don't worry Mako, I'm just really tired," Ryuko muttered from on the ground as her best friend enveloped her in a tight hug that she was too tired to resist. Seeing Mako's burnt skin and looking around at the gathered people, Ryuko managed to gather up enough energy to force her body to sit up, "I didn't hurt you, did I Senketsu?"

"_**A little, but I'm alright,"**_ Senketsu said without hesitation, _**"I was also upset about what happened to Mako. It is understandable you would do what you did in that situation. If I were you, I would have done the same thing."**_

"I promise you I won't do something that stupid again," Ryuko smiled sadly and looked past Mako at Ichigo, who appeared to be relieved that she was alright. Turning from Orihime, who she still didn't know, to Tsumugu and Satsuki, both of whom were her enemies, she asked Ichigo, "Just what's going on? Why is that Mohawk guy and Satsuki Kiryuin here?"

Satsuki took Ryuko's defiance as her cue to stand up. Slowly sheathing Bakuzan, she said, "Believe what you will, Matoi, but my priorities have always been the safety and security of Honnouji Academy. If working together with enemies allowed me to continue doing my duty, then that is what I shall do. Consider yourself lucky that Ichigo was able to convince me to spare your life after you were swallowed by your Kamui."

Ryuko wanted to say something spiteful back to Satsuki, but in light of actually trying to save her, she was willing to let it slide this one time. Turning back to Mako, who was looking at her recently burnt skin in awe, she asked the question that's been on her mind ever since she came back to her senses, "Hey Mako, how are you alive? I…I saw Nui Harime stab you through the chest."

"That's a super good question, you know. Just how are you still alive?"

Everyone present turned at the familiar saccharine voice and saw Nui Harime sitting on a piece of rubble with her legs kicking playfully in the air. Puffing out her cheeks and tapping her purple Scissor Blade against her shoulder, she looked at Mako and tilted her head, "Wow, I thought for sure you were dead. I did stab you right through the heart, you know, but you look as good and new as the latest fashions. How odd. I wonder how such a miraculous feat could have occurred. Oh wait. I know exactly how this happened!"

"Nui Harime…" Satsuki had already unsheathed Bakuzan once more and was standing between her and Ryuko alongside Ichigo.

"Oh wow, Junketsu looks totally awesome as usual and Mugetsu is simply to die for!" Nui clapped both of her hands together while ignoring Satsuki as a gust of wind blew the hair covering her face to the side. When she saw both of the Kamui wearers' eyes widen in surprise at something on her face, she brought her hand up and traced the x-shaped scar over her left eye, "Gosh, I totally forget my eyepatch was gone. Sometimes these things just get away from me, you know."

"What do you want?" Ichigo demanded and he gripped Tournesol tightly. He was not about to let Nui kill Mako a second time and he was prepared to use all of Mugetsu's willingly given power to make sure that never happened. From the way Mugetsu's emotions were bleeding through to him, Ichigo could tell his Kamui felt the exact same way.

"What I want, huh?" Nui crossed her legs and leaned forward with her chin resting on her arms. Giving Ichigo a happy smile before looking around at everyone else, she took a deep breath and answered, "What I want is really quite simple. I want to look my best for the entire world to see! As the Grand Couturier it is my duty to be the public face of Revocs, but this nasty little blemish on my face is really making me feel sad. I do wish there was some way I could get it fixed…"

Months of fighting and nearly dying as a shinigami honed Ichigo's battle senses to their maximum. As soon as Nui began talking about a blemish on her face, he was already moving towards Orihime, who could not be more than ten feet away. Just before he could reach her, Ichigo felt a pink boot slam into his chest and push him backwards. Grinding to a halt against the ground, Ichigo quickly flipped back to his feet and paused when he saw Nui had taken Orihime hostage.

"Gee, you really are excited today, Ichigo," Nui said in a happy tone as she held her Scissor Blade against Orihime's throat. Giggling once more before her focus seemed to shift to the side, Nui added, "I'm so happy that everyone's present! I really didn't want to have to repeat myself twice, you know."

"Let Orihime go," Ururu said as she landed in front of Nui. Despite having fought the Grand Couturier to a standstill not two minutes ago, Ururu looked as clean and healthy as her twin. There was not a blemish on her skin and her uniform, which had been torn and cut during her fight, was completely undamaged. Bringing her hands, which were still wearing her Powersoul gauntlets, up into a fighting stance, Ururu stared passively at her twin sister, "Do not make me defeat you again."

"Orihime?" Nui looked into the fearful eyes of her captive before a psychotic grin spread across her face. Orihime was such a really odd name for a human to have. Nui would almost say it was presumptuous for one of them to dare call themselves a princess. Pushing the edge of her Scissor Blade harder against Orihime's neck, Nui giggled and looked squarely into her sister's eyes, "She sure doesn't look like a princess, you know, but even I know if I let her go there will be nothing to stop you from coming after me. You almost did beat me just a few minutes ago."

"Do not speak another word, Nui Harime!" Satsuki declared as a backdrop of light appeared behind her. Pointing Bakuzan towards the Grand Couturier, Satsuki narrowed her eyes and shouted, "You have broken several of the sacred rules of Honnouji Academy. Do not think my mother will not hear of your casual murder of Mako Mankanshoku. Now let go of Orihime Inoue and leave! You are henceforth banned from Honnouji Academy!"

"Murder?" Nui looked around in wonder before her eye settled on Mako, "Are you sure you're feeling ok Satsuki? I don't see a dead human anywhere. Do you?"

"I don't know about Satsuki Kiryuin, but I'm feeling dandy."

Tsumugu had managed to sneak behind Nui in the commotion and was holding a Carnifex to the back of her head. Holding down the trigger and preparing for the powerful recoil his sister's weapons possessed, Tsumugu narrowed his eyes and could sense the smile on Nui's face disappearing, "This weapon was designed to take someone as persistent as you down. I don't think even you can dodge a point-blank shot to the back of the head so why don't you let go of the girl and put your hands in the air like a good little girl?"

"You stupid human…" Nui giggled menacingly and tilted her head backwards so that her dull sapphire eye was staring straight at Tsumugu, "Did you really think I didn't sense you sneaking up on me like a little rat?"

With barely a second of warning, Tsumugu was thrown through the air courtesy of a kick from Nui's sole remaining clone. As the Grand Couturier and her body double watched Tsumugu skid to a halt and slowly get back to his feet, they both laughed before the clone vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Now that I have your attention, are there any further questions?"

"Let…Orihime…go…" Ryuko managed to demand despite her exhausted state.

"Hmm…I guess I can do that, but only if she does one small favor for me," Nui pointed with her hand at her missing left eye. Exposing the ugly x-shaped scar that was the result of Ryuko's dad final strike once more to everyone, Nui pursed her lips before she stuck out her tongue childishly, "I saw everything Orihime did and I want in on the action! If she heals my eye back to the way it was, I promise on my job as the Grand Couturier that I will let her go safe and unharmed. In fact, I'll do one better! If she fixes my eye I'll turn around and leave Honnouji Academy without harming the hair on any more humans, including Ryuko!"

"I don't believe you," Ururu countered.

"I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a liar," Nui was insulted by her sister's accusations. Sure there were a lot of reasons why humans would not trust her, but if there was one thing Nui took pride in, it was the fact that she never ever lied to anyone. Lady Ragyo always said her truthfulness was an endearing trait that should be cultivated and grown into something spectacular, so when someone called her a liar, Nui never took it lightly. Staring emotionlessly at Ururu, she pushed Orihime away before seemingly teleporting over to Mako. With her Scissor Blade around Mako's throat, she said, "If you call me a liar once more, I'm going to kill Mako and I don't think Ryuko could survive watching her die a second time."

"Damn you, Nui Harime! Leave Mako alone!" Ryuko seethed and tried to stand up but found her legs unresponsive. Collapsing back down onto her hands and knees, Ryuko propped her body against her Scissor Blade and desperately tried to get up, much to Nui's amusement.

"Gosh, you just don't know when to quit, do you?" Nui puffed her cheeks out and smiled as she pressed the Scissor Blade closer to Mako's throat, "I'm going to guess that you must really want to see this girl die again."

"W-Wait!"

Before Nui could carry through on her threat, Orihime rushed forward, "I'll heal your eye, but I want you to promise that you'll let Mako go first."

"A promise is a promise, and I always keep my promises," Nui cheerfully ranted as she shoved Mako to the side with enough force to cause the girl to go tumbling across the ground until she hit Ryuko.

Giggling as she watched Ryuko groan in pain, Nui clapped her hands together and sighed, "Gosh, it sure is swell that you're cooperating with me. I thought for sure I would have to rough some of Ichigo's friends up to get you to heal me, but I'm glad I don't have to since that would make Ichigo sad and I sure do not want to make my cousin upset. Oh! I can see you trying to sneak up on me Amu, so I should warn that although you can certainly beat me in a fight, I'm pretty sure I will be able to kill Orihime before you can stop me! And if this girl dies, who will you have left to save Ryuko and Mako when I eventually come back to finish the job I started?"

Ururu stopped moving towards Nui once her sister called her out and looked at Orihime. She knew Nui would carry through on her threats given half a chance but Ururu didn't want to cause any of Ichigo friends to get hurt because she couldn't control her actions.

Orihime turned away from Nui and looked at Ururu. The stoic girl had a miserable look on her face, almost as if to say that she was taking the blame for failing to stop Nui from taking Orihime and then Mako hostage and Orihime could not blame her. Nui Harime was a complete monster that put most of the arrancar she encountered while she was Aizen's prisoner to shame. It was amazing, but mostly terrifying, how Nui's strength and power would be more than enough to not only fight evenly against some of the espada but also kill them without trying. Steadying her nerves and preparing herself for what needed to be done, Orihime touched her fingers against her hairpins before throwing her arms forward, "Soten Kisshun, I reject."

As the golden oval-shaped barrier surrounded Nui Harime, Tsumugu limped towards Ichigo. Giving the Grand Couturier a look of hatred, he placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder and said, "This is going to be bad."

With his eyes still firmly looked on the shadowed form of Nui from inside the barrier, Ichigo forced himself to turn towards the Nudist Beach operative and ask, "What are you talking about?"

Tsumugu gave Ichigo a scathing glare, "That wound over the Grand Couturier's eye was the only thing holding her back. Once she's healed, there is no doubt in my mind she will come after us with renewed interest."

"No, I don't think so. I think she was actually telling the truth when she promised not to attack us," Ichigo answered with a shake of his head. He didn't trust Nui Harime as far as he could throw her, but he had the strangest sense that she was telling the truth about promising to not attack them if Orihime was healed. He didn't know why he trusted her about that, but there was no chance he could fight Nui off if she was lying.

"Ichigo is correct. Perhaps the only admirable quality about the Grand Couturier is that she never lies. She will speak in half-truths and hide information, but she will never utter a single falsehood no matter the situation," Satsuki added stoically. Turning her blue eyes towards Tsumugu, who returned her gaze, Satsuki smirked haughtily and added, "I am willing to allow you some leeway for your assistance in dealing with Matoi. For the next ten seconds I will close my eyes and turn away, if you are no longer here I will assume you had escaped in the destruction and mayhem Matoi's rampage caused. One…"

Tsumugu took that as his cue to leave. Giving Ichigo a knowing glance, he ran off into the distance and jumped over a piece of rubble before vanishing into the chaos below. Staring at the spot where Tsumugu had disappeared, Ichigo frowned and said, "That wasn't like you at all."

"I do not know what you are talking about," Satsuki walked next to Ichigo and placed a hand on his shoulder, "But it would be dishonorable for a Kiryuin to not repay someone who risked life and limb to help their enemy. That man may be the enemy of my mother, but his services today have warranted a reprieve on his punishment."

"I-I can see again…"

Nui did not move as the last traces of Orihime's Soten Kisshun dissolved into particles and motes of orange light. Letting her Scissor Blade stab deeply into the ground at her side, Nui raised a trembling hand to her face in search of the x-shaped scar that had defined her behavior and purpose for the last seven months. When she ran her fingers over where it should have been and felt nothing but flawless skin, she smiled happily and would have jumped in joy if she had been alone at the time. Looking around with two sapphire blue eyes once again, Nui focused on Orihime and desperately wished to ask her how she healed her.

After Ryuko's dad tore out her eye with the Scissor Blades, Nui had immediately gone back to Revocs with the intent to discover why it hadn't healed already. She had been stabbed and cut many times in her life, mostly when Ragyo trained her, but all those wounds had healed up quickly. Ragyo had taken one look at her poor daughter and declared that Nui's beautiful blue eye would never regenerate. The Sword Scissors her former husband created had cut her regenerating Life Fibers both ways, severing them and preventing Nui from ever regenerating her precious eye. It was from that day forth that Nui covered up her shame with a purple eyepatch and vowed to kill Ryuko for what her dad did to her.

"I'm all back to normal now!" Nui exclaimed cheerfully and stuck her tongue out in a cute pose. Pulling her purple Scissor Blade out of the ground she stalked past Orihime, who wisely moved out of the way, and waved to Ururu, "Look! Now we're even more alike!"

"Your eye is now healed so do not forget your promise, Nui Harime!" Satsuki declared passionately.

Nui closed her eyes, a strange motion to the Grand Couturier after so many months of only have one eye, and scoffed, "Boy, you are really a wet blanket, Satsuki, but that's what I like about you! I'm just trying to show off my brand new eye and you have to go and ruin the fun for me, but I'm not going to complain! I thought today was going to be a real letdown when Ryuko didn't die but it's actually almost like my birthday again! There's just one thing I want to do before I go…and don't worry, I'm not going to harm a single hair on any of your precious humans…"

When the Grand Couturier vanished in a burst of speed, Ururu immediately began searching for her twin sister. With her eyes darting back and forth across the area and her innate ability to detect her twin's location quickly narrowing down where she was, Ururu turned and lightly gasped when she heard a squelching sound as a delicate hand tore through Ichigo's chest.

"F-Fuck…" Ichigo gasped as he stared at the thin arm stabbed into his chest. Coughing harshly as blood began leaking from the corners of his mouth, Ichigo felt his knees give out and was only held up by Nui's hand in his chest.

"…but there's no way you're a human, Ichigo, and this is the proof!" Nui cheerfully exclaimed as she pulled her hand out of his chest with one simple motion, exposing his still beating heart for the world to see. While that would have normally caused anyone to gaze at the Grand Couturier in a mixture of terror and horror, everyone, especially Ryuko, were transfixed on the blue glow emanating from the Life Fiber infused heart beating in Nui's hand.

"So you see, Ichigo, we're family!" Nui explained as a psychotic smile lit up her face.

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #18 - Life Fibers Can Do What?!<strong>

As soon as his eyes opened and he saw the sun streaming in through the window, Ichigo knew it was going to be one of those days. Yawning and sitting up, he looked at the alarm clock next to his bed and nearly panicked when he saw it was almost noon before remembering it was Winter Break.

"Damn," he yawned once more as he got dressed. Now that he was back home in Karakura Town for the next two weeks, he planned on doing as much as possible without any weird nonsense involving Life Fibers, Nui Harime or anyone trying to kill him. Before being sent to Honnouji Academy, he was depressed about losing his shinigami powers but after everything that happened over the past few months, being powerless and ignorant was looking pretty damn good again.

"Hey Mugetsu, you wanted me to show you around Karakura right?" Ichigo stretched out a kink in his shoulder and turned towards his Kamui only to find her sleeping sounding on her hanger.

"_**No Senketsu, that much starch isn't good for my fibers. I'll get all wrinkly,"**_Mugetsu mumbling incoherently in her sleep.

"Right, I'm just going to get dressed and deal with the fallout later on," Ichigo shrugged and finished getting dressed before he headed downstairs. His dad was supposed to be out volunteering at Uryu's dad's hospital, so it was just going to be him, Karin and Yuzu for the entire day. As he walked downstairs with the intent to have some breakfast before seeing if Chad or anyone else was busy, the doorbell rang.

"Can one of you get it?" Karin's voice shouted from upstairs.

"But I'm busy making Ichigo breakfast!" Yuzu's voice shouted in return from the kitchen, "He slept in today so he's going to be really hungry!"

"I got it," Ichigo said just loud enough for his sisters to hear and not worry about it. Sighing as he turned away from the kitchen to head back towards the front door, he wondered who would be ringing the front bell. The only people who visit his house were patients and they usually used the side door since it was right next to the patient rooms. Opening the front door, Ichigo was about to ask who was there when he was immediately floored by the person standing with her arms folded across her ample chest.

"Hey Ichigo. Gosh, I haven't seen you in forever," the blonde haired woman waved happily with one hand in a voice that Ichigo had the vaguest sense he's heard before. Whoever the woman was, Ichigo didn't know how she knew him but that was the least of his concerns at the moment.

Ichigo had seen quite a few more than attractive women in his life ranging from Yoruichi and Rangiku to Ragyo Kiryuin. Sure, most of those encounters had involved the woman being overly friendly to him, but he could not deny that he had met a long of attractive women. This blond woman, however, put Rangiku's beauty to shame in the sense that she wasn't trying to be overly sexual about it.

The woman in front of him had twin pigtails that reached just below the nape of her neck and wore a pair of faded red jeans and a white shirt with a pink jacket over it. Smiling as she noticed Ichigo's eyes looking over her body, she sighed dramatically and pouted her cheeks, "Gee, it's almost like you've never seen a woman's body before."

Mentally slapping himself for acting like his dad for a moment, Ichigo shook his head and looked away as a red blush spread across his face, "Sorry about that. I'm not sure how you know me but I'm pretty sure I've never met you before."

"Never met me?" The woman pouted childishly and placed her fists on her hips as she leaned forward, "Gosh, that's quite rude of you to suggest you've never seen me before, Ichigo. I thought I told you our hearts beat as one, you know. So how could you pretend to not know me?"

As Ichigo's mind processed the woman's strange speech pattern, every thought that passed through it ground to a halt as he realized just who the woman actually was. Faster than he ever moved before, Ichigo tried to slam the front door closed on Nui Harime. Hopefully it would buy him just enough time to run upstairs and grab Mugetsu. Unfortunately for Ichigo, Nui had quickly realized what he was trying to do and placed a single finger against the door.

"So you do remember me?" Nui said in her same pattern of speech, which sounded a little odd coming from the woman in front of him. Pushing the door back open with ease, Nui hooked her hand around Ichigo's shirt and pulled him outside, "I bet you're wondering why I'm here."

"Yeah," Ichigo admitted as Nui let go of him. Quickly recovering, he took a step back and said, "But I'm more concerned about why you look like a supermodel!"

Nui looked down at her much more developed body, "The funny thing about Life Fibers is that they can do almost anything you want. After our unfortunate fight during Satsuki's little election, I realized I could never been your loving cousin if I remained how I was, so I forced the Life Fibers in my body to change my body until I actually looked seventeen. I really liked my original body but it was just so small compared to Lady Ragyo's beautiful body. I was so jealous that I just had to have one myself!"

"Ok," Ichigo conceded, "So why are you here?"

"To pay you back for all the help you gave me!" Nui cheerfully clapped as she grabbed Ichigo's hand and began pulling him down the street, "I never properly thanked you for having your friend heal my eye. Think of this as family bonding, Ichigo!"

"Family bonding?" Ichigo tried to free himself from Nui's monstrous grip, "The last time we met you tore out my heart and held it in your hand!"

"Gosh, you're still focusing on the past? Ichigo, that's so unlike you!" Nui stuck her tongue out, "You should know that when a woman changes her underwear, she puts the past behind her. Now come on, I wonder what interesting things we can find around town!"


	31. Chapter 31: Paranoid

_Here's chapter 31. That review glitch last week really annoyed me. I woke up the next morning and saw I had around thirty reviews for the last chapter but I couldn't see nearly half of them. Luckily I didn't look any or I would be really upset. Anyway, here is the next chapter. There is one thing I should tell you and that is the omake **IS CANON!** Yes, that means what happens in the canon actually happened in the story. It's really helpful to read for the upcoming Karakura Occupation Arc. Also, this chapter is more than 20,000 words long.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 31 – Paranoid<strong>

"So you see, Ichigo, we're family!" Nui Harime exclaimed excited as she held Ichigo's beating heart in the palm of her hand. With her eyesight recently restored back to normal, she was able to see the look of terror and realization sweep across Ichigo's face.

"Isn't it amazing, Ichigo?" Nui continued off without a single care in the world. Sure she was upset that Ichigo was terrified she was holding his heart, but she knew that feeling would pass once he understood what she was talking about. Even Nui understood that destroying seventeen years' worth of memories and knowledge wasn't a simple thing to do without Mental Refitting and that just wouldn't work on Ichigo for a couple of reasons. Since Ichigo was a Life Fiber Hybrid like herself, trying to weave Life Fibers into his brain would automatically fail as the Life Fibers in his body would reject them. That is not to mention that Nui would never do something so heinous to her favorite cousin. He wasn't a human who didn't matter in the long run. Ichigo was a Life Fiber Hybrid like herself and so Nui would never do anything that insulting to him!

Ryuko Matoi stared at what was held in Nui's hand with a mixture of horror and mute shock. As she desperately managed to push her failing body back onto its feet, which was still immensely weakened from her earlier berserk rampage across Honnouji Academy, Ryuko leaned on her red Scissor Blade as a makeshift crutch. She was confused beyond belief why Ichigo had Life Fibers in his body but that was something she could ask him about later. Right now Nui Harime was literally holding Ichigo's life in the palm of her hand and as long as she could draw breathe, Ryuko was not about to let the Grand Couturier take anymore of her friends from her.

"Hey Mako," Ryuko whispered softly but just loud enough that her overactive best friend snapped to attention. Once she was certain Mako was paying close attention to her every word, Ryuko muttered, "You should get somewhere safe. Nui Harime is extremely dangerous and I have a feeling things are going to get bad again. I…I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Mako Mankanshoku puffed her cheeks out in a caricature of a pout and stepped closer to Ryuko until she was invading her friend's personal space, "The safest place is next to you, Ryuko! I don't remember much from what happened before my crazy dream of death, but I do remember seeing that girl over there appearing out of nowhere in a flash of super speed! Therefore, the safest place would be right next to you!"

Ryuko seemed ready to argue with Mako's insane leap of logic but instead she simply gave a tired smile. It felt strange to realize Mako had a valid point but Ryuko wasn't about to argue. If Mako staying close meant she would be kept safe, than Ryuko was willing to put up with it. With that particular conversation dealt with for the time being, Ryuko focused her ire on Satsuki Kiryuin, but her anger bled away when she saw the look of fear in her adversary's eyes. For as long as Ryuko could remember Satsuki's emotions, when she wasn't staring at everyone with her usual passive expression, consisted of either anger or smug superiority. To see the normally implacable Student Council President looking at Nui Harime with noticeable apprehension began to force Ryuko to question just how dangerous the Grand Couturier truly was.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ichigo?" Nui tilted her head to the side, her blonde pigtails bouncing softly while her eyes seemed to tear up, "You look sad. Is there something bothering you?"

Ichigo gasped heavily, his every ragged breath shortened to the point of hyperventilation, as he stared at his own beating heart held in the hand of a psychotic teenage girl. Damn it, he thought as beads of sweat poured down his face hued blue from the Life Fibers in his heart, he should have been used to this sort of crap already. During his short time as a substitute shinigami, he had his body nearly severed in two, a hand shoved through his chest and a hole shot clear through his body from front to back. That is not to mention the countless number of grievous wounds he'd accumulated fighting all his opponents. All of that paled in comparison, however, to watching someone holding his beating heart in their hand like it was nothing special.

"Don't tell me this actually hurts you. Oh! I know what I can do cheer you up!" Nui seemed to find Ichigo's panic-stricken expression disheartening and decided to show Ichigo that there shouldn't be any reason to worry. Stabbing her purple Scissor Blade into the ground, Nui raised her left arm into the air, wiggled her fingers mysteriously in the air and proceeded to thrust her hand into her chest right where her heart was.

"What the fuck…" Ryuko gasped as she watched the Grand Couturier appear to commit suicide with a smile on her face.

Ururu Tsumugiya watched worriedly as her twin dug into her own chest with a cheerful expression on her face. Nui didn't even seem to be the least bit perturbed by what she was doing. In fact, not a drop of blood was spilling out of the Grand Couturier's body from around her hand. As much as she wanted to help Ichigo, Ururu didn't want to risk trying only to end up harming Ichigo in the process of saving him. So with a feeling of powerlessness that was so strange to the normally quiet girl, Ururu lowered her arms with her hands clenched tightly into fists. As she watched Nui dig around in her chest, Ururu vowed to make her move the second she had an opening. This time there would be fight. Ururu was going to kill her sister if only to protect her friends from Nui's psychotic machinations.

"Here we go!"

Nui removed her hand from her chest with a wet squelching noise and brought out with it her own Life Fiber infused heart. As she held the organ glowing purple from the Life Fibers composing it up for all to see, Nui's line of thought revolved completely around showing Ichigo that they were actually family. After all, there was no one else here besides her sister that she could do this to without killing them. Humans were so fragile that it almost brought a tear of pity to the Grand Couturier's eyes when she thought about what was going to happen to them.

"See!" Nui laughed happily as she held her own beating heart next to Ichigo's. As the blue glow from Ichigo's heart mixed and swirled with the purple light her own heart was giving off, Nui stuck her tongue out childishly and gloated, "I wasn't lying when I said we're family, you know. The way our hearts beat in unison is proof that we're family! I really do care about you Ichigo! Family is family, after all, and one should always make sure to love their family."

"Like hell I believe that!"

Managing to pierce through the veil of helplessness that had permeated his nerves after watching his heart get pulled from his chest, Ichigo clasped a hand around Nui's wrist before tightening his grip hard enough that a crackling sound was heard as he temporarily shattered her forearm. Staring straight into the Grand Couturier's blue eyes even as he felt the bones in her arm shift around and regenerate, Ichigo swung Tournesol with the intent of hitting Nui's heart only to be frustrated when the Grand Couturier spun around his attack.

"Gosh, you are just full of energy!" Nui clapped her hands as she let her heart get pulled back into her chest with a faint sucking sound. As she stared enraptured while the veins and arteries connected to Ichigo's heart did the same, Nui clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, "So tell me how you feel Ichigo! Since you aren't human, there shouldn't be any reason for you to hang out with them anymore! Let's leave this dull place and go have lots of fun elsewhere!"

Ichigo watched his heart get pulled back into his body before his wound healed up without nary a scar or mark. Even Mugetsu's armor was repairing itself and within seconds was as good as new but was concerned Ichigo the most was how Life Fibers got into his body. It couldn't have been recent or he would have remembered it. The only conclusion that made any sense to him was that he was born with them, which just went and raised a lot more questions.

"Mugetsu…" Ichigo muttered as he stared at Nui Harime, "Are you alright?"

"_**Yes. My Life Fibers were able to regenerate the damage Nui Harime did to my body,"**_Mugetsu answered with a concerned look in her eyes. It was odd that Ichigo was less concerned with why he had Life Fibers in his body than she was, _**"Ichigo, why aren't you –"**_

"There's no time for that now," Ichigo cut off his Kamui with a wave of his hand.

Pointing Tournesol at Nui, who was smiling as she observed Ichigo speak with Mugetsu, he shouted passionately, "I don't give a fuck what my body is made of! I could be made of nothing but Life Fibers but I will always consider myself a human because that is what I am! What my body is made of doesn't change a damn thing, so you can take your offer and go to hell!"

Nui didn't say anything to Ichigo, which caused him to worry more than anything else. She just continued to stare at him with her blue eyes framed in shadow with an expressionless face masking whatever it was she was truly thinking. After a couple of seconds, Nui reached for her purple Scissor Blade and turned around to leave.

"Oh well…" Nui shrugged childishly as she skipped away from the group. She hadn't really expected Ichigo to come to her side right away. If he did, it would really have lowered the respect she had for her cousin. Life Fiber Hybrids were supposed to have strong wills and minds. If Ichigo had caved in the first time she explained everything, Nui would have been really disappointed in her cousin. Turning her head around and blowing a kiss to Ichigo and then Ururu, Nui leapt up onto a piece of pillar and said, "I'll see you around Ichigo, so don't go being a stranger! Oh, and don't worry about me Satsuki, I won't be coming back to Honnouji Academy any time soon! I have much more important things to do now like figuring out what to do with my time. Since I don't want to kill Ryuko anymore, my schedule for the next few days just super opened up, you know."

"What…" Ryuko staggered forward and stared angrily at the Grand Couturier, "…the fuck are you blabbering about now?"

"Humph. Gosh, you really are a rude girl!" Nui pouted before she stuck her tongue out, "But since you asked so nicely, I was planning on donning a disguise to get you to let your guard down so I could destroy your Kamui and kill you all in one afternoon. But you don't have to worry about that anymore! I have no more interest in making you suffer. I have two eyes now and it's all thanks to Orihime, which is such a peculiar name…"

"Nui Harime!"

"Gee, you're really pushy today, Satsuki. Fine, I'll get going," Nui rolled her eyes at Satsuki's demanding tone before she mockingly spat at Ragyo's firstborn daughter and disappeared in a flash of speed.

Once he was certain Nui Harime was no longer in Honnouji Academy, Ichigo allowed Mugetsu to shift back into her normal uniform and immediately felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He hadn't noticed it while wearing Mugetsu, but his battle against Ryuko had taken a toll on his body. Turning to walk away, his every muscle screaming in defiance at the motion, Ichigo barely took three steps before a familiar voice asked, "Where do you think you are going, Ichigo?"

Satsuki Kiryuin did not like what Nui Harime did to her school at all and she needed to consult with her Elite Four as well as Ichigo concerning what their countermove should be. Nui Harime's behavior was chaotic at best and Satsuki did not doubt that if the Grand Couturier truly wished to return, she would find some sort of loophole to exploit. She had underestimated Nui's cunning too much already and for future encounters, Satsuki planned view Nui as threat she truly was. When Ichigo continued to walk away from her, despite hearing her question, Satsuki decided to ask once more, "Where do you think you are going, Ichigo? Nui Harime may be gone but there are still things left to do."

"I don't need to tell you anything," Ichigo answered coldly, but despite his tone he wasn't angry at Satsuki. He was still reeling from what Nui had shown about his body and Ichigo needed to have some peace and quiet to think more about it. He also needed to call his dad up and demand answers but Ichigo preferred to do that in person. That way if his dad was being annoying he could hit him.

"W-Wait up, Ichigo!" Orihime stuttered as she rushed after Ichigo. After watching everything that happened she could not stand on the sides anymore. The callousness and brutality of Nui Harime's every action terrified her but Ichigo needed her more than ever and Orihime wasn't about to watch her friend just walk away without any help. Easily catching up to Ichigo, she wrapped one of his arms around her neck and suppressed the luminescent blush of embarrassment that threatened to highlight her face red.

"Orihime?"

"You shouldn't keep pushing yourself like this!" Orihime scolded childishly as she made sure not to look at Ichigo's face, "I know I can't say I understand what you feel. Watching someone hold your beating heart in front of your face is like something out of an old movie, but you're hurt Ichigo! Please let me look at your injuries once we get back to your room."

"Thanks Orihime," Ichigo admitted, "I could really use your help."

Satsuki watched Orihime and Ichigo leave before she turned her gaze away toward Ryuko. She knew she should have been disappointed with Matoi's lack of control over Kamui, but after everything that happened in the last twenty minutes, Satsuki couldn't help but let such matters slide in order to focus on more important matters. Watching Matoi lose control and turn into a berserk monster only to regain her mind was one thing, but seeing a girl bring Mako Mankanshoku back from the dead with the ease of breathing was something else entirely.

"You are free to go, Matoi," Satsuki mentioned offhandedly as she forced Junketsu to shift back to its normal military-style uniform. Noticing Jakuzure flying in to pick her up, Satsuki slowly sheathed Bakuzan and stared into Ryuko's defiant gaze, "Due to recent events I have canceled the Naturals Selection. Any infractions you have accumulated over the past week are hereby expunged. I recommend that you use what free time you have to understand just why you are so weak. If you couldn't handle Nui Harime's mind games, then there is no chance you will ever defeat her in battle."

Ryuko grit her teeth and tried to approach Satsuki only for her legs to give out under her. Staring heatedly at Satsuki's back while Mako blubbered about calling her dad, she growled, "Why you…"

Satsuki tuned out the rest of Ryuko's threat as she jumped up into the air and landed on top of Nonon's Symphony Regalia Mark III. Holding onto one of the clarinet thrusters as a wave of exhaustion washed over her body, Satsuki focused her thoughts inwards, _"Orihime Inoue seems to be an old friend of Ichigo's going by his familiarity with her frightening powers. Both of them do come from Karakura Town, which is the only city in Japan to not be controlled by either my mother's company or the Takarada Conglomerate. Leaving such a location unclaimed might seriously affect my plans if Ichigo has more allies with other unique abilities. Perhaps I will need to consider revising the Tri-City Schools Raid Trip to account for this new variable…"_

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><p>In one of the spacious boardrooms near the top of Revocs Headquarters, a young woman with long magenta hair growled angrily to anyone in hearing range as she sat down in one of the plush leather chairs. Tucking her knees up and spinning the chair around out of sheer boredom until she was dizzy, Riruka Dokugamine huffed as she slammed her feet onto the large table in the center of the room.<p>

"God, where is everyone? You would think they would be on time," Riruka growled more from boredom than any true anger. She had no idea why Lady Ragyo had pulled her away from Tokyo back to headquarters and the fact that she only needed to take a one hour helicopter flight instead of an all-day one didn't matter one bit to her. As much as she was loyal to the Kiryuin matriarch, Riruka Dokugamine did not appreciate being recalled without at least a little information. When the only other person in the boardroom did not respond, Riruka's left eye started to twitch before she rounded on him and shouted, "Hey! I'm talking to you, you know, so pay attention!"

Giriko Kutsuzawa reluctantly pulled his attention away from the antique pocket-watch he was polishing, an heirloom from his grandfather, towards Riruka. Unlike the much younger member of Xcution yelling at him, Giriko was perhaps the oldest member of the group. Most people would assume Life Fiber Resistance was higher when one was young but Giriko was the perfect counter example to such a notion. With the hair near his temples already beginning to gray from age, Giriko stared out the full-length windows overlooking the rest of Revocs Headquarters and the early afternoon before calmly speaking, "I wish you would mind your manners, Miss Dokugamine. Lady Ragyo always has a reason for doing what she does and complaining about it would do nothing besides earn her ire. Also, I recommend you remove your feet from the table. Lady Ragyo would be most unpleased if she sees you scuffing her property again."

"Yeah…well…who asked you anyone?" Riruka sputtered out indignantly as she quickly moved her feet off the table.

"I believe you just did," Giriko answered bluntly before his expression seemed to perk up. Momentarily looking at his pocket-watch before placing the device into his pocket, Giriko slowly walked over to his seat and sat down before saying, "Ah, it appears that Yukio has just arrived at headquarters. He shall be here in no more than forty-five seconds."

"Your Époque Raiment is as annoying as ever!" Riruka snapped, "How the hell does anything surprise you if you can predict the future? Hey, wait a minute, you already knew I was going to ask that, didn't you? Admit it!"

"It was nothing of the sort," Giriko explained calmly, much to Riruka's growing irritation. Folding his hands under his chin and giving her a sly smile, he continued, "I suppose you wish for me to say that I can read your thoughts or determine what someone is going to do before they do it. Is that correct? The truth is that I have exceptionally good eyesight and noticed Yukio walking into the lobby."

"What? That's impossible!" Riruko jumped out of her chair and ran towards the window. Pressing her face against the glass, smudging it slightly as she narrowed her eyes in order to see better, she eventually turned back around and pointed an accusatory finger at Giriko, "You're lying! There's no way anyone can see anything from all the way up here unless they had the eyes of a hawk!"

"Is she still putting off going to the optometrist?" Yukio Hans Vorarlberna asked as he walked into the boardroom and looked around before shrugging. It was a well-known fact that Rirukia had bad eyes, myopia if Yukio bothered to remember correctly. Every member of Xcution has the best health care in the world and yet Riruka refused to go have her eyes checked. Lady Ragyo had suggested once for Riruka to go and while the magenta haired girl had gone, once she left the eye doctor, she immediately tore up the prescription they gave her. The only reason the rest of them knew how bad her eyes actually were was because Ginjo somehow managed to gather all the discarded pieces of the prescription after Riruka stormed away.

"Hey, how's it going Riruka! Long time no see!"

Riruka froze up with her face pressed against the window. With her nails beginning to leave jagged crevasses on the clear surface, Riruka narrowed her magenta eyes and growled, "I'm going to count to four and when I turn around you better not be there, Shishigawara, or you're dead!"

Moe Shishigawara felt his survival instincts kicking in and he immediately backtracked away from Riruka before sitting down and making sure he wasn't looking at the enraged girl. He might have a crush on Riruka but he wasn't stupid enough to risk dying over something like that. Once he heard Riruka sit down, he glanced over at Giriko and asked, "Yo Giriko, where is Ginjo and Tsukishima? Usually those two are always the first to these meetings."

"I do not know," Giriko admitted pensively, "But Miss Hououmaru will undoubtedly inform us about the situation once she arrives."

After nearly ten awkward minutes of silence, only punctuated by Riruka's valiant attempt to destroy the game console Yukio was playing and failing due to the shorter member of Xcution seeing it coming long before she tried, the doors to the boardrooms opened and Rei Hououmaru walked in. Rei was not just the secretary to Ragyo Kiryuin but also the head of Xcution, the security division created to defend the head of Revocs from any and all threats to her person.

As her white high heels clicked across the marble flooring, Rei headed towards the large screen taking up the entire wall at the far end of the conference table and entered in a very specific set of numbers known only to her before pressing her thumb against the finger scanner. Instantly a large amount of data and charts began to flash across the screen and as Rei walked over to her seat, all the members of Xcution put on their sunglasses as Ragyo Kiryuin walked through the door with the usual intense rainbow light filtering in behind her.

"Good afternoon, Lady Ragyo," the present members of Xcution shouted respectfully while they stood up and bowed in unison at the Kiryuin matriarch.

Ragyo did not speak until she was seating firmly at the far side of the table. Crossing her hands in front of her face and gazing at her assistant with maroon eyes, Ragyo asked, "Hououmaru, have you informed the rest of Xcution about the purpose of this meeting?"

"I did not, Ma'am," Rei apologized, "I was under the impression that you wished to inform them yourself."

"Indeed," Ragyo paused momentarily as her eyes glanced around the table at the five members of Xcution present. Standing up once more and placing her hands gently on the table, Ragyo took a second to think before she began to speak, "As you may have noticed, three of your fellow Xcution members have failed to heed the order to return to Revocs. Hououmaru?"

"Right away, Ma'am," Rei stood up and faced the rest of Xcution. Folding her hands in front of her body, she began explaining, "Earlier this week Jackie Tristan was defeated by an unknown Kamui wearer while working in Paris. She was defeated after an intense battle against this Kamui wearer before her Sanguinaire Raiment was destroyed. Both the remains of the Raiment and Jackie Tristan were taken prisoner by this woman, who we know works for Nudist Beach."

With a flick of her wrist, Rei pressed a button and the screen changed to a full body picture of Kinue Kinagase wearing Danketsu. The reactions of Xcution upon seeing the previously unknown Kamui were common. They all had grown used to the power and respect their raiment gave them but to hear of how a Kamui could so easily best one of them gave them reason to be nervous. Jackie Tristan's Sanguinaire Raiment's overall power was on the higher end and she could defeat most of them in a straight up fight if it lasted long enough. For her to be defeated after being bloodied spoke wonders for Kinue's power.

"Yo, I don't mean to be rude, Lady Ragyo, but shouldn't we wait for Ginjo and Tsukishima to show up?" Shishigawara asked nervously. He may be a member of Xcution but even that wouldn't protect him from Ragyo's wrath if he said the wrong thing.

"Ginjo will not be showing up," Ragyo said coolly, not betraying the anger festering in her heart. As the rainbow light behind her head intensified alongside her emotions, her eyes narrowed angrily, "He has betrayed Revocs."

"My word…" Giriko's eyes were wide in shock while the rest of Xcution apart from Hououmaru were equally stunned. Ginjo had always been the most loyal of them all, second only to Hououmaru in terms of respect and power. For him to betray Lady Ragyo was an unexpected slap to the face.

"I-Impossible!" Riruka shouted passionately, "Ginjo may have been a stuck up prick, but he's not a traitor!"

"For once I agree with Riruka. Ginjo was always one hundred percent loyal to you, Lady Ragyo. What could cause him to commit such a traitorous act?" Yukio felt a weight sink in his stomach and for the first time in memory he found that he lacked the urge to play video games whatsoever. Ginjo had been the one to help train his Fantaisie Raiment to its current state. Yukio would never have been able to join Xcution if Ginjo hadn't helped him push through the Grand Couturier's intense and deadly training.

"Kugo Ginjo was caught by the Grand Couturier attempting to steal Revocs secrets from our Moscow base two days ago," Rei Hououmaru snapped her fingers and the screen changed to show Ginjo in the server room downloading information from the central computer. Snapping her fingers a second time, the screen changed to show him getting into a helicopter on a snowy roof, "While the Grand Couturier was able to severely wound Kugo Ginjo, he still managed to escape with the data. The latest projections for his flight path show him heading in the vicinity of Osaka."

"Karakura Town…"

Rei turned when Ragyo mentioned the name of the Isshin's city, "Both Karakura Town and Osaka lay along the same flight path. If anyone could get Ginjo to betray me, it would be Isshin Shiba. That wondrous man is so intelligent sometimes that I can't help but think why I don't just kill him."

"So we have to hunt down Ginjo now?" Riruka growled before looking around, "Hey, where's Tsukishima when you need him. If anyone could figure out where Ginjo could be hiding it would be his little protégé!"

"Tsukishima is currently considered deceased," Rei flicked her wrist once more and the screen changed to show the city of San Francisco, where several columns of smoke and fire could be seen rising from the streets. As the destruction continued to play out on the screen, Rei folded her arms behind her back and explained, "The woman wearing the Kamui that we now know is called Danketsu was seen entering the city of San Francisco nearly ten hours before this video was taken. Once she managed to track down Shukurou Tsukishima, he used his Mémoire Raiment on the San Francisco Police Department as well as the personnel at Moffett Federal Airfield. The woman simply cut her way through the humans before she engaged him in combat and stabbed her weapon through his heart. His body has yet to be recovered."

"Damn…" Shishigawara leaned back in his chair in a state of mute shock, "…Tsukishima's dead? When are we going to make those nudist bastards pay for this?"

"Soon," Ragyo smirked psychotically as plans within plans were born within her mind. She had many things to do in order to get the world set for COVERS and the setback in Europe was not something she was going to take lightly, "There are many things to do before we are to proceed. Finding this woman will be your top priority. Use whatever means you have to, but once you see her, please do give me a call. I would like to meet her personally and discuss where she obtained her marvelous Kamui…"

"All of you apart from Dokugamine are to go back to your respective sectors and await further instructions," Rei ordered without haste. Noticing the confused, and annoyed, look on the magenta haired girl, Rei handed her a folder, "You are currently being reassigned to Lady Ragyo's daughter."

"I have to babysit her?" Riruka spat as she looked over the information concerning her mission. It seemed that Satsuki was planning a School Raid Trip in the upcoming days and would require some assistance. After a moment of thinking it over, Riruka snapped the folder shut and threw her hands up into the air, "Fine, I'll do it Lady Ragyo, but why do I even have to go? By the looks of things, Satsuki seems to have all the power she needs. Her Kamui is much more powerful than my Duveteux Raiment."

"The answer is very simple Riruka," Ragyo grinned menacingly as she leaned forward and stared at Riruka, "Satsuki is not one to let someone like Ichigo fall through the cracks. She will be forced by her own rules to go after Karakura Town, which is a place she will never be able to take. You are to watch her and make sure she lives. I do not need her perishing before her final role in this grand play is fulfilled."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Deep within the central control room of Honnouji Academy where the Student Council could monitor and gather data on every student and civilian, Satsuki Kiryuin gratefully accepted the cup of bitter tea Soroi had prepared for her. It had been nearly a day since the end of Ryuko Matoi's rampage through the courtyard and Satsuki needed to move things along. As she stared at the dozens of monitors lining the massive wall in front of her, her face lit up with a pale white glow from the screens, Satsuki watched as her fellow students prepared for the School Raid Trip.<p>

In the aftermath of Nui Harime's appearance at Honnouji Academy and her subsequent murder of Mako Mankanshoku, Satsuki felt it was best to push up the School Raid Trip from the week after next. She did not believe for an instant that the Grand Couturier had simply let go of her grudge against Ryuko Matoi simply because Orihime Inoue restored her eye. For all the years that she had known Nui Harime, Satsuki had not once seen the Grand Couturier let someone who had slighted her escape with their life. While Satsuki knew she should have Inumuta monitor the security cameras dotting Honnou City for any sign of the Grand Couturier, she kept finding her thoughts drifting back to the revelation concerning Ichigo Kurosaki.

He was a Life Fiber Hybrid.

Satsuki knew only of two such beings in existence – Nui Harime and her other. She had suspected the Grand Couturier was not human for many years but after watching Nui tear her own heart out of her chest, Satsuki's suspicions were all but confirmed. As for her mother, Satsuki had no definite proof but it was just too contrived of a coincidence that she could not be human. All the signs that her mother was a Life Fiber Hybrid were in front of her eyes, from the rainbow colored hair to the fact that she hadn't appeared to age in twenty years. When she eventually betrayed her mother, Satsuki would need to account for the insane regeneration she knew her mother most likely possessed. If she were to manage to behead her mother, Satsuki would not let her guard down and immediately proceed to dismembering the rest of her body before burning it to ashes.

"_I did not anticipate such a thing,"_ Satsuki conceded mentally as she finished her tea and narrowed her eyes, _"In retrospect, Ichigo's power was always supernatural. His control over Mugetsu from the start was always suspicious. Both Matoi and I had issues with Senketsu and Junketsu respectfully before we were able to force our Kamui to grant us their full power. Ichigo, however, never seemed to have that issue. Could his status as a Life Fiber Hybrid have granted him some unforeseen resistance to his Kamui's mental assaults?"_

She would have gone and asked Ichigo himself about his newly revealed status but for the past twenty-four hours he had confined himself to his room with the only person allowed inside being Orihime Inoue. Ryuko Matoi was also in a similar state after her rampage, which irritated Satsuki. She had counted on Matoi and Ichigo to try and run interference with the School Raid Trip and gain power and control over their Kamui but that seemed less and less likely, but with the change in venue for the trip it might be best that they not interfere.

"Status Report."

Uzu Sanageyama, wearing a green jersey and holding a wooden shinai in his left hand, was the first to speak. Leaning back on the couch and tapping his shinai against his shoulder, he turned his head to Satsuki and spoke, "All Athletic Committee Squads are prepared and ready to hit Karakura Town from the west. We will move swiftly and take control of the Old Karakura Train Station as well as Karakura General Hospital."

Houka Inumuta frowned but the high collar on his blue jersey hid it from the rest of the Elite Four. Adjusting his glasses with the tip of his index finger, Inumuta scoffed and said, "You should be cautious, Sanageyama. Your part of Lady Satsuki's plan involves you passing close to Ichigo Kurosaki's home. If the data I've managed to gather about his family is to be considered accurate, his father is an exceptionally dangerous man capable of standing up to Lady Ragyo. It would be wise if you refrain from attempting anything against Ichigo's family."

"Who do you think I am? I would never go after Ichigo's family just because I have a grudge against the guy," Sanageyama spat at the insult Inumuta was giving him. He had too much honor and pride to attack Ichigo's family just because he lost to the kid.

"There is something else you should know," Inumuta began rapidly typing on his laptop before with a single stroke pressed a key and brought up a map of Karakura Town on the screen behind Satsuki. Standing up and walking up to the screen, Inumuta pressed his finger against the map and highlighted a building, "Karakura General Hospital is controlled by Ryuken Ishida. He is the father of Uryu Ishida and head of the Ishida Medical Conglomerate, which rivals the Kiryuin Conglomerate in terms of both power and influence. Lady Satsuki, I recommend on the basis of these facts that you change Sanageyama's orders. Instead of taking Karakura General Hospital he should continue pushing eastward past it until he reaches Karakura Community Park. Doing so will potentially diffuse a situation that could cost us dearly."

"Agreed," Satsuki leaned back and folded her hands under her chin. Antagonizing the Ishida Conglomerate would be a serious lack of judgment on her part. Satsuki had heard of her mother's failed attempt to assassinate Ryuken Ishida a few weeks ago, which meant the man was a potentially serious threat to her mother's plans. She would rather have someone like him on her side than against her, "But it seems like you have forgotten one thing, Inumuta. There is another dangerous factor to account for – Tatsuki Arisawa."

"Tatsuki Arisawa?" Inumuta wracked his brain for why that name seemed so familiar and it wasn't just because it sounded nearly the same as Satsuki, "Wait a second, isn't she –"

"The second strongest girl in Japan after me," Satsuki finished stoically. She remembered that tournament quite well since it was the only time since she first started putting together her grand plan that she nearly lost in a fight. She had initially entered the tournament with the goal of searching for new recruits to join Honnouji Academy but when she fought Tatsuki in the final match, her goal had shifted to winning. The match had dragged on for several minutes and after she managed to shatter Tatsuki's arm using nothing but her own hand-to-hand skills, Satsuki had fully expected her opponent to give up. She was thus surprised when Tatsuki continued to fight her with a broken arm, earning Satsuki's respect. The fight had continued on for another few minutes and Satsuki only won when the judges had declared Tatsuki to be in too much pain to continue fighting.

"She very nearly bested me two summers ago in a tournament," Satsuki explained to her Elite Four, "Tatsuki Arisawa is not someone to be underestimated. She can most likely take out a Two-Star student with ease if her strength has increased as much as mine has. Now then, Gamagori, are your brigades prepared?"

Ira Gamagori sat at attention once he realized Satsuki was waiting for him to give his report, "The Disciplinary Committee is ready to move out upon your word, Lady Satsuki! We shall move upon Karakura Town from the south through Tsubakidai Park until we reach Mashiba Middle School. My forces are more than sufficient to accomplish the task you gave us!"

"I've done some further calculations on your route," Inumuta pointed to the screen, where a large arrow began snaking up from the south towards Mashiba Middle School, "The most expedient route will take you through the Sakurabashi Sector, but that will put you within a block of the homes of two of Ichigo Kurosaki's friends – Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. If we extrapolate out Orihime Inoue's powers on the basis that she is not unique, it is likely Yasutora Sado possesses some sort of ability as well. Use every precaution needed if you find yourself facing him."

"Understood," Gamagori nodded.

"I guess it's my turn now," Nonon Jakuzure cheerfully announced as she waved her baton around in the air all while a large smirk was evident on her face. Clad in her dark blue Symphony Regalia Mark III, the only remaining Three-Star Goku Uniform, she pointed the baton at Satsuki and said, "I'm supposed to lead the Non-Athletic Squads south through the Yumisawa Sector straight toward Karakura High School."

When there was silence after she finished, Nonon turned to Inumuta and sarcastically growled, "Hey, aren't you going to give me any stupid advice?"

Inumuta looked at Nonon in mock surprise, "Are you actually asking for my advice? Well, if you insist and are desperate enough, I suppose I can offer you some advice."

"Bite me, Doggy."

"Your route through the Yumisawa Sector takes you past the Ishida family home," Inumuta continued off while ignoring Jakuzure's scathing remark, "Much like my advice to Sanageyama, it would wise to put as much distance between you and the Ishida home as possible. There is no need to antagonize a potentially dangerous enemy."

"Your precautions are welcome, Inumuta, but we shall move too fast for Ichigo Kurosaki's friends to put up any resistance," Gamagori boasted proudly. Leaping onto his feet, he patted his hand against his massive chest and shouted, "Do not forget that the students of Honnouji Academy possess Goku Uniforms imbued with the power of Life Fibers while Karakura High School does not have any such thing. There is nothing that can stand in our way!"

"That's not what I heard," Sanageyama spoke up cryptically, causing Gamagori to look at him with a perplexed expression. Sensing the Disciplinary Committee Chair's focus, Sanageyama sighed and thought back on the rumors he heard from other schools, "It's just rumors, but apparently Karakura Town is the only place in Japan that is not ruled by either Lady Ragyo's company or the Takarada Conglomerate. While the Ishida Conglomerate is based in Karakura Town, the only sway they have is the millions of dollars donated to Karakura High School every year."

"That's not a cause for concern," Gamagori answered after a moment, "Surely –"

"You should have let Sanageyama finish, Gamagori," Inumuta interrupted rudely, "There is one thing you do not know. Starting about nineteen years ago, Karakura Town has had a permanent ban on any products made by Revocs. Anything containing Life Fibers is always stopped at the outskirts of the city and confiscated before being destroyed. The city is completely and thoroughly Life Fiber free."

"Impossible!" Gamagori shouted in disbelief. He found it extremely hard to believe that the citizens of Karakura Town did not wear Revocs clothing. If that was the case, then surely they would not be able to put up much of a fight against Satsuki's forces. Knowing that the Student Council President undoubtedly had a plan for all this, Gamagori frowned before voicing his complaints, "I mean no disrespect, Lady Satsuki, but if Karakura High School does not possess weaponry able to go against our Goku Uniforms, surely it would be better to divide our forces and assault the Kansai Region as well."

"It would be wise to heed Inumuta and Sanageyama's advice, Gamagori, lest you find yourself defeated in battle," Satsuki calmly said while Soroi poured her another cup of his bitter tea.

Sipping the tea gently, the bitter liquid soothing after years of drinking it, Satsuki waited several seconds before continuing, "Many years ago when I was first beginning to plan the conquest of the Japanese school system, my mother came to me and forbade me from conquering Karakura Town. I was confused and perplexed by her rather hands-on advice to what she had previously felt was none of her concern. When I asked her why I should not take over Karakura Town, she coldly informed me that the city possessed a power strong enough to not only repel my forces but also keep her out as well. At the time I had no idea what she meant, but after the last few weeks I realize she was referring to Isshin Kurosaki. If that man is able to scare Nui Harime into submission then he is not to be underestimated."

"You need not worry about us, Lady Satsuki. We will succeed in our goal of conquering Karakura Town!" Gamagori boasted with much more control. If Satsuki was apprehensive about Ichigo's father, it would be in his best interest to not do anything to antagonize the man. Once he was dismissed, Gamagori was going to give the Disciplinary Squads orders that if they came across Ichigo's sisters that they are to be returned home alive, uninjured and happy.

Inumuta rolled his eyes at Gamagori's enthusiasm before focusing back on the data streaming across his laptop. There was so much to do with so little time left that he was spending every moment possible updating brigade orders, GPS trackers, topology reports of the land surrounding Karakura Town and everything else imaginable, "As you are aware, two weeks ago you gave me orders to keep an eye on Karakura Town as a precautionary measure. Five days ago the Information Strategy Team working with the Information Systems managed to listen in on a call originating from the Kurosaki Clinic and forwarded me the conversation, which I then gave to Iori. If what was heard is to be taken at face value, Isshin Kurosaki has built an Anti-Life Fiber shield that envelops the entirely of Karakura Town. The shield is of such strength that Goku Uniforms will not be able to work without the creator keying them into the shield's IFF program."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed in irritation, "What about Junketsu?"

Inumuta adjusted his glasses before answering, "Iori's calculations of the shield's composition and strength indicate that Junketsu will be able to activate, but that its power will be limited to just below a tenth of its current strength."

"I see…" It was extremely wise of Inumuta to inform Iori and while Satsuki was disappointed she hadn't been informed, the more she thought about it the more she realized Inumuta had no reason to tell her. It wasn't until yesterday that the Tri-School Raids Trip was changed from the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto to simply Karakura Town. Pressing a button on her chair, Satsuki turned around as one of the monitors flared to life before Iori appeared, "Iori, have you thought of a solution to pierce the shield surrounding Karakura Town?"

There was a ruffling of paper before the Sewing Club President answered, "I've looked over the data surrounding the shield and quickly determined that whoever created it is a complete master of Life Fiber manipulation. The shield is on a level of complexity nearly identical to that of Junketsu and will not allow anyone wearing Life Fibers to pass through without being keyed into the shield's IFF program. We can certainly enter Karakura Town but our Goku Uniforms will be completely useless once we're inside."

"So you have nothing?"

"I did not say that, Lady Satsuki," Iori coughed nervously before the camera panned away to show a vial about the size of his head with several Life Fibers floating around inside of it. Focusing the camera closer, Iori's voice reappeared, "After countless hours of failing to devise a method to get through the Anti-Life Fiber shield, I had an epiphany after witnessing yesterday's footage of Ichigo Kurosaki. As I saw Nui Harime expose Ichigo's true nature, I began to realize that whoever created the shield must have keyed in Ichigo. He is from Karakura Town, after all, and it would make sense that he could come and go without any issues. After the Grand Couturier retreated, I sent a small team to the scene of the fight to collect as many of Ichigo Kurosaki's Life Fibers, which was very little I'm afraid, but by sewing his Life Fibers into the Special Anti-Karakura Combat-Spec Goku Uniforms we should be recognized by the IFF system and allowed through. However, there is still a small problem."

Satsuki frowned and looked at Iori with piercing blue eyes, "However?"

Iori looked away nervously, "There was an unforeseen complication with Ichigo's Life Fibers. They began breaking down and destroying themselves almost as soon as we began collecting them. It's a fascinating defense mechanism and will result in the complete decomposition of all gathered Life Fibers within forty eight hours."

"Great work, Iori," Satsuki complimented the Sewing Club President before gently pushing herself out of her chair. There was much to do with very little time to do it, "If the Life Fibers you gathered are unstable, then the Raid Trip to Karakura Town will be moved up to tomorrow at 5:00 AM. We cannot afford to let this golden opportunity pass us by. Have you managed to weave Ichigo's Life Fibers into the Elite Four's new uniforms?"

Iori nodded, "Jakuzure's Symphony Regalia should be simple enough to patch but the rest of the new Three-Star Goku Uniforms will not be finished until 10:00 AM at the earliest. The final adjustments are taking longer than I thought but I will have them delivered as quickly as possible."

While the prospect that the Raid Trip would be going on as scheduled relieved Satsuki, there was something about the situation that put her on edge. Ichigo did not seem to know he was a Life Fiber Hybrid until Nui Harime ripped his heart out and showed him. If Ichigo did not know then how did the creator of the Anti-Life Fiber shield manage to imprint his Life Fibers into the IFF system? The creator of the shield was most likely Isshin Kurosaki but that just raised the question of whether or not Ichigo's father knew Ichigo was a hybrid all along. With that and many other questions plaguing her mind, Satsuki turned back to her Elite Four and slammed Bakuzan on the ground.

"Your new Goku Uniforms have been improved and upgraded based on the results of your fights against Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi!" A bright yellow and white light appeared behind Satsuki as she spoke, "Do not be ashamed of your defeat at the hands of the Kamui Mugetsu and Senketsu, for they were pure Life Fiber outfits and thus extremely powerful! Look forward to the future and your maturation as commanders of your Raid Trip Brigades! You are all dismissed! I shall see you all at 4:30 AM tomorrow morning!"

As the Elite Four left to prepare for the Raid Trip, Satsuki sat back down and closed her eyes in contemplation. After about a minute or two, she heard the elevator doors hiss open and saw Iori walking towards her. With a sly smile on her face, she looked at the couturier and said, "I suppose I should allow you to have Junketsu so you can upgrade it with Ichigo's Life Fibers."

"Yes," Iori stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to Satsuki and bowed, "But there might be a problem."

"A problem, you say?"

"Do you recall the small sample of Junketsu's sleeve you allowed the Sewing Club to have?"

Satsuki looked down at the spot where she had callously torn off part of Junketsu's sleeve. She had done the act without a moment of hesitation so that Iori could make sure her Kamui wasn't having any adverse effects on her body. Junketsu had easily regenerated itself within twenty-four hours but Satsuki could not forget the way her Kamui refused to work for her for several hours afterward.

"I had Ichigo's Life Fibers tested on the sample you gave us, in case the two pure samples would have a violent reaction," Iori pulled off his thin glasses and sighed, "The results were completely unexpected. Junketsu's sample completely absorbed Ichigo's Life Fibers into itself."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed, "What are you suggesting, Iori?"

"What I'm suggesting is that using Ichigo's Life Fibers on Junketsu could have unforeseen consequences. From what I could gather, if I were to put them into your Kamui you would be able to remain within Karakura Town's shield indefinitely, but any other effects are unknown at the moment. It is much too risky to allow the procedure to commence without at least another day of tests."

"I do not have time to think about things that might not occur," Satsuki exclaimed passionately after a moment of deep contemplation. Walking down the stairs toward Iori, the Student Council President stopped in front of him and declared, "If I allowed even the smallest of problems to stand before me, then nothing would get done! Let us go to the Sewing Club and commence with the procedure. I will not have my goals and dreams crushed by maybes and possibilities!"

As she walked towards the elevator to leave, Satsuki stopped and paused momentarily before speaking, "Soroi, please inform my mother that I shall have to postpone my meeting with her until 8:00 PM tonight."

The old butler bowed respectfully, "Yes, Milady. Shall I get the helicopter ready?"

"Yes," Satsuki answered as she walked into the elevator, "The procedure should not take more than an hour. Tell the pilot to get prepared for we leave as soon as I am done!"

Soroi watched Satsuki until the elevator doors closed with a hiss and he was left all alone. After spending the next few minutes cleaning up the room, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone that an old friend had given him many years ago. He still remembered to this day his friend's words about the phone being completely and totally untraceable and spy-proof. Slowly dialing in the number he knew by heart, Soroi put the phone to his ear and waited patiently for the person to pick up.

"Hello, old friend," Soroi greeted, "There's been a slight change in Miss Satsuki's plans. I think you should know that…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>As a clocked ticked monotonously in the background of the classroom, Ichigo folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair. Looking outside into the early afternoon sky, he frowned in annoyance at how hard it had been for him to find a place to sit and think, especially since Satsuki kept trying to find him. Eventually he had given up staying in his room and snuck down to one of the unused classrooms. Hopefully it would allow him enough time to come to terms with everything that happened to him.<p>

"Damn…" he quietly muttered as he clenched and flexed his hand. He may have Life Fibers in his body, if his heart was any indication, but he felt no different than before. Turning his hand over and staring at his palm, Ichigo quickly slammed it against the desk in front of him and winced as a lance of pain shot up his arm. Ok, so he still felt pain like a normal person, so why did it not hurt when Nui tore his heart out? Nothing made sense and the more he thought about it, the more convoluted things got, and it wasn't like he was the only one smarting after Nui's so-called 'surprise' from yesterday.

While Ichigo may be mildly depressed due to the revelations about his body, Ryuko had come out of everything much worse. After being brought back from her berserk state, Mako had informed him that she refused to not only leave her room but also but Senketsu back out. Apparently she was afraid of hurting him again, which Ichigo could understand. From what he was able to gather from Mugetsu's explanation, when Ryuko went berserk she caused Senketsu to feel an intense amount of pain. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was afraid of hurting Senketsu if she lost control again.

"_**Are you upset with me, Ichigo?"**_

Ichigo looked over at Mugetsu, who had someone managed to sit in the chair next to him. Ever since he returned from his fight against Ryuko, Ichigo had chosen not to wear his Kamui, but unlike Ryuko it was not out of fear or disgust. Rather, he wanted to get his head on straight as to what he truly was before doing anything stupid. The more he thought about everything Nui Harime had done and will mostly likely do in the future, the more Ichigo's anger increased. He needed a cool head if he wanted to confront the Grand Couturier about her actions, but going off half-cocked at someone like Nui was just begging for him to fall into a trap.

"No, I'm not mad at you," Ichigo answered, "I've just got a lot on my mind after yesterday and I needed some time to think."

"_**Then why do you refuse to wear me?"**_ Mugetsu waved her sleeves sadly at Ichigo while her collar appeared to droop.

"I just found out that I'm not exactly human. I need to come to terms with the fact that I'm half clothing or something like that," Ichigo said with a frown on his face. If he truly was a Life Fiber Hybrid, or whatever it was Nui had called him, then he needed to find out answers. He was going to need to have a really long and thorough chat with his dad the first chance he got.

Mugetsu deflated in sadness before her collar perked up as she remembered something from just after her birth. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness as soon as the ability to exist was given to her, but she remembered quite clearly something her creator told her, _**"There's something I think you should know, Ichigo. It's something my creator said right after I was born."**_

"Kisuke gave you a message?"

"_**Well…not exactly,"**_ Mugetsu looked away in embarrassment, _**"He didn't know that I was already sentient at the time, so it really was just my creator talking to himself. At the time I thought it was just rambling to himself, but after yesterday his words are starting to make a lot of sense."**_

Ichigo blinked in surprise before he asked, "What did he say?"

"_**Let me think…it's been so long,"**_ Mugetsu scratched where her chin would be before she answered, _**"I remember now! He was just finishing up by stitching when I heard him mutter to someone that your blood was quite strange and matched the spectrum of Life Fibers. Right before I fell back asleep until you awakened me once more, I heard Kisuke Urahara chuckle and tell somebody that the Life Fibers in your body was the least strange thing about you."**_

Just thinking about Kisuke smirking beneath that stupid bucket hat of his and talking about Life Fibers made Ichigo feel somewhat better. Standing back up, the weight on his mind lightened, he raised his hand to Mugetsu, whose eyes were beginning to water, and said, "Of course Kisuke would figure everything out before anybody else. I'm sorry for ignoring you all day, Mugetsu."

"_**It's fine Ichigo!" **_Mugetsu didn't care that she was acting like Senketsu and if Ichigo were to comment on her behavior in the future, she would deny it without fail. All that mattered at the moment was that her wearer was going to put her back on! Wrapping her sleeve around Ichigo's arm, she excitedly said, _**"Come on, put me on!"**_

"What the hell?" Ichigo struggled to remove Mugetsu as she desperately clawed at one of his only other outfits. Her jealousy of other clothes was legendary and Ichigo had woken up in the morning several times to find pairs of pants or shirts torn to shreds and Mugetsu with a guilty look in her eyes. As his Kamui growled and jumped on him, Ichigo's reflexes were fast enough for him to grab her in midair and hold her at arm's length.

"_**What are you waiting for?"**_

"I can't change here!" Ichigo argued, "Satsuki has cameras everywhere, remember? I sure as hell don't want her to see me naked!"

Mugetsu gave a soft growl as she became limp in his hands before huffing and saying, _**"Fine. Go to the bathroom so you can put me on…now!"**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the possessive nature of his Kamui and let go of her. As he turned to leave the classroom, Ichigo felt Mugetsu jump on his back and wrap her sleeves around his neck. Sometimes he was too much of a pushover for his own good. Just as he was thinking of the damage Mugetsu who undoubtedly do to his current attire, Ichigo opened the classroom's door and found himself face to face with a visibly bloodied Shinjiro Nagita.

"H-Hey, Ichigo," Shinjiro coughed out some blood and wheezed for breath as he gave a shaky smile, "I…I finally managed to get away from her…"

Ichigo didn't hesitate to catch his friend as the spectacled teen fell forward. Ignoring the blood flowing from Shinjiro's wounds, Ichigo helped him lean against the wall and asked, "I thought you were dead. Ryuko said Gamagori found your body weeks ago."

Shinjiro panted heavily before he managed to spit out the words, "T-That's what she wanted everyone to think. I…I wasn't the only one she kidnapped. There…There was another student that she killed and disguised as me. S-She needed to divert all suspicion because I…I think Lady Satsuki was starting to catch on to her plans."

"Who are you talking about?" Ichigo asked even though he already knew the answer, "Is it Nui Harime?"

Shinjiro nodded before tensing up as the pain in his left shoulder intensified. Clenching the jagged wound where his arm had once been, Shinjiro managed to regain some energy and said, "I-I saw you on Student Evaluation Day and watched you reject Lady Satsuki's authority. I wanted to speak…speak to you about an interview but before I could she…she appeared in my room. N-Nui Harime said she needed to pretend to be me for a while so –"

Ichigo grabbed Shinjiro's shoulders as the member of the Newspaper Club was wracked by a spasm of pain. It was increasingly clear that his friend wouldn't last much longer without help. How he managed to come this far with a missing arm boggled Ichigo but as he was about to run and get help, Shinjiro's right hand grasped Ichigo's leg in a weak grip.

"I-I know what you're doing and it's not worth it. Nothing can save me," Shinjiro coughed up blood and stared at Ichigo with his one remaining eye, the other having long been gouged out leaving nothing but a jagged scar along the left side of his face, "You…You have to find and warn Ryuko that N-Nui Harime isn't finished with her! S-She tried to finish me off last night, she said my job was done and I wasn't needed anymore, but I managed to escape by jumping through the third story window after she cut off my arm."

"Why would Nui keep going after Ryuko?" Ichigo muttered quietly as he knelt down next to the dying Shinjiro, "Orihime already healed her eye. Nui even said she didn't hold a grudge against Ryuko anymore because of that."

"I d-don't know how that monster thinks," Shinjiro's voice was getting less and less steady by the second but he was pushing himself to tell Ichigo everything he could, As his arm fell limp at his side, Shinjiro sputtered and said, "Before she…she tried to kill me, Nui Harime laughed and said today would be her coup de grace against Ryuko. She has something big planned for Ryuko and you…you need to stop it, Ichigo! You…need…to…stop…"

As Shinjiro's words trailed off and his head fell forward, Ichigo somberly checked his neck for a pulse before shaking his head. Shinjiro had pushed his body to the limit in order to warn Ichigo about Nui's grand finale against Ryuko. Standing up and staring at the body of the former member of the Newspaper Club, Ichigo grit his teeth and slammed his hand against the wall with a resounding crack, "Fuck!"

"_**Ichigo…"**_

"Not now, Mugetsu," Ichigo turned to leave. As much as he knew Shinjiro would be at peace in the afterlife once a shinigami sent his soul to the Soul Society, he couldn't bear to look at his friend's mangled and tortured body. Nui hadn't been lying that evening when he tried to rescue Shinjiro. She had him the entire time but failed to say where she was keeping him. He should have asked where Shinjiro was. If he had, perhaps he could have helped his friend.

"_**There was something in the pocket of Shinjiro's uniform. It looked like a folded piece of paper."**_

Steeling his nerves, Ichigo turned back to Shinjiro's body and looked at the spot Mugetsu mentioned. Sure enough, in the side pocket of Shinjiro's school uniform there was a bloody piece of paper. Gingerly removing and unfolding it, Ichigo took one long look at it before throwing it to the ground and bolting to the door. Throwing off his shirt as he quickly and uncomfortably put Mugetsu on, Ichigo looked into his Kamui's eyes and began apologizing, "Sorry for the rough treatment, Mugetsu, but we don't have any time. We need to go to Mako's house as quickly as possible. Ryuko is in danger."

"_**What did the note say?"**_ Mugetsu asked as Ichigo finished putting her on.

"Shinjiro just wrote down one word – Ururu," Ichigo explained as he raced through the halls of Honnouji Academy and activated her released state. As he was clad in her full transformation, Ichigo sprinted across the academy courtyard, dodging and weaving around One-Star students getting ready for the Raid Trip in the morning. Leaping into the air and through the entrance to the academy, Ichigo activated his Gufū configuration and began flying as fast as he could.

There was only one reason Shinjiro, who had personally never met Ururu before Nui took over his identity, would know her name. After the events of yesterday and Orihime had gone back home to Karakura Town, Ichigo had pulled Ururu aside and asked her to keep close to Ryuko and Mako at all times. She was the only one that could sense when Nui was close by and could fight her off if the Grand Couturier tried to pull anything. If Nui mentioned Ururu's name, it could only mean she either had a plan to get rid of the only person he knew that beat her in a fight or to distract Ururu long enough to leave Ryuko vulnerable.

Screaming through the sky above Honnou City towards Mako's house, Ichigo just prayed he wasn't too late to stop Nui's final move against Ryuko.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I cannot say that I approve of your choice of modifying the wondrous garment that is Junketsu…" Ragyo's fingers trailed up Satsuki's body as she sensually touched every inch of her daughter. Resting her chin on her daughter's shoulder, Ragyo breathing into Satsuki's ear and asked, "…but you used Ichigo's Life Fibers to do it. I suppose I can find such an addition to Junketsu tolerable."<p>

"Thank you mother," Satsuki replied stoically. She should have already known that her mother was aware of Ichigo's condition. When she arrived at Revocs and informed her mother that Ichigo was a Life Fiber Hybrid, Ragyo had simply chuckled in amusement before declaring that she's known that fact for nearly all of Ichigo's life. She would have been more shocked if Satsuki had said she was a Life Fiber Hybrid herself, "I added Ichigo's Life Fibers not only to Junketsu but also to all of my Goku Uniforms in order to bypass the Anti-Life Fiber shield surrounding Karakura Town."

"Before we talk about business, tell me one thing…" Ragyo cupped her daughter's cheek and asked, "How goes your attempt to court Ichigo?"

Satsuki did not want to mention that all of her attempts to gain Ichigo's trust had backfired over and over again. Schooling her features as her mother's hands trailed across her face, she answered neutrally, "About as well as can be expected. Ichigo is surprisingly resilient to my usual methods of gaining trust."

"He is Isshin's son. I would expect nothing else from that man's progeny," Ragyo let her finger wrap around a lock of Satsuki's hair before turning to her assistant, "Hououmaru, if you will."

Rei Hououmaru bowed her head and pressed a button on the remote in her hand, "Of course, Ma'am."

In a crackle of static the screen behind Ragyo lit up and began showing clips of Ichigo's battle against the berserk Ryuko. The CEO of Revocs watched Isshin's son effortlessly fight off a rampaging Kamui with maniacal glee. To think that Ichigo's Life Fibers were strong enough to synchronize with Mugetsu to such an extent sent shivers down Ragyo's spine. Ichigo was getting stronger with each obstacle he encountered and soon he would reach the plateau of power Isshin, Nui and herself stood upon. Once his Life Fibers finished awakening, Ichigo would finally be the son with Isshin that she never was able to have.

"So that must be Kamui Senketsu. La vie est drôle," Ragyo walked over and sat down. Leaning to the side and resting her cheek upon her fist, she smirked and glanced over at her daughter, "Is this the reason that you've come to me? I've looked over your report on the incident. I have found no issues with the way you handled the situation, although watching Isshin's son hold back against Ryuko Matoi and still overpower Kamui Senketsu is a truly unique experience."

"Kamui Mugetsu is indeed powerful, but Junketsu is equally strong," Satsuki answered with just a hint of passion to her voice. She had gone over her fight against Ichigo several dozen times from different angles all in order to memorize his fighting style and weaknesses. If they were to fight a second time, Satsuki was certain she would be able to best Ichigo as long as she was able to stop him from shifting to more advanced Kamui configurations, "But that is not what I have come. I wish to know why you have allowed the Grand Couturier free reign to do what she wished at Honnouji Academy."

"The Grand Couturier…" Ragyo leaned her head back and thought about Nui's reasoning for continuing to go to Honnou City. Smirking coldly as she recalled Nui's wish to bring Ichigo into the family, Ragyo turned her gaze onto her daughter and said, "I had no choice in the matter. You know how hard it is to control the interests of an artiste. Although you might not be aware of it, I was not pleased with the way she played with Isshin's son prior to Parent Student Day. Before I allowed her to head back to Honnou City, I gave her a firm warning about potentially harming Ichigo, because if she somehow hurt him, it would not be me that punished her…"

The way that Ragyo trailed off at the end gave Satsuki all she needed to know to understand her mother was talking about Isshin Kurosaki. Looking around her mother's spacious office, bare apart from several pieces of artwork and her desk, Satsuki softly frowned and asked, "Have you spoken with the Grand Couturier since yesterday?"

"I cannot say I have," Ragyo steeped her fingers and adopted a stoic expression, "Why do you show such interest in speaking with Nui? If you're understandably upset about her interference yesterday, I can assure you that she will not have my protection if she does it once more. Matters concerning youth should always be settled amongst themselves. If Nui does something in the future that conflicts with your control of Honnouji Academy, I grant you full authority to use everything, including lethal force, to punish her. Is that all?"

"No," Satsuki handed Hououmaru a small flash drive containing the footage of Nui's fight against Ururu. She had Inumuta work quickly to isolate the cameras in the grand ballroom so that nobody other than herself could see it. As soon as the secretary and leader of Xcution downloaded the file and the video of Ururu fighting Nui appeared on the screen, Satsuki continued, "I wish to know how it was possible for Ururu Tsumugiya to wound the Grand Couturier with her bare hands. During the battle against Ichigo and myself, the Grand Couturier was able to heal from her wounds nearly instantaneously."

Ragyo stared enraptured as she watched her precious Nui fight against her twin sister. While in every other instance she would be furious at seeing her daughter hurt, the phenomenon she was witnessing doused the anger before it could boil over. Seventeen years ago, when she first bore witness to the births of Nui and Amu from the Original Life Fiber, Ragyo had recognized that the Life Fibers coursing through each of her daughters were identical. While Life Fibers would regenerate from damage within seconds in most cases, the unique origin of her twin daughters gave rise to what Ragyo had coined Twin Life Fiber Entanglement.

Twin Life Fiber Entanglement dealt with the fact that since both Amu and Nui share identical Life Fibers, if they were to somehow end up fighting each other, those same Life Fibers would entire a state of constant entanglement. If Nui were to injure Amu, or vice versa, the Life Fibers would recognize the incoming attack as originating from itself and temporarily lose the ability to regenerate. Of course this small flaw in her twin daughters vanishes after they stop fighting for roughly a minute, but to think that Nui almost lost against Amu caused Ragyo to wonder just how her long lost daughter was able to learn to fight as well as she did.

"Life is indeed amusing," Ragyo finally mentioned as she gave a light and airy chuckle. Isshin had done well in raising her lost daughter and the irony of the situation was not lost on the Revocs CEO, "Everybody has weaknesses for an opponent to exploit. Nui and Amu are my precious twins. If anyone could deduce the Grand Couturier's weaknesses, it would be herself, would it not?"

Satsuki nodded respectfully, "I suppose so, but if the Grand Couturier attempts to interfere with my plans once more, I will not hesitate to use all possible avenues to deal with her. That includes forcing her to fight Ururu Tsumugiya in a location that she cannot so easily escape from."

If Ragyo was upset by the veiled threat against the Grand Couturier she did not show it. Rather, she smiled and said, "Do what you wish, but note that attempting to trick Nui is not going to be easy. I'm sure that as long as you continue to play the part of a child of COVERS, she will hold herself back from bothering you too much. Now then, what's this I hear about your changing the Tri-City Schools Raid Trip?"

"It has come to my attention that Karakura Town is an unknown and dangerous factor in spreading Honnouji Academy's rule over all schools and academies in the country," Satsuki could not see her mother's face at the moment but she could sense the smug expression on her face. Calming her emotions, lest Junketsu attempt to usurp her iron will, Satsuki steeled her expression and continued, "Do you recall my near loss against Tatsuki Arisawa from the National Martial Arts Championship last year? Tatsuki Arisawa is a close friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. If one city is able to give rise to two such exceptionally strong people, it stands to reason there might be more. If I had attempted to conquer the Kansai Region and Karakura Town chose to attack, I would be leaving the gates of Honnouji Academy open to an occupying force."

Ragyo found no flaws in Satsuki's logic, but there was so much her daughter was missing that she would have laughed if she were any less of a woman. If Satsuki thought the only problem with attempting to conquer Karakura Town were Ichigo's human friends, she was in for a surprise. Still, she had to say something or Satsuki would find her silence suspicious enough to change her plans. Slowly spinning her chair around and crossing her legs, Ragyo grinned haughtily and asked, "Do you recall my words about conquering Karakura Town? If you are set on your current path, nothing I say will dissuade you but just be careful that you aren't wading in water over your head. This cold, dark world has many surprises in store for us all, but if you truly wish to continue on your path, I do have a present for you…"

Ragyo snapped her fingers and the doors to her office were harshly swung open as Riruka Dokugamine walked up. With a pout on her face and her arms tucked over her chest, Riruka took one look at Satsuki and Junketsu before huffing and turning her attention to Ragyo, "Are you sure she needs my help, Lady Ragyo? Satsuki looks strong enough to survive on her own."

"Riruka Dokugamine," Satsuki's tone was forcefully polite. She knew all about her mother's private security force or Xcution and how each member wears the equivalent of a Five-Star Goku Uniform without losing themselves in the process to the power of the Life Fibers woven into their raiment. That was the reason she had Iori constantly testing out a Five-Star uniform in the hopes that she could create enough loyal students to counter Xcution when the time came for her plan to reach its second stage.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too," Riruka sarcastically said as she sat down in the chair next to Satsuki with her legs dangling over the edge.

Ragyo chuckled in amusement before speaking, "I had a feeling you would not change your mind about Karakura Town so I recalled Dokugamine from her duties in Tokyo. She will be escorting you throughout the Raid Trip and making sure you aren't hurt."

Satsuki's brow creased in anger, "With all due respect mother, I do not need a bodyguard. Mere raiment is no match for a true Kamui."

"That's what I said!" Riruka exclaimed before the full weight of Satsuki's words hit her, "Hey!"

"Do not fret," Ragyo smiled knowingly, "Dokugamine will stay out of the way unless you require assistance. Just make sure Iori weaves the Life Fibers you collected from Ichigo into her raiment. I don't want Dokugamine heading into Isshin's territory only to find her raiment nonfunctional."

"You need not worry mother," Satsuki gave her mother a curt nod before turning around and walking away, "I shall make sure that the battle for Karakura Town is one that will bring honor and glory to the Kiryuin name. When the day is done and Karakura High School is under my rule, not even the naked apes hiding in the Kansai Region will be able to stand against us."

"Alright, what's this I hear about doing something to my raiment?" Riruka stalked after Satsuki while pulling on the sleeve of her dark dress, "I just had this thing cleaned, you know!"

As Satsuki and Riruka's voices faded into the distance, Ragyo stood up and walked over to the window. She would never admit it, least of all to her daughter, but Satsuki's plan to use Ichigo's Life Fibers to pierce Isshin's shield was something she wouldn't have thought of doing. It was too bad that after Satsuki's attempt to take the city Isshin will most likely adjust his shield to prevent a repeat of this.

"Hello, Lady Ragyo!" A cheerful voice exclaimed from behind Ragyo, "Sorry it took so long for me to come back, but there was just so much to do with all my new free time!"

Ragyo was content with addressing Nui without taking her gaze off the helicopter retreating into the distance, but when she heard Hououmaru gasp in shock Ragyo turned around and very nearly gasped herself. Sitting on her desk with her legs kicking playfully back and forth in the air was the Grand Couturier with both of her eyes intact.

"My precious Nui…" Ragyo walked over and gently wrapped her hands around Nui's face. Gazing deeply into her daughter's blue eyes, Ragyo asked, "How is this possible? Your eye was damaged by my former husband's Sword Scissors. It should have been impossible for your eye to regenerate."

"That is true, but I had outside help!" Nui stuck her tongue out and jumped off the desk. Skipping happily around the room before she stopped and spun around on her heel, Nui sighed happily, "I really wanted to show you a picture of the girl who healed my eye. It's too bad that Satsuki wouldn't give me a copy of the home footage. I would have really liked to see that orange haired girl heal my eye from a third person perspective."

Something within Ragyo's mind connected and memories of experiments from decades ago filtered into the front of her mind, "What was this girl's name?"

"Hmm…" Nui thought back on what Ichigo called her. She would have played around a bit more but Lady Ragyo's tone was serious and even the Grand Couturier knew when it was time to get serious, "Ichigo called her a princess or something, but what was it? Oh! That's right! Her name was Orihime!"

Both Nui Harime and Rei Hououmaru were confused when Ragyo, upon hearing that name, began giggling uncontrollably before she eventually erupted into full blown laughter that echoed not only in her office but across much of the surrounding city.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>When Ichigo slid into the Mankanshoku home through the back door, he very nearly ran into Sukuyo Mankanshoku. Even as he apologized for almost hitting her, Sukuyo gave Ichigo a smile and asked, "Why hello Ichigo. You haven't been around here for so long that I wondered if you forgot about us. How are you today?"<p>

"I'm fine, Mrs. Mankanshoku," Ichigo answered quickly despite the oddest feeling he was forgetting something. Looking around the kitchen and noticing they were alone, he asked, "Where is everyone?"

"My husband took Matarou and Guts out to pick up some extra food, Mako is in her room taking a nap at the moment and Ryuko and Ururu are both in Ryuko's room. Is something the matter, Ichigo?"

"What? No," Ichigo shook his head and walked past Mako's mom. Accidentally brushing against her shoulder in the process, Ichigo froze as a strange feeling washed over him. Stopping in the hallway before Ryuko's room, he glanced back at Sukuyo only to find her humming a song while folding laundry. Shaking his head and thinking he was just tired, he slid open Ryuko's door and walked into the darkness inside.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness permeating Ryuko's room, Ichigo looked around and saw Ururu sitting in the corner farthest from the window. In the twenty-four hours since Ryuko's berserk rampage, Ururu had not left Ryuko's side due to the high probability that Nui Harime was lying about giving up her grudge against Ryuko. Already she had sensed several false positives surrounding her twin sister and while she was capable of staying awake for days without suffering from exhaustion, the constant vigilance over her friend was starting to impact her.

"Ururu," Ichigo's voice brought Ururu's full attention squarely onto him. After giving the depressed Ryuko another glance, he asked, "Why don't you go get something to eat from Mrs. Mankanshoku? I can watch over Ryuko for a few minutes."

"Alright," Ururu answered in a whisper as she stood up and walked past Ichigo towards the door. Before leaving the room, Ururu paused and looked off to the side before muttering, "You shouldn't let your guard down. It's not safe."

"I know," Ichigo answered back. It was never safe when Nui Harime decided to involve herself. It was only by sheer luck that he managed to get to Ryuko and Ururu before Nui arrived. Pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the quiet Ryuko, Ichigo sat in silence for almost a minute before asking, "How are you feeling, Ryuko?"

With her knees tucked up to her chest and her eyes looking at Senketsu's hanging form every few seconds, Ryuko did not look anything like the determined and strong willed girl that Ichigo knew. Going berserk and watching Mako die must have taken a larger toll on her body and mind than he thought. Letting a sigh and rubbing the back of his neck, Ichigo decided to bite the bullet, "You didn't do anything wrong yesterday. No one could have thought Nui would kill Mako like that just to make you angry. Hell, if Nui did that to me I would have lost control of Mugetsu. What happened to you is not your fault."

Ryuko sadly looked at Ichigo before looking away, "I let my anger and hatred at Nui for killing Mako get the best of me. I hurt Senketsu all in order to get my vengeance on her. It's not safe for me to wear Senketsu anymore."

Ichigo frowned at Ryuko's self-loathing. He really wasn't good at these sorts of things. Whenever he got depressed or something terrible happened to him, he would simply force himself to move forward until the problem solved itself, but then again he had his friends and family depending on him to succeed and win. Ryuko not only lost her only family to Nui Harime, but she watched that same person kill her first and best friend. Looking over at Senketsu, who was in a state of half-consciousness with his eye only opening partially, Ichigo knew what he had to do but he had to make sure his dad never found out about it. If he did, Ichigo would murder him and would proudly go to jail with a smile on his face. Raising his arm, he waited a second before smacking Ryuko hard on the back of her head.

"H-Hey!" Ryuko rubbed her head and glared angrily up at Ichigo, "What the hell was that for?"

"What you're doing is really stupid," Ichigo answered passionately. Standing up and patting Mugetsu over his heart, he continued, "I found out that I'm not human yesterday but didn't change who I am. So what if I'm a Life Fiber Hybrid like Nui Harime. I'm still me and nothing will ever change that! If you're scared about losing control over Senketsu, talk about it with someone. Don't just let your anger fester inside. Everyone has problems but that's why we have friends to support us and cover our backs. Mako may have died, but she's fine now thanks to Orihime and you know she doesn't blame you for anything."

Ryuko looked into Ichigo's eyes as she gave a sad smile, "Mako doesn't know she died. I want to tell her what happened, but I don't know how she will react. What should I do?"

"That's something you need to decide on your own. Mako's your best friend, so you should already know how she'll take the news," Ichigo answered as he sat back down.

For a few minutes after Ichigo gave his answer, Ryuko did not say anything. As time passed and Ichigo began to think she was going to lapse back into depression, she asked in a tone with much more life to it, "I never got the chance to ask, but what's it like being a Life Fiber Hybrid?"

Ichigo shrugged, "It's really not that different from being human, but since I've been a hybrid my entire life I wouldn't know what being human actually is. The regeneration is nice since it will allow me to kick Nui's ass the next time I see her, but then again, you don't need to worry about someone ripping your beating heart out of your chest and showing it to you like it's a goddamn Christmas present."

"You're…" Ryuko seemed conflicted about her next words, "…not worried about being an inhuman monster?"

"It doesn't matter what my body is made of," Ichigo brought his hand over his heart again, "As long as I know I'm human, I could be made entirely of Life Fibers. It wouldn't change a thing about who I am. Nui Harime and I may both be hybrids, but the choices she's made are her own. I'm not going to let it change who I am."

Ryuko sat in silence once more as Ichigo's words sunk in. While she was still physically and emotionally shaken by her berserk rampage across Honnouji Academy, she consoled herself with the fact that Ichigo had a point. He was a Life Fiber Hybrid, however the hell that came to be, and yet he was handling the situation much better than she was. Ryuko knew that if their situations had been reversed, and she discovered she was a Life Fiber Hybrid, her reaction would not have been pretty. She probably would have snapped in disgust at herself while thinking she was a monster.

"You're right, Ichigo," Ryuko sat up and threw the blanket off her body. Standing up and walking over to her Kamui, Ryuko ran her hand down Senketsu's fabric before asking, "Hey Senketsu, are you awake?"

"_**I've been awake since Ichigo and Mugetsu arrived,"**_ Senketsu responded, _**"And I heard every word. I do not blame you for what happened, Ryuko. Your anger at Nui Harime for killing Mako was to be expected. There is nothing either of us could have done to prepare for what transpired."**_

"Thanks, Senketsu," Ryuko stood up and pulled her Kamui off his hanger before giving it a hug, "I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. I promise that I won't let anything bad happen to Mako again."

"_**And I'll be with you the entire time,"**_ Senketsu's muffled voice answered as a small blush adorned his navy blue fabric.

"_**Ok, enough with the heartwarming moment,"**_ Mugetsu butted in angrily. Ichigo had come here for a reason and he seemed to forget all about it. Luckily she was here to remind him, _**"Ichigo! Did you actually forget what Shinjiro wrote?"**_

"Shinjiro? He's dead, Ichigo," Ryuko looked at Ichigo with a perplexed expression. She had completely forgotten about the member of the Newspaper Club given everything that has happened at Honnouji Academy since his murder, but Mugetsu was speaking as if Shinjio was still alive. That didn't make any sense to Ryuko. She remembered watching Gamagori's Disciplinary Committee carry Shinjiro's body out from the building it was found in.

"I thought so too, but he showed up at Honnouji Academy today nearly dead. Apparently the body that Gamagori found was actually another student Nui Harime had killed to keep Satsuki off her trail," Ichigo explained with a cold edge in his voice. The sheer depravity of the Grand Couturier's actions made Aizen seem like a boy scout in comparison. At least that smug bastard didn't torture people for days because he enjoyed the sounds of people screaming. With a grimace plastered on his face as he forced his mind to focus on the matter at hand, Ichigo continued by saying, "Nui kidnapped Shinjiro at the start of the school year so that she could impersonate him to get close to us."

"Wait a fucking second. Are you telling me that the Shinjiro we knew, the same guy that I talked to alone several times, was actually Nui Harime?" Ryuko's eyes were wavering back and forth and her hands were clenched tightly at her sides as the revelation of the depths of Nui Harime's plans hit her. How many of their secrets and conversations had Nui not only overheard but also taken part in? She remembered Shinjiro, or rather Nui, given them suggestions about how to go against Satsuki Kiryuin. Were all those suggestions just part of Nui's plan to kill her?

"Yes, but there's something you should know. I don't think Nui is done trying to kill you yet," Ichigo walked over to the window in Ryuko's room, yellow light form the late afternoon sun streaming into the room and highlighting the dust hovering in the air. After quickly looking around and mentally sighing in relief when he saw the alley was clear, he turned his attention back to Ryuko, "Shinjiro managed to escape from Nui's torture last night but he died only a few minutes after reaching me. Before he died, he said that Nui was coming after you to finish the job and in his pocket he had a blood-stained note with Ururu's name on it."

"Hold on a second. Nui might be insane but why would she want me dead?" Ryuko grimaced as she was lost for words. That blonde psychopath seemed pretty truthful when she said she would have no reason to hold a grudge against her if Orihime healed her eye. Ryuko would have called Nui a liar, but the Grand Couturier appeared to get angry whenever someone accused her of lying.

"I've learned not put anything past Nui Harime. It's just easier to assume what she won't do," Ichigo said sarcastically as he walked away from the window towards the door to Ryuko's room. Before sliding it open and heading to the kitchen, he turned and added, "You should put Senketsu on before meeting me in Mako's kitchen. We need to think of a way to stop Nui from doing whatever she plans to do."

Ryuko didn't wait for Ichigo to close the door before she began stripping Mako's spare set of pajamas, which were still too small for her. She really should ask Ichigo if he could steal a set of Satsuki's pajamas for her since she seemed to be about the same size as her. As Senketsu's suspenders snapped into place and she slid the Seki Tekkou onto her hand, Ryuko seemingly flew out of her room and into the kitchen, where she saw everyone waiting for her.

"Ah! You're looking much better Ryuko!" Sukuyo cheerfully stated from across the kitchen.

"Thanks mom but can you go away for a few minutes?" Mako asked her mother politely, "I need to talk about super-secret stuff with my friends!"

"All right, but just holler if you need me," Sukuyo chuckled before heading outside to do laundry.

"So what's the plan?" Ryuko asked while roughly sitting down. When Ichigo seemed to continue watching Mako's mom as she closed the back door, Ryuko growled and slammed her hand on the table, "Ichigo!"

Ichigo shook his head as he forced his attention away from what was bothering him. Muttering a quick apology, he sat down next to Ryuko and looked at her, Ururu and Mako before speaking, "I think we all agree that Nui Harime is an inhuman monster that will do whatever the hell she wants, when she wants, until someone is able to stop her. Ururu, if you were to fight Nui again, do you think you could take her down?"

"That's a tough one," Ururu wringed her hands together and looked away from her friends, "The last time we fought, she was really angry about her eye and why I could hurt her. I only managed to win because she was angry. If we fought again, I don't know what she might do."

Ryuko narrowed one blue eye as she stared intently at Ururu. She couldn't believe that Ururu was Nui's twin sister. It wasn't enough that they didn't look anything alike, but they didn't even act the same way. While Ururu was always polite and friendly, if a little shy, her sister was anything but. Ryuko may have only seen Nui Harime for a few moments before she killed Mako but that was long enough for her to understand that every single word that spewed from the Grand Couturier's mouth made her want to just bash her face into the ground, "I still can't believe you're Nui's twin. How is that even possible? You two are nothing alike!"

"I'm not sure what happened, but Mr. Kurosaki was the one to tell me. He seems to know an awful lot about everything going on," Ururu muttered in a whisper.

"Ichigo's dad is super nice and all!" Mako happily added, "The last time we spoke, he gave me lots of snacks and said I reminded him of his daughter!"

Ichigo admitted that Mako acted like Yuzu sometimes, especially when she's dressing up Kon. Speaking of which, "Hey, has anybody seen Kon?"

"I saw Orihime take him back to Karakura Town," Ururu explained.

"All right then, we need to think about how to deal with Nui Harime," Ichigo leaned back and looked at the ceiling. Thinking briefly about the various options available, he sighed and said, "We already know that Ururu is able to fight her off while hurting her. So our first option is to keep Ururu around Ryuko until Nui gives up. The second option involves my dad. When he spoke with Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui on Parent Student Day, I saw brief flash of fear pass through Nui's eye. However goofy and idiotic that man is, Nu is afraid of him. If all of our other plans fail, heading to Karakura Town would probably work. I'm sure Nui Harime won't dare set a foot there if my dad's looking for her."

"Are you asking me to run away?" Ryuko demanded angrily as she gripped part of Mugetsu and pulled Ichigo closer, "Satsuki Kiryuin knows why Nui killed my dad. I can't leave until I find out why."

Ichigo bit his lip and looked away from Ryuko, "I don't like running away any more than you do, but Nui's already made it clear that none of us can stop her. Ururu here is the only person in Honnou City that could stop her, but I'm not sure Nui would willingly fight her again. I want to kick Nui's ass as much as you do, but we should regroup and figure out a plan on how to finally bring her down first. Once we do, I promise you can have first shot at kicking that annoying smile off her face."

Ryuko opened her mouth to say something when Ichigo's cellphone began loudly ringing in his pocket. Fumbling around for a moment to pull it out, he flipped it open once he saw the caller ID and asked, "Uryu? Why the hell are you calling me?"

"_There is no time for your stupidity, Ichigo,"_ Uryu Ishida's voice filtered through the phone, _"I need to know if you're with Ryuko Matoi. If you are, put the phone on speaker. There's something you both should know."_

Putting his phone on the table and pressing the button, Ichigo said, "Ok, Uryu. What's so important?"

"_You need to head back to Karakura Town as quickly as possible. I've just received word that Satsuki Kiryuin has changed her Tri-City Schools Raid Trip. Instead of hitting Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto all at once, she's focusing the entirety of her forces on Karakura Town."_

"What?" Ichigo nearly shouted in surprise.

"_That's what I thought as well but I would have said it with much more dignity,"_ Even on the phone, Uryu always knew how to piss Ichigo off, _"At first I wasn't concerned since your dad informed me that he constructed an Anti-Life Fiber shield around Karakura Town that should negate Satsuki's Goku Uniforms, but the Satsuki Kiryuin I know would not throw her troops into a battle they cannot possibly win. She must have something that will enable her forces to pass through the barrier unimpeded."_

"Wait a second. I knew Satsuki was planning to go after the Kansai Region for some stupid reason or another, but why would she go after Ichigo's hometown?" Ryuko pouted as she tried and failed to think of a reason Satsuki would change her plans like this. It wasn't like the Student Council President to just change things up at the last second.

"_You must be Ryuko Matoi. As for your question, Satsuki Kiryuin has a very analytical mind that nearly rivals my own. She most likely views Karakura Town as a threat that she could not ignore any longer if she wanted to conquer all of the Japanese academies. There is not much time, Ichigo. Satsuki plans to head out tomorrow at five in the morning."_

"Then we don't have much time," Ichigo snapped his phone shut and stood up, "We need to find a way to get back to Karakura Town before Satsuki arrives. Any suggestions on –"

Ichigo cut himself off as he became aware of a dull thumping sound growing louder and louder by the minute. Walking towards the window, he stuck his head outside and saw a helicopter hovering over Mako's house. At first he assumed it was Satsuki since she was the only person he knew that consistently used helicopters to travel but as the aircraft turned to land in the street in front of the house, Ichigo smirked when he saw the blue Quincy pentacle emblazoned on the side with Ishida Pharmaceuticals printed around the symbol. Heading outside, Ichigo watched as the pilot got out and opened the side door, allowing Uryu Ishida to hop outside.

"Hello Ichigo," Uryu greeted calmly as he waved for the pilot to go back to the cockpit. Glancing around the area before snorting in disgust, Uryu added, "Next time, make sure the person on the other end of the phone is finished speaking before hanging up."

Uryu's behavior reminded Ryuko so much of Satsuki Kiryuin that she just about to yell at him when Ichigo rolled his eyes and said, "Go to hell, Uryu. Don't make me come over there and kick your sorry ass. Why are you here, anyway?"

"This is my father's private helicopter," Uryu looked over his shoulder at the aircraft behind him, "He uses it travel on business across the country and has granted me the use of it as long as I do no scratch it. If it looks familiar, it is because it is the same model as the one Satsuki Kiryuin is known for using. That is probably why her anti-aircraft batteries did not shoot me down, although I loathe thinking about how long such a deception will last. Satsuki is probably already aware of my presence in Honnou City."

Ichigo crossed his arms before asking, "Did Orihime make it back to Karakura Town safely?"

Uryu nodded, "Yeah. She arrived early this morning and the stories she told us were quite fascinating. She especially went into great detail about Nui Harime. I've only met that girl once but I can say with complete certainty that she is a psychotic woman with no regards for human moralities or feelings."

"Hey, are you sure we can trust this guy, Ichigo?" Ryuko asked Ichigo, "He looks and acts a lot like Satsuki Kiryuin."

"Uryu's an ass sometimes, but he's trustworthy," Ichigo commented, causing Uryu's shoulders to tense upon hearing the insult. Uncaring as to his friend's current state, Ichigo added, "You never answered the question. Why are you here?"

Uryu took a moment to compose his emotions before answering. He couldn't allow Ichigo to see that his petty insult got the better of him. There was too much at stake for their usual fights, "I'm here to bring you back to Karakura Town. As I told you on the phone, Satsuki Kiryuin will be invading the city tomorrow morning and we need every bit of power possible to repel her forces. The Kamui you are wearing is probably one of the few things capable of combatting her Junketsu in battle with any appreciable events. If Ryuko Matoi and Ururu want to come as well, I will not stop them. Karakura Town could use all the help it can get."

Ichigo's eyes widened upon hearing Uryu talk so casually about Mugetsu, "How do you know about my Kamui?"

As a siren began blaring and the sounds of people yelling and shouting in the distance grew louder, Uryu stepped back onto the helicopter and said, "I already explained my familiarity with Life Fibers and Kamui a few months ago, Ichigo, but there is no time for me to repeat myself! Everyone get on board before Satsuki sends her forces. I will explain everything during the trip back to Karakura Town!"

Without fear or hesitation, Mako jumped onto the helicopter and sat down in one of the comfortable leather seats next to a window. She had dreamed about riding in Lady Satsuki's helicopter ever since she first saw it and now it was like a dream come true. As she bounced in her seat and looked around, her eyes caught sight of the snack bar and refrigerator in the back and began to sparkle, "Oh wow. Ryuko, they have snacks in here and everything!"

Ururu was the next one to get on board, but before going to her seat she gave Uryu a long sad look, much to the Quincy's confusion. Uryu hadn't really interacted much with the girl throughout his adventures so the reasoning behind her stare escaped him. As Ryuko looked around conflicted about what to do, she eventually jumped on board, but gave Uryu a scathing look, "I don't trust you one bit, even if Ichigo's says I should."

"I don't expect you to," Uryu answered back as something nearby caught his attention. With his voice trailing off as something more important came to mind, he quickly finished by saying, "Just know that I'm on your side. Satsuki Kiryuin's invasion of Karakura Town has repercussions that I can only explain to you on the way there."

"Fine," Ryuko conceded angrily as she sat down next to Mako. Ignoring her friend's attempts to fill her mouth with food she found at the snack bar, Ryuko folded her arms across her chest and looked out the window.

Ichigo, unlike the other three already on the helicopter, did not move. There was something out there watching them and he had the strangest feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew exactly what, or rather who, it was. Hearing the sound of someone jump on the ground, he looked to the side as Uryu walked next to him, "You feel that?"

"Yeah," the Quincy answered as his analytical gaze pierced through the shadows in the afternoon sunlight for any sign of the spy. Whoever they were, they had to be really good to escape his sight, "I've senses this presence before. It's extremely faint to the point where I would normally ignore it, but it's so close that it's acting like a beacon. When my father refused to accept Ragyo Kiryuin's merger proposal, she did not let us go unscathed. As we left her office and took the elevator down to the lobby, it became apparent that she left us a going away surprise. A blonde haired surprise, Ichigo…"

Ichigo slowly reached for Tournesol on his back, "Nui Harime. She just doesn't know when to quit."

When he saw Ichigo drawing his blade, Uryu couldn't help but ask, "What do you intend to do against her? I have been briefed on the power your Kamui possesses, but the Grand Couturier of Revocs is on an entirely different level. Even my father, who is far stronger than me, could not do much more than slow her down enough for us to escape. Her regeneration and speed makes her truly nightmarish to fight. We have to get out of Honnou City."

"Then you go," Ichigo stepped forward and looked over his shoulder at Uryu before scoffing, "I know Nui better than you. If she really wanted to stop us from leaving, we would be dead already. You take Ryuko and the others back to Karakura Town while I stay behind to distract her. For some weird and creepy reason she thinks I'm her cousin or something, so she probably won't kill me. I'll catch up later."

Uryu opened his mouth to argue but remembered just how stubborn Ichigo was. Turning around and climbing back into the helicopter as it began to lift off, he shouted down at Ichigo, "Do you even have a plan to get back to Karakura Town?"

"Like hell I have a plan!" Ichigo yelled back, "I'm making this all up as I go!"

Ichigo watched the helicopter carrying all his friends to safety vanish over the horizon for several minutes before turning around and pointing Tournesol at a shadow, "I know you're there so come on out, Nui."

"Oh dear," Sukuyo Mankanshoku stepped out of the shadows and brought a hand up to her cheek. Tilting her head to the side and opening her eyes, which were bright blue, she asked, "Gosh, just how did you know it was me, Ichigo?"

"Your disguise was pretty good, but when I brushed against your shoulder earlier I could sense Life Fibers inside you," Ichigo clasped both his hands on Tournesol's hilt and hardened his stance. Keeping his attention firmly on Nui, he added, "Your impersonation of Mako's mom had a few mistakes as well. What did you do with her? Tell me!"

"Oh, relax!" Nui exclaimed before her disguise burst apart like a balloon, allowing her true appearance to once more shine through. Giggling softly as her blonde pig tails bounced around, Nui brought a finger up to her lips and smiled, "You should learn that not everything is what it appears to be! That girl's family is fine. I just slipped them a piece of mail with a some money and a note for them to go do whatever the heck they want. They're all fine and dandy, Ichigo, so you can relax and lower your weapon. Someone is bound to poke their eye out on it, you know."

Ichigo knew Nui didn't, or couldn't, lie so he let his guard relax just a tad at that piece of news, "You're too late to do anything to Ryuko."

Nui laughed at Ichigo's words and stuck her tongue out childishly, "That's really funny, Ichigo. Did you really think I would care about Ryuko after I got my eye back? You fell for my plan just like I knew you would!"

"What?"

"Did you really think a stupid human like Shinjiro could just escape me?" Nui asked a stunned Ichigo as she walked towards him with a pout on her face. Hugging his right arm, Nui looked up into his eyes and smiled, "Of course I let him go, but I had to make it really convincing or you wouldn't buy it. That's why I cut off his arm. A loss of a limb automatically makes any situation serious! I also made sure to rant and rave about a 'coup de grace' against Ryuko just loud enough that Shinjiro could hear it. I knew that if he escaped, he would go to you for help! Once that happened, I knew you would come save Ryuko like the hero you are, and ahead of time to boot! Well done, Ichigo! The only thing I didn't anticipate happening was Uryu Ishida showing up, but that's ok since the goal of my grand finale was to get to you."

Ichigo pulled his arm out of Nui's grasp and hopped back, "What do you want with me?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Nui exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.

Leaning forward with a maniacal look in her eyes, she stared at her cousin and explained, "I want absolutely nothing from you! This whole plan has been created just to make you think I was out to get Ryuko, but I have to say you sure are paranoid Ichigo! I thought you would know me by now, but there is one thing I want you to do before you go rushing off to Karakura Town to stop Satsuki's childish plan. You need to go check out Junketsu and she what she did to that poor Kamui with the Life Fibers from your body! Goodbye, Ichigo, I'll see you during the Great Culture and Sport Festival. It's going to be a world-changing experience for us all!"

Twirling around on her heels, Nui leapt into the air before abruptly vanishing from Ichigo's sight. Biting his lip in anger at being played by Nui, Ichigo turned and began running back up to Honnouji Academy. He didn't care what Satsuki did to Junketsu with his Life Fibers, although he couldn't help but be concerned why she would do such a thing. He needed to get back to Karakura Town as quickly as possible and the only way to do that this late in the day was to steal one of the trucks Satsuki was going to use.

"_**Couldn't we just fly?"**_

"No, unless you wish to fly for several hours," Ichigo answered Mugetsu, "Besides, even if you could make it to Karakura Town by flying, you'll probably be too exhausted to fight. I have an idea on how to get there, but it's going to be risky. I'll probably get kicked off the Student Council as well, so here's what we're going to do…"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #19 – Trap and Impromptu Explosive Placement 101<strong>

Keigo Asano was excited to be where he currently was. He couldn't remember the last time he was excited about learning but this wasn't boring like math, English or thermonuclear fission, all of which had no practical applications. This five hour seminar was all about creating impromptu traps and explosives. Keigo paused in his bouncing as he briefly considered if this was what loving to learn felt like.

"Man, if only school was this exciting I would gladly go every day with a smile on my face," Keigo sighed happily as he leaned forward in his desk. The seminar was taking place at Karakura High School on a Saturday, two phrases that would normally have Keigo breaking out in hives. It was only the survival mantra in his head that this would be awesome that kept him from leaping through the nearby window even though he was on the third floor.

"Is that you, Keigo? Today is just full of interesting surprises. I suppose having my date cancel on me could be a good thing if you're here," Mizuiro Kojima gave his friend a small wave as he sat down in the open seat next to Keigo. Today was just full of surprises if Keigo was actually in school on the weekend. Usually Mizuiro or anyone else couldn't get Keigo to do anything mentally stimulating on the weekend without threatening to involve his sister.

Keigo leaned over with his finger extended to offer a rebuttal but was stopped in midair as the door to the classroom was kicked open and gruff voice asked, "Is this everyone?"

Tsumugu Kinagase stalked into the classroom dressed in his usually military fatigues and vest. Casting his dark blue eyes around the room at the gathered students, of which there could not be more than fifteen, he fixed his gaze firmly on Keigo and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"N-No sir!" Keigo snapped off an involuntary salute before planting his ass in his seat and refusing to budge. If this man was his teacher, then all the fun out of coming to the seminar had vanished. Keigo would have attempted to flee but he was certain Tsumugu would kill him before he took a single step.

"I see there are fifteen of you for this special seminar on trap making," Tsumugu paced back and forth in the front of the classroom before stopping in front of the desk and shouting, "My name is Tsumugu Kinagase and for the next five hours I will teach you everything about bombs, mines, grenades and where to place them to do the most damage to the target! When I am done with you, you will allow know how to plant mines to cause five buildings to simultaneously collapse onto a moving target!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Kinagase," Mizuiro raised his hand, "But isn't creating improvised explosive devices illegal?"

"Yes, it is," Tsumugu kicked the desk behind him, causing the wooden structure to break apart and reveal the crate of mines he had snuck in earlier. They were all diffused with zero chance of detonating, of course, but if Isshin's intelligence was correct Satsuki would be hitting Karakura Town in two days. That meant he needed to whip the students into an appreciable defense force now that the Nudist Beach headquarters in Osaka wasn't in any danger of being attacked.

"That is why you will be working with fake mines," Tsumugu reached down and picked up one of the Anti-Life Fiber mines created by Nudist Beach, each of which lacked the Nudist Beach symbol to preserve the anonymity of the group. Tossing the diffused device to Keigo, who caught it after almost dropping it, Tsumugu clasped his hands behind his back and explained, "The first lesson of trap making is to think ahead. Know the route you wish to place the mines upon and even while running for your life you can plant mines as you go. I've walked up and down the hallway outside this classroom twice before coming here. If I so wished it, I could lay a dozen mines and grenades throughout it while sprinting at full speed."

Picking the crate off the ground and placing in front of Keigo's desk, Tsumugu pointed to the door and said, "Everyone get outside to the soccer field. I've been warned that practicing mine placement inside the school would cause unwanted attention. Mr. Asano, due to your interruption at the start of the seminar you will carry the crate of mines. Move!"

As the students, including Mizuiro, rushed out the door, Tsumugu turned as he heard Keigo grunting. After watching the helpless teen try to carry the box of mines, he rolled his eyes and walked over. Picking up the crate easily before thrusting it into Keigo's arms, Tsumugu spun around and walked away while saying, "Lift with your legs, not your back. I expect to see you outside in five minutes. Do not make me come back to look for you."

"Yes…sir…" Keigo grunted as he slowly shambled out of the classroom with the crate in his tiring arms. He had a feeling this day was going to suck.


	32. Chapter 32: Inner City Blues

_Here's Chapter 32 and you might notice that I wrote things a bit differently than normal. You might notice that each section has a location and a time. That is because all the events that take place in this chapter occur between the end of Chapter 31 (when Uryu left with Mako, Ryuko and Ururu) and the start of the Raid Trip at 5:00 AM the following day. There are a lot of viewpoints and characters of importance in this chapter and every one of you will like who I introduce. There are also a couple of pop culture references and shout outs to other fandoms as well. Enjoy and don't forget to read and review!_

_Don't forget that there is a tvtropes page for this story! Contribute to it what you can!_

_I'm looking for fanart of this story if anything is interesting. The Karakura Occupation Arc is going to require some visual aid._

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><p><strong>Chapter 32 - Inner City Blues<strong>

_Karakura General Hospital (Lobby) – 11:37 PM_

Ryuko watched as dozens of people dressed in hospital scrubs scurried around while words and phrases she did not understand were passed back and forth like trading cards. She was still pissed off that Uryu had lied to her about explaining what was going on. The flight from Honnou City to Karakura Town had been completely silent and every time she would try to speak Uryu would inform her that she would get her answers in due time. Clamping down on her anger as she remembered what happened the last time her fury overwhelmed her, Ryuko spent the entire ride stewing in an annoyed silence. When they finally landed on the roof of the hospital early in the evening she thought her questions would be answered but as soon as everyone was off, the helicopter hovered back into the air with Uryu in it before flying southward.

"Wow, this is a real hospital! Dad is always talking about these things but I never thought I would actually see one," Mako was bouncing around in her seat while absentmindedly eating chocolate that she took from Uryu's snack bar. As she gleefully watched doctors, nurses and volunteers scurry around in preparation for the upcoming battle; Mako brought her hands up to her chin and squealed, "This is amazing! Do you think we can take a tour after the field trip is over, Ryuko?"

Leave it to Mako to always find a way to bring her out of a funk but even as a small smile spread across her face, Ryuko could not help but remember seeing the light leave Mako's eyes as Nui Harime stabbed her through the heart. If Orihime hadn't been there to bring Mako back Ryuko didn't think she would have the strength to go on. Nui had taken her father from her and almost took her best friend as well. Clenching a fist as her eyes drooped sadly, Ryuko vowed to never let something like that happen again. She was never going to let Nui Harime take someone she cared about away again. Biting her lip and suppressed the anger boiling just beneath the surface, Ryuko huffed and turned to Mako, "Sure, but I don't think this hospital is going to be standing after Satsuki is done with Karakura Town."

"I highly doubt Satsuki Kiryuin will attempt such a measure," an older and slightly conceited voice answered Ryuko's unseen question. Leaning her head backwards on her chair, Ryuko saw a man walking towards them, "If she even tries to bring her little squabble onto my property I will bury her with so many lawsuits that Ragyo herself will notice the drop in her personal fortune."

Ryuko stared as the man continued to approach them. While the high quality grey suit he was wearing meant he had to be rich, she couldn't help but find her eyes drawn to the weird patterns on the guy's tie. They looked so familiar but she was sure she hadn't seen them before today, "Huh? Who are you?"

Instead of answering Ryuko's question, Ryuken checked his watch before adjusting his tie. So this was the girl Isshin talked so much about when he came back from his little trip to Honnouji Academy. Quite frankly she reminded him of Isshin's son to the point that Ryuken would have wondered if Isshin had cheated on Masaki if not for two things. The first was that Isshin, despite his childish demeanor, had always been in love with Masaki since that day so long and would never do anything that might bring shame upon him. The second and far more important was that if Ryuko Matoi was indeed Isshin's daughter, Ryuken was going to hunt that man down to the corners of the earth and torture him for all eternity.

"I am Ryuken Ishida, CEO of Ishida Pharmaceuticals and head of the Ishida Conglomerate. You must be Ryuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku. Isshin's told me much about you, but that is enough introductions," Ryuken ignored or didn't see the look of surprise grace Ryuko's face at the mention of her father's name. Turning his back to the two teenage girls, Ryuken began walking away down the hall, "There is not much time to prepare for tomorrow's events and every minute wasted talking is another minute that Satsuki Kiryuin has to prepare. Come."

"Wait!" Ryuko leapt to her feet and since she was holding Mako's hand, accidentally took her friend with her. As Mako spun around dizzily as her brain tried to reestablish balance, Ryuko stared at Ryuken and asked, "Did…did you know my dad?"

Ryuken saw the crestfallen expression on Ryuko's face and decided his usual hands off approach would most likely do more harm than good, "I'm sorry that you misinterpreted what I said. The Isshin that I was referring to was not your father but Isshin Kurosaki. While I have never met your father, I have heard many things surrounding Professor Matoi's accomplishment. He was a good man that did not deserve to die at the hands of a psychopath like Nui Harime."

The casual mentioning of the Grand Couturier's name caused a lance of worry to shoot through Ryuko's mind, "How do –"

"Like I said, there is no time for talking," Ryuken interrupted Ryuko's question as he continued to walk away. As Ruko was forced to follow him while dragging Mako, who kept trying to stop and ask all the doctors they passed various questions, Ryuken raised his hand at two armed guards blocking a doorway. Ryuko watched as Ryuken pressed his thumb against a pad on the wall before the door opened with a pressurized hiss. As he escorted Ryuko and Mako through the hallway that only a dozen people in the world had access to, Ryuken coughed and continued his explanation, "My son is waiting for you further ahead. He wanted to come retrieve you himself but due to his guests he asked me to instead. Usually I would not even condone such a request but the situation we're all involved in does not leave room for stubbornness. The upcoming conflict will leave dozens, if not hundreds, injured or worse and as a doctor I cannot allow my personal feelings to get in the way of helping people. This is as far as I go. Continue walking straight ahead and you will reach my son."

"Thanks," Ryuko muttered before asking, "Hey, how do you know about Nui Harime?"

Ryuken didn't pause as he answered, "She tried to kill me. It did not work and she most likely finds a blemish on her perfect record abysmal."

Before Ryuko could ask why Nui had tried to kill him Ryuken pressed his thumb on the pad once more, causing the door to slid shut and lock with a hiss behind them. As Mako gasped in amazement at the stuff around them and began pulling her along for the ride, Ryuko realized that perhaps it was for the best she not know the answer to her question. Nui had hurt a lot of people in her life and it was beginning to dawn on her that her dad might not have been the first one she killed. The way Nui bragged about the deed to her during the Sudden Death Runoffs suggested Nui had been murdering people for a very long time and the fact Nui was only seventeen years old caused Ryuko's heart to clench in her chest.

"_**Your heart rate and pulse have jumped, Ryuko. Are you thinking about yesterday?"**_ Senketsu's familiar and calming voice helped to relieve some of the fear Ryuko was feeling. She was pissed off the hell over what Nui did but at the same time the level of power and strength the Grand Couturier possessed scared the crap out of her. If Ichigo and Satsuki working together could not bring that bitch down, what chance did she have? She needed to find a way to get stronger as quickly as possible to not only avenge her dad but all the people Nui killed.

"Yeah," Ryuko conceded before noticing a light shining out from under the door of the room ahead of them, "Hey Senketsu, we need to get stronger. I won't let Nui Harime hurt anyone that I care about anymore."

"_**Yes. I will not let that monster lay another finger on Mako or anyone else! If that means we have to team up with Satsuki and Junketsu to do the deed, then that's what we'll do!"**_

"Hold on a second, that's taking things a bit too far," Ryuko scoffed at the hurt look in her Kamui's eye, "Getting stronger is one thing but teaming up with Satsuki is just crazy. Next you're going to tell me she's my sister."

"…if we don't fortify the Mitsumiya Sector we risk Satsuki's forces entrenching themselves in the old Matsukura Hospital. It would take power we do not have to dislodge them if that happens."

The voice drifting through the air down the hallway caused Ryuko to frown. She quite easily recognized the angry voice as belonging to the Mohawk bastard that kicked her ass a couple of days after she managed to fully synchronize with Senketsu. She wanted to pay him back for the humiliating defeat but the question of what he was doing here forced Ryuko to think things over. Ryuken said Uryu was back here and if Tsumugu was with him, did that mean the two of them were working together?

"That is a brilliant point, but Satsuki Kiryuin is anything but conventional! If she intends to capture Karakura Town and enslave the population under the thrall of Life Fibers, the most expedient way would be through the Karakura Honchou Sector. Capturing the train station would be an advantage that will all but turn the tides of the battle!" A second and much more boisterous voice answered and for some reason Ryuko could not help but think about Gamagori going off into another of his tirades about breaking the rules, not wearing a proper uniform or blowing up the science lab due to a concoction of chemicals she mixed together. How the hell could she know she accidentally created a mixture one thousand times more explosive than nitroglycerin?

"You are thinking too simple," A voice that belonged to none other than Uryu Ishida appeared, "Satsuki Kiryuin may be eighteen years old but she is a master strategist. She has four commanders as her Elite Four and will most likely split them up into three or four fronts. Such a maneuver will stress the defenses we have if we do not plan according. The best course of action would be to split our forces and send them here…here…and here. If Satsuki tries to pull anything, we should be able to warn those in reserve of her intentions."

"That is a marvelous idea! Such an ingenious plan is worthy of coming from an Ishida!" the second and unknown voice nearly shouted and Ryuko could have sworn she heard Uryu groan.

While Ryuko wanted to stand outside the room and listen for a few more minutes, it seemed that Mako had other plans. Pulling open the door and slamming it into Ryuko's face, Mako's eyes drifted up while she pointed at the man facing them and said, "Oh wow, he's huge like Gamagori!"

Ryuko rubbed her nose from where the door hit it and was about to chastise Mako when she saw a bald man leaning over a large table with a detailed map of Karakura Town and the surrounding mountains. The man wore what was obviously a military uniform but had the symbol of a red X crossed over a pair of underwear stitched onto his breast. What drew her attention the most was his massive size. He easily had to be the same size, if not bigger than, Gamagori and she could tell all of that was muscles. Upon noticing their arrival the man stood up to his full height and walked past Tsumugu, nearly knocking him over in the process, before giving Ryuko a very, very firm handshake.

"I must say that it is a pleasure to finally meet the daughter of the great Professor Matoi!" Ryuko was floored when the man seemed about ready to burst into tears even as he continued to accidentally break her hand, "I confess that due to my duties I was not able to watch as you grew into a fine young woman but it fills my heart with unbridled joy to see that you are alive and well. I truly am sorry for the loss of your father. He was a marvelous man and while I can never reach the level of charisma and respect Professor Matoi possessed, I will do my best to fill that gap in the world!"

"Er…thanks?" Ryuko didn't know how to respond to the man's speech so she fell back on the age old, "Who are you?"

The giant man's body stiffened as he realized he forgot to introduce himself to Ryuko. Letting go of her hand, much to Ryuko's immense relief, he stepped back and instantly threw off the top half of his uniform, exposing his muscular and well-sculpted body for all to see. As he moved in various poses with creepily familiar purple sparkles and stars surrounding his body, the man boisterously shouted, "I humbly request that you forgive my rudeness! In my haste to greet you I have forgotten one of the most important tenets of manners. Gaze upon my sculpted body, carved through years of service and dedication, and accept my most sincere apologies. My name is Alex Louis Armstrong, Major General of Nudist Beach!"

The reactions of the two girls couldn't have been any more different. While Mako was ecstatic at seeing Armstrong for reasons she would never fully understand, Ryuko was staring at the man with a terrified look on her face. When she first met Aikuro Mikisugi and his tendency to strip while giving her valuable information, Ryuko thought that was the worst thing she would ever encounter in her hopefully long life. That thought was blown out of the water when she saw the man in front of her strip off his shirt and began posing in ways that Aikuro could only hope to emulate. With her survival instincts kicking in, Ryuko leapt back and brought out her red Scissor Blade before pointing it at Armstrong.

"Stay back!" Ryuko shouted at Armstrong, "You try to take off your pants and I'll castrate you!"

Armstrong blinked in confusion as he witnessed Ryuko's reaction. He hadn't expected her to get angry upon hearing his most sincere apology but Armstrong did not get to where he was in life by being dense and stupid. It had taken his analytical brain only seconds to tie Ryuko's reaction to the removal of his jacket and shirt to Aikuro Mikisugi.

"Do not worry, Miss Matoi, I have no intention of doing such a thing in front of you," Armstrong stood up to his massive height and sighed wistfully. Pressing his knuckles against his forehead and turning his head away, the purple sparkles appeared around his head as he spoke, "While we of Nudist Beach prefer to operate with minimal clothing so that we may better fight against the tyranny of the Kiryuins and the Life Fibers they possess, we are not arrogant enough to assume everyone feels the same way. One of the key tenants of my organization is that a Nudist must never strip in front of impressionable minors whose minds have yet to fully develop! Such behavior can traumatize their developing minds for the rest of their lives! So take heed in my words that unlike my student I will never do such a disrespectful thing in front of you or your friends!"

To Ryuko's eternal gratitude Uryu decided Armstrong was wasting too much time. As much as he would have preferred to assume Satsuki would stick to the leaked plans and leave at 5:00 AM, Uryu knew her well enough to know Satsuki was one to know take any chances. If she was aware of her plans being compromised, she might order Honnouji Academy to depart earlier than expected in the hopes of arriving before Karakura's defenses are ready. Placing himself between Armstrong and Ryuko, Uryu adjusted his glasses and looked at Armstrong, "Major General Armstrong, please excuse my tone but we do not have the time for this. We still need to finalize our defenses against Honnouji Academy's assault!"

"Yes, of course." Armstrong turned away from Ryuko toward Tsumugu, who snapped to attention upon receiving his commander's attention. There would always be time to speak with Ryuko later. For the moment he needed to focus every last screed of his intellect on the task at hand, "The attention of a Kamui and its wearer will change everything. Most of our plans revolved around limiting Satsuki Kiryuin's impact on the battle. Ryuko's presence changes everything. Forces that were previously dedicated to slowing down Satsuki can now be redirected to more vulnerable locations."

Tsumugu looked like he had just swallowed a particularly sour lemon as he answered, "As much as I would not like to depend on a Kamui, you have a point. There is no chance of my men taking on a Kamui without suffering massive and extensive losses in the process. A Three-Star Goku Uniform would be pushing it and that is only if we had the element of surprise on our side. The power of Senketsu is not to be trifled with but I still think my sister would have been a better choice."

"Kinue's aptitude for strategies and fighting is not to be trifled with," Armstrong hummed as he scratched at his moustache. He had always felt somewhat responsible for Kinue's ragged existence for most of the past ten years. She may have volunteered for the test fit of Danketsu but nothing happened in Nudist Beach without going through him first. He had mulled over the request for days before finally authorizing it. It filled his heart with joy to see bits and pieces of the old Kinue bleeding through once more. Whatever she it was she discussed with Ichigo Kurosaki at Honnouji Academy must have really helped, "Unfortunately your sister has earned the ire of Ragyo Kiryuin. I have put her on low-key missions in Europe until Ragyo makes her next move."

"Hold on a second! That Kinue woman is your sister?" Ryuko shoved past Armstrong until she was standing right in front of Tsumugu. She couldn't help but remember the woman that attacked Ururu back when Mako was the president of the Fight Club. The strength and speed she possessed as she went after Ururu were phenomenal and Ryuko could not help but think that if she had such power, Nui Harime would never have been able to hurt Mako.

"Yes, she is forced to wear a despicable Kamui. Its name is Danketsu and it is the reason I hate Life Fibers. I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt but after your performance yesterday, I feel that your Kamui should be destroyed," Tsumugu ignored the venomous look Ryuko was giving him to focus on the map of Karakura Town. As much as Uryu Ishida consoled him Satsuki would not dare to move through the Kitakawase Sector, Tsumugu had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that the youngest Kiryuin would make such a move exactly for that reason.

"Damn it," Ryuko seethed as her eyes narrowed in anger, but before she could demand Tsumugu to talk she found Armstrong's massive hand on her shoulder.

"Please forgive my comrade for his harsh and unjustified rudeness!" The sparkles were back around Armstrong's face as he spoke, "The history of Kinue Kinagase is not something that should be discussed unless Tsumugu or Kinue decide the time in appropriate. Understand that Tsumugu's feelings towards Kamui and Life Fibers are due to tragic events, but that is enough about such a painful topic! It is wondrous that you are here to assist in the defense of Karakura Town, Ryuko Matoi, but I must ask where young Ichigo is. I was under the impression that Uryu retrieved him as well."

"We ran into some trouble right before leaving," Uryu handed a can of soda to Mako so that she would stop bouncing around the conference room and focus on something else for a change. Trying to follow the hyperactive girl as she teleported around and touched everything she could was giving him a headache. Sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, Uryu mentally ordered himself to focus, "Ichigo was forced to stay behind to keep Nui Harime from following us. I am not sure how long she was there but we must assume she heard everything I said."

"The Grand Couturier is a very disturbed young woman. It would be prudent to assume she will inform Satsuki of what she knows," Armstrong was in a rare serious mood. Speaking about Nui Harime always killed whatever happy feelings he had. The Grand Couturier had killed hundreds of his men and women, friends and colleagues alike, throughout the years and as much as his honor and pride was demanding he take vengeance on his fallen comrades, Armstrong knew he could not do much to her. The Grand Couturier's regeneration would make any of his attacks inefficient. Blue eyes narrowing as an idea came to him Armstrong slammed his hands against the table and asked Uryu, "Has there been news from Isshin concerning the likelihood of her appearance? I do not want to engage Satsuki Kiryuin's forces only for the Grand Couturier to pop out of the woodwork! Happiness should not be used the way she uses it!"

Uryu looked to the side as he remembered the words his father had told him on the phone just a couple of hours ago. Ichigo's dad appeared to know almost everything about Life Fibers and while he was suspicious of his relation to Ragyo Kiryuin, Uryu knew better than to assume Isshin Kurosaki was the enemy, "The information I have comes from my father's mouth so you should assume it is not entirely accurate so here is what I know. Ichigo's dad apparently knows that if Satsuki could get through the shield than Nui Harime could get through as well so he designed what he called a Kaizo Trap."

"Kaizo Trap?" Ryuko asked as she sat down in one of the many chairs littering the conference room and slammed her feet onto the table. Whatever the hell a Kaizo Trap was, it sounded incredible stupid. It probably came from one of those video games she saw people playing at Honnouji Academy before Gamagori confiscated them.

"Yes, and it is quite the ingenious plan," Uryu would never have thought Ichigo's dad was a genius but what that man came up with could only be created by the most intelligent of minds. Even though he knew the full details of the trap, Uryu was having trouble conceptualizing how Isshin Kurosaki could have invented it. Sitting down and folding his hands in front of his face, Uryu stared at the map of Karakura Town and explained, "Instead of adjusting the Anti-Life Fiber shield in the hopes that Nui Harime would be kept out, Ichigo's dad did the exact opposite. He keyed the Life Fibers circulating through her body into the IFF system and modified its response. The moment she steps through the shield, every single one of her powers apart from her regeneration will be sealed. That is why Ururu seemed to feel weak as we landed. Due to being Nui's twin sister, the shield unfortunately affects her as well, but you shouldn't worry. She is being kept safely hidden in Urahara's Shop for the duration of the attack."

"That's perfect!" Ryuko had a vicious smirk on her face as she stood and pounded her fist onto the table. She couldn't wait to fight Nui Harime and wipe that insufferable grin on her face once and for all, "I just need to wait until she shows up and then kick her ass!"

"That would be a very bad idea," Uryu grimaced at the second part of the Kaizo Trap. It only worked as long as the target was not attacked. The shield is defensive in nature and the modifications Isshin made meant the trap only works as long as Nui Harime was not attacked, "Attacking Nui Harime would trigger the IFF's defensive measures and cause the Kaizo Trap to fall apart."

Ryuko stared at Uryu for a moment before shouting in anger, "Then what's the damn point of the stupid trap in the first place?"

"You are failing to see the true genius of the trap, Matoi," Tsumugu's frown appeared to intensify as he spoke, "It only fails if we attack the Grand Couturier first. If someone can force Nui Harime to make the first move before she recognizes the trap's effects, we should be able to attack her when she's at her weakest."

"Exactly!" Armstrong clenched his fist as the muscles in his arm rippled in joy, "While I can only hope Nui Harime arrives so that I may return the pain and suffering she has inflicted onto the many comrades no longer with us, we need to go over your role in this invasion!"

Ryuko cocked her head to the side, "My role?"

"But of course!" Armstrong flexed and posed before continuing, "Senketsu's strength will be paramount to our victory in these coming hours! While I had hoped to have the strength of Ichigo's Kamui as well, I must follow the tides wherever they choose to carry me. Now please pay attention and listen sharp, Ryuko, for what I am about to convey to you is both top secret and very important. The fate of the world lies in the balance and our victory in the battle for Karakura Town will be the key to saving it."

"I'll do anything as long as I get to kick Satsuki or Nui's ass!" Ryuko clenched her fist and grimaced. All the setbacks and loses she suffered over the last few weeks would be returned in full force to Satsuki's little army tomorrow morning. No longer was she going to let her anger at Nui Harime for killing her dad and Mako blind her in battle. Ichigo's dad was right when he said going after Nui would be a hollow victory. As long as she could stay around Ichigo and Mako and protect everyone with her power, Ryuko was content with letting the Grand Couturier come to her. It would save her the time of tracking that blonde bitch down.

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><p><em>Naniwa Kinman High School, Osaka – 12:35 AM<em>

"So Satsuki Kiryuin thinks she can just ignore me, does she? She thinks just because she's rich she can do whatever the hell she wants? She's going some nerve, I tell ya."

The speaker, who as visibly steaming at the news he had just received, strolled through the empty and dark halls of Naniwa Kinman High School flanked on all sides by members of the Student Council President. Usually at this time of the day he would be sound asleep dreaming about making life sized castles out of money, but this morning Kaneo Takarada was fully dressed and wide awake. There was too much to do and for once money couldn't solve his problems, which made him giddy with excitement. For someone who had enough money to bribe the entire city of Osaka into being his private army, Kaneo relished the challenge of solving a problem like this.

"That's ok, then! Let Satsuki play in the outskirts of Tokyo! Having her around Osaka would have scared away the tourists and my profits would have gone down by fifty percent this month," Kaneo declared to his entourage, who continued to write down his words and orders. Money could buy many things but it couldn't buy competent employees and workers. Kaneo knew that you could shower people with millions of dollars and it wouldn't make them any smarter or more focused, which is why every spot on his Student Council was filled by people who he couldn't bribe. After all, what better employees were there than those that worked without looking for more money?

"Shouldn't we offer more assistance to Karakura Town?" Kaneo's Vice President asked as he handed him a more recent report on the situation, "Karakura Town is the only city north of the line of demarcation between your conglomerate and the Kiryuin's that is free of any influence. If it falls to Satsuki Kiryuin's assault, there will be nothing to deter her from focusing her attention on the Kansai Region."

"I like the way you think!" Kaneo waved a bundle of Takarada Bucks in his Vice President's face and grinned when he saw the guy's eyes not even following the money. It was so good to find competent and loyal help these days. Fanning his face with the specialized money before slapping it against his coat, Kaneo tossed his hand into the air and said, "But if you think Karakura Town will just roll over and take it from Satsuki, ya got another thing coming. Quiz time! Do you have a clue who's the biggest player in Japan is? Come on, give me a guess. There are no wrong answers!"

One of the lesser members of the Student Council raised her hand and answered, "Is it you, sir?"

"Pft, I wish," Kaneo snapped the bundle of Takarada Bucks before tucking them away in his coat. Walking down the hall, he ran a hand through his hair before pointing his finger upwards, "Compared to the man I am about to describe, my wealth is but a bucket a water compared to the ocean. If I tried to bribe him to work with me, he would look at my money before asking if I was trying to offer him pocket change. My conglomerate may own half of Japan but Ishida Pharmaceuticals owns half the world!"

The Student Council looked to each other before one asked, "How can that be, sir?"

"Capitalism at its finest!" Kaneo shouted ecstatically into the air, inadvertently throwing his money around in the process.

For just an instant Kaneo forgot who were the people he surrounded himself with, so when his Student Council just stood around and stared at him while his Takarada Bucks drifted to the ground around them, he huffed and spun away before exclaiming, "Ryuken Ishida is a brilliant businessman that knows how the human mind works! He chose one of the few businesses that are immune to the effects of recessions, inflation, and depression! Everyone will always need medicine and hospitals. When someone goes to a hospital they are charged oodles of money for aspirin and other normally cheap drugs. If I could ever meet Ryuken Ishida, I would kiss his boots and ask him to take me under his wing in the art of money-making!"

There were three big players in Japan – Kiryuin, Takarada and Ishida. While his conglomerate was always fighting the Kiryuin's for control of the country, Ryuken Ishida had sat back and concentrated his power in Karakura Town and internationally. Kaneo even heard the man snubbed Ragyo Kiryuin's offer for a substantial partnership. He didn't have all the details but his sources claim the offer price was in the eleven digit range.

"That reminds me of something…" Kaneo scratched at his chin before an idea came to him. As his face lit up he spun around to his Vice President, "Get the General on the line right this instant!"

"It's past midnight, sir," Kaneo's Vice President argued futilely, "She's going to be rather…upset if you call her."

"If she gets upset with me, I'll just have to remind her who's footing the bill for her organization," Kaneo retorted as he grabbed the phone out of his Vice President's hand and began dialing in the secret number only he amongst the Naniwa Kinman High School Student Council knew. Grinning and exposing the gold grill with ZENI printed on it as he heard the line ringing, Kaneo waited patiently for the line to go through before mockingly asking, "Why hello there my dear General. How are you doing this fine Monday morning?"

"_I can't stand your silliness on the best of days and early in the morning is not a time to test my limited patience."_ The female voice on the other end sounded tired but that did not do anything to effect the authoritative tone in her voice. Kaneo knew better than to antagonize the General of Nudist Beach more than necessary and never to do it in person. He wanted to live and not even his money could save him from that woman's wrath.

"I have some news for you, my dear General, and it deals with Satsuki Kiryuin's little game of Risk," Kaneo grinned as he heard the woman on the other end of the line snap to attention. Giving a soft chuckle as he savored the moment while it lasted, Kaneo stepped out onto a patio overlooking the city of Osaka and continued, "I'm sure by now you've heard she decided to stand me up for a chance to go to Karakura Town."

"_I'm not in the mood for your stupid way of speaking, Takarada. You already know that I am the one that ordered the Major General to take a full detachment of Nudists and meet up with Uryu Ishida about 100 kilometers south of Karakura Town. If you called me just to repeat what I already know…"_

"Relax my dear General, I called because I have some news you might like to hear," Kaneo waved his Student Council away so that he could continue on the conversation privately. He may be a rich bastard with too much money but he was also quite smart. He trusted his Student Council fully but he did not trust anyone they associated with. It would be easier for a friend of theirs to plant a bug on their clothing to overhear his conversations. That is why his tailor-made suit and coat were designed to have a small electrical current constantly running through it to short-circuit any bugs that may be placed on his person, "But first there's a strange rumor going around the block about a certain French woman in your custody and her untimely demise. Dare I ask what happened to a certain Miss Jackie Tristan?"

"_Jackie Tristan attempted to escape from custody two days ago. She thought I would make an easy target for a hostage but she learned the most valuable lesson before she died from my blade piercing her heart – Don't fuck with me."_

"Scary, scary," Kaneo was glad he wasn't speaking to the General in person. He knew from experience that when the General was upset, her stare could cause the bravest of men to lose control over their bladders and his suit was way too expensive to ruin. He could always buy another one with the change from under his bed but it was the concept of the matter. "Would you like for me to pay for the funeral or are you just going to cremate her?"

"_You know something, Takarada, so spill it before I'm forced to come topside and track you down."_

"My sources claim that Satsuki Kiryuin is dedicating nearly ninety five percent of her forces to this little attack of hers," Kaneo grinned as he sensed the wheels in the General's mind spinning into motion, "It would be quite the shock if someone were to move in while she was away, wouldn't you say?"

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><p><em>Honnouji Academy – 1:47 AM<em>

"Damn, that's a lot of trucks."

Ichigo rolled away from the edge of the outer wall of Honnouji Academy and stared up at the starry night sky. When he was rushing back to Honnouji Academy after falling for Nui Harime's annoying prank, he hadn't known what Satsuki was planning. He may be the Student Council Vice President, but there were some things that Satsuki and her Elite Four kept secret from him and frankly he was alright with that since he never really thought of himself as a Vice President to begin with. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ichigo turned back over onto his stomach and stared through the pair of high tech binoculars he borrowed from Gamagori.

"_I knew there were a lot of students, but I had no idea Honnouji Academy was this crowded."_

Apart from the nearly two hundred trucks lined up facing the exit of the academy, there were more than a thousand students, all wearing new track suits, passing along supplies and ammunition in dozens of bucket brigades. Narrowing his eyes and zooming in on one of the students, Ichigo frowned as he read what was stenciled on the back of the track suit – Anti-Karakura Combat-Spec. So Uryu was right. Satsuki really was planning on hitting Karakura Town instead of the Kansai Region like she told him. Ichigo knew only vague hints pertaining to her motives, Satsuki and the Elite Four weren't exactly forthcoming with explanations, but he couldn't figure out what could cause Satsuki to change her mind.

"_Maybe she changed her mind after watching Orihime save Mako. I really can't think of anything else,"_ Ichigo shook his head and adjusted the focus as he saw Ira Gamagori stalking through the crowd. He appeared to be yelling incoherently at several of the Disciplinary Committee members walking behind him and who were all wearing the same yellow track suit as him. Ichigo smirked as he watched Gamagori motion with his hands before pointing towards the main building of the academy. So Gamagori was really pissed off that he stole his binoculars, but Ichigo didn't care in the slightest. His loyalty to Satsuki extended as far as protecting his friends and family from Nui Harime and with the Grand Couturier's recent actions, Ichigo didn't have any reason to work for Satsuki anymore.

"_**Ichigo, you never told me your plan. Just how are you going to get out of Honnou City without Satsuki stopping you?"**_ Mugetsu's feminine voice caused Ichigo to pull his eyes away from the binoculars. Before he returned to Honnouji Academy, he had made sure Mugetsu was already transformed into her released state. While he had the strangest feeling Nui wouldn't show up again to ruin his day, he wanted to be prepared in case Satsuki felt the need to stand in his way.

Rolling to his feet, his knees popping from lying on the ground for such a long time, Ichigo stretched out a kink in his neck before answering, "Well, I'm planning on stealing one of the trucks right near the exit, which really shouldn't be too hard. Once I get out of the city I'm going to drive straight to Karakura Town. If I floor the gas, I should be able to get there in about half an hour. Hopefully that's plenty of time to stop Satsuki's plan."

Mugetsu's multicolored eyes looked at her wearer with obvious confusion, _**"How?"**_

"I have no idea," Ichigo shrugged, "I'm making this up as I go. I've learned from experience that whenever I take part in a plan, it tends to fall apart at the very start."

"_**I don't know whether to be amazed or scared,"**_ Mugetsu commented sarcastically.

"That is quite the ingenious idea you got there, Kurosaki," a drawling voice commented from the shadows and for the second before Aikuro Mikisugi walked towards him Ichigo thought it was Kisuke Urahara. Damn Aikuro for sounding almost identically to Kisuke.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, his voice betraying just the tiniest hint of curiosity.

"Well…" Aikuro scratched at his messy blue hair before adjusting his glasses, "…I was planning on talking to Ryuko a bit before Miss Satsuki embarked on her Raid Trip. Can you imagine how surprised I was to find that the scion of the Ishida Conglomerate not only showed up in Honnou City but spirited Ryuko, Mako and Ururu towards Karkaura Town? From the perplexed look on your face, I'm sure you're wondering how I know all this."

Ichigo's expression was deadpan as he answered, "I already know you're a member of Nudist Beach. Man, Ryuko was right. That really is a stupid name. Couldn't you have picked something cooler as a name? Anyway, I'm busy right now. Go away and flash some other poor teenager or something."

"Your dad was right about you. You really are a stubborn child," Aikuro ran his hand up his face, removing his glasses and adjusting his hairstyle at the same time. Smirking conceitedly at Ichigo's slightly shocked face, Aikuro reached into his pocket and handed over an old and weathered picture featuring him standing next to Professor Matoi and Isshin Kurosaki, "Your dad is a very smart man when he's not goofing around. After your Kamui first woke up, he asked me to keep an eye on you, but frankly you weren't as much as a handful as Ryuko has been."

"Why are you here?" Ichigo asked as he tucked the picture away for future reference.

"To thank you for saving Ryuko and Mako," Aikuro strolled past Ichigo and looked down on the students scurrying back and forth under Satsuki's orders. Unknown to Ichigo, Aikuro had watched the entire time as Orihime brought Mako back from the dead and his reaction was the same as Tsumugu's – such a power should not rightfully exist in the world and coming from a Nudist fighting against Life Fibers that was saying something, "That girl you were with, Orihime Inoue I believe her name was, possesses very peculiar powers but I'm sure by now the Grand Couturier has informed Ragyo Kiryuin all about them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ichigo asked as memories of running through the sands of Hueco Mundo filtered into his mind. Orihime had been captured by a madman who wanted to use her powers for his own gain once. Ichigo was not about to let a second time happen.

"Relax!" Aikuro raised his hands in surrender at Ichigo's anger expression, which was one thing he had in common with Ryuko. Chuckling nervously as Ichigo's frown only deepened, Aikuro sighed and rubbed the back of his neck and explained, "Orihime Inoue's already in Karakura Town under the Anti-Life Fiber shield your dad built. I don't know how Satsuki Kiryuin managed to figure out a way through it, but your dad informed me that Orihime will be perfectly safe. He's taken dozens of precautions to keep people like Nui Harime and Ragyo Kiryuin from kidnapping Orihime. She's safer there than anywhere else in the world at this point in time."

"Thanks for the warning," Ichigo gave Aikuro a short wave goodbye with his hand before turning to leave.

"Be careful, Ichigo," Aikuro's words caused Ichigo to pause mid-step and turn back around. The normally sly smile on the Nudist's face was gone, replaced by a look of seriousness that had Ichigo involuntarily paying rapt attention, "I know that you are a Life Fiber Hybrid and while my opinion has not changed about you, there are those that will try to use that knowledge against you. The Major General of Nudist Beach has ordered everyone to continuously monitor and watch you in case you snap and try to make a break for it. It is only due to our friendship with Isshin and Professor Matoi that Tsumugu and I have decided to give you the benefit of the doubt. I also think you will find Kinue to be an ally as well. If you continue to do what you're doing Ichigo, soon even the General will warm up to you...in about a year or two."

"Who's the General?" Ichigo didn't like Aikuro's threat but at the same time he was grateful the man was giving him a warning. He couldn't have expected everyone to take his new Life Fiber Hybrid status without care, especially someone who belongs to an organization dedicated to fighting Life Fibers.

"Don't worry about it!" Aikuro ruffled his hair and put his glasses back on before backing away from Ichigo, "Just remember to get out of here soon, Ichigo! Miss Satsuki is going to arrive within the next half hour to address the students before they all leave at 5:00 AM. I hope you know how to drive."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Aikuro disappeared into the shadows. As annoyed as he looked, the truth was Ichigo didn't know how to actually drive. Most of where he needed to go in Karakura Town was within easy walking distance and even the places he couldn't walk to, like across the city for instance, his dad was more than willing to drive him. Driving was an entirely new concept to Ichigo but it couldn't be any harder than being a shinigami. He'd played those realistic racing games Tatsuki had rented a few months ago and after a couple of hours of not crashing into the sides of the road, Ichigo figured he was ready to drive a real car. He just hoped to whatever god existed that he didn't need to drive stick.

After quickly glancing around to make sure no one had spotted him, Ichigo hopped down from the wall and landed quietly just outside the entrance to Honnouji Academy. Carefully pressing his body against the wall as he snuck towards the entrance, he spotted the nearest truck and paused. He needed to be careful and not raise the alarm. If Satsuki realized what he was trying to do, she would lock down Honnou City so fast that he wouldn't even be able to reach the One-Star Residential District before he was stopped.

As he crouched along the ground clad in Mugetsu, Ichigo could not help but notice the irony in the situation. Here he was sneaking around like a criminal while wearing one of the most powerful set of clothing in the world that was capable of flying and releasing waves of energy. If Ryuko was here, she probably would have gone with the direct approach and charged in headfirst to steal the truck. When he finally reached the truck, Ichigo stopped outside the driver's side door, counted to three and opened it before pulling the One-Star student out. As the student fell to the ground and a thin manual floated to the ground by his feet, Ichigo paused with his fist in the air as he recognized the teen.

"What the hell?" Ichigo couldn't believe the irony of the situation that out of all the trucks he could have chosen, the one he decided to steal had Jack Naito as the driver.

Rubbing his head as his senses came back to him, Jack Naito's eyes widened in fear as he recognized a very familiar pair of armored feet in front of his face. Shaking as he looked up and into Ichigo's eyes, he scurried backwards and shouted, "Please don't kick my ass again!"

"_**What are the odds, huh,"**_ Mugetsu pondered what Ichigo should do before commenting, _**"I don't think we have time to bother with him. Besides, if it wasn't for him I might never have woken up so soon."**_

"You're right," Ichigo answered his Kamui as he grabbed Jack by the front of his green track suit before easily picking the youth off the ground with his enhanced strength. Sensing something intimately familiar pulsing from somewhere in Jack's uniform, Ichigo's eyes roamed over the panic-stricken teen before his eyes spotted something amiss. Grabbing at a single thread from somewhere deep inside the Goku Uniform, Ichigo pulled his arm back and was rewarded with a small blue Life Fiber that nearly instantly was absorbed through Mugetsu and back into his body.

"_**Was that –"**_

"Yeah, one of my Life Fibers," Ichigo looked away from Jack Naito and frowned. The question of why Jack Naito's Goku Uniform had a piece of his Life Fibers in it bothered him but as he remembered what Nui had mockingly said earlier Ichigo realized just how Satsuki was planning to go through the Anti-Life Fiber shield.

"_Wait a second,"_ Ichigo's eyes widened noticeably as something clicked in his mind, _"If Satsuki is going to use my Life Fibers to get through the shield, then that means dad already knew I was a Life Fiber Hybrid. I suppose that's one more thing I'm going to need to ask about when I kick the crap out of him the next time we meet."_

"I don't have time to deal with you, Jack. Just tell me what you're doing here and I'll let you go."

Jack took a series of deep breaths once he realized he wasn't in any danger of getting his ass kicked by Ichigo for the third time, "After you kicked my ass the second time Lady Satsuki demoted me back down to No-Star. I spent the last few weeks staying below the radar while clawing my way back up to One-Star so now I'm a driver for the Athletic Committee Squads. Can I run away now?"

Ichigo held out his hand, "Give me the keys first."

"Sure!" Jack tossed Ichigo the keys to the truck before stumbling back to his feet and running away. He didn't care if Sanageyama or Gamagori stopped him for running in fear. Ichigo scared the crap out of him more than the two of them combined.

"_**Something's bothering me, Ichigo. How did Satsuki acquire some of your Life Fibers?"**_

"I did get my heart torn out of my chest, Mugetsu," Ichigo tossed the keys up into the air before catching them and closing his eyes. He had been waiting for her to show up for the last few minutes. Turning his head around as a black blade came to rest on the junction of his neck, Ichigo said, "I knew you were there, Satsuki."

"Your intuition and deductive skills are as sharp as ever," Satsuki Kiryuin strutted past Ichigo already in the released form of Junketsu. She had easily spotted Ichigo sneaking around nearly an hour ago and decided to wait and see what his goal was. Once she noticed he had already activated Mugetsu, Satsuki thought it would be prudent to do the same with her Kamui. There was no telling what Ichigo could accomplish in the two second interval it would normally take Junketsu to transform into its true form.

Removing Bakuzan from Ichigo's neck, Satsuki held the hardened Life Fiber blade in a relaxed grip as she locked gazes with him. Junketsu's straps and lines were glowing with a faint blue illumination, causing Satsuki to stand out in the faintly lit courtyard. She knew that attempting to fight Ichigo, if he truly intended to leave, would cause irreversible damage to the Raid Trip's success rate. If the trip to Karakura Town were two or three days away, she would be able to replace all the destroyed equipment and supplies in time, but with the trip scheduled to depart in less than four hours, she could not risk a physical confrontation. Sheathing Bakuzan in a show of good faith, causing Ichigo's hand to shy away from Tournesol's hilt, Satsuki folded her arms under her mostly exposed breasts and asked, "But are your skills naturally acquired via training or are they due to the recently revealed Life Fibers permeating your body?"

"Why does everyone care that I'm a Life Fiber Hybrid? I've probably been one my entire life so nothing's really changed," Ichigo asked with annoyance tinging his words.

Satsuki's eyes narrowed and she stepped forward before answering, "I ask because two of the three other Life Fiber Hybrids in existence are insane psychopaths that are working to bring about the destruction of humanity. The third, Ururu Tsumugiya, is emotionally stunted with a severe attachment problem that has shown to be just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Grand Couturier. I've watched the fight between Ururu and Nui, Ichigo, and I have never seen the Grand Couturier be on the losing end of a fight. What do you think would happen if Ururu were to join my mother? Stopping Nui Harime is already taxing my plans but the addition of Ururu would be the equivalent of allowing the Life Fibers to devour us without a fight!"

Ichigo hated how Satsuki had a point but something Satsuki just said stopped him cold in his tracks, "Wait, your mom's a hybrid?"

For just an instant after Ichigo's question Satsuki looked like she had been caught lying before she quickly schooled her expression and scowled. She hadn't meant for Ichigo to know of her suspicions regarding her mother's humanity, or lack thereof. Nui Harime tearing out her heart and declaring Ururu Tsumugiya her twin sister proved they were both Life Fiber Hybrids. All her evidence pertaining to Ragyo was conjecture at best but Satsuki knew without a doubt her mother was no longer human. Brushing some dust off Junketsu's armor and looking away from Ichigo, Satsuki let out a small huff before answering, "It is simply an assumption I have deduced after months of observations. Everything my mother is capable of doing could only be explained if she were a Life Fiber Hybrid. I did not want to tell you until I was sure you were willing to work with me."

"Look," Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated sigh. He was starting to get tired of Satsuki only telling him just enough information. If she really wanted him to work with her to stop her mother, she needed to stop holding things back, "I remember what you told me during the Naturals Election but how the hell can you expect me to help if you don't tell me everything? I get that your mother is insane but all you've told me is that she plans to turn everyone in Honnou City into food for Life Fibers."

"That's all you need to know," Satsuki snapped and immediately felt Junketsu's armor ripple down her arms. Quickly squashing her Kamui's mental assault on the fortress that was her mind, Satsuki clenched her fist tightly and added, "But know that the truth is very similar to what I told you. Do you really need to know more information to decide to stop my mother? Despite being on opposite sides of the river, we are walking towards the same goal – stopping my mother! Everything I've done since founding Honnouji Academy, from conquering the academies scattered across Japan to modifying Junketsu, have been accomplished to make that goal a reality!"

Ichigo began to answer when he heard something faintly whispering on the wind. While it was loud enough to hear, it was still too soft for him to make out any words or sounds. Concentrating on trying to understand what he was hearing, Ichigo noticed something off about Satsuki's Kamui that he hadn't noticed right away due to the darkness surrounding them. Nearly everything about Junketsu, from the shoulder-guards to the bikini that barely covered Satsuki's modesty was the same, but as he looked closer Ichigo spotted the difference. The once black sclera that took up most of Junketsu's eyes in its transformed state was now a shade of intimately familiar blue.

"So that's what Nui meant when she said you modified Junketsu," Ichigo's mentioning of the Grand Couturier took Satsuki slightly off guard, "I was wondering why Jack Naito had a piece of my Life Fibers in his Goku Uniform. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Satsuki mulled over Ichigo's question and turned her back to him. Staring up at the academy towering over them in the darkened sky, she took a deep breath and spoke, "I've told you I will do whatever is needed to order to achieve my goals. The Life Fibers we collected from you will grant my fellow students the means of bypassing the Anti-Life Fiber shield your father has erected around Karakura Town and lay claim to the school! I did not expect Junketsu to eagerly absorb your Life Fibers, Ichigo, but even as we speak I can feel a small part of your power thrumming though my body. Soon I will gain access to the same configurations as Mugetsu and Senketsu, allowing me to take out my mother once and for all!"

The growl that emanated from Mugetsu when Satsuki admitted to experimenting on Junketsu threw Ichigo off balance. He had never heard his Kamui sound so angry and the way Mugetsu was shivering on him implied she was one step away from killing Satsuki, _**"Do not listen to another word from Satsuki Kiryuin! She has desecrated and experimented on Junketsu without its consent!"**_

Mugetsu's eyes became bloodshot as her voice grew more and more venomous with each passing word. As much as she wanted to kill Satsuki for what she dared to do to Junketsu, rip her limb from limb, Mugetsu had enough self-control to stop herself from going berserk. She knew Satsuki Kiryuin could not hear Junketsu's faint voice and Mugetsu felt nothing but pity for her. To be able to communicate with a Kamui is a privilege shared by only three people in the world. Mugetsu really wanted to shout at Satsuki. She wanted to let the human understand the scope of what she did, but it would be a pointless waste of energy since Satsuki cannot hear her wondrous voice.

"_**Kamui are spun from pure Life Fibers, making us infinitely superior to Satsuki Kiryuin's Goku Uniforms,"**_ Even though she was still immensely furious, Mugetsu was mentally forcing herself to calm down. She did not want to disappoint Ichigo by losing control. With her word still tinged with anger and her eyes narrowed to slits, she hissed, _**"A Kamui's Life Fibers are what makes it unique. My Life Fibers are as different from Senketsu's as his are from Danketsu's. Infusing foreign Life Fibers into a Kamui is the equivalent of altering your memories and personality. It is something you NEVER do without the Kamui's permission. I will never forgive Satsuki Kiryuin for what she did to Junketsu."**_

Ichigo felt Mugetsu's anger at Satsuki bleed into his mind and he finally understood, if only vaguely, why his Kamui was so angry. It was one thing to be told something but another to actually feel it. Looking away from Satsuki's awaiting expression, her face seeming to show the hope that he would understand her motives, Ichigo thought long and hard on what he should do. His conversations with Ragyo Kiryuin have proven Satsuki was right about her mother and the knowledge that Nui was under Ragyo's thumb the entire time didn't help things. Thoughts passed through his mind that both agreed with what Satsuki was doing while at the same time claiming she was not to be trusted at any cost. Giving one final glance at Satsuki's hand before his thoughts finally came to a consensus; Ichigo frowned before rudely turning his back on her.

"Consider this my resignation from the Student Council. What's the point of stopping Ragyo if you stoop down to her level? I've put up with a lot of your crap since we've met but after seeing what you did to Junketsu, I've had enough. I'm going to find a better way to stop your mom that doesn't involve damning my soul," Ichigo spat as he tried to climb up into the truck only to find a black blade placed against his neck.

"Do not dare to assume I have sunk down to the level as my mother! You have not seen the things she has done in the name of Life Fibers!"

For the first time in as long as she could remember Satsuki could not find the strength of character to control her emotions. Since the murders of her little sister and father at the hands of her mother, Satsuki had clamped down on her emotions in order to better facilitate her plans of revenge. She would not acknowledge her friendship with the Elite Four and Soroi in case her mother found out and decided to use her ties against her. Satsuki had long ago realized that most people would collapse under the guilty and pressure of what needed to be accomplished but Satsuki had persevered where hardened soldiers would have broken from despair. Throughout her childhood, from her earliest memories of how much of a monster her mother was to the first time the abuse started, Satsuki has constantly kept her mind and sanity intact with the mantra that she would one day kill her mother for everything she's done. Nothing else would matter until her goal was accomplished.

While Satsuki regretted her actions in sending Nui Harime to Ryuko's father to collect what he was working on, she did not dwell on the past. There was no way she could have been aware that the Grand Couturier would go out of her way to torture and kill Isshin Matoi instead of simply stealing what he was working on. Everything Ryuko's faced at Honnouji Academy was nothing more than a test to make her strong enough to fight against her mother when the time came. Satsuki did not care if Ryuko hated her for the rest of her life. As long as her mother was defeated and the world saved from the Life Fibers, Satsuki was content with being the villain.

Ichigo, on the other hand, continued to cause her an endless amount of grief. If it wasn't enough that her mother, and especially Nui Harime, had a vested interest in his progress, it was the fact that he had nearly perfect control over his Kamui while she still struggled with Junketsu. Satsuki knew her Kamui was sentient, perhaps not to the same point as Mugetsu and Senketsu, but it was a living thing. After speaking with him and observing his conversations with his Kamui, Satsuki tried to bond with her own Kamui but it was to no avail. Nothing she did worked and it was in that failure that she gave up. If her Kamui was not willing to at least converse with her, Satsuki would take what she wanted by force. Junketsu was merely clothing that needed to be worn and if it was not willing to work together, Satsuki would command it to obey her will.

"Who are you to assume you know my motives? You, that has yet to pierce through the surface of who I am!"

Satsuki grabbed Ichigo by the front of Mugetsu and leaned in close to his face. Pressing her forehead against his and with a look of absolute rage on her face from the sheer audacity Ichigo was showing her, Satsuki clenched her teeth and seethed, "The morals that you speak of are nothing more than comforting thoughts for those too weak to do that which needs to be done! My mother will stop at nothing and kill anyone in her way to accomplish her goals. If she succeeds in her task, the entire world will wither away and die beneath her cold and soulless fingers! Before my father was killed, he brought me to Junketsu and said 'This will be your wedding dress, but when you put it on, you will become a slave to clothing.' I am fully prepared to die if it means my mother will perish with me. Can the same be said about you, Ichigo? My convictions are what make me strong and my will is what drives me forward! Junketsu, even though it might be alive, is nothing more than a means to an end!"

"That right there is the problem," Ichigo, in a moment of sheer brilliance, reared his head back and slammed it into Satsuki's. While she wasn't hurt due to wearing Junketsu, Satsuki was still forced to take a step back from the shock of the impact. As her anger rose from Ichigo's unprovoked attack, she paused as she heard his next words, "You're so focused on revenge that you lost the ability to think of anything new. What's the point of stopping Ragyo if you're just going to die in the end? That's stupid. If you're going to save the world, you can't do it alone. I know that you have friends, whether you will admit it or not, and I know for a fact they will do everything they can to help you if you just ask. I can't say that I understand what you feel or what Ragyo did to you, but I can say that going alone will never work. When you have your friends fighting alongside you, if you fall there is always someone there to pick you back up."

Satsuki was pensive for a couple of seconds as she digested Ichigo's words before she closed her eyes and sheathed Bakuzan, "I see that my words will not dissuade you from your objective, Ichigo, but know that from the moment you pass through the gates of Honnouji Academy you will no longer have my protection. If we meet on the battlefield of Karakura Town I will not hesitate in the slightest to cut you down. You have made your position on the matter clear and while our goals are similar I will not stand by and allow you to jeopardize all that I worked for. Is there anything you have to say for yourself before I give the order to my Elite Four?"

"Yeah, you all can go to hell," Ichigo yelled as he started the truck and floored the acceleration. As the truck lurched forward and through the gates of Honnouji Academy, Ichigo stuck his head out the window and shouted back, "Oh, and tell that bastard Gamagori I broke his binoculars!"

Satsuki clenched her fists as she stared at the fading lights from the truck. She did not want to make Ichigo her enemy, not when there was so much at stake. Why he was so stubborn boggled her and as much as she knew she should be angry with him, Satsuki could not help but admire his tenacity to stick by his beliefs no matter the circumstances. She was completely used to those around her bowing down and following her leadership to hell and back, but Ichigo seemed to not be so easily swayed. Allowing a small smirk to grace her face as she turned and walked towards the onrushing wave of students who had come to see why one of the trucks was driving away, Satsuki mentally noted to pass along Ichigo's message to Gamagori. The Disciplinary Committee Chair had been rather worked up over the last hour or so about his missing binoculars. It would be the fair thing to inform him of what happened to them.

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><p><em>Highway East of Karakura Town - 2:52 AM<em>

"Oh man, I really shouldn't be out here."

Keigo Asano stared through the binoculars down the empty highway snaking westward towards Tokyo Bay and Honnou City. As the most direct route between Karakura Town and Honnouji Academy, it made sense that Satsuki Kiryuin would send her forces this way. After the alert about the imminent invasion spread through Karakura Town, nearly ninety-five percent of the population fled south towards the Kansai Region, which was the last bastion of Japan free of the Kiryuin's control. Those that had stayed behind to fight and protect their town, barely five thousand of them in total, were quickly assigned squads and tasks to accomplish and for once Keigo Asano could say with pride that he wasn't a coward. He was terrified to hell of Satsuki Kiryuin but after living through the encounter with Sosuke Aizen, nothing could make him turn tail and run away.

Looking at his watch's digital display and noticing that it was almost three in the morning, Keigo yawned as he looked down the highway once more with the binoculars. The whole concept of Life Fibers seeking to devour humanity as food confused the crap out of him and the fact that Revocs put Life Fibers in all of their clothing just helped to cement the fact that something was seriously wrong with the world. If Life Fibers were really that bad, why hadn't the world just bombed the crap out of Revocs and killed Ragyo Kiryuin? The fact that Karakura Town was the only place in the world completely free of Life Fibers and their influence made Keigo think of himself as the only sane man. How else would he describe himself if the entire world seemed to ignore Life Fibers?

"Life Fibers are really freaking weird. Even their name doesn't make any sense," Keigo mumbled under his breath as he picked up the final crate of explosives from the back of the truck, lifting with his legs and not his back like Tsumugu told him, before walking towards the waist-high concrete barrier on the shoulder of the highway.

As a member of the newly established Karakura Town Highway Demolition Defense Squad, it was his job to make sure all the charges were in place long before Honnouji Academy's forces arrived within the next three hours. As he placed the crate on the concrete barrier, Keigo reached for the pulley dangling off the side of the road and hooked it up. After giving the rope a few good tugs to make sure it was securely connected, he pushed it over the edge and began slowly lowering it

"This is the last box," Keigo shouted down as he lowered the rope several inches at a time.

"I got it!"

A hand reached out from underneath the road before the upper half of Mahana Natsui appears as well. As she grabbed hold of the crate of explosives and began carefully opening it, Keigo tried not to think about how the normally curious and average Mahana was an explosives genius. Deep down in his soul Keigo knew he should be extremely worried about his fellow student. She was the one, after all, to excitedly point out each of the highway's structural weaknesses to Tsumugu as he tried to explain it himself. At first everyone thought she was just being her normal self and pretending to know what she was talking about, but when Tsumugu said she was correct on all counts, Mahana was moved from the Cargo and Supply Squad to the Highway Demolition Defense Squad.

"Keigo, do you think anything about this is strange?" Mahana's voice echoed up from under the road as she stuck the explosives onto the pillars supporting the highway.

"Strange?" Keigo leaned out over the edge of the highway standing nearly fifty feet above the ground, "We're high school students placing bombs in the middle of a highway to stop another high school from using Life Fibers to enslave us all. Let's not forget the fact that Life Fibers are alien parasites that want to use us as fast food to go! What part of this isn't strange?"

"There! That's the last of the explosives," Mahana's head appeared over the side of the highway once more as she let the now empty crate fall to the ground below before pulling herself up. Now that she was finished setting the explosives, she was looking forward to stretching her legs. Grabbing Keigo's hand as he struggled to pull her up, Mahana nearly stumbled to the ground from exhaustion.

"Man, this is going to be bad," Keigo sighed as he sat down with his back against the concrete barrier.

"I wonder why Satsuki Kiryuin is doing this," Mahana dusted her hands off and sat down next to Keigo on the ground. Staring up into the night sky, she ran a hand through her curly brown hair and huffed, "I don't think a normal school would invade a city just for the hell of it, you know. I mean, what kind of school is Honnouji Academy anyway?"

"I'm beginning to suspect that Honnouji Academy might not be a school. Stuff just isn't adding up," Keigo crossed his arms and frowned as he thought about what Mahana said. She did have a very valid point and that scared him more than anything. What kind of school was Honnouji Academy where invading other cities with the purpose of subjugating the population was part of the syllabus. Keigo may hate going to school, but even he knew that wasn't what school was supposed to be about.

"I talked to Ichigo a few weeks ago," he continued. Leaning his head against the concrete barrier, Keigo stared up into the night sky and yawned, "I thought Ichigo would be really annoyed to hear my voice but when we talked, it was almost like he was glad to speak to me. Apparently Karakura Town is normal and boring compared to the rest of Japan. Ichigo said all he did for the first few weeks at Honnouji Academy was fighting club presidents wearing Two-Star Goku Uniforms alongside someone called Ryuko Matoi."

"Didn't that Tsumugu guy tell us a girl called Ryuko had something called a Kamui made out of nothing but Life Fibers?" Mahana asked curiously. She was still in shock from what Tsumugu told all the remaining students about Life Fibers. If he hadn't shouted at them that every bit of clothing in Karakura Town was free of Life Fibers and their influence, Mahana was sure she would have pulled off her own uniform right then and there. The things Tsumugu told them still sent shivers up her spine.

"At least you showed up after he was wearing pants! I was one of the first ones to arrive and when I did, Tsumugu was wearing nothing but belts and boots!" Keigo hugged his knees and began rocking back and forth as he desperately tried to suppress the memory of seeing Tsumugu naked, "I'm just lucky Ichigo's dad showed up when he did and threatened Tsumugu into putting on pants, but the image of his junk is forever going to be burned in my retinas."

"I still think this is something Orihime made up in that imagination of hers. I keep hoping I'll wake up in class and she'll be talking about a sumo wrestler attacking her again," Mahana joked before her expression became pensive, "Although now that I think about it, I've never actually seen Satsuki Kiryuin. I wonder what she looks like."

Keigo froze as the memory of Ichigo's going away party flashed before his eyes. Falling forward onto his hands and knees, he began slamming his fist against the pavement as he started whining about the unfairness of it all, "I heard she's really hot with oodles of money that could buy her anything in the world! Ichigo is practically living with her and yet he refuses to make a move on her! I don't know whether to congratulate him on playing hard to get or slap some sense into him! What has this world come to if I know more about women than Ichigo? Someone give me an answer!"

"What are you upset about now, Keigo?" Mizuiro Kojima calmly walked over to his shouting friend and stared at Keigo with a passive expression. He had just finished wiring all the charges together and all that was left was to prime them. Quickly recognizing Keigo's ranting from years of being his friend, Mizuiro sighed and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. While he might not be able to make calls or text due to the information blackout enacted by Honnouji Academy, he still had access to his photos. Once he found the photo he was looking for, Mizuiri gave his phone to Keigo, "I nearly forgot that you weren't inside when Satsuki Kiryuin video chatted with Ichigo. I thought you should see what she actually looks like."

Keigo became as still as a statue as he gazed upon the picture of Satsuki Kiryuin. He didn't know how Mizuiro managed to get the picture, but the fact that Ichigo was not yet dating her causing Keigo to gape in shock before several hundred neurons in his brain connected. There was no way that someone as rich and hot as Satsuki Kiryuin would see anything in Ichigo. Sure they both seemed to scowl a lot and could probably kick his ass, but other than that they had nothing in common. Before Keigo could look at the picture any further, a hand slapped the back of his head as Mizuiro took his phone back.

"Is this really the proper time to be showing that stupid picture, Mizuiro?" Ryo Kunieda glared at the shorter boy as she began wrapping up the rock climbing equipment they had borrowed from the high school. As she tossed the equipment into the back of the truck, Ryo looked eastward down the highway and narrowed her eyes. Tokyo Bay wasn't that far away so if Satsuki Kiryuin decided to show up earlier, they would have very little warning of her coming, "Keigo, was that the last of the explosives?"

"Yeah," Keigo stood up and grunted as he worked away a cramp in his back, "I made sure to use all of the CBSS Type IV Explosives that Tsumugu guy gave us. Man, saying all that is a mouthful, but aren't you guys worried?"

"You should be more specific, Keigo," Mizuiro commented bluntly, "There is a lot for us to be worried about. After all, it's not every day you are invaded by a high school."

"I'm serious, Mizuiro!" Keigo shouted angrily before forcibly calming himself down, "Did you not hear what that Tsumugu guy said? Life Fibers give people super powers! I know we've seen some strange and terrifying things over the last year but this is different! Will any of this actually do anything except piss off Satsuki's army?"

"You're looking at this all wrong, Keigo," Mizuiro answered stoically, "Unlike that Aizen guy that chased us last year, Satsuki Kiryuin and her students are all human. While their Goku Uniforms may grant them special powers, it should also make them cocky and arrogant. They won't even dare to think we would do something like this. Besides, you shouldn't forget about the Anti-Life Fiber shield surrounding the city. Tsumugu mentioned it should prevent any Goku Uniforms from working once they pass through."

"We should get going," Ryo walked past Keigo towards the truck. They didn't have much time to sit around and talk. While their task may be finished, there were still other things that needed to be done to prepare Karakura Town for Satsuki Kiryuin, "We just need to decide who's going to stay behind and manually detonate the charges. Honnouji Academy's control of our cell phones is really starting to get annoying."

Mizuiro thumbed the detonator in his hands and sighed, "I suppose I –"

"I'll do it."

Noticing the looks from his friends at his sudden act of bravery, Keigo sighed and explained, "Look, I'm scared to hell of what Satsuki Kiryuin will do to Karakura Town, but this is my town too. Let me stay behind and make sure those punks from Honnouji Academy know what to expect. Besides, you all know that I have a knack for getting out of impossible situations. If the shield is as strong as you say it is, I should be able to set the charges and escape without getting hurt."

For a moment everyone was quiet before Mizuiro walked over and slapped Keigo on the back before handing him the detonator, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but that might be the bravest thing you ever said Keigo. If you keep this up, at this rate you might just have a shot at getting a date with a real woman in the future."

"Here. Take this," Ryo shoved a piece of paper into Keigo's hands. Not giving the confused youth a second look as she climbed into the back of the truck alongside Mahana as Mizuiro turned on the ignition, she waved good bye and said, "That's my number. If we somehow make it through this thing alive, call me. We can go to the movies or something."

Keigo waved goodbye awkwardly as the jeep sped down the highway towards Karakura Town. Once they were out of sight, he calmly put the piece of paper with the number in his pocket, placed the detonator on the ground and walked over to the edge of the highway. Staring into the glow on the horizon, Keigo pumped his arms into the air and shouted.

"I FINALLY GOT A GIRL'S NUMBER!"

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><p><em>New Underground Training Room, Urahara Shop – 4:45 AM<em>

Yoruichi stepped into the Urahara Shop and gave a curt wave of her hand to Tessai Tsukabishi as he slowly walked down the aisles of the store with a clipboard in his hands. The former captain of the Kido Corps was too engrossed in his accounting to notice her presence so Yoruichi rolled her eyes and walked past him into the back room. She knew Tessai sensed her arrival but with everything that was about to go down in Karakura Town, Yoruichi didn't fault Tessai for focusing on the small things.

"_Especially after I failed to get through to the Soul Society,"_ Yoruichi bit her lip as she recalled her nearly half a dozen failures to ask the Gotei 13 for reinforcements. If what Isshin and those soldiers from Nudist Beach said was to be taken at face value then Life Fibers were something that were far too dangerous to let stay on Earth. They needed to get the full force of the captains to hunt down and take out Ragyo Kiryuin before she did whatever the hell she was going to do. The only problem was that no one was picking up on the other end of the Denreishinki, which was damn near impossible.

The Twelfth Division had invented the Denreishinki after the humans came up with cell phones. The rumor was Mayuri was jealous he hadn't thought of the concept first but his improvements to the human invention allowed one to communicate back and forth between the world of the living and the Soul Society. The signal between the two worlds could never be jammed and yet she couldn't get through.

"_What's going on in the Soul Society to ignore a Priority X call?"_

Every call that was made on a Denreishinki was giving an order of priority based upon the ranking of the shinigami. Unseated shinigami were given up to Priority II access, which mean a particular savage hollow has appeared. A seated shinigami could call in a Priority IV, which was the appearance of a Gillian, while a lieutenant could report a Priority V for an Adjuchas. It was only for captains that a Priority VII call could be sent, which was the appearance of a Vasto Lorde in the world of the living. Only one such call had been made since the Denreishinki was invented and three captains were reportedly sent out to take out the Vasto Lorde when it appeared in the middle of the United States.

All of those problems paled in comparison to a Priority X – Threat of Global Scale Imbalance. The urgency of such a call was so great that if anyone dared to lie about it, they would be struck dead within minutes. Only one person in the Soul Society was allowed to answer a Priority X call and that was the Captain Commander himself. The fact that Yamamoto had not answered meant something was massively wrong with the situation.

"_For something of this magnitude I would normally go to the Soul Society but Isshin warned me that would be a fatal error. Although he didn't outright answer me, I feel it has something to do with what Satsuki Kiryuin is planning. Just what the hell does Isshin know about what's going on and how do Life Fibers fit in?"_

Kicking open the trapdoor leading down to the newly rebuilt underground training room, Yoruichi glanced around once before jumping down. As the wind whipped by her face and her purple hair chaotically moved about, Yoruichi wondered why the second video Kisuke made, the one she hadn't should Ichigo, had requested they rebuild the underground training room. She could see the usefulness of training in such a room but the logistics of creating one, especially without Kisuke's help, was difficult. Despite her misgivings Yoruichi wasn't about to disobey Kisuke's final request. The man knew what he was talking about nearly all the time and just because he wasn't around didn't mean he hadn't planned for such things.

Leaping along the outcropping of rocks as she made her way deeper into the hidden room, Yoruichi flipped through the air before landing gracefully in front of a makeshift clinic. When the notice came that Satsuki Kiryuin would be invading with the full force of Honnouji Academy, Isshin had mysteriously stopped by and asked Tessai and her to convert Kisuke's training room into a clinic. He told them Ryuken would do his best to accommodate anyone that's wounded but he would unfortunately prioritize major and life-threatening injuries. A secondary clinic where those that are moderately wounded could go for help would be appreciated.

Walking past the dozen or so trained volunteers Ryuken had sent from Karakura General Hospital, Yoruichi stopped in front of a particular cot and asked, "How is he?"

Kneeling down next to the unconscious man with her Souten Kisshun activated, Orihime Inoue looked up at Yoruichi with a sad expression on her face, "Physically he's fine but it's been nearly a day now and he still hasn't regained consciousness.

"I see…" Yoruichi's amber eyes narrowed in contemplation as she stared at the unconscious man. She didn't know the man's name or where he came from but when Isshin brought him to the shop, the man's body was covered in multiple sword wounds and he appeared to be on the verge of death. When Tessai had asked Isshin about the man, all Isshin would tell them is that the man is a close friend that he was expecting days ago. When he grew worried when his friend didn't show up, Isshin tracked him down and found him unconscious and injured near the edge of town, "Did you find any sort of identification on him?"

Orihime shook her head, "No, he had nothing on him except for something stitched on his jacket that looks like the Revocs symbol I saw at Honnouji Academy."

"Revocs…this is getting complicated," Yoruichi sat down on the empty cot next to Orihime and folded her arms across her ample chest. Everything about Life Fibers seemed to come back to Revocs and the Kiryuin family. Noticing the depressed look on Orihime's face, Yoruichi quickly realized why she felt that way, "You should cheer up. Isshin's already explained what happened at Honnouji Academy with Nui Harime. From what I heard, you really couldn't have done anything against someone of that caliber. Even I would have difficulty doing actual damage to her."

"So you do know," Orihime's head sagged down as she held a hand over her chest She could still feel the Grand Couturier's purple Scissor Blade pressed against her throat and as much as she tried to forget, Orihime couldn't put the psychotic look on Nui Harime's face out of her mind, "I didn't want to heal her, but she threatened to kill people if I didn't."

Yoruichi's eye began to twitch as she watched Orihime devolve into a fit of depression. Deciding to take the initiative, she got up and hit the girl on the top of her head before spinning her around and grabbing her shoulders, "Have you stopped to think how Ichigo will think if he sees you moping around like this? You've been to the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo without shedding a tear so something like this should be a walk in the park!"

"Ow…"

As Orihime rubbed her sore head, Yoruichi turned her back on the girl and looked around, "I know you want to go out there and help defend the town. I do too, but Isshin's ordered you to stay put and after hearing about Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime I have to agree. Nui Harime scares me enough as it is and if someone exists that's able to control that little monster, you staying here is the best thing you can do. The modifications Isshin made to the Anti-Life Fiber shield should keep Nui Harime weakened to the point where she can't do any damage but Tessai and I are going to keep watch over the store just in case."

"But that didn't work the last time someone saw my powers…" Orihime trailed off as she glanced over and cringed when she saw Ururu sitting on the edge of the farthest cot silently staring at the ground. She hadn't been there when Ururu, Ryuko and Mako arrived but from what she heard Ururu managed to take one step off the helicopter before collapsing motionlessly to the ground. Whatever it was that Ichigo's dad did to the shield to keep Nui Harime out of Karakura Town, it was also somehow affecting Ururu and it pained Orihime greatly to see the girl seem so down. She tried to talk to Ururu before but the only response she received was a vacant stare and a single sentence – I don't feel anything anymore.

"That's why Tessai and I are sticking around, or have you not been paying attention?"

Yoruichi's loud voice snapped Orihime back to attention with a start, "It's fairly obvious Ragyo Kiryuin is going to find out why you could heal Nui Harime's eye and unlike last time, you have two captain class shinigami sticking around you at all times! As long as Isshin's Kaizo Trap holds, there is nothing Nui Harime could do to us! Even if she were to somehow regain her strength and come after you or Ururu, we've put enough plans and traps around the store to at least keep her occupied long enough to get you two girls to safety."

"Uh…"

On his cot, the previously unconscious man opened his eyes before quickly realizing that was a bad idea. The artificial illumination in the underground training room was configured to always be as bright as the noon sun so when he opened his eyes, the man found himself temporarily blinded.

"Damn," he muttered as he closed his eyes and tried to sit up only for a wave of nausea to hit him. Swallowing vigorously to keep the bile in his stomach from going the wrong way, the man noticed he wasn't feeling any pain from his wounds and began patting his body down. Once he was convinced he wasn't dead and was, in fact, conscious, the man looked at Orihime and gave her a confused look, "What happened to my injuries? I thought for sure I was dead."

Orihime gave the man a kind smile as a wave of relief washed over her, "Oh, I healed them. Mr. Kurosaki was quite concerned that you might die and asked that I heal your wounds as fast as I could."

"You healed my wounds this perfectly…and you say Isshin Shiba sent you to do it…" The man mulled over the importance of Orihime's wounds before he ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed, "I thought after all these years he would still hate me for what I did and yet he had you save me from the brink of death. Sometimes I just don't know what goes through that man's head. Girl, tell me something. Am I in Karakura Town?"

"Yes, in fact –"

"Then there's no time to waste. I have to go see Isshin right away," The man managed to push past Orihime and get up only for Yoruichi to appear right in front of him. He stared into the former captain's eyes until she pushed him back down onto the cot with nary any effort.

"Calm down, will ya?" Yoruichi rolled her eyes as she stepped away from the man, "Your wounds may be healed but you still haven't recovered your energy. Let's start with the basics. Who are you?"

"Who am I?" The man chuckled mirthlessly as he looked away from Yoruichi, "I think you already know who I am Yoruichi Shihoin, 22nd Head of the Shihoin Clan."

"How could you know that? Unless…" Yoruichi stared suspiciously at the man before her amber eyes widened in shock, "Kugo Ginjo? How are you still alive?"

Ginjo folded his hands in his lap and looked at the ground, "When you tore my shinigami powers from my soul, you didn't kill me. When the Soul Society threw my body onto the streets with barely enough spiritual power to see spirits and hollows I forced myself to push forward and persevere. I held a grudge against the Soul Society for years but eventually I met Isshin Shiba and…well…my hatred for shinigami has diminished over the years. I'm sure by now you know that there are threats out there that put a stupid grudge like mine to shame, don't you Yoruichi Shihoin?"

Yoruichi glared at Ginjo but nodded and said, "Life Fibers."

Ginjo scowled at the accusatory glare from Yoruichi but let it slide, "What I have to tell Isshin concerns Life Fibers and Ragyo Kiryuin. I don't mind if you keep me under watch, but you have to get me in touch with him. It's of vital importance."

"You've been out for a few days so I'm not surprised you're late on the uptake, Ginjo," Yoruichi looked away into the distance as she thought she sensed something approaching before dismissing it. Isshin had configured sensors around the shop to trigger alarms if Nui Harime, even in disguise, were to appear, "Satsuki Kiryuin is going to arrive in a couple of hours to invade the city. While we're as prepared as we can possibly be, I'm afraid Isshin has vanished. You might have to wait until this is all over before talking to him."

"Let me put it this way so that even someone like you understand, Yoruichi Shihoin," Ginjo stood up until he was towering over Yoruichi, "I can tell that you have more than a clue what's going on so you must know the importance of what I'm about to tell you. You need to find Isshin Shiba and tell him that his estimates were wrong. Ragyo Kiryuin is more prepared and ready than even he thought. Her plans will begin not in months or years but in days…and I'm afraid her daughter's invasion is just the start."

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><p><em>Honnouji Academy – 5:00 AM<em>

Satsuki Kiryuin walked into the pre-dawn hours of Honnouji Academy and stared passionately at the gathered forces below. The students she had taken off the streets had spent their entire existence here learning everything they needed to wage war on her enemies. Just by gazing out at the sea of men and women clad in shades of green, pink and yellow filled her with pride at the thought of her ambitions and dreams finally coming to fruition. Noticing the Elite Four off to the side and Riruka Dokugamine waiting in the shadows with a bored expression on her face, Satsuki ignored the pang in her chest upon Ichigo's absence as she slammed the hilt of Bakuzan against the ground while a yellow backdrop of light burst into existence behind her.

"Students of Honnouji Academy! It has been nearly three years since the first of you stepped through the gates of the academy with little to your names. Everything you have learned and studied here has led you to this day! This battle against the forces of Karakura Town is our collective first step toward the realization of our ambitions. Gamagori!"

"Listen up!"

Gamagori stalked forward upon Satsuki's verbal command and slammed his foot against the ground hard enough to dislodge the rolled up banner beneath him. As it fell towards the courtyard below, unfurling in the process, the gathered students saw pictures of Ryuko Matoi, Ururu Tsumugiya and other people from Karakura Town pm ot, "There are several War Potentials within the borders of Karakura Town that can make or break our invasion! The neutralization of these War Potentials will be the key to our campaign but you should not attempt to confront these targets by yourself! If you see them, you are to contact a member of the Elite Four or Lady Satsuki to deal with them!

Satsuki listened to Gamagori give orders as she allowed her thoughts to drift back to the words Ichigo had told her earlier. He may have made several valid points that would have made her reconsider her options in every other circumstance but he did not know the true depths of her mother's depravity. He could not understand how Satsuki needed to kill her mother for all the pain and suffering Ragyo Kiryuin has inflicted not only on her, but on humanity itself over the years. She may have told Ichigo some of her mother's more atrocious actions, but Satsuki held back on the details specifically to protect him.

"Everything you do today will reflect on the power of Honnouji Academy!" Satsuki shouted as Gamagori clasped his hands behind his back and stepped to the side, "I have but one thing to say to you – win! Fight until your heart gives out and your limbs refuse to move. Push forward through the defenses Karakura Town has undoubtedly established and raise the flag of Honnouji Academy over Karakura High School! Honnouji Academy Karakura Raid Trip, move out!"

Satsuki turned her back and began walking away as the thousands of students below began marching into the awaiting trucks before the vehicles began pulling out of the courtyard and driving towards Karakura Town to the west. Her Elite Four had already left her to take command of the brigades, leaving her alone with Riruka and Soroi.

"That was some speech," Riruka drawled as she awkwardly walked next to Satsuki. As much as she hated to admit it, Satsuki was nearly as good of a speaker as Lady Ragyo. If she didn't find Satsuki annoying, Riruka might have actually been inspired by it. Adjusting her white hat and making sure her hair was neat and proper, she asked, "But I didn't see that banner. What does Ichigo Kurosaki look like? If he's going to be a problem, I want to at least know what he looks like."

"If Ichigo Kurosaki or Ryuko Matoi decides to interfere I shall deal with them. The power of Junketsu shall be more than enough to deal with their potential insurrection," Satsuki commented as she walked towards the awaiting helicopter flanked by two rows of bowing students. Nodding to Soroi as she stepped into the helicopter, she turned to look at Riruka, "I fail to see why that matters to you, seeing as my mother gave you a more important task."

"Gee, nothing gets by you," Riruka plopped herself down in a chair and began spinning around childishly while Satsuki looked on in mild consternation, "But yeah, Lady Ragyo gave me another job to do while you're off destroying people's lives. Kugo Ginjo is somewhere inside Karakura Town and it's my job to hunt him down and kill him for betraying Revocs. It shouldn't take too long since the Grand Couturier all but shredded his raiment in his stupid attempt to escape. That just goes to show that anyone that tries to fight Lady Ragyo is going to die."

"May I have a word with you, Lady Satsuki?"

Iori Shirou's appearance prevented Satsuki from commenting on Riruka's secondary mission. Nodding her head at the President of the Sewing Club, she followed Iori towards the rear of the helicopter and past Riruka, who had tucked her knees up to her chest and began grumbling about breakfast, towards the rear of the helicopter. Once they were alone, Satsuki turned to Iori and asked, "What do you wish to speak about?"

For a moment there was no other sound apart from Iori's heavy breathing beneath his filter mask. Satsuki noted the perspiration on the normally collected teen's face and concluded whatever it was he had to speak about was vitally urgent, "I installed the Life Fiber suppressant system and it's fully operational to your specifications, Lady Satsuki, but I must ask if it is truly necessary. The system is designed to suppress Kamui and Goku Uniforms when the wearer has lost control over them. Surely your control over Junketsu has improved since your fight against Ichigo Kurosaki to the point where you do not require such dire precautions!"

Satsuki shook her head and looked away, "Iori, if you asked me a week ago I would have agreed that such measures were without basis, but things have changed. The power displayed by Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki is not something I can afford to ignore. That is not to mention witnessing Ichigo's betrayal early this morning."

"His betrayal?" As a close confidant of Satsuki's true motives, Iori knew she had divulged more than enough of her plans to Ichigo for him to understand her reasoning. For him to betray her at this critical stage was inconceivable, "Forgive me if I sound rude, but could it be that he choose to defend his hometown over any loyalty to you?"

Satsuki hummed thoughtfully as she pondered Iori's question. Such a notion had passed through her mind more than once in the intervening hours and while she was certain that made up a large percentage of his decision, she was certain there was more to it, "You are partially correct, Iori, but Ichigo and I spoke before he fled. He told me that my methods were incorrect and that I had no chance of winning if I continued on my current path. His betrayal was not out of malice or hatred but simply a difference in beliefs. If he can figure out a way to stop my mother that does not have him getting in my way than so be it, but for the moment update the list of War Potentials. If Ichigo is spotted during the Raid Trip, he is to be treated as an enemy combatant with no special considerations. We cannot afford to allow our attention at this critical junction to be split by past affiliations."

"Right away, Lady Satsuki!"

Satsuki emotionlessly watched Iori hurry away to update the Elite Four and their brigades of her orders. As soon as he was gone, she looked down at her trembling hand and bit her lower lip. The inclusion of Ichigo's Life Fibers into Junketsu did what she expected them to do. Already she could feel her Kamui's power increasing and she alone was able to stay within the Anti-Life Fiber shield surrounding Karakura Town indefinitely, but there was a problem she could not have foreseen – the increased power now allowed Junketsu to mentally assault her even while it was inactivate.

"_But why?"_ Satsuki narrowed her eyes as she forced Junketsu to obey her will, _"Is Junketsu reacting to Ichigo's Life Fibers Iori infused within it or is it simply rebelling to my desires?"_

As she fortified her mental defenses and pushed back on Junketsu's attack, Satsuki sighed when the trembling in her hand abated. Every passing minute was making her more convinced that the way she was going about things was wrong. Perhaps Ichigo's words had validity to them concerning Junketsu and Satsuki conceded that if she had time she would try to gain her Kamui's trust and cooperation. Unfortunately time was not something she had. It could be days, weeks or even months before Junketsu and she could come to an accord. That was time she could not afford to waste in a potentially futile endeavor. She would put up with Junketsu's mental attacks for as long as was necessary so that she had the power to take down her mother. Once that was accomplished, Satsuki vowed to treat Junketsu as Ichigo and Matoi treated their Kamui.

The sound of combat boots hitting the metal flooring drew Satsuki's attention away from her thoughts. Turning around, she saw the pilot walking up to her before snapping a salute, "What is it?"

Lowering her arm, the pilot pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her short blonde hair before answering, "The final preparations are finished, Lady Satsuki. We're ready to depart at your order."

Satsuki looked upon the pilot for several long and tense seconds before asking, "You are not my normal pilot. Who are you?"

"The name's Elena, ma'am," Elena gave Satsuki a curt and respectful nod, "I'm the primary pilot for Lady Ragyo but with the battle for Karakura Town coming up, she's decided my talents would be better suited to keeping you out of harm's way. I have extensive flying experience in war zones. Any surprises Karakura Town may possess should not be a problem."

"Very well, then. Let us depart as soon as possible," Satsuki sat down and crossed her legs while her eyes never left Elena until she was back in the cockpit. Leaning her head back against the chair and closing her eyes, she had an inkling that something was going to go wrong. She knew Iori's modifications and improvements to her Goku Uniforms increased their power by nearly twenty percent from the beginning of the school year and yet she could not help but feel that wasn't enough

"_Ichigo's power would have been highly useful if he had seen things my way,"_ Satsuki lamented the fact that she and Ichigo had to part the way they did, but she knew it was partially her fault. She had vowed to keep Nui Harime away from his friends and she failed to stop the Grand Couturier from killing Mako Mankanshoku. With Ichigo gone and potentially her enemy once more, Satsuki also lost Ururu Tsumugiya as a deterrent for the Grand Couturier.

"_Ururu Tsumugiya managed to best Nui Harime in a fight. If I could have kept her on my side, the difficulty of killing my mother would have decreased tremendously."_

"It doesn't matter at this juncture. I will just have to proceed with my plans regardless of Ichigo's involvement," Satsuki looked out the window of the helicopter into the early dawn morning. In less than an hour the battle for Karakura Town would commence and Satsuki could not help but feel nervous about facing down Ichigo on his home soil. Staring down at the palm of her hand, Satsuki wondered who would prevail if they were to fight once more before a smile crossed her features. She did not need to fight Ichigo to prove the power of her Kamui when Matoi was most likely already in Karakura Town.

"Matoi…I wonder which of us is stronger? Can your Senketsu truly stand up to the might of my Junketsu?"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #20 – The Blue Shell<strong>

Ryuko sucked when it came to tight turns and just like her luck suggested, the Honnouji Academy Course was full of tight turns.

As her motorcycle was pushed forward as it hit a speed boost, she quickly turned to the left and power slid through one of the streets. Spotting a line of Item Boxes ahead she raced forward and phased through one just as she saw Gamagori's kart twisting just ahead of her. Grinning when she saw the Red Shell spinning in front of her motorcycle, Ryuko gave a sadistic chuckle ad she pressed the button on her left handle and sent the Red Shell speeding towards Gamagori.

"I'm not sorry about that, Gamagori!" Ryuko shouted triumphantly with a hint of sarcasm as she watched the Disciplinary Committee Chair's vehicle spin out of control as the Red Shell homed in on him. As he crashed into the side of the track, temporarily out of commission for a few seconds, Ryuko gave him the finger before accelerating away, "But that's for what you hit me with last lap!"

Ryuko raced through the twisting streets of the One-Star Residential District before she reached a clearing and spotted the speed-boosting ramps that would shoot her up to the Two-Star section of the track. Skidding through another line of Item Boxes as she heard Gamagori catching up to her at a speed that suggested he was using a Golden Mushroom, Ryuko noticed she had a Blooper ready to use but refrained from using it. It needed perfect timing if she wanted to get rid of Gamagori. Waiting until he was just about to pass her, Ryuko hit the brakes before she pressed down on the item button. Smirking savagely as Gamagori swerved and crashed as the Blooper squirted ink into his eyes, Ryuko hit the ramp and easily cleared the space to the Two-Star section when she saw her.

There were two paths through the Honnouji Academy Course everyone mile or so they would intersect, allowing the racers to switch paths if they chose to. That is why it came as no surprise to Ryuko when Nui Harime's pink bike appeared out of nowhere and landed next to her.

"Nui…" Ryuko narrowed her eyes at the racer currently fighting her for second place. Nui had been a thorn in just about everyone's side throughout each race but she seemed to have a certain interest in annoying Ryuko or Satsuki whenever she got the chance.

"Hi, Ryuko! I'm glad you remember me! I have a present for you..." Nui waved at Ryuko before she grinned and pointed with her finger towards the front of her motorcycle. Looking at what Nui was trying to show her, Ryuko's eyes widened in shock as she saw the Blue Shell hovering innocently.

"But how –"

"I've been saving this baby up for a special occasion ever since I got it last lap," Nui grinned before sticking her tongue out, "Gosh, I wonder who is in first place right now? Oh, I know! It's your dad, isn't it?"

Ryuko tried to swerve towards Nui, "No!"

"Too late!" Nui pressed her item release button and the Blue Shell's spinning rapidly increased before it blasted forward down the track with the singular purpose of hunting down the racer in first place and blowing up. Ryuko stared in horror as the Blue Shell disappeared into the distance before a massive blue-tinged explosion appeared over the horizon followed by the familiar sound of her father cursing in pain.

"That's two for two, Ryuko!"


	33. Chapter 33: Tonight's the Night

_So here is Chapter 33 and the first real chapter focusing entirely on the Karakura Town Occupation. There is a lot of different things going on in this chapter and a few subtle hints as to the direction the chapter is going to take so I recommend reading through once for enjoying and then again to look for everything that you may have missed. On an unrelated note, this story has finally broken 1,000 in both alerts and favorites! Thanks for everyone who took the time to do that and I look forward to seeing just how popular this story can get!_

_Also, I've seen the OVA and of course they had to throw in a last minute revelation that totally annoyed me. I won't say what it was about but it involved Rei Hououmaru. I'm not going to change anything so don't get worried about a rewrite or something like that._

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><p><strong>Chapter 33 – Tonight's the Night<strong>

_Eighteen and a Half Years Ago_

"_Ragyo was quite insistent on obtaining your input for this project. She seems to believe that your assistance is the only thing that could breed success."_

_The recently married Souichiro stoically walked through the lobby of the new Revocs headquarters as the various middle managers stopped what they were doing to bow respectfully to him and his guest. Stepping into the elevator and swiping his top level security clearance, Souichiro imputed the twelve digit passcode, the time and date of his marriage, before stepping to the side and allowing his guest to enter alongside him. As the elevator rumbled to life before descending, Souichiro waited barely a second before adding, "Between the two of us, I'm relieved you decided to come back. Ragyo was on the verge of tears after you left."_

"_I figured as much. Still, I didn't think she would be that upset that I would marry Masaki." Isshin Kurosaki, no longer Shiba, ran a hand through his silver hair while ignoring the rainbow lighting that shone from within it. More than a year after his encounter with the Original Life Fiber and experiencing the changes to his body, Isshin still could not figure out a way to make his hair stop glowing. Masaki hadn't been too thrilled when he came home looking like a Christmas tree but after she and Rei Hououmaru stopped laughing and tried to fix the problem, that was when they realized it would be impossible to hide his hair. That was why when Kisuke stopped by and saw his new hair, Isshin said he lost a bet with a friend._

"_I think Ragyo always knew Masaki would be the one to capture your heart," Souichiro fiddled with his wedding ring as he quashed the thought of being second-best to Isshin from his thoughts. Ragyo may have pined for Isshin but Souichiro vowed on the honor of his family to do his best to make her happy. He knew he would never be able to make Ragyo smile the way she used to around Isshin and Masaki but he was certain he could make her happy given enough time._

_Isshin looked up at the digital display above the elevator doors and mentally sighed. Ragyo's reaction to his wedding had been anything but expected. He knew she would be upset that he hadn't married her but Isshin knew Souichiro, one of the best and brightest scientists hired by Ragyo to help understand the full properties of Life Fibers, felt something for his old friend. Isshin knew Souichiro would make Ragyo happy but still, the anger she displayed and the fact she destroyed a desk with her bare hand in a fit of rage concerned Isshin. As much as he wanted to deny it, over the six month period between the incident with the Original Life Fiber and announcing his wedding date he had noticed a slow but constant change in Ragyo's personality. At first it was too subtle for him to notice but over time she started to become colder and more focusing on understanding the Original Life Fiber and Life Fibers in general. He had tried to warn her of the dangers and at first Ragyo agreed but over time she began to justify her experiments as a means to understanding and controlling them._

"_So what did Ragyo need me here for?" Isshin asked a silent Souichiro, "She seemed to be doing fine without me around. Is something wrong?"_

_Souichiro's eyes narrowed for a moment before shaking his head, "No, Ragyo is about to conduct a revolutionary experiment with Life Fibers and she wanted someone she could trust to help her with it. Tell me, Isshin, have you ever heard of a Kamui?"_

"_A Kamui?" Isshin scratched at his chin as he tried to remember if he ever heard that word before. If he understood the word correctly, Souichiro was referring to something called a 'God Robe,' which did seem like something Ragyo would want to create. The only question bothering him was what a Kamui was exactly, "Can't say that I have. What is it?"_

"_Before I explain I have to tell you something. Ragyo and I have been experimenting on living creatures to study the effects of Life Fibers," Souichiro expected the outraged look on Isshin's face. He knew the man's stance on Life Fibers but sometimes one must push past their morals for the greater good. That did not mean Souichiro enjoyed what he did, however, the way some of the test animals died was starting to make him consider becoming a vegetarian, "We did not test them on people, if that's what you're worrying about. We started off on lab mice and other small animals to see the obvious effects firsthand. The results showed us that subjects experienced an increase in strength, speed and stamina proportional to the amount of Life Fibers infused. However, the same can be said about the strain on their bodies. The more Life Fibers in the mixture, the faster the animal dies from exhaustion."_

"_It doesn't sound like you made any progress," Isshin voiced his confusion._

_Souichiro nodded, "At first it was like that but then Ragyo came up with the idea to mix Life Fibers with normal cloth fibers and threads. The theory was the additional cloth would act to shield the wearer from the effects of the Life Fibers and it was completely true. While the decrease in Life Fiber content led to a drop in the overall power increase, it massively decreased the strain on the host body."_

"_How does that have to do with whatever a Kamui is?"_

_The elevator soundlessly came to a stop and Souichiro stepped out before answering, "People have innate resistance to Life Fibers of varying degrees. Through meticulous and safe testing involving extracting blood and tissue samples from volunteers, who were all paid for their assistance, Ragyo found that children and teenagers have higher resistances to the stress from Life Fibers than adults. Using that knowledge, we are test fitting the first line of Revocs clothing containing less than one percent Life Fibers. The Kamui is the ultimate creation one can make with Life Fibers. Instead of worrying about the varying levels of stress on the body, a Kamui is composed of nothing but Life Fibers and can only be worn by those with extremely high levels of Life Fiber resistance for a short period of time."_

_Isshin gripped Souichiro's shoulder tightly and stared the man straight in his eyes, "You know how dangerous Life Fibers are, Souichiro. Why would you try to create something like a Kamui?"_

_Souichiro momentarily looked conflicted before he pulled his shoulder out of Isshin's grip and walked away, "When Ragyo first conceived of a Kamui, I was convinced that such a thing could not exist on its own. I thought if a normal bundle of Life Fibers was already inherently prone to parasitizing nearby life forms, than a Kamui would be the same. I spent weeks researching the concentration of Life Fibers necessary for a Kamui and discovered something extraordinary."_

_"What did you find?"_

_Souichiro shook his head as he gestured for Isshin to enter a room, "Ragyo will explain everything to you once you step inside."_

_Isshin looked at the darkened room suspiciously before turning to Souichiro, "You're not coming?"_

"_I'm afraid Ragyo does not yet find me worthy enough of learning the secrets of the Kamui," Souichiro shook his head depressingly. Despite marrying into the Kiryuin family and possessing one of the top minds surrounding the study and manipulation of Life Fibers, Ragyo still kept several secrets from him. He knew given enough time she would open up and share them with him but the mysteries of the Kamui fascinated him to no end. The process of creating one should be fairly straightforward but every time he tried to experimentally stitch a small patch of clothing with the Life Fiber density of a Kamui, the garment would dissolve into its constituents. There was something he was missing and he was sure Ragyo knew what it was, "But perhaps you can tell me once you're done. I'm sure I can tell Ragyo that you forcibly gave me the information in an attempt to annoy her."_

"_What? You wouldn't!" Isshin growled when he saw the humorous smirk on Souichiro's face. Storming into the room accompanied by his friend's laughter, Isshin was just about to look for the Ragyo when the door closed and sent him into nearly complete darkness. It would have been total darkness if his hair was not acting as a natural source of light. Squinting and looking around for a light switch, he was nearly blinded when the lights in the room turned on all at once._

"_I do apologize for the abruptness," Ragyo said in amusement as she walked towards him, "But the experiments inside this chamber are classified even to my husband. Only you and I have ever seen the contents of this room."_

_Clad in a pure white business suit with a matching skirt, Ragyo's heels clicked along the ground as she walked towards the only man who would ever truly have her love. She was still greatly upset that she lost Isshin to Masaki but as much as she hated losing, she was not about to do anything to lose his friendship. Many things had become opened to her since her exposure to the greatness of the Original Life Fiber but none of that mattered next to Isshin. Stopping in front of Isshin, Ragyo looked at him for a moment before wrapping him in a hug, "I truly am glad you could make it, Isshin. I was starting to think you hadn't forgiven me for what I said to you and Masaki."_

"_I probably could have broken the news a little bit better," Isshin muttered as he made a mental note to not piss off any more women that could crush steel in her hands like it was paper. Sure it was nice to have strength, speed and regeneration that could make any shinigami jealous but there were downsides to everything. As he heard Ragyo sigh against his shoulder, Isshin gently pried her off his body and said, "I suppose I shouldn't have been that angry about it. I've always been oblivious to things and Masaki didn't explain why you were so angry until we got home. Boy, did I feel stupid for not forgiving you right away. Still, that doesn't excuse not staying in touch for so longer. I'm sure you missed talking to me."_

_Ragyo confidently smiled at the sheepish grin Isshin was giving her, "We both made mistakes that day but I do not deny that I started it. I overreacted to Masaki breaking the news, but I still won in the end."_

"_Huh?" Isshin scratched at his hair for a couple of seconds before his gaze fell to her hand placed gently over her stomach. As his jaw dropped and eyes widened upon the realization hitting him like a slap to the face, he shouted loudly enough that Souichiro, who was outside the soundproof room smoking a cigarette, turned his head at the strange shrilling noise in the air, "You're pregnant? But…how…when…?"_

"_You see Isshin, when two people have sexual intercourse they – "_

"_I know that!" Isshin waved his hands frantically in the air. He didn't need to hear about Ragyo and Souichiro's love life. While he was glad Ragyo was starting to act like her old self again, which he really missed, he was terrified at the prospect of a mini-Ragyo walking around barking orders to anyone they could. Such a thing could not end well for anyone, "I'm just…wow…have you decided on a name yet?"_

"_We haven't decided but if it's a girl, I've decided her name will be Satsuki," Ragyo said proudly before turning away and motioning for him to follow her. Isshin gave one last glance at the door behind him before hurrying after Ragyo. _

_As he walked closely behind Ragyo, who seemed to know where they were going, Isshin decided to look around the large room. When he felt his senses immediately go haywire upon entering the room, Isshin knew something was up, but it was only upon looking around that he realized just how much his earlier assumption was missing. Automated machines, each of which was probably custom-made and cost millions of dollars, lined nearly every wall. Isshin's maroon eyes narrowed as he focused his senses upon the Life Fibers inside each machine being manipulated, experimented upon and modified to see their physical limits. While the Life Fibers making up a large majority of his body afforded him immunity to the effects of other Life Fibers, Isshin could not think of a reason Ragyo would have extracted this many Life Fibers from the Original Life Fiber._

"_Why do you need so many Life Fibers, Ragyo?" Isshin cautiously asked, "Do they have something to do with the Kamui that Souichiro mentioned you were working on?"_

"_I should have known Souichiro would be unable to contain his excitement," Ragyo's tone has a childish hint of amusement to it and for a moment Isshin thought she was mocking her husband's failed attempts to create a Kamui. That suspicion vanished when Ragyo turned around to face him with a bemused smile on her face, "The reason I have not yet shared with my husband the secret of the Kamui is because I have failed to create one myself. Souichiro thinks I have several Kamui already created and in storage but the truth is my skills with manipulating Life Fibers, as grand and majestic as they are, are still not enough. That is why I am glad you came here, Isshin. I know that with the both of us working together we can finally create the first Kamui the world has ever seen!"_

"_I will admit that I haven't really focused on Life Fibers since settling down with Masaki in Karakura Town," Isshin chose his words carefully as he addressed Ragyo. She took enormous, some would even suggest religious, pride in being able to control and manipulate Life Fibers. Isshin had a sinking and increasing feeling the Original Life Fiber was to blame but until he had complete proof he would bide his time and try to think of a plan, "But we're the only two people in the world that are immune to the effects of Life Fibers. I know you know what you're doing, but what if you made a mistake or, heaven forbid, lose control over the Kamui? Nobody's perfect. Not even us."_

_Stopping as they reached a metal railing that overlooked a seemingly bottomless pit filled with white smoke and condensation, Ragyo cast her gaze upwards as the rainbow light from her hair seemed to intensify. With a smile bordering on psychotic spread across her face, she leaned over the railing and said, "You should have more faith in what the Original Life Fiber did to us, Isshin. Out of all those that stood before it throughout its existence, only you and I have been given a small part of its infinite power. I understand your reservations about power being given away so freely but you can sense it, can't you? Not a single Life Fiber will dare harm one that is precious to either of us. We are the chosen of the Original Life Fiber. With but a single thought we can forever protect those we care from the negative effects of Life Fibers."_

_Following her gaze upwards, Isshin looked up and nearly flinched at the third densest concentration of Life Fibers in the chamber behind Ragyo and himself. Perched upon a mannequin held horizontal to the ground and with the proportions of a teenage girl lay a half-finished school uniform. While at first glance the white and blue uniform with gold adornments along its sides seemed to be nothing more than an overly fancy garment, Isshin could sense the barest hints of thoughts coming from within the Kamui. Concentrating just a bit harder, he subconsciously took a step back when the thoughts burgeoned into telepathic communication consisting of nothing his ears or mind could comprehend. This was the true and pure voice of Life Fibers and Isshin began breaking out into a cold sweat as he felt the Life Fibers inside his body start to resonate with the Kamui._

"_Life Fibers truly have yet to be completely understood. When they are weaved into a Kamui, they develop intelligence equivalent to a human," Ragyo gently placed her hand on Isshin's shoulder and immediately the sensation he was feeling abated. Holding her other hand up into the air, she watched as several rainbow Life Fibers began emerging from her skin before with a mental thought she sent them floating in the air towards the incomplete Kamui. As the Life Fibers began integrating themselves into the basic structure of the Kamui, Ragyo sighed and leaned her head on Isshin's shoulder, "I noticed your reaction to the sound of the Kamui. At first I was frightened of the true voice of the Life Fibers but now I am fully capable of intimately understanding the emotions and feelings of the Life Fibers."_

_Isshin gathered his nerves and looked into Ragyo's eyes, "Why did you call me?"_

_Ragyo smiled, "You already know why, Isshin. Alone I am unable to complete a Kamui but with the two of us…"_

"_You want me to add some of my Life Fibers to the Kamui?" Isshin grimaced when he saw Ragyo's smile broaden. He still had massive reservations about finishing the Kamui but during his brief connection to the Life Fiber construct, Isshin hadn't sensed any ill intentions from it. Most of what he felt, for a lack of a better term, was unintelligible, but Ragyo was right about one thing. He could just barely sense the emotions and thoughts of the Kamui and not a single one of them consisted of betraying them. Holding out his hand and mentally commanding his Life Fibers to copy what Ragyo's had just done, Isshin couldn't help but notice that his Life Fibers twisted around Ragyo's before they too integrated themselves into the Kamui._

_When more than a minute passed and nothing exciting happened, Isshin turned to Ragyo and asked, "So what now?"_

"_Just watch…" Ragyo muttered as she stared in awe as the Kamui seemed to complete itself before erupting in a flash of light that caused both Isshin and her to cover their eyes. When they could once again see, Ragyo noticed the Kamui was no longer wrapped around the mannequin but was instead floating gently down through the air towards them before landing on the ground._

"_That was really strange," Isshin stated as the two eyes near the Kamui's lapels opened and began earnestly looking around the room while it wrapped its sleeves around anything it could find. Turning to Ragyo as the Kamui rubbed its sleeves over the ground before seemingly noticing something more interesting nearby, he whispered, "What's it doing?"_

"_It is but a child in a brand new world. It has nothing to go upon but the thoughts and experiences our Life Fibers carried," Ragyo answered in veiled amusement as the Kamui poked a machine and immediately leapt back when the machine responded. As the Kamui smacked the machine before hopping away to explore something else, Ragyo sighed wistfully and leaned her cheek onto the palm of her hand, "I knew a Kamui would be intelligent but never did I foresee it actually becoming capable of independent motion. This is far beyond my wildest dreams. What do you want to do with it, Isshin?"_

_Isshin watched the Kamui try to climb on a machine only to fall off and land on its back. He was having a really hard time associating the playful Kamui with the insidiousness of the Life Fibers composing it. Rubbing the back of his neck as he drew a complete blank, Isshin thought about it before saying, "Heck if I know. I'm still trying to…"_

_Unbeknownst to Isshin, while he was talking to Ragyo the Kamui had turned the full focus of its attention toward him. As it gazed upon the man with the rainbow glow shining from his hair, it instinctively knew that he had been one of the two beings that it could thank for its existence. Not knowing the best way to show its appreciation and understanding that it could not draw sustenance from Isshin unless he allowed it to, the Kamui decided to leap through the air and wrap itself around Isshin's head._

"_How interesting…"_

_Ragyo watched in a mixture of amusement and interest as the Kamui wrapped itself around Isshin's head. As the man fell to the floor in an undignified heap and tried to pry the Kamui off his body, Ragyo telepathically reached out and was interested to see that the Kamui wasn't trying to hurt Isshin. On the contrary it was trying to show its gratitude for being alive, which made a lot of sense. The only reason the Kamui was here to show its appreciation was because she and Isshin had willingly donated some of their Life Fibers to finish its stitching. The concept of attacking either of them was not something the Kamui would ever dream of doing. It was the same concept of her rebelling against the Original Life Fiber – simply ludicrous._

_Managing to unwrap the Kamui's sleeve from over his mouth, Isshin noticed Ragyo failing to conceal her laughter behind her hand, "This isn't funny, Ragyo! Get this thing off of me!"_

"_**Father!"**_

_The distinctively feminine voice that telepathically reached both of them caused Ragyo to briefly stop laughing. She didn't know Kamui could actually speak, if telepathically at that, and that opened up so many avenues of research in the future. Turning her back to Isshin as the Kamui began to lovingly nuzzle the man she assumed to be her father, Ragyo waved goodbye as she said, "And ruin your moment of bonding? I think not, Isshin. The Kamui seems to have taken a shining to the person who could be considered her father. It would be quite rude of me to stand between such emotions. I am more than willing to wait my turn."_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Clad in Junketsu, Satsuki Kiryuin leaned over the holographic map displaying Karakura Town and the surrounding area and frowned. The quick change of venue from the Kansai Region to Karakura Town limited her overall plans and thus she was dependent, more so than usual, on ground feedback from her brigades and Inumuta's Intelligence Unit. She was going into Karakura Town half-blind and any mistakes could lead to defeat. A beep from the map drew Satsuki's attention to the eastern edge as the arrow signifying Gamagori's Disciplinary Brigade appeared. Turning towards the stack of monitors, each of which was connected to one of her Elite Four, Satsuki nodded for Iori to patch her through, "Gamagori, have you made contact with the Karakura Town forces?"<p>

Kilometers away from where Satsuki's helicopter was straddling the edge of the Anti-Life Fiber shield enveloping Karakura Town, Ira Gamagori heard a hiss of static in his ear before Satsuki's voice came through perfectly clear. Standing up to his full height and unzipping the canvas hatch on top of the truck he was in, Gamagori stared out into the early dawn before answering, "Not yet Lady Satsuki. I'm currently five kilometers from the designated rendezvous point and yet I've seen no sign of resistance. I will let you know immediately once we breach through Karakura Town's perimeter."

"Very well," Satsuki nodded in affirmation. Staring out of the windows lining the helicopter toward the rising sun while ignoring the rudely sleeping Riruka Dokugamine, Satsuki schooled her features and added, "Do not take any unnecessary risks, Gamagori. This operation is predicated by the notion that Karakura Town is full of people strong enough to oppose the power of Goku Uniforms."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki."

Gamagori let the wireless connection to Satsuki cut off. As the truck hit a pothole and lurched briefly into the air, he could not help but tense up. While the operation was going smoothly and according to plan, Gamagori did not like it one bit. His Disciplinary Brigade is supposed to be the first of Satsuki's forces to reach Karakura town, which meant the full fury of its defenders should fall directly onto him. The lack of defenders, even as the outskirts of the city grew ever closer, suggested that either Satsuki overestimated the citizens of Karakura Town or that they were planning a trap.

"Members of the Disciplinary Brigade, listen up!" In one simple press of a button Gamagori was connected to the hundreds of students making up his brigade, "We are approaching the outskirts of Karakura Town and shall be there within five minutes! Upon arrival head to your designated combat point and do not engage any of the War Potentials if you happen to come across them. Lady Satsuki does not need any unnecessary deaths on her hands. Is that perfectly clear?"

A chorus of 'yes, sir' drifted through both the connection and the air and for just a brief second Gamagori believed he may have been overly worried about nothing. That belief was shattered when the driver of his truck slammed on the brakes, causing the vehicle to lurch to a screeching halt. After managing to keep himself upright, unlike what could be said for more than half of his brigade, Gamagori jumped out of the truck and stormed towards the front.

"What is the meaning of this? Why have you stopped?"

The driver rolled down his window and pointed forward down the highway, "There's someone in the middle of the road, sir. He's wearing the Karakura High School uniform as well."

"I see…excellent observation." It appeared that the battle for Karakura Town was about to begin, "Order the others to stay back. There is no telling what this person is capable of doing."

Gamagori didn't wait for the driver's salute before he folded his arms across his chest and viciously stared down the road. Not one hundred meters away from him and standing on the double yellow lines in the center of the road was a male teenager wearing the uniform designating him a member of Karakura High School. While he would usually ignore such a person in terms of strength and power, Gamagori knew that anyone from Karakura Town should not be underestimated. This student might possess such power similar to Orihime Inoue's or of an entirely different nature altogether. Underestimating such an opponent, especially with his new Three-Star Goku Uniform not yet ready, could be deadly.

Gathering up as much air into his lungs as possible, Gamagori let loose a shout that could be heard nearly a mile away, "Student of Karakura High School! Step aside this instant!"

Keigo Asano's hair literally moved as he was buffeted by Gamagori's shouting. As the first drops of nervous sweat began to trickle down his neck, Keigo swallowed the bile threatening to well up in his throat and tightly gripped his hand around the detonator for the CBSS Type IV Explosives lining the highway in front of him. All the courage and bravery he had spent the last few hours prepping himself up with quickly evaporated upon seeing all the trucks and students from Honnouji Academy. Deep down he knew this was what he should have expected but he hoped to whatever deity existed in the Soul Society that it would only be a couple dozen students. The army of men and women in matching yellow track suits with the Honnouji Academy symbol emblazoned on them didn't help a bit.

"_Great job Keigo. You decide to be a man just before facing down an actual army…I need to get better timing or I might seriously die."_

As much as Keigo wanted to listen to Gamagori's order he couldn't afford to run away. Everyone was counting on him to stop Satsuki Kiryuin's army before they reached Karakura Town and despite the fear coursing through his body he was going to do just that. With his thumb nervously hovering the detonator's switch, Keigo gathered what remained of his courage and yelled back, "Uh…I don't even know who you are! Are you lost or something?"

Gamagori's eye twitched at the blatant disrespect Keigo was giving him. Did this delinquent not know of Satsuki Kiryuin's intentions or was he simply mocking him? Deciding that either of those choices was unacceptable, Gamagori snapped his fingers and immediately dozens of members of the Disciplinary Brigade appeared in formation behind him, "How dare you ask such a question when you clearly already know the answer! I am Ira Gamagori, Honnouji Academy Disciplinary Brigade Leader! I will not allow a hooligan like you stand in the way of Lady Satsuki's glorious vision!"

Keigo had been called many names in his life, most of them by his sister, but never hooligan. It actually annoyed him to be called something like that, "Hey, I'm not a hooligan. My sister used to be Student Council President, you know. If I was a hooligan she would have kicked my ass years ago."

The Disciplinary Committee Chair's eyebrow quirked at the piece of information he just heard. Before departing on the Raid Trip, Satsuki had made sure her Elite Four was familiar with the history behind each and every one of the War Potentials. All the strengths, weaknesses and habits Inumuta discovered were memorized in order to better prepare themselves for the battle. From what the student just told him, Gamagori could only assume he was Keigo Asano, one of Lady Satsuki's War Potentials.

Pressing his finger against his ear and turning partially away from Keigo, Gamagori waited until the signal connected before speaking, "I apologize for the quick response, Lady Satsuki, but our path forward is blocked by one of the War Potentials – Keigo Asano. What are your orders?"

Satsuki's brow narrowed in contempt as she recalled the actions of Mizuho Asano at the biannual Student Council President Conferences. When the conferences started some years ago, long before she created Honnouji Academy, they were designed for the presidents to talk amongst themselves and highlight the benefits and drawbacks of their respective academies and schools. The intent of the original student council presidents was for cooperation and unity amongst themselves by making sure an academy that ran into problems could depend on other schools for assistance. By the time Satsuki ascended to Student Council President of Honnouji Academy, it had become nothing more than a place of corruption and bickering politicians doing their best to curry favor through any means necessary.

It had not taken Satsuki long to master the game.

Within six months of creating Honnouji Academy she had manipulated the presidents that could be bought into loyalty to her while those that had some shred of morality quickly fell beneath the power of Honnouji Academy and its Goku Uniforms. After a year every school north of Nagoya was under her control except for Karakura Town. At the time Satsuki knew her mother had forbidden her from conquering the city but that did not mean she could not bring Karakura High School under her heel through more subtle means. At first everything was going well, the weak-willed 23rd Student Council President of Karakura Town was nearly broken and Satsuki was confident within a month he would be completely loyal to her. That was when everything fell apart.

In a seemingly landslide election, brought about by unknown rumors of bribery and corruption, the president was thrown out of office and replaced by Mizuho Asano. Satsuki wasn't worried initially but her first meeting with Mizuho demonstrated how wrong she was. In a burst of language and cursing that Satsuki did not believe existed, Mizuho Asano backtracked on every single promise her predecessor made with Honnouji Academy and vowed that Karakura Town will not fall under the sway of, as she put it, 'some pampered rich girl with a weird sense of fashion.' All attempts to remove Mizuho Asano from office failed and after a year of futilely trying to circumvent Mizuho's adamant stance, Satsuki felt it would be best to give up on the current course of action until a new president was elected.

"Gamagori…" Satsuki's tone had a barely concealed hint of venom to it as she addressed him, "…Keigo Asano is to be treated as a hostile enemy combatant. His sister is the previous Student Council President of Karakura High School – Mizuho Asano. You are ordered to capture him alive and unharmed and extract any valuable information about Karakura Town's defenses. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Gamagori stepped forward while looking as menacing as possible. The confrontation between Lady Satsuki and Mizuho Asano was legendary due to the fact that it was one of the few times Satsuki had not been able to secure victory. Slamming his feet against the ground barely twenty feet away from Keigo, Gamagori shouted, "Keigo Asano! Due to your familial relation with the previous student council president of Karakura High School, you are to surrender yourself immediately for interrogation!"

Keigo glanced down at his pocket, contemplating what he was about to do, before he stared directly at Gamagori. Slowly pulling his hand out of his pocket and holding it above his head, he grinned when he saw Gamagori's eyes widen in surprised shock, "I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but my sister is way scarier than you could ever be. If I just gave up and surrendered she would totally kick my ass."

Gamagori rushed forward, intent on stopping Keigo from pressing the detonator, but without his Three-Star Goku Uniform he was too slow. In a series of explosions that started right next to him and cascaded back down the highway, the CBSS Type IV Explosives went off with enough power to not only instantly buckle a nearly two mile stretch of highway but also be heard all the way in Karakura Town. As the highway he was standing on began to collapse downward, Gamagori jumped forward and just barely managed to grab hold of the edge of the remaining highway with one of his hands. Angrily watching his fellow students falling just far enough that they would be injured but unlikely to be killed, Gamagori was just about to pull himself up when he felt something crushing his hand.

"Aw, come on! Let go already!" Keigo stomped down hard on Gamagori's hand and was starting to get really scared when the Disciplinary Brigade Leader continued to not only hang up but actually began to pull himself up. Thinking quickly, Keigo grabbed a piece of nearby rebar, severed during the explosions, and smacked it across Gamagori's face hard enough that the large teen was forced to let go and fall down with the rest of his troops.

"Sorry about that but I have to go now!"

Keigo didn't try to wait around as Gamagori fell through the rising smoke and dust before hitting the ground with a solid thump. The moment he saw the massive teen's grip on the edge of the highway fail, Keigo immediately turned tail and sprinted back towards Karakura Town as quickly as his legs could move. In just the last minute he had expended all the bravery and courage built up and Keigo didn't want to turn around and watch a seriously pissed off Gamagori pulling himself back onto the road. Keigo didn't know if his bladder could survive seeing something like that.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Uzu Sanageyama sat perched on top of the lead truck in the Athletic Brigade as the convoy of vehicles made their way across the western highway following the Onose River. So far everything had been exceptionally quiet but Sanageyama was not fooled by the seemingly enemy-free environment as his troops and the other members of the Elite Four. His Shingantsu could detect at least three dozen enemy students running through the mostly empty streets of Karakura Town just across the river. Judging from their speed and ability to continue running for at least five minutes Sanageyama hypothesized that they most likely belong to one or more of Karakura High School's athletic clubs.<p>

"This is going to be interesting," he muttered as he leaned his forehead against his shinai. His battle and subsequent defeat at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki opened his mind up to the possibility that there would be opponents that his Shingantsu would be unable to predict and counter. His Blade Regalia was but a tool for him to use and, by extension, a means to an end for Lady Satsuki's plans. If he wanted to be as useful as possible to help her achieve her dreams he needed to improve himself beyond his human capabilities.

As the minutes trickled by and Sanageyama was focusing on the upcoming battles against Karakura Town, his ears picked up a massive explosion to the east. Standing up and turning towards the source of the sound with his bandanna blowing in the cold morning wind, Sanageyama grit his teeth when he pinpointed the source of the explosion as coming from Gamagori's last reported location.

"Damn it, they already started?" Sanageyama pressed a finger against his earpiece and waited for the device to connect to Satsuki, "Lady Satsuki, there was a –"

"I am already aware of the situation, Sanageyama. Continue with the operation. It will take more than simply explosives to stop Gamagori," Satsuki stared passively at the holographic map of Karakura Town as the arrow labeled 'Gamagori' flashed bright red while information trickled across the screen. When the explosives near Gamagori's location went off her helicopter had been close enough that the flash of light was bright enough that Iori, who had been looking out the window at the time, was momentarily blinded.

"Wow! That was a big explosion! I wonder if anyone died down there." Riruka pressed her face against the window and stared at the column of smoke rising lazily into the early morning sky. Forced to wear her glasses by Satsuki, how Ragyo's daughter managed to procure a prescription she would never know, Riruka squinted and watched as members of the Disciplinary Brigade began to pull themselves out of the smoke and rubble. She had to give Satsuki's troops credit. To be able to survive a point blank explosion with nothing more than bruises and scratches was pretty damn awesome.

"It is unlikely that is the case," Satsuki sat down and closed her eyes as Soroi prepared her a cup of tea. Calmly sipping the bitter liquid, Satsuki paused for a couple of seconds before continuing her train of thought, "While the explosion was indeed massive and devastating, the devices responsible were placed underneath the highway along the support structures. Inumuta's Intelligence Unit already confirmed that the explosives were designed to impede Gamagori's progress and would have little to no chance of actually killing them. All the defenders of Karakura Town managed to acquire from their gamble was an extension of their freedom, nothing more."

On the ground and oblivious to Satsuki's train of thought, Sanageyama stood up on top of the truck. He could not appear to look weak in front of his men after Gamagori was taken down like a common criminal. As long as he could draw breathe and hold a sword Sanageyama vowed to be a source of inspiration for the Athletic Brigade, "Push forward! Do not let those who dare to resist Lady Satsuki and her dreams stand in our way!"

Upon hearing his words the Athletic Brigade surged forward, the students within unwilling to allow Satsuki's dreams to fail at such a critical juncture. It was only when they began turning onto the bridge that would take them across the Onose River and into Karakura Town that Sanageyama realized something was wrong. It was very faint and if he did not have Shingantsu Sanageyama was positive it would have escaped his notice as well. Focusing on all the noise within one hundred feet while eliminating the sounds from the trucks, Sanageyama frowned as he tried to place the scraping sound he could just barely hear. While it was quite simple to figure out was what causing it, sharp bits of steel scrapping along the asphalt surface of the road, the actual source eluded him until everything came to him on one sudden burst of inspiration.

"Stop the convoy!"

Sanageyama's warning came a moment too late as multiple lines of spike strips, covering the entire surface of the bridge, were rapidly pulled taunt by more than a dozen students of Karakura High School. As the driver of the truck he was standing on ran over the spike strips and abruptly lost control of the vehicle, Sanageyama leapt into the air moments before the truck behind him also lost control and flipped onto its side. Within seconds of the initial impact every single vehicle belonging to the Athletic Brigade was thrown out of commission before even reaching Karakura Town.

"Damn it."

Flipping through the air and landing deftly on the ground, Sanageyama cursed as he watched his entire brigade screech to a halt before they even stepped foot on Karakura Town's soil. As pissed off and annoyed as he was at the situation he could not help but give Karakura Town credit. It was well known that Honnouji Academy had one of the largest student bodies in all of Japan with only the academies of major cities like Osaka being able to fight them man for man. Karakura High School had a total population of about a fifth of Honnouji Academy's so it would make sense they would fight not with strength and power but with subterfuge and espionage.

"The first move is yours, but don't think it means you won," Sanageyama muttered as he sensed the members of the Athletic Brigade pull themselves out of the convoy's wreckage. It would be several minutes at the least before they were ready to proceed forward, which was not something Sanageyama was looking forward to doing. Their Anti-Karakura Combat-Spec Goku Uniforms may afford them superhuman powers but they alone would not be enough to guarantee them safe passage across the rest of the bridge. If his troops tried to run across right now Sanageyama knew it would be like walking into a death trap. Clenching the shinai tightly enough that his knuckles turned white, Sanageyama stepped forward to deal with the threat himself.

"So it's an ambush, is it?" Sanageyama cocked his head slightly to the side as he felt several people surrounding him. He hadn't heard nor felt any of the Athletic Brigade approach him from the wreckage of the convoy so by deduction the people surrounding him must be students of Karakura High School. Swinging his shinai through the arm and allowing a savage grin to adorn his face, Sanageyama rushed at the closest opponent and shouted, "But none of you are anywhere close to being strong enough to stop me!"

Sanageyama skidded to a stop in front of his first opponent while swinging his shinai through the air towards her face. Even though she managed to quickly cross her arms in front of her face to cushion the blow, she was completely unprepared for the raw strength behind it and was sent tumbling through the air. Without even waiting for the sound of his first opponent striking the metal support of the bridge, Sanageyama was already on the move. Wasting not a single shred of energy as he heard the muffled steps of his next opponent rushing towards him, Sanageyama dodged around her well-timed blow to his kidney before attempting to counter the attack with a heavy strike to the back of her neck.

When the Athletic Brigade Leader felt his target somehow manage to twist away from his strike, he barely had a moment's rest before he heard her pivot on the ground in order to slam her elbow into his stomach. Awkwardly bringing his shinai in front of his body, Sanageyama managed to block the attack with a great deal of effort but found himself forced back by the sheer power behind it. Growling in annoyance as he felt his opponents covering each of their blind spots and weaknesses, Sanageyama let out an involuntary gasp when he felt his feet swept out from beneath him. He cursed himself for allowing his Shingantsu to focus exclusive on the opponents he was fighting. He should have sensed another, hidden, opponent waiting in the wings for an opportunity to strike.

"_They're too good to be street fighters."_

Sanageyama shifted his body in midair while planting his shinai against the road for balance. Waiting for his new opponent's attack to sail harmlessly inches beneath him, Sanageyama spun around and slammed both of his heels into the small of her back. Even as her body crashed into the ground with a resounding impact, Sanageyama was already using her as a springboard to avoid the combined assault from two of his other opponents. Leaning back as he felt the air in front of his face shift menacingly, courtesy of one of the girl's fists, Sanageyama decided to stop fooling around. While he would have liked to continue fighting such experienced enemies Lady Satsuki had given him a task. Flipping through the air to avoid a low blow from one of his opponents, Sanageyama swung his shinai at her vulnerable forearm while shouting, "KOTE!"

Instead of the expected shattering of bone followed by a scream of pain, Sanageyama heard the wooden shinai impact against steel with a reverberating ring. Quirking an eyebrow in interest, he leapt back away from his opponents and with his unseen eyes narrowing behind the bandanna, adjusted his grip on the shinai, _"Hidden steel armguards for additional protection against weaponry and experience with martial arts….these girls are not random students thrown together for a makeshift army."_

"Fall back!" A female voice filled with confidence and authority shouted from the Karakura Town side of the Onose River.

Sanageyama stood tensely as his opponents retreated across the bridge while making sure to gather their fallen comrade. Resting his shinai on his shoulder and grunting as he massaged a cramp out of his neck, he glared heatedly across the bridge as the members of the Athletic Brigade gathered behind him, "Who are you to dare stand against Lady Satsuki's ambitions?"

"Who am I, you ask?" Tatsuki Arisawa stalked forward through the thin morning mist onto the bridge. Clad in the standard white karate gi with a confident grin on her face, Tatsuki folded her arms across her chest and watched passively as the Athletic Brigade lined up in formation in front of her. Mentally counting the opponents in front of her and eliminating any that did not pose a significant threat, Tatsuki found that there were still several, Sanageyama included, that would give her a difficult time. She may have obtained Godan in karate but the way Sanageyama moved and used his shinai indicated he was a master in the art of kendo.

"The name's Tatsuki Arisawa!" Tatsuki stomped her foot on the ground and pointed at Sanageyama. As the wind kicked up, exposing the steel armor covering her forearms, Tatsuki grinned savagely as the din in the background grew louder by the second, "And you all can go straight to hell! I'm not going to let a single one of you cross this bridge into Karakura Town!"

The entirety of the Athletic Brigade flinched back as more than one hundred members of the Kendo, Jujutsu, Karate, Taekwondo and Judo Clubs appeared out of the morning fog behind Tatsuki. Each and every one of them was wearing the standard uniform for their respective martial art and from the glint of slightly reflective metal indicated they wore the same protective armor that stopped Sanageyama's earlier strike. It had taken both political savvy and outright threats to get all the martial arts clubs together like this but Tatsuki knew they wanted to defend their city just as much as she did. Even if that meant they had to stare down and battle against an army from Honnouji Academy, they would damn well make sure they took down as many of them as possible before falling.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Stepping out of the crowd of gathered students wearing a complete set of kendo armor sans the helmet, Mizuho Asano scoffed at the lack of style in Sanageyama's technique. Spitting on the ground in annoyance, she turned to Tatsuki and asked, "What the hell is his deal anyway? He looks like some sad excuse for a Zatoichi!"

Sanageyama tensed up at the insult. Waving his wooden shinai at Mizuho he shouted, "Just who are you to speak to me like that?"

Mizuho huffed angrily at the rude tone in Sanageyama's voice and a deranged look entered her eyes. Gripping the shinai in her hands tightly enough that the wood began to crack and strain, Mizuho grinned when the Athletic Brigade took a collectively step back as she walked forward, "I remember you, quite well, you asshole. That stuck up bitch always had one of you at her side at the Student Council President Conferences. At first I thought she was stupid for trying to conquer all of the Japanese academies but now I know she's insane. My name is Mizuho Asano, former Student Council President of Karakura High School, and the girl that going to kick your sorry ass for daring to think you know kendo!"

"_Mizuho Asano and Tatsuki Arisawa. Two of the War Potentials in the same place at the same time…this is going to be difficult. Where's Iori with my new Blade Regalia?"_

Sanageyama slammed his shinai on the ground, the wooden impact echoing through the area, as he mentally cursed his luck. He had no delusions that battling for Karakura Town would be easy without his improved Blade Regalia to assist him. He even assumed he would have to fight one or more of the War Potentials that Lady Satsuki warned him about. The one thing he could never have anticipated was fighting both Tatsuki Arisawa and Mizuho Asano at once. Sanageyama already knew how strong Tatsuki was, so he would need to be on his guard if he fought her. Mizuho Asano, on the other hand, frightened him not from her attitude or history but by the way she was standing. He could sense that she was clad in the traditional kendo uniform but what had him on edge was that her stance had no gaps or weaknesses. Such a thing could only be accomplished by someone of the fourth or fifth dan. The problem was he was only a third dan. If he fought Mizuho without his Blade Regalia he would surely lose based on skill and experience alone.

"Tatsuki Arisawa and Mizuho Asano. I generally give those who raise a hand against Lady Satsuki a chance to flee but you're too dangerous to be allowed to resist." Pointing his shinai at a scowling Mizuho, who viewed Sanageyama's words as nothing more than insane rambling barely worth her time, Sanageyama narrowed his scarred eyes, "Armed Archery Club! Armed Tennis Club! Armed Track and Field Club! Take them out with a salvo attack!"

"I thought you would never ask," Omiko Hakodate stepped forward with the other two club captains and smirked menacingly at Tatsuki. With her sharpened teeth visibly in the orange and red light of the dawn, Omiko held up her massive tennis racket as the members of the Tennis Club gathered behind her. After her defeat against Ryuko Matoi and her subsequent failure to shine in the Naturals Election, Omiko was proud to regain her rank as captain for the Karakura Raid Trip, "You shouldn't have gotten in Lady Satsuki's way. Now take this – 220 Million Cannonball Serve!"

"Let's show them what happens to those that mess with our city!" Tatsuki shouted as she rushed forward, ducking and weaving around the spiked tennis balls aimed at her. Deflecting any projectiles that came at her way with the metal guards on her forearms, Tatsuki led the rush of martial arts clubs towards the Athletic Brigade. With her mind completely focused on the task at hand, she twisted her body around several arrows before closing the distance to Sanageyama. As she reared her fist back and focused all the energy in her muscles to taking him out, Tatsuki saw Sanageyama already moving forward to intercept her.

"This is where your futile resistance ends Tatsuki Arisawa!" Sanageyama shouted savagely as his shinai connected with her fist. As the two leaders struggled to overpower each other, Sanageyama grinned as the prospect of fighting someone nearly as strong as Lady Satsuki enveloped his mind.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Nonon Jakuzure, clad in her pristine blue and gold Symphony Regalia Mark III, marched quietly through the streets as she led the Non-Athletic Brigade south across the border of Karakura Town and into the Yumisawa Sector. While she would normally be shouting orders and directions with just a hint of musical flair to her subordinates, the events simultaneously going on in the west and east had put her on edge to the point her entire convoy of students was completely silent and on guard. The surprise attack on Gamagori's troops before he even managed to reach the city was one thing but the panicked communication from a member of the Athletic Brigade just a few minutes ago indicated Sanageyama had fallen headfirst into an ambush led by Tatsuki Arisawa and Mizuho Asano, two of the War Potentials that Lady Satsuki claimed could make or break the occupation and subjugation of Karakura Town.<p>

"_Tch, it's not like those two bitches could do anything to me,"_ Nonon smirked and adjusted the unattached cuffs adorning her wrists. As the only member of the Elite Four still wearing a Three-Star Goku Uniform she was the second most powerful member of the invasion force under Lady Satsuki herself. As strong as Tatsuki and Mizuho may be, they did not have Goku Uniforms and would fall beneath the might of her cute and jaunty power.

"Entrance march! Let's play this pianissimo, everyone!" Nonon raised her baton in the air as she took not only her first step into Karakura Town but also the first one from any of Satsuki's forces.

As the Non-Athletic Brigade quietly and methodically marched into Karakura Town with their pink Goku Uniforms violently clashing with the dark and dreary landscape of the dawn's light reflecting off of the empty streets, Nonon could not help but notice how much everything was different than she expected. She had been to many places under Lady Satsuki's orders and every single one of them had their own brand of weirdness that set them apart. Even as much as she would never admit it, Honnouji Academy was strange in its own special way. Karakura Town, on the other hand, was just too normal.

Carefully walking through the empty streets of northern Karakura Town, her eyes and ears open for any sign of an ambush, Nonon looked to her right at one of the closed shops. At first glance it didn't seem to have any importance but Nonon remembered what was special about Karakura Town and realized with a hint of surprise that all the clothing on display, with labels denoting them as locally made, were free of Life Fibers. As much as she wanted to stop and take a look around, Nonon reminded herself she had a mission to fulfill. Lady Satsuki's ambitions for a world free of Life Fibers called for Karakura Town to cower beneath her vast power.

"Who is that?"

The confused question from one of the students behind her drew Nonon's attention away from the store. Squinting so her pink eyes could see through the rapidly disappearing morning fog, Nonon blinked in confusion when she saw a random civilian dressed in the uniform of Karakura High School walking across the intersection in front of them with a small bag dangling from his elbow. Seemingly oblivious as to what was going on around him, the student was about halfway across the street when he finally noticed the Honnouji Academy student brigade.

"Hey!" Nonon may not have known who the teenager was since the morning fog made it too difficult to make out facial features, but the Karakura High School uniform he wore meant he was the enemy. Even if he had no intention of fighting her, Nonon wasn't going to let him just walk away. Pointing her baton at him and sneering, she asked, "Who the hell are you and what are you doing out here so goddamn early in the morning?"

Instead of appearing even the slightest bit nervous in the face of the entire Non-Athletic Brigade, the teen looked around in mild curiosity before sighing and pointing to the west, "I live a few blocks that way and while I know it seems like a complete surprise to see a student such as myself up so early in the morning, the truth of the matter is that I was getting some sewing supplies. My stock was running a bit low and I decided to go out and pick up a few things. The shop that I frequent allows me to come in early in the morning for the best prices. I don't remember seeing you around before. From your uniform I'm assuming you're the drum majorette of a marching band. Wouldn't it be more prudent to march in the middle of the day when people are around? Although if you are simply practicing, I suppose –"

"Just shut up already! Your rambling is giving me a headache!"

Nonon stomped her foot angrily against the ground. She was getting sick and tired of the ten's stupid rambling about stuff she didn't care about. All she wanted to know was his name and instead he just goes on and on about stuff that made her want to take a nap. Waving her baton in the air as several members of the Clay Sculpting Club stepped forward, each of whom was brandishing a kiln-dried weapon sharp enough to slice through metal and stone, Nonon gave the teen a harsh grin as she said, "Since you're up and about so early in the morning, you're going to have the special privilege of being my hostage. Put the bag down and raise your hands into the air where I can see them! You try any funny stuff and I'll show you just how much music hurts, you four-eyed idiot!"

The teen looked down at the clay weapons pointing at his neck before slowly and deliberately holding his bag out to the side. Carefully leaning over and placing it against the ground before raising his hands into the air, the teen looked around and asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a question? If I am going to be your hostage, should you not know my name?"

While Nonon did not care about finding out his name anymore, especially after his annoying prattle, she felt that if she didn't then he would just keep getting more and more annoying. Stalking forward and placing her baton under his chin, Nonon snorted and asked, "If it will make you shut up and not talk anymore, than fine! What is your name, you stupid four-eyed idiot?"

Adjusting his glasses and giving a victorious smirk, the teen said, "I am Uryu Ishida and you, Nonon Jakuzure, fell into my trap hook, line and sinker."

As the true revelation of her supposed hostage's name hit her, Nonon was forced to flinch as the windows and façades of the buildings and shops surrounding the Non-Athletic Brigade burst outward as the Nudist Beach soldiers opened fire with Anti-Life Fiber needles and weaponry. Unbeknownst to Satsuki Kiryuin or her Elite Four the entire northern quadrant of Karakura Town had been gutted and repurposed, allowing Nudist Beach free access to the interior of homes and office buildings with the express purpose of laying down traps and pitfalls for the incoming forces. Thanks to the various sources and satellites owed by Ishida Conglomerate, which Inumuta had been unable to hack or detect, they had been able to notice the splitting of Satsuki's forces as soon as it happened, allowing the final stages of their countermeasures to be put in place.

"What the fuck? There are nudist bastards here?" Nonon growled angrily as her troops cowered and wilted under the massive assault by Nudist Beach. Sensing Uryu had long since run away in the confusion, she raised a hand to her collar as the three gold stars on her shako twinkled menacingly, "It doesn't matter if this was a trap or not, you four-eyed bastard! Do you think your nudist friends can stand against me? Three-Star Goku Uniform: Symphony Regalia!"

In a burst of light and blue stars, Nonon Jakuzure emerged in her Symphony Regalia Mark III and soared into the air above the fighting. While at first glance her new Goku Uniform superficially resembled the old Mark II Ichigo had so easily dealt with, Iori had spent hours ironing out the various flaws and weaknesses in the stitching. The two massive woofers that used to appear on either side of her shoulders were now replaced by six smaller ones that enabled her fire three times the attacks, each with the same amount of power as the Mark II's blasts. The rest of her Symphony Regalia, compared to the evolved woofers, was nearly identical to the previous model apart from minor changes to better increase its power.

Hovering in the sky over the battle raging below, the pink and white scheme of her Symphony Regalia muted in the early morning lighting, Nonon pointed at one of the buildings she knew nudists were hiding in and forced her recorder thrusters forward. As her hat began to glow with a purple light, Nonon shouted down "I hope you enjoy Beethoven's Symphony! It will be the last thing you –"

In the midst of Nonon's monologue two well-hidden grapple guns, modified with a wireless connection in order to be remotely maneuvered via a close-range controller, fired twin cables at Nonon. As one end of each cable wrapped around the diminutive member of the Elite Four, the other end was anchored deep into the ground to prevent her from simply cutting it off at the base.

"What the hell is this?" Nonon screamed as she attempted to free herself only to find the cables holding firm and tight, which should have been impossible. Life Fibers were the strongest material known to man and could tear apart anything that came close to them. Getting annoyed at her failure to break the cables, Nonon shifted one of her free thrusters and fired a stream of notes as sharp as diamonds at one of the cables, only to be stunned when the notes bounced off without leaving a scratch.

"I'm sure inside that thick skull you are wondering why your Goku Uniform's attacks are ineffective," Nonon whipped her head around at the condescending voice and saw Tsumugu Kinagase lazily smoking a cigarette as he walked out of the shadows on the rooftop behind her. Holding the Carnifex he had borrowed from Kinue in his left hand while he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth with his right one, he let out a weary sigh before continuing, "Let me give you two pieces of important information that will help clarify things for you. The first is that the cables currently constricting your movements are made entirely of carbon nanotubes. You may think Life Fibers are the epitome of strength but carbon nanotubes have them beat in terms of both durability and tensile strength. While carbon nanotubes are expensive as hell, I do think that they are enough to hold you down. The only thing that could escape from them is a Kamui and you do not have a Kamui."

"Is that what you think?" Nonon sneered and pointed her recorder thrusters, the only thing not constricted by the cables, at Tsumugu, "Before I kill you why don't you tell me the second thing? I don't want you to die without finishing your stupid thought!"

The second…" Tsumugu flicked the cigarette onto the roof before crushing it under his boot, "…is that you should never take your eyes off an opponent."

"You call that advice, you stupid nudist? You're standing right in front of me!" Nonon shouted at Tsumugu in a mixture of sarcastic and incredulity. There was no way in hell that the man who single handedly took out three of the Non-Athletic clubs was this stupid.

Tsumugu didn't flinch under Nonon's threatening gaze as his eyes shifted subtly to her right, "When did I tell you that I was your opponent?"

"Thank you for stalling Jakuzure for as long as you did, Tsumugu," Uryu Ishida's voice, originating from behind her, caused Nonon to turn around as best she could within her bindings. Standing on the rooftop opposite Tsumugu with a small white and blue bow held in his right hand, Uryu gave Nonon a condescending shake of his head before speaking, "But I can take it from here. You should get out the way while I prepare to finish her off."

"Prepare for what, you four-eyed idiot? That little bow of yours doesn't even contain any Life Fibers!"

In her anger at Uryu supposed threat, Nonon did not see or hear Tsumugu bolt across the rooftop before jumping off the far side and sliding down a rope to the ground. She could not have known that mere hours before Satsuki's invasion Uryu and his father had explained their powers as Quincy to the Nudist Beach operatives. At first Tsumugu was stunned by the supposedly impossible powers, especially without the use of Life Fibers, but after mentally comparing them to Orihime Inoue's abilities to spit in the face of causality by bringing Mako Mankanshoku back from the dead, Tsumugu was completely unsurprised. What were arrows made out of nothing but spiritual energy compared to raising the dead and reversing time?

"For this," Uryu narrowed his eyes as he focused the spiritual energy in his body as well the energy permeating Karakura Town into his bow. As it began to glow with a faint blue light that caused ominous shadows to dance across his face, he raised his arm at Nonon and said, "Goodbye Nonon Jakuzure. I will not kill you so that you can send my regards to Satsuki Kiryuin for her warm hospitality the past summer. Licht Regen."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I thought I might find you up here."<p>

Alex Louis Armstrong, once again wearing his full uniform upon the insistence of Ryuken Ishida, walked out onto the roof of Karakura General Hospital. With the battles raging around town and the target he was specifically assigned to not yet appearing Armstrong was starting to get bored. He would have liked to talk with Ryuko about her father and Senketsu but she was off waiting for her part to play in this battle and as much as Armstrong wanted to, he had to put Nudist Beach first and foremost in his mind. Bonding and friendship could wait until after the fighting was over.

"The injured have begun to trickle in from the west and north," Ryuken looked over his shoulder as Armstrong approached him, the lit cigarette dangling from his mouth bathing his face in various shades of orange and red. Without saying a word, Ryuken turned away from Armstrong towards the north. From the outpouring of spiritual pressure his son was most likely using Licht Regen right off the bat. A most prudent move given who he was fighting but as smart and analytical his son tried to make himself appear, there were a few things Uryu could not learn except through experience. Some people might call his decision to let Uryu suffer at the hands of Nonon Jakuzure's Goku Uniform abuse but Ryuken knew exactly what he was doing. As long as Nui Harime did not show her face in town, even though she could do nothing with Isshin's Kaizo Trap in place, he was content with Uryu learning just how dangerous Life Fibers truly were.

"As much as I abhor giving undue credit and compliments, my son's plan actually had some merit to it. It seems that he's managed to inherit something from my genetics after all," Ryuken blew out a stream of smoke from his mouth as he spoke, "His ideas have managed to limit the number of injured people and as a doctor that is something that I appreciate. As a businessman, the loss of ten million dollars for medical needs is nothing in the long run. I'll just call it charity work and let the accountants sort it out later."

"Charity work you say? If I didn't know any better, I would say you are doing this pro bono," Armstrong chuckled heartedly as he stood next to Ryuken and stared out over the Karakura landscape. Already he could see smoke rising from the clashes and it saddened him that he was forced to rely on teenagers for fighting. Teenagers should be in school and having fun, not fighting in a war to save the world. Focusing on the fighting in the east drawing ever closer to the actual city, Armstrong clenched his hands and said, "It was quite the sight to see your son come up with a plan to so effectively neutralize a Three-Star Goku Uniform in such a short time. Tsumugu was quite pleased with the overall plan's success rate and asked if he could stay in contact with Uryu for future deliberations."

"What my son does is his business but as his father I will not have him drawn into a war without his consent," Ryuken answered as he removed the cigarette from his mouth before violently stubbing it out between his fingers.

"I completely agree," Armstrong stood tall next to Ryuken before chuckling, "During my years in college I dreamt of playing football professionally but my entire family for the last seven generations has given part of their lives to the service of our country. After much internal debate and consideration I decided to do the same. That was more than twenty five years ago and while I have accomplished many other things during that time, my heart has always been for the betterment of humanity. If Uryu does not want to get involved in what is most likely a life or death war, than I will not force the boy."

"Bold words but I'm afraid Uryu might not have a choice in the near future," Ryuken didn't flinch as a blue explosion lit up the northern sky. It seemed Uryu was being forced to use more and more power against his opponent, "My son is about to learn a very valuable lesson about how being a Quincy does not mean he has the answers to every one of life's problems."

Armstrong felt a cold sweat break out over his body as he was buffeted by something he could not recall ever feeling, "This feeling must be Uryu's spiritual pressure as you called it. It is truly a unique experience."

Ryuken closed his eyes for a moment before answering, "My son may appear to be strong but he is nowhere near my level. If I truly wished to harm a single hair on his head I could do so in such a manner that Uryu could not counter it."

"If that is the case than surely taking out Ragyo Kiryuin is well within your power." Armstrong waited for Ryuken's response for nearly a minute before pressing just a little bit more, "I heard from Isshin about your battle against Nui Harime. From what he told me you were able to hold up quite spectacularly against the monstrous power of the Grand Couturier."

"Holding up against and actually winning are two entirely different concepts," Ryuken felt a flash of phantom pain in his leg as he remembered the various wounds he sustained in his clash against Nui Harime. Never before has he been so humbled in battle to the point of looking like a mere child. Upon the start of the battle he had assumed his blut would afford him ample protection against the purple Scissor Blade Nui wielded but upon the first strike easily slicing into his shoulder Ryuken realized just how strong an opponent she was.

"And yet you are still alive," Armstrong countered with a wave of his hand, "That is something that no one in Nudist Beach apart from Kinue can say."

"She wasn't trying to kill me. Isshin extracted a Life Fiber from my leg that was supposed to record what I did," Ryuken pulled out another cigarette and lit it. He didn't want to admit knowing that Ururu Tsumugiya was not only Nui's twin sister but also possessed all of the Grand Couturier's powers frightened him. One Grand Couturier was bad enough but if there were two of them running around…well, Ryuken was glad Ururu was raised by a man like Kisuke Urahara, "Quincy powers are useful for fighting but in this case they cannot be counted on."

Armstrong looked at Ryuken in confusion, "What do you mean? From the demonstration you gave earlier, it is clear that your arrows are strong enough to punch straight through reinforced steel and concrete without much effort."

"If life was that simple I would be a much happier man," Ryuken took a long drag from the cigarette as he saw a black dot hovering in the air to the east, "While it is true my powers afford me some measure of superhuman abilities and that I could take on any of Ragyo Kiryuin's Xcution members, it would be with great difficulty. I do not fully understand it but my powers have less effectiveness on higher concentrations of Life Fibers. I do not know if it is due to the process in making Goku Uniforms and the like but I cannot deny that the more Life Fibers the more resistance they possess to Quincy spiritual energy. If I were to attempt to confront Satsuki Kiryuin and her Kamui, I would need to use roughly twenty times the normal energy and ten times the concentration per Heilig Pfeil just to achieve the desired effect."

"That would make fighting the Grand Couturier and Ragyo Kiryuin impossible I take it," Armstrong was silent as he processed the information. Ryuken and Uryu's powers would be beneficial in fighting Satsuki Kiryuin's forces but that still left the problem of how to confront Revocs when the time came for it, "Is Ragyo Kiryuin truly invincible?"

"Not necessarily," Ryuken held his hand out and immediately a solid shortbow appeared within his grip. Aiming it towards the approaching black dot, which could now be seen to be a helicopter, he narrowed his eyes and added, "Isshin might not have talked about what happened, but when he and Masaki returned from Revocs I confronted her about the events that transpired. While I refuse to utter what Ragyo Kiryuin did to Isshin's son, I will gladly say that in the ensuing conflict, Masaki managed to leave several permanent scars on Ragyo's back."

"I see," Armstrong stroked his mustache as he saw Ryuken gathering spiritual energy on his bow, "Might I ask what you're doing?"

"Just giving my foolish son and his friends a better chance of winning," Ryuken answered bluntly as he released the Heilig Pfeil at the helicopter. In less than five seconds the arrow composed of light blue spiritual energy soared through the morning sky before slamming into the helicopter's main rotor. While Ryuken could have easily made it strong enough to destroy the helicopter, and probably kill Satsuki Kiryuin in the process, that was not what he was trying to do. His intentions were to cause the aircraft to crash to the ground and limit Satsuki's ability to micromanaged and command her forces.

"That should buy my son enough time to win the battle," Ryuken muttered as he ignored the sound of the helicopter crashing into the park east of the hospital. Letting his shortbow dissolve back into its constituent spiritual energy, he turned to Armstrong as he walked towards the entrance to the roof, "Well, are you coming?"

"Yes," Armstrong stared to the east for just a bit longer before turning to follow Ryuken. With most of Satsuki Kiryuin's forces tied up in battle, it was almost time for him to play his role in the conflict. Adjusting the massive gauntlets covering his hands and forearms, Armstrong's gaze intensified, "It is time I entered the battlefield. The secret techniques of hand to hand combat that have been passed down the Armstrong line for generations are about to burst out in all their glory!"

"You can do whatever you want just so long as it's not on my property," Ryuken warned before he abruptly stopped walking. There was someone in his office and the only ones capable of bypassing the wards so easily belonged on a very short list. Adjusting his tie as he allowed his shortbow to emerge within the palm of his hand once more, Ryuken took a deep breath and said, "You'll have to forgive my hasty departure but it appears I have an unscheduled appointment. It might take some time to remedy the situation so you'll need to find the exit without me."

Ryuken didn't bother to wait for Armstrong's answer as he quickly made his way down to his private office. He had vague theories how his guest managed to bypass the Quincy wards surrounding his office but Ryuken decided to hold off on assumptions until after the interrogation was finished. Whoever it was that was waiting for him, they were extremely powerful. The wards, personally designed after years of painstaking research, were crafted to prevent anyone from entering or leaving without his express and willing permission. They were even sophisticated enough to distinguish between Ryuken and someone trying to mimic or copy his appearance, memory, voice and spiritual signature.

Kicking open the door to his office and triggering the emergency wards designed to activate only if he did such an uncharacteristic thing, Ryuken leveled his shortbow at the figure standing in the shadows of his office and said, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Satsuki Kiryuin listened to the various reports emerging from the battles raging below with a calculating look on her frowning face. Leaning over the holographic map and focusing on the symbols denoting both her own forces as well as Karakura Town's, she found herself impressed by the sheer tenacity of the defenders as well as the methodical plans they were implementing to counter Honnouji Academy's strengths and strategies. Curling her fingers inwards as she saw Jakuzure's marker abruptly stop just after entering Karakura town, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Iori, why has Jakuzure halted her advance?"<p>

"We've lost contact with the Intelligence Unit detachment assigned to the Non-Athletic Brigade shortly after the Nudist Beach ambush," Iori's response caused the gears in Satsuki's mind to rapidly shift directions. The main base of the nudists was supposed be in the Kansai Region, most likely under Osaka. The notion nudists could be in Karakura Town in such numbers as to effectively ambush more than a thousand students indicated a connection she had somehow missed. Usually n such occurrences she would lambast herself for a lack of preparations but retrieving any information about Karakura Town was notoriously difficult even for Inumuta's prodigious hacking skills.

"Simple nudists should not pose any threat to Jakuzure's Goku Uniform," Satsuki pressed a finger against the symbol for the Non-Athletic Brigade and brought up the information concerning the number of active verses unconscious students. Nearly four hundred students had already been knocked out or rendered unable to fight in less than five minutes, "Did the Intelligence Unit manage to report anything before we lost contact?"

"Yes. I'm bringing up the footage now," Iori nodded and ran his fingers along the keyboard before bringing up a silent high-definition recording of the Nudist Beach ambush on Nonon's brigade. Satsuki and Riruka both turned towards the screened as Uryu Ishida appeared in the middle of the street and said something to Jakuzure before quickly running away as the windows and walls on either side of the street exploded outwards.

"That's all you managed to get? It's completely boring and useless!" Riruka huffed with disappointment evident in her tone. There was a massive battle going on below and she was expecting something amazing or awesome to make actually hunting down and killing Ginjo much more interesting. Subconsciously patting down her Duveteux Raiment, she squinted at the screen and mentally concluded Uryu Ishida was a huge nerd. The prim and proper school uniform mixed with the fancy glasses he was wearing suggested he was weak and probably mooching off his dad's money or something. Sure Riruka remembered Lady Ragyo commenting on the intellect portrayed by Uryu but she just wasn't seeing it. What kind of man pretends to surrender before running away anyway?

Iori's amber eyes narrowed as he forced himself to refrain from sarcastically answering Riruka. She may have annoyed him countless times since Lady Satsuki ordered him to refit her raiment with Ichigo Kurosaki's Life Fibers, but as a member of Xcution, Riruka was all but untouchable. He needed to simply put up with Riruka's childish and boorish behavior until Satsuki decided it was not worth keeping up the charade any longer.

"There is more than just that," Iori explained condescending, taking a small bit a pride in the angry look Riruka was shooting him. Pressing several keys in quick succession, his breath fogged up the orange mask covering his mouth as he decrypted the rest of the video Inumuta had just finished sending him not a minute ago, Iori continued, "Due to the speed and ferocity of the ambush by the Nudist Beach forces, the second part of the video was heavily corrupted upon arrival. I sent it to Inumuta's Intelligence Unit and they just finished cleaning up the rest of it. I'm bringing it up now, Lady Satsuki."

For a few tense seconds there was nothing but snow and static on the screen but eventually the picture began to cut back in. From the unconscious bodies of the Non-Athletic Brigade littering the street alongside nearly nude members of the appropriately named Nudist Beach, the video must have resumed recording an unknown period of time after the initial ambush. Satsuki watched as the camera, mounted on the shoulder of a student, panned upwards into the sky where Jakuzure was hovering in her Symphony Regalia Mark III.

"_Even with her short temper Jakuzure would not activate her Goku Uniform unless the odds were against her. What am I missing?"_

"Iori," Satsuki's tone cut through the tension in the air like a knife, "Pause the recording and zoom in on the building Jakuzure is facing."

Iori nodded in affirmation while his fingers raced along the keyboard as he zoomed in and enhanced the image. Standing on the rooftop in front of Jakuzure was the same man that not only infiltrated Honnouji Academy and stripped several Two-Star captains of their uniforms but also helped Lady Satsuki in dealing with Matoi when she lost control of her Kamui, "Comparison software indicate a 99% match to the images we have on record. It is without a doubt the same man who's infiltrated Honnouji Academy. His presence explains how –"

"Hey!" Riruka shoved her way forward and pointed to the screen, "What the hell is that nudist doing?"

Satsuki was about to reprimand Riruka for interrupting Iori's explanation when she stopped as her eyes caught what the Xcution member was referring to. Leaning forward with her blue eyes focused completely on the video, Satsuki watched in confusion as Tsumugu turned around and fled after somehow managing to capture Jakuzure within some sort of trap. Even though Life Fibers, especially those within a Three-Star Goku Uniform, should be one of the strongest materials in the world Satsuki could count several that could beat Life Fibers in one or two areas. She did not know how Nudist Beach acquired a substantial amount of carbon nanotubes but they were the only things Satsuki could see being able to bind Jakuzure's movements effectively for so long.

Satisfied with apparently deducing the reasons behind both Jakuzure's reactionary release of her Goku Uniform and the well-planned and coordinated movements of the Nudist Beach forces, Satsuki opened her mouth to give Iori the order to turn it off when she saw someone she hadn't expected to see on the roof opposite from where Tsumugu was been standing not a minute ago. Narrowing her eyes, Satsuki rested her hand on Bakuzan's hilt and frowned, "Uryu Ishida. What is he doing confronting Jakuzure?"

"Does it really matter? I bet he's just going to die or something," Riruka commented offhandedly as her attention shifted away from the boring video to examine her nails, "It not like his clothes are made out of Life Fibers. He doesn't stand a chance against your shabby regalia or whatever it was you called it."

"Shabby?" Iori took great offense to Riruka's insult. Spinning around with anger on his face, he countered, "I'll have you know that I personally designed and modified each and every Goku Uniform in Lady Satsuki's collection. I don't cut corners and I certainly don't sew shoddy and weakly stitched uniforms!"

"You really think so?" Riruka leaned forward with her hands on her hips and smirked victoriously, "My Duveteux Raiment was sewn by the Grand Couturier herself. Every single Life Fiber in my wondrous outfit is sewn with love and care while your Goku Uniforms are ugly!"

"That's enough!" Satsuki slammed Bakuzan against the floor before the argument could escalate any further. Casting her authoritative gaze back and forth between Riruka and Iori, she frowned and said, "Such a trivial argument is unimportant! If you two do not refrain yourselves I will not hesitate to intercede and put an end to the conflict through any means necessary. Do I make –"

A flash of blue light from the video, which had continued playing in the background while Riruka insulted Iori, cut Satsuki off midsentence. Without needing to be told, Iori rushed back to the console and furiously typed on the keyboard before the video automatically rewound itself twenty seconds. Not a single word passed between the three teenagers as they watched Uryu draw a bow out of the thin air and point it at Jakuzure. After speaking to the Non-Athletic Brigade leader for a few more seconds, the image of Uryu proceeded to fire hundreds, if not thousands, of glowing blue arrows out of thin air at Jakuzure right before the video cut out entirely.

"What the fuck was that?" Riruka slammed a hand against the table while pointing to the computer screen with the other, "What the hell did Uryu Ishida just do? Am I the only one that saw him seriously pull arrows out the air and fire them? I though Karakura Town didn't have Life Fibers so how did he do that?"

"Even Life Fibers would not be able to accomplish something like that…"

Iori's cryptic words drew Satsuki's attention, "Explain."

"Where to begin…" Iori thought deeply before he turned around and typed in a command. As he brought up the design for the Archery Two-Star Goku Uniform, Iori explained, "Here is the Goku Uniform I designed for the Archery Club President. As the specifications indicate, Artemis would have been able to draw out a seemingly infinite supply of arrows while in realistic terms she would have a limit of almost two thousand arrows before the Life Fibers overheated and tore apart. Still…all of those arrows would still be physical in nature. The barest spectral analysis of Uryu Ishida's ammunition suggest his arrows are composed of pure energy that is somehow shaped and molded via unknown processes into their observed structure. I've never seen anything like it before."

Satsuki did not speak as she turned away from Iori and looked out the window of the helicopter. In the early morning light already casting the city below in its warm embrace, Satsuki could see plumes of smoke rising from the battles growing closer to the heart of the city. As much as she preferred not to, Satsuki could not get her mother's warnings out of her thoughts. Could it be that her mother already knew of Uryu Ishida's special abilities and just chose not to tell her? If her assumption about her mother already knowing her plan to kill her was correct, Satsuki easily extrapolated that her mother must have allowed her to proceed with the invasion of Karakura Town in order to weaken her. Tightening her grip on Bakuzan and clamping down control on Junketsu before it could assert any type of control, Satsuki vowed that she would defeat her mother whatever the cost might be. Ichigo might have the same goal as her, but he could never know the true depths of her depravity. He could never truly comprehend the nightmarish experiments she's conducted in the name of Life Fibers or what she did to her for so…

Satsuki shook her head to dissolve that train of thought before it could take hold. There was too many things she needed to do for her to be focusing on the past, "The power that Uryu Ishida possesses is something that none of us could have anticipated. Therefore it is my duty to correct that. Send out a message to the Elite Four, Iori. Tell them that the War Potentials might be in possession of unique powers that potentially puts them on par with Three-star Goku Uniforms."

"Right away, Lady Satsuki," Iori moved as quickly as he could to connect to each of the Intelligence Unit detachments remaining. With Inumuta's main unit staying hidden on the outskirts of Karakura Town to prevent being taken out, it was up to him to keep every brigade and convoy connected. When he heard the static blare through the wireless connection, Iori cleared his throat and said, "Attention Honnouji Academy! This is a Priority One message from Lady Satsuki! As of now, all War Potentials are to be treated as –"

Iori stumbled and fell over as a massive impact followed by an explosion rocked the helicopter. As alarms and sirens went off, Satsuki steadied herself against the table and shouted, "What happened?"

"We've been hit by some sort of anti-aircraft weapon like I've never seen before! The fucking system didn't even see it coming until it already hit us!" Elena's panicked voice came over the loudspeaker. From the way her voice was still coming through, curses and swears included, it appeared Elena was more focused with keeping control of the helicopter than worrying about her language, "It knocked out the main rotor but I can still land this thing. Just hang on to something, Lady Satsuki, because it's going to be a rough landing!"

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><p>"Pick up the pace! Lady Satsuki is in trouble!" Ira Gamagori's loud voice caused the students in the Disciplinary Brigade marching behind him to pick up the pace. As the southern entrance to Karakura Town drew ever closer, Gamagori scowled when he saw a massive blockade of randomly destroyed cars and other vehicles stretching across the highway.<p>

It hadn't taken long for the Disciplinary Brigade to recover from Keigo Asano's cowardly attack. The explosives Keigo used might have appeared powerful but the blast was focused on the support structures for the highway and not Gamagori's troops, which meant they had not suffered a single causality apart from a few broken arms and legs. When Gamagori jumped back onto the road and noticed Keigo had already vanished into the distance, he put his vengeance on the backburner so that he could report to Lady Satsuki. After finding out that the Intelligence Unit detachment assigned to his brigade had been damaged beyond repair due to the explosion and subsequent fall, Gamagori managed to push aside his fury at Keigo. Gathering every capable student left in his brigade, Gamagori ordered an impromptu bucket brigade to bring as many supplies out from the wreckage. An hour later and with his brigade back on the move to Karakura Town, Gamagori was beginning to assume everything would be fine.

That all changed when he saw something slam into Lady Satsuki's helicopter.

In front of Gamagori's eyes the heavily armored helicopter carrying Lady Satsuki was struck by some sort of glowing anti-aircraft missile. He watched in silence as the helicopter, belching smoke from the destroyed main rotor, spiraled through the air before crashing against the ground in the distance. As much as he wished to simply bull rush towards Satsuki and offer aid, Gamagori knew that she was most likely alive and relatively unharmed. The missile, or whatever it was that hit the helicopter, had only destroyed the main rotor. Any experienced pilot could technically land such a damaged aircraft providing they were close enough to the ground. So swallowing his nervousness and apologizing to Satsuki for taking his time, Gamagori broke into a sprint towards the barricade.

"A simple barricade will not stop me!"

In one massive leap Gamagori nearly managed to clear the twenty foot high barricade. Grabbing hold of one car, the rusty and old steel crumpling beneath his fingers, Gamagori flipped over onto the other side before landing in a crouch. Standing up and taking a brief look around, he frowned when he saw someone standing in the middle of the road facing away from him. Knowing that he had no time to waste, Gamagori took a deep breath before bellowing, "Step aside this instant!"

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that," Yasutora Sado, better known as Chad to all his friends, replied stoically. Everyone knew that Satsuki Kiryuin would not be stopped by a few explosions destroying the road. That is why Chad had spent the last few hours using his Brazo Derecha De Gigante to block the highway. He had only finished the final touches after Keigo ran by with tears in his eyes.

Pulling off his jacket before throwing it to the side, Chad massaged his wrists as he made his way toward Gamagori. He had seen some tall people in his life, that espada he fought in Hueco Mundo briefly came to mind, but Chad was not about to let that intimidate him, "I do not like fighting. Is there any way I can simply convince you to walk away?"

"I am Lady Satsuki's impenetrable shield! I will not flee from battle!" Gamagori sized up Chad as the two respective right-hand men approached one another. From years of disciplinary work, both under and before meeting Lady Satsuki, Gamagori could instantly determine that Chad was extremely strong and yet his opponent's words indicated a reluctance to fight. It was rare for Gamagori to come across someone with so much physical strength who also possessed an aversion to using it. Such a man could be dealt with using respect.

Walking up to Chad until he was standing barely a foot away from him, Gamagori looked down at his opponent and said, "Unlike Keigo Asano you seem to possess honor and control. It would be rude of me to fight you without first knowing your name."

Chad was pensive a moment before responding, "…it's Yasutora Sado but my friends call me Chad."

Gamagori's eyes narrowed as he recognized the name as belonging to another one of Karakura Town's War Potentials. Folding his massive arms across his chest and staring into Chad's eyes, Gamagori took a deep breath before speaking, "Lady Satsuki has declared all Karakura Town War Potentials to be enemies of Honnouji Academy and thus it is my obligation to capture you. However the way you hold yourself up and the inflections behind your words signifies that you are neither a delinquent nor someone that would fight simply to gain power or glory. Therefore, with the Disciplinary Brigade currently preoccupied with trying to scale the fortifications behind me, I will give you a single chance to run away. I will not pursue you and neither will I inform Lady Satsuki that you were here."

"I can't," Chad shook his head before looking back at Karakura Town. He hated unprovoked fighting but the people living in Karakura Town were counting on him and Chad was determined not to let them down, "To be perfectly honest, I don't understand why Honnouji Academy is attacking Karakura Town and I'm especially confused how Life Fibers fit into this. It's like something out of one of those old science fiction movies. But one thing I do understand is that Ichigo would give his life to protect this city from anyone trying to destroy it and therefore I will do the same. I vowed to cover Ichigo's back and therefore I will fight you to protect it as well."

Chad's words reverberated inside Gamagori's head and for a brief instance the Disciplinary Committee Chair was convinced he was looking at another version of himself. Quickly shaking his head to dissuade the thought from taking route and spreading, Gamagori angrily frowned at Chad, "I assumed you would be a man able to understand when you could not win. Standing up for one's friends in the interest of protecting them is a most admirable quality but we are on either sides of the battlefield! I will not allow Lady Satsuki's ambitions and dreams to die! As her impenetrable shield it is my duty to not only protect her, but to also remove obstacles from her path!"

Gamagori sped toward Chad with the sole goal of removing the teen from his path and clearing the way to Karakura Town. Usually his large and imposing size would intimidate his opponents into cowering, but Chad was nearly the same size and thus wasn't all that surprise. Bolstering his strength by reminding himself that Lady Satsuki could not only be in trouble but also possibly hurt, Gamagori rushed forward with a cross punch, intent on taking Chad out in a single punch. Without his Shackle Regalia, Gamagori was forced to fall back on the skills he learned from his father before his parents divorced on angry terms. While Gamagori greatly disliked his father, he would be the first to admit the man could throw a punch.

"My strength is an extension of Lady Satsuki's will!" Gamagori shouted passionately as he closed the distance to Chad, "Those that try to stand in her way will be thrown aside like the garbage they are!"

Grunting as he drew his arm back, Chad waited until Gamagori was nearly upon him before making his first move. Ducking under the surprising fast cross from Gamagori as the larger teen's fist passed dangerously close to his face, Chad clenched his left hand into a fist before countering with an uppercut to Gamagori's chin that forced the Disciplinary Committee Chair to briefly leave the ground. Chad watched as Gamagori slowly flew through the air and was shocked when his opponent managed to land back on his feet without much effort before countering with a kick to the solar plexus that forced the air out of Chad's lungs and sent him skidding several feet back along the road.

"That was a brilliant counter," Gamagori admitted as he wiped a small trail of blood from his lip, "But you seem surprised that I was able to endure your blow. With Lady Satsuki potentially in trouble, my strength and stamina have doubled. Did you expect such a weak attack to overcome my determination and stamina?"

"Yeah," Chad stood up tall as the brief pain in his abdomen abated. Gamagori had a powerful kick, that was certain, but it was nothing compared to what an arrancar can do. Raising his arms into the standard boxing stance, learned over the past year to help him better control his strength and powers, Chad stared down his opponent and said, "But apparently I was mistaken. I may dislike violence but allowing you to pass would only lead to innocent people getting hurt. I will stop you right here and now, Ira Gamagori. I swear on my abuelo's honor that I will not let anyone get hurt when I have the strength to save them."

"I see that you are unwilling to open your eyes to the truth of the matter," Gamagori shook his head sadly as the barricade behind him exploded in a shower of burning metal and smoke. As the Disciplinary Brigade gathered behind him, Gamagori shouted, "Your dedication to Ichigo Kurosaki is but a gust of wind compared to the hurricane that is my loyalty to Lady Satsuki! Yasutora Sado, your insurrection against Lady Satsuki and Honnouji Academy ends here!"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #21– The Kurosaki Family Reunion<strong>

"This is just great!" Isshin Kurosaki leaned back on the grass and stared up into the blue summer sky, "Good food, a beautiful day and my son hasn't got into a fight in over a week. This is truly the perfect day to host a family reunion!"

Sitting at the nearby picnic table along with his sisters, Ichigo huffed in annoyance at his dad's stupidity. It wasn't that he had a problem with having a picnic. On the contrary, he was surprised that his dad actually managed to put it together without anyone winding up in the hospital like last time. The issue he was having was that there couldn't be a family reunion if the only people who showed up were the four of them.

"Does dad even know what a reunion actually is?" Karin mumbled as she watched Isshin leap to his feet as the grill began emitting smoke. Ignoring the smell of slightly burnt hamburgers in the air, she looked past Yuzu, who was playing with a dressed up Kon, and blinked in confusion, "Hey, what is Ururu doing here?"

"Good afternoon, Ichigo!"

The sudden appearance of Nui Harime in the seat right next to him, compounded with her surprise greeting, caused Ichigo to instinctively leap back. Unfortunately for him he had forgotten that he was sitting down and as his feet clipped the bottom of his chair, he fell to the ground in an undignified mess. Staring up at the Grand Couturier, who still had that perpetual smile on her face, Ichigo scowled, "What the hell are you doing here? My dad's going to kick your ass."

"Hmm…" Nui thought about Ichigo's threat with a childish expression on her face. Closing her eyes and sticking her tongue, she answered, "Nope! I was invited for the family reunion, silly!"

Ichigo pushed himself back onto his feet and narrowed his eyes, "Just because you may call me your cousin doesn't make us family."

"Gosh, I don't know about you but it sure does!" Nui giggled and looked towards Isshin with curiosity evident in her eyes, "But it's kind of strange that you have no idea what's going on. Didn't your dad explain anything to you? He has all the answers, you know."

"Hey dad, did you know about this?" Ichigo slowly turned towards his father, who had in the span of time since Nui's arrival managed to face completely away from his son. Sensing that his dad was ignoring him, Ichigo cracked his knuckles and began to storm over to get some answers. If his dad had the answers like Nui said, then the fact he was keeping them a secret was deserving of a righteous beating. Who knew how many of his problems at Honnouji Academy could have been solved if only his dad had bothered to explain everything.

"Well, if you really want to know I suppose I can explain," Isshin gulped as he looked at the enraged expression on Ichigo's face. Sure he could pretty much tank whatever his son threw at him but if he wanted to make it look good he would need to feel actual pain, which was something Isshin hated. Swallowing nervously after making sure the grill wasn't about to catch on fire, he began explaining, "Well, it all started about seventeen or so years ago…"

"Giving spoilers away this early in the story?" A regal voice asked rhetorically from behind Ichigo. Walking across the park towards them from a helicopter that landed in a far field were Ragyo and Satsuki Kiryuin. Giving a wide smile upon gaining their attention, Ragyo sighed in fake sorrow and shook her head, "You truly have no sense of timing, Isshin. You're supposed to explain everything only at the last minute so nobody can use the information effectively."

"That's stupid though," Isshin pouted childishly before adding, "But I'm glad you could make it. How was the traffic?"

"Hold on just a damn second!" Ichigo pointed to Ragyo and Satsuki while looking at his dad, "Why are they even here? I thought this was a family reunion."

Isshin nodded sagely, "It is, my boy. I'm glad you were paying attention to my earlier speech."

"But WHY are they here?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the time to answer that question," Isshin wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder and pointed to the table. Sitting next to Ururu and as far away from Nui as possible was Ryuko, "But the last guest just arrived. Why don't you go talk to her? I'm sure Ryuko wants to find out all about you. Isn't she like your designated love interest or something?"

The punch to his dad's nose was immensely satisfying but Ichigo still didn't have a fucking clue what was going on. Sitting down next to Ryuko and holding his head in his hands, he muttered, "This is just so damn confusing."

"You are not the only one to be confused, Ichigo," Satsuki said as she sat down on the opposite side of Ichigo. Ignoring the slight huff emanating from Ryuko, Satsuki reached for a plate and added, "When my mother informed us we were to attend your family reunion, I too asked her for the reason why. She was just as enigmatic and infuriating as your father, but perhaps not to the same level. Unfortunately the Grand Couturier was more than willing to make up the gap."

"Oh, you are such a kidder, Satsuki!" Nui giggled as she reached over and took the hot dog Ryuko was just about to take, but before she could put in on her plate Ururu snapped her fork out and recovered it. Shrugging in defeat, Nui leaned forward on her hands and smiled, "Am I like the only one that knows everything going on besides Lady Ragyo and Isshin? Gosh, it's really nerve-wracking to know the plot while everyone is stumbling about in the dark."

"I don't want to hear any of your lies, Nui Harime!" Ryuko growled before turning away. No matter how much time had passed since the Naturals Election she still could not stand looking at the Grand Couturier without feeling the urge to sink her Scissor Blade into Nui's heart.

"That's a really mean thing to say, Ryuko," Nui closed her eyes and puffed her cheeks, "You know that I never lie."

"You just leave out everything you choose to," Ichigo added.

"Yup!" Nui nodded happily, "Your dad taught me to do that. He said that if you always tell the truth you should make sure that your promises are super specific. That way you can exploit all the loopholes you want! Isn't that awesome?"

"I see…" Ichigo turned towards his father, who was enraptured in a conversation with Ragyo. Slowly standing up, his hands clenching into fists tightly enough to leave trail marks on the table, Ichigo asked, "Hey Ryuko, do you want to help me teach my dad a very valuable lesson?"

"I sure do," Ryuko nodded and stood up. She may appreciate what Isshin did for her, but if he taught Nui to be as infuriating as she was he needed to have the crap beaten out of him.

Satsuki did not bother to get up as she listened to Ryuko and Ichigo beat Ichigo's dad to within an inch of his life. While she was never a fan of mindless violence, there were some people in the world that needed to be beaten in order to learn their lessons. Unfortunately for everyone involved Satsuki had a sinking suspicion that Isshin Kurosaki would not only fail to learn a lesson from this experience, but go on to teach the Grand Couturier a few more tricks.


	34. Chapter 34: The Long and Winding Road

Here is the long awaited Chapter 34. Sorry about the extra-long spacing between chapters, but I spent a few days rewriting Chapters 6 and 7 (which you should go check out and review if you have the chance). About 75% of the chapters were rewritten from scratch along with the following being done: grammatical corrections and additions, plot holes filled in, plot hints added for your convenience, new dialogue for 'Shinjiro' in Chapter 7 (seriously, go read it). Anyway, this chapter has A LOT of stuff going on in it so I really do hope you enjoy it. Watch out for that ending though…it's quite the kicker.

PS #1: Check out my tvtropes page (it's To My Death I Fight) and add/update anything you can. I enjoy the fact that you, my readers, willingly do stuff like that.

PS #2: Always looking for fanart. So PM if you're interested.

PS #3: I post updates regularly on Spacebattles and Sufficientvelocity. So if you're impatient about the next chapter, you can go there and read everything as I write it.

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><p><strong>Chapter 34 – The Long and Winding Road<strong>

Kugo Ginjo, wearing clothes completely free of Life Fibers for the first time in more than fifteen years, ignored the random explosions drawing ever closer to Karakura Town. When Yoruichi explained to him that Satsuki Kiryuin was assaulting the city in order to bring Karakura High School under her control, Ginjo assumed it was only a matter of hours until Satsuki succeeded. To his surprise not only was Karakura Town resisting but was actually pushing Satsuki's forces back. If the reports he was allowed to hear were accurate, Satsuki Kiryuin's Elite Four were being held back on the outskirts of Karakura Town.

Turning his attention to the man standing next to him, Ginjo looked away at the ground before asking, "Why did you save my life? After what I did, I thought you would have let me die. It's the least I deserve."

Standing next to Ginjo on the roof was Isshin Kurosaki, his eyes focused on the horizon as Satsuki Kiryuin continued to push forward into Karakura Town. Dressed in a pair of beige pants with a white lab coat over a blood-red buttoned-up shirt, Isshin could sense the slightest remnants of Ichigo's Life Fibers in each and every Goku Uniform from Honnouji Academy and was admittedly impressed. He didn't think Satsuki would have been able to figure out a loophole in his Anti-Life Fiber shield so quickly but she wasn't the first Kiryuin to have surprised Isshin in his life. Pursing his lips as he sensed Junketsu's Life Fibers, Isshin honestly didn't know what Satsuki was thinking when she added the Life Fibers of a hybrid into a Kamui. That was really dangerous territory Satsuki was treading on.

"_But then again, Junketsu is not the same as I remember,"_ Isshin frowned as he recalled the behavior of Junketsu at Honnouji Academy. He knew something was wrong when he didn't hear the Kamui speak and quickly realized Ragyo must have done something to it in the interim.

Thinking about Ginjo's question, Isshin folded his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and turned to Ginjo, brown eyes bleeding into maroon, as he spoke, "The better question is why I saved your life when I know what you did sixteen years ago."

"I didn't know what Ragyo wanted to do!" Ginjo shouted in his defense as he roughly grabbed Isshin's shirt. Gnashing his teeth together, the guilt he felt over his actions all those years ago preventing him from looking Isshin in the eyes, Ginjo paused before continuing, "Do you think I would have done what I did if I had even the slightest clue what Ragyo had planned? I didn't even know I was kidnapping him! Ragyo…she said you had given her permission to bring Ichigo to Revocs. I…I should have realized something was wrong."

Sixteen years ago Xcution was radically different than its present iteration. When it was founded nineteen years ago by both Isshin Shiba and Ragyo Kiryuin, its primary goal was to prevent the various corporations and governments around the world from getting their hands on Life Fibers. The true power and effects of Life Fibers were still unknown at the time and Xcution was supposed to be the front line soldiers that would make sure every single Life Fiber was kept under lock and key in Revocs. Six people composed that first generation of Xcution, headed by Rei Hououmaru, and Ginjo was one of them.

When he ran into Isshin Shiba somewhere outside Naruki City, Ginjo had thought the man would kill him without a thought. His departure from the Soul Society hadn't been the easiest. Despite years of dedication and near-death experiences that involved taking on a Vasto Lorde, Ginjo could not believe they would not give him the benefit of the doubt about a series of murders he had nothing to do with. He had given the captains and Central 46 not only a solid alibi but also witness testimonies putting him nowhere near the murders, yet they didn't so much as second guess themselves. If all that wasn't enough, the squad of Onmitsukidou that was sent to arrest him instead tried to assassinate him. It was too much of a coincidence that after Ginjo was forced to kill them to stay alive that two captains arrived to see the aftermath.

Instead of killing him, Isshin had instead patiently listened to his story and said he believed every word Ginjo told him. Promising that he would not turn Ginjo in to the Soul Society, who were still trying to keep surveillance on the former substitute shinigami despite being completely powerless, Isshin offered Ginjo a position at Revocs. At first Ginjo was immensely suspicious of Isshin's generosity but after meeting with the Ragyo Kiryuin from nineteen years ago, Ginjo had agreed to join the newly founded Xcution. Due to still possessing enough spiritual energy to detect the spiritual pressure of people around him, Ginjo had sensed the faintest traces of spiritual energy from Life Fibers and knew something was off about them. Vowing to keep Life Fibers out of the hands of humanity, where they could do an untold amount of damage, Ginjo had thrown himself into his work for Xcution.

Then three years later things began to change.

At first it was subtle changes in the way Xcution was supposed to handle Life Fibers but eventually their orders to keep Life Fibers out of the hands of humanity were rescinded. Ragyo Kiryuin had gathered those six members of Xcution and explained that after three years of research she had finally understood the true beauty of Life Fibers. She said that Life Fibers were not inherently dangerous and could be worn in small amounts by humans without any side effects. Ginjjo had been stunned into silence not only by Ragyo's announcement but Hououmaru's desire to follow Ragyo's ruling without question.

The other four members hadn't been so quiet.

Genesis Rhapsodos, member of Xcution and Ragyo Kiryuin's bodyguard, was a man who knew just how dangerous Life Fibers were. In his employment at Revocs he had nearly been killed a dozen times by experiments designed to harness the incredible power of Life Fibers. That constant exposure made him the top proponent for the utter destruction of all Life Fibers and whatever their source may be. Ginjo shoulders slumped as he remembered the fateful day Genesis gathered the other three members of Xcution to confront Ragyo about her foolish decision.

_Sixteen Years Ago  
><em>

"_Goddamn it, these bastards just keep coming!" Batou, Head of Revocs General Security as well as Interrogations, growled as he ducked down beneath the bullet-ridden metal desk he was using as cover. Removing the partially spent clip from his weapon, he grimaced as he pulled his last full clip off his belt. Mentally counting to three before popping back up, he shot several private soldiers and shouted, "How's the elevator coming, Olivier?"_

_Olivier Mira Armstrong, Head of Revocs Military Planning and Operations, gave Batou a scathing look as she continued trying to override the lockdown, "My men should be giving us a harder time. I must not have trained them hard enough. If I were leading their operation, I would have recommended suppressive fire while a secondary team snuck around back."_

_Flinching as a burst of gunfire sprayed over his head, Batou glanced over the side of his cover and mentally swore as he saw the soldiers doing exactly what Olivier just said. Reaching to his belt, Batou pulled the pin out of the grenade before counting to three and throwing it. As the grenade detonated with a large explosion, bathing the lobby in crimson and orange, Batou sat with his back to the desk and looked at Olivier, "Did you really have to give them fucking pointers? They are trying to kill us, you know."_

"_Is that insubordination I hear?" Olivier glared at Batou, who simply sighed and looked through the smoke and dust in case any more soldiers tried to attack. He had to hand it to Ragyo. She had reacted a little too quick and lethally for someone who hadn't known about Xcution's uprising. If Batou had to guess, he would think she was expecting something like this for quite some time. That would explain all the new personnel and military hardware that had arrived in the past few months._

_Olivier stepped back as with one final spark of electricity the elevator sprung to life. As it descended the nearly fifty stories from Ragyo Kiryuin's office, Olivier drew her sidearm and took cover behind a nearby pillar. She wouldn't be surprised if the elevator was full of Revocs security personnel in full riot gear and high velocity rounds. It is what she would do, after all. When the elevator doors opened with a metallic ring and nothing came out, Olivier glanced over her shoulder and shouted, "Motoko! Genesis! We're all clear!"_

_Motoko Kusanagi, Head of Life Fiber Search and Recovery, and Genesis Rhapsodos turned around upon hearing Olivier's announcement. Taking one last look at their prisoner, Motoko scoffed and asked Genesis, "What should we do with him?"_

_Genesis stared at Kugo Ginjo, his feet and hands bound together, before shaking his head, "Allow me to deal with him. It shouldn't take more than a minute."_

"_Alright," Motoko shouldered her submachine gun and jogged towards the elevator, "Ragyo already knows about our plan. Odds are she's waiting for us in her office."_

"_It would make sense given the opposition we're encountering," Genesis waited until Motoko was out of earshot before speaking, "Why have you not joined us in our cause? Surely you can see that Ragyo Kiryuin is no longer working to benefit humanity! There is no reason to weave Life Fibers into clothing! Why are you defending her?"_

"_It's complicated Genesis," Ginjo refused to look his friend in the eyes as he spoke, "I know what Ragyo's trying to do but I owe her too much to betray her. There has to be another way to make her see reason. She cannot be as bad as you claim –"_

_Genesis slammed his hand against the nearby wall hard enough to crack the plaster, "There's no other way! Ragyo has gone completely and utterly insane! We've prevented Life Fibers from escaping Revocs for three years now and how many times have you seen those things try to devour people? There is no reason Ragyo would want to spread Life Fibers unless that is what she's trying to do!"_

_A burst of gunfire sounded from behind them before Batou's voice range out, "Genesis! We've got to go!"_

_Looking Ginjo in the eyes and seeing nothing but shame, Genesis sighed and turned around, "I see. You've made your decision, have you? I'll respect your wishes old friend, but you should ask yourself one thing. Can you truly live with yourself working under Ragyo Kiryuin?"_

_Present Day  
><em>

Genesis's rebellion against Ragyo Kiryuin and Ragyo, while righteous, was over in less than five minutes. None of the first generation of Xcution had ever seen Ragyo's true power granted to her by the Original Life Fiber and so they were caught completely off guard. It wasn't until the next day that Rei Hououmaru told him what happened and Ginjo wished he hadn't asked.

Batou was the first one to fall to Ragyo's overwhelming power when she effortlessly picked him up and casually threw him through the bulletproof windows of her office. As Batou fell to his apparent death, Motoko had grown enraged and peppered Ragyo's body with dozens of bullets only to witness the Life Fibers in her body nearly instantly heal the wounds shut. Motoko had been so shocked by the inhumanity of her former boss's body that she did not see Ragyo literally teleport across the room and stab her arm through her chest, nearly instantly killing Motoko.

Olivier and Genesis, the last two Xcution to remain standing and the most physically capable, had tried to team up against Ragyo and for a moment it worked. Ragyo's speed and strength were nearly god-like but her opponents were humans that trained for years in combat and lethal scenarios. Such experience enabled Olivier and Genesis to dodge Ragyo's attacks long enough for Genesis to stab his sword through her heart.

If only Ragyo had been that easy to kill.

From Rei's testimony after Ragyo's body slumped to the ground, a pool of blood growing beneath her corpse, Genesis had let out a relieved chuckle and offered Olivier the chance to take over Revocs and make the company what it should have been. Neither of them saw Ragyo's fingers twitching before she began standing up. They also did not see Ragyo draw a Life Fiber blade in the shape of a sewing needle out of her body. Olivier, who was facing in the same general direction as Ragyo, had barely noticed the CEO's movements before she was stabbed through the shoulder and launched out the window while bleeding to death. At that point a fully healed and suitably enraged Ragyo had turned to Genesis who, as the mastermind of the failed Xcution rebellion, she had saved for last. As much as Ginjo tried to shut out the memory of the video Rei had showed him of Genesis's torture and subsequent death, he could never forgot that Genesis had not screamed in pain once.

It was not even a week later Ginjo found himself standing across from Ragyo Kiryuin in her newly refurbished office. With her hands folded in front of her mouth, she thanked Ginjo for his loyalty to Revocs and went on to say that Xcution would be needing more members, specifically ones that had enough resistance to Life Fibers that they could wear them without being affected by them. While Hououmaru was busy going over the potential candidates for the second generation of Xcution, his task was to go to Karakura Town and bring Isshin Shiba's son to Revocs.

Ginjo knew of Isshin's past with Ragyo and at the time he didn't see any problem with the request. He himself had visited Karakura Town enough times that all of Isshin and Masaki's friends knew him by sight. Still, he wasn't about to just take Isshin's kid without permission, so when he asked Ragyo if it was alright she handed him a signed letter giving her permission pick Ichigo up from day care. As Ichigo's godmother and Isshin's close friend, Ragyo wanted to see Ichigo but after Genesis's potential coup she could not leave the safety of Revocs for a while.

The signatures on the letter were identical to Isshin and Masaki's, despite Ginjo's mind telling him something was wrong. Ragyo was close friends with Isshin despite the straining of their friendship over the past few months. Who was he to argue with his superior, especially one that nearly died from his friend attempting to overthrow her? As he headed into the lobby of Revocs after leaving Ragyo's office, Ginjo decided to call up Isshin to see if it was alright. After failing to get either him or Masaki to pick up after several attempts, Ginjo swallowed his nervousness and started the short drive to Karakura Town.

Even sixteen years later Ginjo could still see the smile on the smile on Ichigo's infant face as he picked him up from daycare with the promise that he was going to take him to see 'Aunty Ragyo.'

"You weren't the only one Ragyo's fooled. I knew her better than perhaps anyone else but I still failed to see her descent into insanity," Isshin sighed as he clenched a fist. It enraged him that with all the knowledge he had about the Original Life Fiber and Ragyo's plans he couldn't so much as breathe a word of it to anyone. Instead he is forced to rely on making those around him naturally come to the conclusions about Life Fibers.

"I knew something was wrong for several years and yet I did nothing," Isshin closed his eyes and thought back on all the times he would be around Ragyo and notice a slight slip in her tone, a change of emotion that was completely unexpected or a look of fervor in her eyes. The changes didn't come all that often at first and at the time Isshin hoped it was merely a temporary side effect of what the Original Life Fiber did to them, but as time went on and Ragyo began to exhibit stranger and stranger behavior Isshin realized the woman he had known for so long was slipping away from him.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Ginjo clasped his hand around his necklace, the symbol for Xcution modeled in plated gold, as he pondered what he wanted to ask, "You were with Ragyo when she found the Original Life Fiber, right?"

Isshin paused and mulled over his words before answering in the most neutral way possible, "Yes. I was with her that night. Why do you wish to know?"

Ginjo opened his mouth to answer but thought twice about it. Truth be told, he didn't want to know the answer to his question. Perhaps some things were just better left unanswered in the long run. As much as he wanted his revenge against the Soul Society for what they did to him, some of the events that he witnessed still didn't make sense in his mind. Ginjo didn't want to find out that what he saw and what actually happened were two entirely different concepts, "Never mind. Something about it was bothering me for a second. Not a single member of Xuction, past or present, has been allowed to see the Original Life Fiber. I don't think even Satsuki Kiryuin has seen it."

"Ragyo's always been secretive about that sort of thing," Isshin answered with a shrug. After years of dealing with whatever block the Original Life Fiber put in his mind, Isshin has gotten rather experienced at giving extremely vague answers. If Kisuke was here, Isshin was sure the exiled captain would be proud.

Deciding to move the conversation forward in a more positive manner, Isshin slapped Ginjo on his back and leaned forward, "You need to stop mopping around over the past! I knew for years that you were completely innocent of anything that happened to Ichigo! Ragyo admitted as much when Masaki and I confronted her in her office! If you truly wish to make up for what you did, you need to help me prevent Ragyo from finishing her plans! Risking your life against someone like the Grand Couturier is a good start but there is still much to be done."

Ginjo stared in mute shock at Isshin before he started chuckling, "You can't take anything serious, can you? You have a point though. Dwelling on the past isn't going to change anything. If I want to make up for my mistakes I need to work to make sure Ragyo doesn't succeed. That's going to be hard. She not only has Nui Harime at her beck and call, but the entirety of Xcution apart from Jackie Tristan and Tsukishima. It's going to be tough taking them down."

"Which is why I made this!"

Isshin reached into his lab coat in search of something. After several tense and awkward seconds passed and he still hadn't found it, Isshin's searching started to become more and more frantic until, with a shout of triumph, he pulled out a plastic-wrapped package from some unseen pocket and handed it to Ginjo.

"What is this?" Ginjo gingerly grabbed the plastic parcel and turned it over in his hands. At Isshin's excited nodding, Ginjo tore open the covering and saw to his amazement an exact replica of his destroyed Cuirassé Raiment. Staring at the replica of his old raiment, Ginjo swallowed the lump in his throat and asked, "How is this possible?"

Isshin looked at Ginjo like the former shinigami had grown a second head, "What? Did you think that Ragyo was the only one that could create Life Fiber clothing? I am the same as her, after all! Just because thinking about fashion causes my skin to break out in a rash doesn't mean I can't do anything she can! I am the great Isshin Kurosaki! Even the forces of Revocs fear to earn my ire and two of the most powerful girls in the world clamor for my son's hand in marriage!"

Ginjo didn't dare encourage Isshin's childish behavior. Somehow the man that had Ragyo Kiryuin scared to attack Karakura Town could act serious one moment and the next be begging him for a couple of dollars for lunch. Rubbing his temple and turning away before he got dragged into a conversation he didn't want to have, Ginjo decided to simply push through the idiocy, "What's the point of sewing this? My Cuirassé Raiment wasn't strong enough to even wound Nui Harime in Moscow."

"What makes you think you're going to fight Nui Harime? That would be insane! There's no way you could hope to stand up to her!"

Isshin looked at Ginjo with an expression that clearly asked if he had hit his head on the way over. Simply put, it was impossible for a regalia or raiment to stand up to the Grand Couturier. Even if Nui wasn't able to instantly locate and cut the Banshi holding the uniform together, her strength was on a level far beyond human comprehension. Isshin didn't think even Ragyo knew how powerful Nui was because, simply put, Nui didn't know her own strength. The only ones capable of fighting Nui without getting killed in the first minute or so were those fully synchronized with a Kamui and even that wasn't enough to guarantee a victory, especially with her regeneration and lack of fighting style. As much as he hated doing it, there was only one person capable of stopping Nui in her tracks – Ururu.

Ginjo looked at the raiment in his hands, "Then why would you make this for me?"

Coughing into his hand before giving his best impression of a haughty and mocking laugh, Isshin allowed the barest trace of rainbow light to shine out from his hair, "As much as Armstrong would have loved to have you in Nudist Beach, the truth of the matter is you would be much more efficient wearing a Life Fiber uniform. Your innate resistance to the effects of Life Fibers means you can wear something that contains fifty percent Life Fibers and be perfectly fine. Even if you can't face Nui in battle without getting your ass kicked, there are still quite a few members of Xcution to deal with."

As Isshin's brown eyes bled away into familiar maroon, Ginjo realized just why Ragyo was scared of Isshin. Looking away over Karakura Town, where the early morning sun was beginning to force the shadows of the night back into hiding, Ginjo ran a hand through his hair and let out a huff before asking, "I thought you were terrible with fashion, Isshin. How did you make something like this with your own hands? I bet it's going to fall apart the minute I wear it. Or maybe it'll explode when I try to activate it."

"There's a big difference between picking out dresses and making something useful for battle!" Isshin snapped angrily. Folding his arms and quickly reining in his power before someone unwanted sensed it, he scratched at his chin and said, "While it is true my ability to follow fashion trends is probably too low to judge, I am more than capable of creating raiment. However, unlike the one Ragyo gave you, the one in your hands will not subtly influence your thought processes."

Ginjo's eyes snapped open at the revelation, "What?"

Isshin rubbed the back of his neck and turned his head away, "I'm not surprised Ragyo didn't tell you. The fact of the matter is anything above a forty percent Life Fiber weave is impossible for a human to make. While I'm sure Satsuki's little couturier has tried time and time again to create something like your raiment, he undoubtedly ran into the problem of his volunteers going berserk. There is a key component in making raiment and Kamui that Ragyo has purposely hidden – Life Fibers from a hybrid."

For a moment Ginjo could hear nothing but the sound of his own beating heart racing in his chest. If what Isshin said was the truth, then the subtle thoughts he had over the years of how Ragyo was correct in her actions were actually being caused by his Cuirassé Raiment. Swallowing nervously as his mouth dried up, Ginjo said, "That explains a lot. Most members of Xcution start out fairly normal but after about a year they become fanatically loyal to Ragyo. Hell, the only reason I'm not like them is because I've seen firsthand what she's capable of doing."

"There's something else you should know if you're going to help stop Ragyo," Isshin hummed thoughtfully to himself before continuing, "Through a process I cannot begin to explain to you, I have woven the Life Fibers of another hybrid into your new raiment. I've checked over the stitching and I can guarantee you fully that the Life Fibers will not influence your thoughts in any way, shape or form. That should make fighting Ragyo and her forces a lot easier."

A wave of relief passed through Ginjo, "So is this still my Cuirassé Raiment or have you changed things up?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Isshin looked away in embarrassment as he recalled the French lessons Ragyo made him take. He wasn't the only one. Masaki had been dragged along as well but she took to the language like a fish in water while he was left drowning on dry land, "Ragyo force fed me French! I don't know why she made me learn it but she claimed it was the language of love or something! As for the name…hmm…how about we call it the Sauvegarde Raiment? It means safeguard in French."

"Sauvegarde, you say?" Ginjo didn't hesitate before he began changing into his new raiment, much to Isshin's horror. As he finished putting it on, comforted by the missing Xcution and Revocs logos, Ginjo turned and asked, "I suppose you want me to go help repel Satsuki Kiryuin's invasion?"

"Nah!" Isshin exclaimed childishly as a burst of spiritual pressure emerged from the east, "Ichigo's friends should be more than capable of forcing Satsuki back. Even though her couturier will probably manage to deliver them their new regalia, Ichigo's friends should be strong enough to counteract them. The main issue is Satsuki Kiryuin and the member of Xcution that arrived alongside her."

Ginjo laughed at the irony of the situation, "It appears Ragyo has already sent someone to kill me. It would be rude to just sit back and let them come to us. They are our guest. I should go greet them properly."

Before he could leap off the roof towards the park where Satsuki's helicopter crashed, Ginjo found Isshin's hand gripping his arm, "You should go but I would prefer if you wait until after Ryuko spoke with Satsuki. There is a lot of unfinished business between the two of them, more than you could imagine, and I would like that to be dealt with. The minute it looks like Ryuko and Satsuki are going to start fighting, that's when you can introduce yourself."

"Understood," Ginjo nodded but stopped a second time and asked, "Hey Isshin, where's Ichigo?"

Isshin had a frown on his face, "Hell if I know. All I care about is whether or not he's helping Satsuki. If he is, I'm going to give him the grounding of a lifetime."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>In the hour or so since the Non-Athletic Brigade was confronted by the entrenched Nudist Beach forces, Uryu Ishida had been forced into a running battle against Nonon Jakuzure and her Symphony Regalia Mark III. After his initial attempt to end the fight with Licht Regen unexpectedly failed to do anything other than pissing Nonon off, Uryu had quickly run away until he could figure out a reason why his attack failed.<p>

Sprinting across the rooftops of the Kitakawase Sector, Uryu was quite mindful of the fact Nonon was closing in on him by the second. Her speed and reflexes made attempting to fight her in the air extremely dangerous. The blood running down his right arm from where one of her musical notes pierced his shoulder was proof enough that despite her mannerisms and behavior, Nonon Jakuzure was a highly dangerous opponent. Skidding around a corner, his hand grabbing the handle of the building's emergency rooftop exit for balance, Uryu raced forward and leapt over an air conditioning unit just as Nonon rocketed past him. Twisting around in midair and aiming his bow at one of Nonon's woofers, Uryu released several powerful heilig pfiel but grimaced when they accomplished nothing more than causing Nonon to know his exact location.

"_My heilig pfeil's are still ineffective even after I doubled their power,"_ Uryu cursed when he saw Nonon smirking confidently as she turned around to face him. With nary a scratch on her Symphony Regalia, she retaliated against his sneak attack with a salvo of weaponized musical notes sharp enough to not only pierce through the roof around him but also penetrate several floors downwards. As the rooftop he was standing on became unstable under the onslaught and began to collapse in a shower of dust and debris, Uryu waited until he was obscured from Nonon's sight before using hirenkyaku to vanish and reappear on the next building over.

"_Is her power greater than my own?"_ Uryu ducked behind an outcropping of pipes and machinery as he watched Nonon look for his corpse in the debris. Ignoring the angry curses that spewed from her mouth when she failed to find his body, Uryu looked down at his bloody arm and clenched his fist, _"No, that's impossible. In our initial confrontation I managed to get an accurate sense of Jakuzure's full power. It's roughly the same as my own, which means my attacks should be having some sort of effect. Yet she doesn't have a single scratch from my heilig pfeil's. What am I missing?"_

Nonon Jakuzure, unaware of Uryu's thoughts, hovered around in the air over the destroyed building with a grimace of annoyance on her face. Even though Lady Satsuki had given her Elite Four permission for collateral damage, as long as it was contained, Nonon hadn't meant to destroy the building. She was just really pissed off at Uryu constantly ambushing her and firing those weak arrows before rolling back into cover. Over an hour they had fought and Nonon had yet to get more than a single blow against Uryu. Upon noticing that Uryu wasn't in the debris of the building she just destroyed, Nonon flew up into the air and looked around.

"Where are you hiding, you four-eyed bastard?"

Holding a hand to her forehead and squinting, Nonon didn't see any trace of Uryu. Far to the east she could easily tell where the Non-Athletic Brigade was fighting the nudists from the columns of smoke rising into the air. Were the nudists entrenched in Karakura Town really this strong? The Anti-Karakura Goku Uniforms should have more than powerful enough to deal with a few nudists. Either Lady Satsuki underestimated the power of Nudist Beach, which was blasphemous to Nonon's mind, or they were wrong about the location of Nudist Beach's headquarters.

"Don't tell me he ran away?" Nonon gnashed her teeth as the supposed cowardice of her opponent. While topping the list of people whose asses she really wanted to kick was Strawberry, Uryu Ishida was a very close second. It wasn't enough that he was somehow fast enough to avoid attacks from her Symphony Regalia Mark III, but he did it in such a condescending way that Nonon was sure he was mocking her.

A flash of movement on the rooftops below immediately caught her eye and Nonon was instantly on the offensive. Aiming both her woofers and clarinet thrusters at the sprinting Uryu, as the energy within the music-based weaponry beginning glowing with a bright pink light Nonon laughed victorious and shouted, "I'd like to see you try to dodge this! Symphony Regalia: Vivacissimo Assault!"

Uryu looked over his shoulder at the incoming medley of musical notes and heart-shaped beams and cursed his bad luck. Using hirenkyaku as rapidly as possible without severely compromising his muscles from the high speed movement, Uryu dodged and weaved around the attack while only sustaining minor cuts and wounds. As he was forced to leap over onto another building Uryu noticed Nonon's altitude had decreased, most likely to better train her attacks on his location, and decided to give his theory a shot. Jumping into the air before spinning around, Uryu gathered spiritual energy in his bow before hitting Nonon with a fully-charged Licht Regen.

"_Let's see what you do…"_

Watching carefully as his thousands of heilig pfeil slammed into Nonon's hovering form, Uryu narrowed his eyes when the sheer magnitude of arrows caused Nonon to spiral out of control into a building across the street.

"_That proves part of my hypothesis was correct. She certainly feels the force of my heilig pfeil even if they don't do any damage."_ No longer threatened by Nonon's Vivacissimo Assault, Uryu skidded to a quick stop and stared at the rising cloud of dust from where Nonon had crashed. Several things weren't adding up about her peculiar resistance to his attacks. If she possessed a defensive ability like an arrancar's hierro or a quincy's blut, than Nonon would have barely noticed the force behind his heilig pfeil. What was he missing?

Wrapping his finger around one of the Seele Schneider's hanging on his belt, Uryu stabbed the quincy weapon into the roof before leaping to the side as a heart-shaped beam of energy burst through the air. As the sound of the attack detonating against a building behind him reverberated through the air, Uryu knew his dad was going to yell at him when the battle was over. Someone was going to have to pay for all the reconstruction and Uryu knew Ryuken well enough to realize his father would not simply write a check.

"I'm getting really sick and tired of your arrows!"

Bursting from the rubble with an enraged expression on her face, Nonon forewent trying to hit Uryu with her Symphony Regalia's armaments in lieu of something much more practical. With her clarinet and flute thrusters firing at full power, Nonon shot forward, dodging around Uryu's arrows, and slammed her armored fist into his face.

For a brief moment both combatants were frozen in time before a massive shockwave of pressure expanded out from the point of impact. Accompanied by a sonic blast that vaporized the roof he was standing on, Uryu was sent rocketing through building after building before he crashed into the middle of a road several blocks away with a loud thud. With a smirk on her face that showed just how happy she was at finally hitting Uryu, Nonon flew through the skies over Karakura Town until she was directly above Uryu.

"Well, how did you like that, you four-eyed bastard?" Nonon mockingly asked as she watched Uryu pull himself off the ground. His Karakura High School uniform was torn and bloody from her surprisingly direct attack and Uryu thought one of his ribs was broken.

"_So this is the power of a Three-Star Goku Uniform? It certainly is something special. I don't think a shinigami below a lieutenant could have hit me that hard,"_ Uryu stumbled briefly as he stood up before he regained his balance. Wiping some blood trailing from his mouth onto the back of his hand, Uryu chastised himself for taking Nonon for granted. Just because she appeared to be a primarily ranged fighter did not mean she wasn't able to fight in close quarters. That punch was quite powerful and Uryu knew he would be feeling it tomorrow,_ "I may still be learning how to properly use blut but that attack tore right through it even when I maximized blut vene. Could it be related to why my heilig pfeil have little to no effect?"_

"Are you stupid or something? Why are you getting back up when I'm just going to kick your ass?" Jakuzure placed her hands on her hips and angrily watched as Uryu pushed himself back onto his feet. As she was about to yell at him once more for not knowing when to just surrender, Nonon remembered what Lady Satsuki told her Elite Four about her debates with Uryu Ishida during the previous summer.

"_How could I have forgotten? This is the guy that Lady Satsuki admitted out-debated her several times during his internship at Revocs."_

Floating backwards and away from Uryu, Nonon began charging up her woofers in preparation for the finishing strike. Vivacissimo should have been more than enough to deal with Uryu but since he managed to somehow avoid her wonderful music, she needed to increase the tempo a bit, "Since you're the Student Council President of Karakura High School, it would be quite rude to not let you go out with a bang. While I'm sure Lady Satsuki would have liked to deal with you herself, I'm sure she'll forgive me for taking the initiative! Enjoy the sounds of my sonata of death! Symphony Regalia: Prestissimo!"

"Hah…you think this is over?"

Nonon let the intense glow from inside her six woofers die down a bit, "Eh? What are you mumbling about, you four-eyed weirdo? You may have supernatural powers or something but nothing you do can even scratch my Symphony Regalia!"

"Wasn't it just a little too easy to hit me?" Uryu took off his glasses upon noticing they were cracked before throwing them away. Pulling out a spare set that he kept for just such an occasion, Uryu winced as he accidentally touched the cheek Nonon had hit, "I mean, for the last hour I was able to dodge each and every one of your ranged attacks. Attacks, which I might add, were of a higher velocity than your most recent physical assault. Doesn't it seem odd that I was unable to avoid your straightforward attack?"

"What are you talking about? Are you making fun of me?" Nonon demanded childishly before she noticed Uryu pulling another Seele Schneider out from his belt.

"Instead of answering your questions, let me ask you one of my own." Uryu spun the Seele Schneider around his index finger before abruptly grabbing it midair with the tip of the blade pointing downward, "What does Satsuki Kiryuin hope to gain from attacking Karakura Town? It doesn't take a genius to realize a brazen assault such as this one would most likely not succeed. Is attacking Karakura Town part of her plan to assimilate all of Japan's schools or is there another, more insidious, motive to her actions?"

"You must think I'm dumb enough to tell you Lady Satsuki's dreams!" Nonon shouted as she allowed the energy in her woofers to reach a peak in preparation for her Prestissimo. Years of being Satsuki's best friend gave Nonon the experience needed to know when someone was fishing for information. Even if Uryu was likely to be vaporized by her attack, if he somehow survived and escaped with the true purpose of Satsuki's ambitions, than Nonon didn't know what she would do.

"Not at all," Uryu shrugged as he stabbed the Seele Schneider into the middle of the road and reached into the breast pocket of his school uniform. Pulling out a small silver cylinder with the Quincy symbol emblazoned on the side, Uryu tossed it into the air once before catching it in his hand, "As Satsuki Kiryuin's oldest friend, and yes she told me that herself, you most likely are the one most intimate with her mannerisms. It would make sense that you would be intelligent enough to not give away any information about her plans, whether willing or otherwise. But that was not the purpose of my asking."

Nonon's eyes watched the silver tube in Uryu's hand with apprehension, "Then why did you ask?"

"I needed you to stay within the boundary of the Quincy Zeichen," Uryu smirked as he flicked the lid off the Ginto, careful to not spill the liquid spiritual energy inside.

"Quincy what now?"

Nonon may not have had a clue what Quincy Zeichen meant but only an idiot wouldn't realize it wasn't anything good. Deciding that attacking before Uryu finished whatever it was planning was a prudent move, Nonon doubled the distance between her and Uryu while charging her thrusters to unleash her Prestissimo Assault. Since Prestissimo was the most powerful attack her Symphony Regalia Mark III possessed it would take some time and Nonon was confident that Uryu couldn't hit her with anything powerful enough to hurt her. All his other attacks hadn't even caused her to flinch in pain so whatever he was planning to do would probably be the said. Still, Nonon wasn't going to just sit back and assume the best. Even if his Quincy Zeichen or whatever didn't hurt her, it was better to err on the side of caution.

"I'm afraid that your attack will not be fast enough," Uryu stated evenly as he tilted the Ginto over and allowed the liquid held within it to fall onto the hilt of the Seele Schneider impaled in the ground at his feet. As the spiritual sword began glowing with an ominous blue light, Uryu took a single step back as the light traveled down the length of the blade before shooting off in two directions at an obtuse angle before disappearing up the sides of two buildings lining either side of the street.

Becoming aware of strange static in the air, Nonon was about to demand what Uryu did when she saw the look of utmost confidence on his face and faltered. She had seen a look like that only on Satsuki's face when she was completely certain she had won. To see that same look on Uryu unintentionally filled Nonon with the fear that whatever Uryu was trying to accomplish would actually work. With only fifteen seconds left until her woofers could unleash Prestissimo on Uryu, Nonon grit her teeth and asked, "What did you just do?"

"Throughout our battle I noticed that my powers were having very little effect on your Symphony Regalia," Uryu watched as the lines making up the boundary of the Quincy Zeichen began intensifying and realized it would only be a few more seconds, "At first I thought you might be immune but I soon threw that notion out. The thing I realized is that the Life Fibers in your Goku Uniform afford you immense resistance to Quincy powers. Once I knew that, it was simply a matter of setting up an attack powerful enough that even if you could negate most of the damage it would still cause you a lot of pain."

"W-What's going on?" Nonon saw the ground around her trembling violently as the lines making up the outer boundary of the Quincy Zeichen extended upwards into the morning sky before a single line trailed along the ground beneath her.

"Gezielt Sprenger," Uryu calmly stated as he felt the power in Nonon's Symphony Regalia reach a crescendo. Without even blinking in surprise, he watched as the sextuple blasts shot forth from her woofers with enough force to shatter the glass along the street before screaming towards him. Right before the blasts were able to consume him, they violently and chaotically struggled against the Sprenger boundary, which distorted and bent out of shape before dissipating the blasts into nothingness.

"_That was close. If it was only a little more powerful she would have torn through the Quincy Zeichen and escaped."_

"Gezielt Sprenger can be thought of as the evolved form of Sprenger. Instead of encompassing everything inside the boundary in a massive explosion, Gezielt Sprenger focuses that intense power onto a single target marked with the Gezielt seal while leaving everything else intact and unharmed. I must thank you for hitting me. In that brief moment of physical contact I was able to mark your body with the seal required to finish the technique."

Nonon was floored at the ease in which she was outmaneuvered in the battle by Uryu. She couldn't fathom how every single clash in her fight against Uryu was nothing but an act. It was impossible for Uryu to have planned this out from the beginning. Gnashing her teeth together and unleashing everything her Symphony Regalia had, she slammed the full force of her Goku Uniform against the Quincy Zeichen barrier. She could feel the power within the technique getting stronger by the second and there was no way in hell that she was just going to sit back and let it hit her.

"Good bye, Nonon Jakuzure," Uryu turned his back to Nonon as the five ley lines of spiritual energy met in the center of the formation. He knew that with her immense resistance to his powers, Gezielt Sprenger would not kill Nonon. It would, however, hurt very badly. That much he was confident about. As the sky behind him erupted in a pillar of blue spiritual energy and the sound of Nonon screaming filled the air, Uryu adjusted his glasses and scoffed, "I would say this has been a pleasant encounter but you destroyed my carefully selected sewing supplies. That is an unforgivable offense. You can be sure Satsuki Kiryuin will receive the bill."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>The scene outside the eastern entrance to Karakura Town could be defined by a single phrase – complete disaster.<p>

While the opposition encountered by Uzu Sanageyama was fairly even to the Athletic Brigade in terms of overall power based on skills and numbers while the Non-Athletic Brigade was fighting a full division of Nudist Beach operatives trained to counter Goku Uniforms and those who wore them, the hundreds of unconscious members of the Disciplinary Brigade littering the highway were all the result of attempting to rush a single opponent and utterly failing to land a single hit on him.

Yasutora Sado, more commonly known as Chad to Ichigo and his friends, stumbled back as Ira Gamagori's bare fist slammed into his cheek. With spittle and blood flying free from his mouth as his head slowly whipped backwards, Chad managed to quickly recover before he lost his balance. Planting his left foot against the ground to arrest his momentum, Chad clenched his left hand into a fist and retaliated to Gamagori's attack with a powerful uppercut to the solar plexus that had the Disciplinary Brigade Leader temporarily gasping for breath.

"You are a most worthy opponent, Yasutora Sado!" Gamagori gave Chad a respective nod as he pushed through the pain radiating out from his abdomen, "It is unfortunate that we must meet on opposite sides of the battlefield since you lost the moment you dared to stand in the way of Lady Satsuki's victory!"

Rushing forward at full speed with his fist cocked back, Gamagori tried to connect with another haymaker only for Chad to grab his hand out of midair. Grimacing as the muscles in his arm quivered from the effort of holding Gamagori's monstrous strength back, Chad thought quickly and attempted to use his free arm to deliver a jab to his opponent's exposed neck. When Chad saw Gamagori block the punch without much difficulty he mentally cursed and said, "…you are stronger than I thought."

"The same can be said of you, Yasutora Sado! Your strength reminds me of the strength Lady Satsuki wielded when she defeated me five years ago!" Gamagori boasted before rearing his head back and slamming it into Chad's forehead. As a trail of blood cascaded down his stunned opponent's face, Gamagori grabbed Chad by the front of his shirt and spun around before throwing him down the road, "Give up! You cannot possibly win against me!"

"Like I said before…" Chad waited until he finished skidding along the ground before pushing himself back onto his feet, "…you're not going to take a single step into Karakura Town. If I fall here…I don't think I'd be able to look Ichigo in the face when I see him again."

As he slipped into a boxing stance once more while Gamagori quirked an eyebrow at his opponent's defiance, Chad was actually quite pleased with how things were turning out. He still despised fighting for anything other than protecting those you care about but it was the notion of fighting someone as equally strong as him without relying on spiritual energy or powers that caused the blood in his veins to flow. Until only a day ago the only human that Chad could remember being stronger than him was his abuelo, then he met Alex Louis Armstrong and suddenly Chad found things weren't making much sense anymore. Armstrong was entirely built of muscles and the handshake he gave Chad was stronger than his own.

"_He seemed like a really nice guy,"_ Chad leaned his head to the side as Gamagori's fist passed through the space it had just been occupied. Countering with a cross that Gamagori ducked beneath, Chad leapt back to avoid Gamagori's knee from slamming into his chin, _"…but the way he always stripped off his coat and flexed his muscles was very disturbing."_

Wiping a trail of blood leaking from his mouth onto the sleeve of his yellow tracksuit, Gamagori gave Chad a pleased grin, "In my entire life I never imagined I would meet a worthy adversary other than Lady Satsuki. Unfortunately it appears that our fight will have to end."

Conscious of a slight whine in the air growing louder by the second, Chad asked, "What are –"

His question was cut off as a large wooden armoire landed in the middle of the highway directly on top of Gamagori's body. Looking up into the morning sky, Chad watched as an unmanned drone piloted by the Intelligence Unit flew around his location several times before heading somewhere to the south. As he stared at the vanishing drone into the distance, Chad became aware of a static charge filling the air. Turning his gaze back to the armoire, Chad took a tense step back as purple and green bolts of electricity began circulating around the fixture.

Chad was forced to cover his eyes as the wooden armoire exploded outwards and littered the roads with splinters of wood and paint. Lowering his arms when it was finally safe to see again, his eyes widened behind his messy hair as he beheld the uniform Gamagori was clad in. Instead of the form-fitting yellow tracksuit identical to the rest of the Disciplinary Brigade, Gamagori now towered over him wearing a suit of full-body armor with the appearance and theme of an Egyptian mummy. The armor had a grey and white coloration with white pauldrons and gauntlets covered with menacing orange spikes. Stepping back as a spark of energy in the shape of a chain whipped across the ground surrounding Gamagori, Chad raised his arms and asked, "That is an interesting Halloween costume."

"You think my Shackle Regalia is a mere costume?" Gamagori growled as he loomed over Chad. As he took a step forward, causing the pavement beneath him to buckle and crack, Gamagori clenched his right fist as chain-like cords of electricity surrounded it, "This Three-Star Goku Uniform was personally granted to me by Lady Satsuki herself! It is my duty as Disciplinary Committee Chair to not only enforce the sacred and ironclad rules of Honnouji Academy but also punish transgressors! Feel the pain of my tough love, Yasutora Sado, and tell me if you still think this is a mere costume!"

Chad looked away at the ground as he processed what Gamagori said before asking, "So…you're saying your Shackle Regalia grants you superhuman abilities far beyond that of a normal human?"

"You are quite observant, Yasutora Sado," Gamagori helmeted head gave Chad a nod of appreciation before he took a second step forward. Looming over his smaller adversary, arcs of electricity sparking between the orange spikes on his Shackle Regalia, Gamagori's voice came across as a lot less intimidating than his appearance, "Since you are indeed a worthy and honorable adversary, I shall grant you a chance to surrender. Now that I am wearing my new and improved Shackle Regalia, your chances of victory have fallen to zero."

The tall Mexican teen looked up at Gamagori's hidden visage without a hint of fear in his expression, "…why would I surrender to you?"

Gamagori was so taken aback by the obviously ridiculous question that he literally could not form words for a few seconds, "Why would you not surrender? Surely you can see that your strength, as great and well-used as it may be, is no match for the power of my Shackle Regalia. I could kill you with but a single attack and that is something I would prefer not to do! Now step aside, Yasutora Sado! Do not make me angry! You will not like me when I'm angry!"

"…I didn't want to have to use this. I would have preferred to settle this with my own two hands but since your Shackle Regalia grants you superhuman abilities I feel I no longer have any choice," Chad looked to the side as he rubbed his right wrist. Grimacing before spitting out a glob of bloody saliva, Chad stared into the distance as he held his right arm out and said, "Brazo Derecho de Gigante."

From Chad's knuckles a silvery liquid similar to mercury began flowing up his arm towards his shoulder. Gamagori watched behind the masked visor of his Shackle Regalia as the liquid metal morphed and shaped itself to conform around Chad's arm before nearly instantly solidifying into form-fitted black and magenta patterned armor with an extension that trailed up over his shoulder for nearly a foot.

"What…is that mysterious armor, Yasutora Sado?" Gamagori did not know what was going on but the sensors Iori and Inumuta built into his new Goku Uniform hadn't sensed any Life Fibers from the mysterious substance covering Chad's right arm.

"…it's called Brazo Derecho de Gigante," Chad replied as he flexed his right hand. Feeling the surge of spiritual energy flowing through his body upon the activation of his powers, Chad had nearly forgotten what that feeling was like. Ever since the war against Aizen and his arrancar drew to a close with the loss of Ichigo's shinigami powers, Chad hadn't felt the need or the desire to use his powers. While he did have to deal with the occasional hollow attack over the intervening months, the hollows were of such low power that his base strength was more than enough to vanquish them.

"A Spanish themed technique…" Gamagori did not know much Spanish but since his father was an American soldier he had picked up more than a few words over his lifetime, "That means Right Arm of the Giant, am I not correct?"

"…Yes, you're absolutely right," Chad nodded as he allowed his spiritual energy to flow through his armor. As the shoulder extension split open into three segments and began glowing with a bright blue light, he slid into a fighting stance and said, "As much as it bothers me that I have to fight someone like you, I will not hold back. The power coursing through my right arm will be more than enough to stop Satsuki Kiryuin's plans."

"_Yet another human with powers that aren't derived from Life Fibers,"_ Gamagori frowned behind his visor as the energy being emitted by Chad's Brazo Derecho de Gigante doubled in intensity and caused the dust and dirt surrounding him to ripple away into the air. He had heard the report about Orihime Inoue's powers from Lady Satsuki, who bore witness to the mysterious girl's ability to warp time and space, and it didn't take a leap of faith to assume Yasutora Sado's newly revealed powers might be similar in nature, _"If Yasutora Sado's abilities are as reality defying as Orihime Inoue's, than it would be prudent that I make the first move. I cannot allow him to continue gathering energy for whatever ability he plans to use."_

Raising his arms into the air, crackles of purple and green electricity emerging from between the bandage-like armor covering his body, Gamagori grabbed one of the chains of electricity and whipped it through the air, "You continue to surprise me, Yasutora Sado! It is clear to my eyes that your Brazo Derecho de Gigante is designed for defense instead of offense, but you are neglecting one crucial concept. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense!"

Chad tensed his body and took a step back as dozens of chain-like whips of electricity arced out from Gamagori's Shackle Regalia before hovering in the air similar to that of live cables. Sensing the power welling up in his opponent's body, Chad ignored the bead of sweat dripping down his cheek and increased the spiritual energy pulsing through his Brazo Derecho de Gigante. Feeling his hair beginning to stand on end from all the electricity charging the atmosphere, Chad slid his foot back and clenched his right fist, "…your Shackle Regalia is quite impressive but tell me something, Ira Gamagori. Do you think what Satsuki Kiryuin is doing is right?"

Gamagori's massive armored fists clenched tightly in anger at Chad's audacity, "Lady Satsuki's cause is righteous in every meaning of the word! There is nothing I would not do to see her dreams and ambitions fulfilled. If that means the complete and utter subjugation of Karakura Town then so be it! Your interference in Lady Satsuki's operation ends here, Yasutora Sado! You've not only spurned my offer of leniency but had the nerve to question my motives! Prepare for your well-deserved punishment! Secret Technique: Electrical Flagellation!"

Pushing off the ground as the electrical whips and chains surrounding Gamagori suddenly and quickly shot towards him, Chad cocked his right arm back as the extension on his shoulder began blasting out blue spiritual energy. Ducking his head to the side as one whip came dangerously close to skewering his neck, Chad leapt into the air as dozens of whips attempted to converge on his location. Grimacing but saying nothing as several of the chains tore through his body, rivets of blood already staining his clothing, Chad pushed forward until he was nearly upon Gamagori. Descending through the air while the chains of electricity gathered together to stop him, Chad threw his arm forward and shouted, "El Directo!"

The spiritual technique, honed and improved by Chad's time in Hueco Mundo, faltered momentarily against the electric chains and whips surrounding Gamagori. Grimacing as he increased the force behind El Directo, Chad watched as his arm pushed forward, shattering the chains into thousands of sparks, before slamming against the golden stars crossing Gamagori's chest with the force of a small bomb and sending him flying backwards into the destroyed remains of the Disciplinary Brigade convoy.

Watching as the convoy burst in the flames, Chad waited a moment for his opponent to reappear before lowering his arm. Grunting as he felt the muscles in his shoulder protesting, Chad had to admit that Gamagori's defenses were stronger than he anticipated. It had taken the full power of his Brazo Derecho de Gigante's basic form to break through the Disciplinary Committee Chair's impressive armor. Turning around toward Karakura Town, Chad had barely taken his first steps when a massive pillar of spiritual energy soared into the sky to the north.

"That's Uryu's spiritual energy. He might be in trouble if he's using that technique."

As much as Chad wanted to help Uryu, he knew there would be nothing he could do. Uryu told them that Sprenger was a technique meant to be used as a last resort. Whoever he was fighting must be extremely tough. Deciding to put his trust in Uryu's abilities as a Quincy to deal with whoever his opponent was, Chad was about to start running to help Tatsuki to the west when a loud and boisterous voice stopped him cold.

"That was quite the powerful attack, Yasutora Sado, but did you think that it was enough to deal with Lady Satsuki's invincible shield?"

Stalking out of the flaming wreckage of the Disciplinary Brigade, careful to avoid stepping on the unconscious and groaning students lying about, Gamagori seemed to be little worse for wear. While his Shackle Regalia was cracked and dented in places and the visor covering his face had been shattered, forcing him to tear it off in order to see, Gamagori appeared to be relatively uninjured.

Walking up to a surprised Chad, Gamagori surprisingly bowed to him, "From your expression I can tell that the technique you just used was your strongest one! Let me take the opportunity to apologize for my earlier comments, Yasutora Sado. In my hubris I did not believe someone could match a Three-Star Goku Uniform in terms of power without the use of Life Fibers. The damage you have inflicted to my Shackle Regalia has proven me wrong but I will not drag this fight on any longer! Prepare for your new punishment! Secret Technique: Shackling Punch!"

Shackling Punch was one of the new techniques Gamagori had thought of when Iori had asked if they wanted anything special about their new Goku Uniforms. After much internal debating and several trashcans full of crumpled up ideas, Gamagori had managed to come up with the brilliant idea that was Shackling Punch. The premise behind the attack was quite simple. By wrapping his fist in the electrical chains constantly created by his Shackle Regalia Gamagori could transfer them to his opponent, binding their movements while the six million volts shocked them into unconsciousness. Gamagori would rather not have used such a painful technique on Yasutora Sado but the subjugation of Karakura Town was the priority and any feelings he had would be painfully and violently suppressed.

"Feel the full force of Honnouji Academy's ironclad rules and suffer! You're meaningless rebellion against Lady Satsuki ends here, Yasutora Sado!"

There was a resounding explosion as Gamagori's fist connected with Chad's right arm before a massive outpouring of electricity lit up the surrounding area. Forced to squint due to the intensity of the lightning carving through the sky around him, Gamagori knew something was wrong. Shackling Punch was not meant to be this destructive. Something like this could only be caused by his attack hitting against something strong enough to withstand it but before Gamagori could even begin wondering what sort of defenses Chad possessed he nearly doubled over as black and magenta fist pierced right the armor over his stomach.

"Gah!"

Gamagori gagged as Chad's fist slammed into his body. As drops of sweat flew off his body and his eyes widened in shock, Gamagori gasped as Chad easily removed his arm and took a single step back. Staggering on his feet while using all of his willpower to remain standing, Gamagori kept himself conscious by remembering the last time he had felt such focused pain and agony. Gritting his teeth as he forced his body back up, Gamagori looked down at the hole in his Shackle Regalia with shaking eyes and saw the steel armor his uncle created for him was dented and cracked.

Taking one step forward and then another, every step causing his conviction and determination to increase tenfold, Gamagori approached the smoke and dust from his Shackle Punch that was enveloping Chad and shouted, "I did not kneel to Lady Satsuki five years ago and I shall not kneel in defeat to you, Yasutora Sado. My strength comes from upholding and enforcing the ironclad rules of Honnouji Academy. Hit me with all the strength you can muster but it shall not be enough to defeat me!"

"How unfortunate…" Chad slowly walked out of the smoke and dust with a passive expression on his face, "…you're tenacity is admirable but my strength is greater than yours. It would be best if you simply surrendered so this fight could be over."

"What…did you armor change, Yasutora Sado?"

Gamagori could not understand it but somehow the armor covering Chad's right arm had shifted forms after his Shackling Punch since he could still remember the original form of the armor attempting to blow his attack. The wing-like protrusion that used to be on Chad's right shoulder was gone and in its place was a large shield that extended from the back of Chad's hand all the way up past his elbow. While the strength in Chad's new armor was enough to worry the Disciplinary Committee Chair and make him wish another member of the Elite Four was around to back him up, it was the white and red armor now covering Chad's left arm that caused Gamagori to swallow nervously.

"How did the armor on your right arm change, Yasutora Sado?" Gamagori steadied his nerves as he pulled out the full power dwelling within his Shackle Regalia. As the bursts of electricity around his body tripled and then quadrupled in power, Gamagori's size appeared to increase as he shouted, "And you had yet another power-up in reserve…such secretive behavior is most dishonorable for an opponent of your stature!"

Chad looked at his hands, one black and the other white, before clenching them both tightly. It had been so long since he was last forced to call upon the full weight of the power dwelling within his soul that Chad nearly forgot just how much power it actually was, "…I dislike using my full power. I wanted to stop you with only my Brazo Derecho de Gigante but it seems I was wrong."

"Do you see this?" Chad held up his completely transformed right arm for Gamagori to see. With the early morning light reflecting off the shield on his arm, Chad gazed directly at Gamagori and continued, "The soul of my abuelo flows through my right arm. He taught me that true strength should be used to protect those that can't defend themselves. Therefore the true power of my right arm is not offensive…but defensive!"

"_Those words…"_

A memory flashed across Gamagori's mind of his father, a man of similar stature, looming over him while speaking similar words to what Chad just said. While his father was a career soldier from the United States and his mother a nurse, Gamagori's earliest memories were completely happy and carefree. That was why he hated his father for not only divorcing his mother out of the blue but not even giving a good excuse for doing so. However despite his intense loathing of the man Gamagori could not deny that his motivation and desire to defend the weak and innocent from those that would flaunt their power without care began in those earliest lessons.

As purple bolts of electricity arced between the orange spikes of his Shackle Regalia, Gamagori took a moment collect his thoughts before speaking, "Those are bold and inspiring words. From your wording, am I to assume that your left arm contains your offensive power?"

"Brazo Izquierdo del Diablo," Chad said with a curt nod.

It made sense to Gamagori that Chad's left arm would have a similar name to his right arm. Letting out a groan as the power of his Shackle Regalia reached its utmost maximum, Gamagori smirked before speaking, "I can see in your eyes that you have the utmost confidence in winning, Yasutora Sado. The power you possess is truly surprising and if I were not standing in front of you I would not believe it. I may be Lady Satsuki's invincible shield but can the same not be said about you for Ichigo Kurosaki? Let us end this fight as equals! Come at me with all the power you can muster, Yasutora Sado, and let us determine whose philosophy is correct! Secret Technique: Infinite Chastisement!"

Upon Gamagori's declaration of his final technique, the electricity surrounding his body swirled upwards into his waiting hands. In a massive burst of purple and green light that caused Chad's eyes to momentarily squint, Gamagori's hands clasped tightly around the massive chakram made of electricity. Spinning it deftly around the fingers of his right hand before holding it out to the side, Gamagori stomped on the ground and shouted, "Let us end this, Yasutora Sado! Karakura Town shall be conquered by Lady Satsuki!"

Chad's entire body tensed up at the power coursing through the chakram in Gamagori's hands. He could tell just from the massive amount of electricity and power making up the chakram that Gamagori was stronger than the Privaron Espada he found in Hueco Mundo. He didn't know exactly how much stronger Gamagori was than Gantenbainne Mosqueda but he was not going to risk falling because he held back.

"_Abuelo, please forgive me for what I am about to do."_

Gathering as much spiritual energy onto the tips of his left fingers as he could, Chad waited until he could push no more into his left arm before he clenched his fingers tightly into a fist. He instinctively knew that this next attack would be the last attack either of them made so as he sprinted forward to meet Gamagori, Chad cocked his arm back as he shouted, "La Muerte!"

For a single instant nothing happened as Chad's La Muerte connected with Gamagori's Infinite Chastisement before an eruption of energy blasted outwards in a massive explosion that blinded anyone unfortunate enough to be watching. That is, of course, except for the single person watching from the roof of a building close enough that they could see the final clash between Chad and Gamagori but still far enough away that their eyes weren't too bothered by the intense light. Watching the light die down with a stoic expression on their face, the observer turned around before disappearing into the shadows without saying a single word.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Satsuki Kiryuin slammed the heel of her foot several times against the emergency hatch of the helicopter before with one final strike the dented and deformed door was torn off its hinges before hitting the ground with a soft echo. Gracefully jumping out of the destroyed helicopter with barely a sound escaping her lips, Satsuki brushed dust and dirt off of Junketsu, mindful of the soft rippling coursing through her Kamui. She was fortunate to know that despite Junketsu's recently increased animosity, the Kamui possessed the necessary self-preservation instincts to willingly grant her its power a split second before crashing into the ground.<p>

Looking around Karakura Community Park, completely empty and devoid of life apart from several species of birds chirping in the nearby trees, Satsuki closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She was quite impressed by the amount of citizens that were able to escape before her forces arrived. It took skill and coordination to evacuate a city of more than one hundred thousand people in only a few hours. Placing a hand on the hilt of her sheathed Bakuzan, Satsuki cocked her head to the side as the smoke rising from the helicopter behind her shifted, "Are you injured, Iori?"

Iori Shiro coughed harshly as he emerged from the smoke-filled helicopter, "I am fine apart from a few cuts and bruises, Lady Satsuki. It was lucky we were so close to the ground before that anti-aircraft missile hit us. Any higher and our injuries would have been much worse."

Satsuki twisted around as Soroi, helped by his nephew, climbed out of wreckage. Noticing the concerned expression on her face, Soroi gave Satsuki a reassuring smile, "I'm quite alright, Milady. Despite how bad I may look, it's nothing more than a few bruises ribs and a sprained ankle. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

"I'll stay here and watch over my uncle," Iori helped Soroi sit down with his back to a tree before turning his attention once again to Satsuki, "I saw several of Inumuta's drones flying around a few minutes ago. He must have been able to deliver the Elite Four's new Goku Uniforms on time."

The delivery of the newly weaved and upgraded Three-Star Goku Uniforms was a key part of Satsuki's plan to subjugate and conquer Karakura Town. While her analytical mind had urged her to hold back and wait until the uniforms were finished before commencing with the operation, Satsuki knew from experience that waiting would be worse than starting the School Raid Trip ill-prepared. If her interactions with Ichigo Kurosaki and the subsequent reveal of Orihime Inoue's reality-defying powers taught her anything, it was that Karakura Town should not be underestimated. Her forces were to hit hard and fast while the War Potentials were dealt with by the Elite Four.

Nodding in affirmation at Iori's words, Satsuki snapped her head towards Elena as a frown crossed her face. The destruction of her transportation was not part of the operation and while it luckily had not caused any fatalities, the injuries Soroi and Iori sustained were unforgivable, "Contact Honnouji Academy and have them send another helicopter with several members of the Medical Club on board."

Elena flipped the small bang from over her right eye before snapping a salute, "Understood, Lady Satsuki, but it might take a while. Most of the equipment was damaged in the crash. I can fix the radio easily but I don't know how long it will take."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed, "How long?"

"Thirty minutes to an hour," Elena shrugged before she started climbing up to the cockpit. Pulling the door off with ease, she gave Satsuki a second salute before adding, "I had to do something like this during my time in the army. It's more tedious than hard. I'll contact you as soon as I get it working."

Giving a curt nod to the pilot before she disappeared into the helicopter, Satsuki didn't bother turning around as something soft hit the ground behind her, "I see that you managed to escape the crash uninjured as well."

Spread eagle on the grass with an annoyed frown on her face, Riruka Dokugamine blew a strand of magenta hair off her face and grumbled incoherently before flipping back onto her feet. Adjusting her rabbit-like hat back into place, she strutted forward and huffed, "It's a good thing my Duveteux Raiment managed to soften the landing. That could have really hurt."

"Am I to take it that the screaming I heard before the crash was simply the method of activating your raiment?" Satsuki ignored the flustered and embarrassed look on Riruka's face as she began walking away."

Hurrying up to Satsuki, a look of frustration evident on her face, Riruka folded her hands against the nape of her neck and looked around. Karakura Town was actually pretty nice for a city but it was a shame Lady Ragyo had forbidden Xcution from entering the city. Riruka had never actually seen Isshin Shiba in person but he was powerful enough to keep Lady Ragyo at bay and that meant she couldn't let her guard down. As the two teenage girls walked past an empty playground, the swings moving in the gentle morning breeze, Riruka decided to break the silence, "Karakura Town is not that bad. I could definitely see myself living in a place like that but it's too bad we're going to have to destroy it."

Satsuki's stride did not falter as her brow creased in suspicion, "What do you mean, Dokugamine?"

Riruka blinked owlishly at the supposedly stupid question coming from Satsuki and scoffed, "What do you think I mean? I heard the same reports as you did! It's obvious that there are Nudist's here and they're putting up enough of a fight that your precious Elite Four is struggling to even get into Karakura Town. If you really want to kick their asses, you need to stop holding back and completely destroy the city and defeat every single man, woman and child."

In a flash of light accompanied by a slight burst of wind Satsuki drew Bakuzan from its scabbard and placed the razor-sharp edge against Riruka's neck. Staring into the slightly fearful member of Xcution's eyes, Satsuki leaned forward and growled, "You are here simply because my mother ordered you to guard my back. If you try to question my wisdom and intelligence one more time, or even dare to think you know more than me, you will see just how much of a difference exists between our respective strengths. Am I clear, Riruka Dokugamine?"

"Y-Yes," Riruka let out a breath in relief as Satsuki removed Bakuzan from her neck and sheathed the Life Fiber blade once more. Gritting her teeth as she angrily watched Satsuki begin to walk away from her, Riruka placated her anger with the knowledge that Satsuki needed to remain alive for Lady Ragyo's plans to succeed. Satsuki's eventual fate would be orders of magnitude worse than anything she could do. As a menacing smirk stretched across her face, Riruka was about to catch up to Satsuki when a massive pillar of light stretched up into the sky to the north.

"What the fuck is that?" Riruka demanded as everything briefly glowed with an intense white-blue light.

As the pillar faded away, allowing the early morning sun to once again bathe the city in shades of orange and yellow, Satsuki stared north into the epicenter of the blast with a worried look on her face, _"Jakuzure…"_

Satsuki was intimately familiar with each and every attack, technique and ability used by her Goku Uniforms. If someone were to miraculously abscond with one of them or tried to use them against her, Satsuki needed to know each uniform's strengths and weaknesses. What she saw, however, was not something any of her Goku Uniforms possessed. From the location and the last correspondence with the Intelligence Unit, the perpetrator of such a massive technique could be none other than Uryu Ishida.

"_Such a technique without Life Fibers is truly stunning,"_ Satsuki's mind ran at full capacity as she broke down and analyzed the structure and power of Uryu's Gezielt Sprenger. While the technique was massive in comparison to the attacks Junketsu was capable of, Satsuki could easily tell the overall power was not nearly as great. Closing her eyes and expanding her senses, Satsuki concluded that despite its appearance, Uryu's Gezielt Sprenger was no stronger than Sanageyama's Hissatsu: Isshin Zensanken. While that was a comforting thought, the fact Uryu was able to use a technique with a level of power comparable to a Three-Star Goku Uniform both worried and excited her.

"_The possibility of adversaries able to use such abilities without Life Fibers never occurred to me,"_ Satsuki twisted around as a second, and almost as strong, blast occurred from the east. Realizing that Gamagori must have run into someone with similar abilities to Uryu, Satsuki chuckled, _"It is a shame that their recruitment had to be by force. If I could have recruited such powerful allies without my mother's ever-watching eye hovering over my soul my plans would have had a nearly one hundred percent chance of success."_

Perking up as a familiar presence made itself known to her, Satsuki looked off to the side as her hand drifted towards Bakuzan, "Have you come to stop me…Ryuko Matoi?"

Already clad in Senketsu's revealing, but no less powerful, armor, Ryuko walked towards Satsuki. With her heels sinking into the wet grass, Ryuko rested the red Scissor Blade on her shoulder as she looked at Satsuki and Riruka, "I'm not going to let your ambitions destroy Ichigo's hometown, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

"Ryuko Matoi?" Riruka glanced back and forth between the two Kamui wearers with a confused expression in her magenta eyes. It took her a moment to realize why that name seemed so familiar to her and when it hit her, Riruka was shocked. Ryuko Matoi was the daughter of the late Isshin Matoi, who Lady Ragyo sent the Grand Couturier to kill seven months ago for both his crimes against Revocs as well as his attempt to break the ultimate taboo and make a Kamui. Squinting due to her myopia screwing with her vision, Riruka raised a hand to her forehead and muttered, "Wait a second, I know that name. Isn't she the girl –"

Raising a hand in front of Riruka and silently ordering her to be quiet, Satsuki stared intently at Ryuko's expression. Gone was the look of fear and self-loathing that had been apparent in Ryuko's eyes in the aftermath of her rampage across Honnouji Academy due to Nui Harime's attempt to kill Mako Mankanshoku. Satsuki had seen such sights before and thus had been able to deal effectively with Ryuko's berserk state with a calm and collectiveness that only she could have. She remembered her mother's failed attempts to create perfect Kamui over the years, each of which caused the woman to lash out at her failures more and more violently. Ryuko's inability to control her rage and anger at Nui Harime and allowing her Kamui to devour her mind and body was simply a more powerful version of what happened to her mother's misguided volunteers.

The fact Ryuko could not push the disturbing memories to the back of her mind only made Satsuki pity her all the more.

"It is quite the surprise to see you here in Karakura Town, Ryuko Matoi," Satsuki slowly and deliberately drew Bakuzan from its scabbard as she took several slow steps towards Ryuko. Running a finger over her blade, Satsuki stared into the distance where Jakuzure was undoubtedly still fighting Uryu Ishida when something strange about Ryuko's interference caused her mind to think deeply about what was missing. When it hit her, the slight narrowing of her eyes was the only indication of her worry. Turning her head just enough that she could stare into Ryuko's eyes Satsuki asked, "Where is Ichigo, Matoi?"

Ryuko didn't like the look in Satsuki's eyes and immediately it made her want to show the youngest Kiryuin what her exact opinion on the matter was. There was no reason Satsuki should be worried about Ichigo, especially since everything she promised him was a lie. Hefting her Scissor Blade off her shoulder and pointing it at Satsuki's face, she scoffed and said, "I don't see the need to tell you anything, Satsuki Kiryuin!"

The expression on Ryuko's face told Satsuki all she needed to know – Ichigo Kurosaki had never arrived at Karakura Town. The last time she had seen him was around two in the morning when he tried to sneak into Honnouji Academy and steal one of her School Raid Trip vehicles. There was no reason she should have gotten here before him, especially with the nearly three hour gap between their respective departures. Something must have happened to Ichigo and the list of who could have stalled someone with a Kamui as powerful as Mugetsu was very, very short.

"Ichigo's absence makes any resistance on your part futile, Matoi! Without the power of his Kamui to save your skin a second time, there is no chance of you winning this battle!" Satsuki shouted authoritatively as she stabbed Bakuzan into the wet grass before sweeping her arm to the side. Motioning to the pillars of smoke and fire rising in the distance, Satsuki adopted an expression of tranquil fury as she shouted, "Look around at what the fruits of your disobedience have wrought! Everything you see is because of your refusal to bow down to Honnouji Academy's rule. Every life that is lost today, innocent and guilty, falls squarely on your shoulders! What do you have to say for yourself, Ryuko Matoi?"

"What do I have to say?" Ryuko bit her lip as she mentally kept a firm grip on her rising anger. There was no way in hell she was going to let Satsuki kill innocent people. Tightly clenching the handle of her red Scissor Blade, Ryuko narrowed her eyes and shouted back, "I think you're fucking insane! Subjugating schools and academies under the threat of complete annihilation is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard of!"

"I do not expect you to grasp the intricacies of my ambitions," Satsuki growled in return as she gently pulled Bakuzan out of the ground. Flicking the blade once through the air to remove the dirt and soil from it, Satsuki marveled at her blade before gripping it with both hands, "Someone like you whose ambitions and dreams are shallow enough to be swept away in the tide has no right to give their opinion!"

Ryuko scoffed at Satsuki's argument, "My strength is enough to make my dreams come true! Senketsu's strength as well! We will work together to stop you before you destroy Karakura Town or anywhere else! I'm sick and tired of listening to you talk about how you're so much better than the rest of us! You know what? You're not! You're just a psychopath nearly as bad as Nui Harime. No, you're worse than her! At least she doesn't hide who she truly is! I bet your mom is so proud of you right –"

"How dare you!"

Rushing across the ground with Bakuzan aimed at Ryuko's throat and a look of rage on her face, Satsuki wordlessly flipped the three blue bands on her left arm. Clad in Junketsu's released form before she was even halfway to Ryuko, Satsuki swung down Bakuzan against Ryuko's red Scissor Blade with enough force that the ground crackled and caved downwards beneath Ryuko's heels.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ryuko pushed back against Satsuki's surprising strength and with Senketsu's assistance managed to recover her balance. Slamming her forehead against Satsuki's as a pulse of power rippled outwards from where their blades clashes Ryuko growled and shouted, "Everything that's happening here is your fault! The only reason you're trying to blame Ichigo and me for what's happening to Karakura Town is because you're trying to clear your own damn conscience!"

Rearing her left arm back, Ryuko clenched her hand into a fist and slammed it against Satsuki's cheek hard enough that the shockwave of power nearly caused Riruka, who was earnestly trying to watch the fight, to fly backwards. White and blue heels skidding along the ground as she grimaced in pain from Ryuko's punch, Satsuki swiftly recovered and rushed back towards Ryuko. Snapping her leg out with the intention of connecting with Ryuko's stomach, Satsuki was surprised when Ryuko not only dodged her attack but countered by swinging her Scissor Blade horizontally through the air.

"Are you surprised that you missed?" Ryuko gave Satsuki a cocky grin as they locked blades once more, "Senketsu may not be as fast as Mugetsu but he's fast enough to deal with Junketsu! Face it, Satsuki Kiryuin! There is no way that you can beat Ichigo or me, especially when you cannot even hear your own Kamui's voice!"

As Ryuko's superior strength slowly pushed back her struggling arms, Satsuki mentally noted that she had no choice but to use Junketsu's full power. She quite vividly remembered what Ichigo told her earlier in the morning about what putting his Life Fibers into Junketsu was actually doing. If Ichigo was correct, and Satsuki had no doubt he was, than what she had Iori do to Junketsu was one of the worst things she ever authorized. However despite that knowledge swirling violently in her head, Satsuki placated her conscience with the mantra that everything she did, every life she may have ruined or destroyed, was to help save the world from her mother's goals concerning Life Fibers.

If her actions led to a future where humanity survived, Satsuki was more than willing to accept the consequences of her actions.

Bringing her leg up and kicking off Ryuko's Scissor Blade, Satsuki flipped backwards through the air before landing softly on the ground. Staring intently at Ryuko, her eyes shadowed by her hair, Satsuki held Bakuzan vertically in front of her body, "You have grown stronger Matoi but your hubris will be your downfall! Witness the true power of Junketsu and despair!"

Much like when Ryuko or Ichigo first activated a new configuration, Satsuki's body was surrounded by an intense blue glow that began kicking up a small whirlwind. In a flash of light that caused Ryuko to squint and Riruka to turn her head completely away, Satsuki stepped forward and smirked confidently as she plainly stated Junketsu's new configuration, "Junketsu Zenkan!"

Unlike Senketsu or Mugetsu's battle configurations, which subtly shifted and morphed the Kamui into a more powerful state, Junketsu's transformation was much more drastic and altering. The white leggings that extended nearly to Satsuki's waist had vanished and were replaced with a pair of pleated hakama that wrapped around the top of her legs and ended right above her ankles, allowing the familiar white and blue high-heels to show through. Satsuki's arms, where Junketsu's armor had once been as form-fitting as Senketsu's apart from the protrusion extending over the back of her hands, had morphed into a slightly bulkier and intimidating force.

"Such power…" Satsuki stared at her newly armored hand with a look of barely suppressed joy. The power she could feel coursing through her body was greater than anything she could have imagined. She knew without a doubt that the power she currently possessed was far greater than what Ichigo used against her during their ill-fated match. Even Nui Harime would be forced to take her seriously when, not if, they fought. Flicking a strand of hair off larger and curved horns emerging from her temple, Satsuki gave Ryuko a bemused smirk, "You seem nervous, Matoi. This is the true power of Junketsu…"

Ryuko, despite the look of utter shock on her face, was not fearful of the power Satsuki possessed. Zenkan had certainly increased the already formidable power of Junketsu but Ryuko was confident Senkou was more than enough to counter it. No, what was causing her to break out into a cold sweat was the look in Junketsu's eyes. Every time Ryuko had seen Junketsu's released state, the Kamui had always seemed to be completely calm and collected. Now Junketsus's eyes were bloodshot, the irises shrunken down to pinpoints, as blue capillaries spread across its eyes.

"_**You sense it, don't you Ryuko?"**_

"Yeah," Ryuko nodded briefly, "What's going on with her Kamui?"

When Senketsu answered, Ryuko was surprised at the amount of anger in her normally calm Kamui's voice, _**"It is very faint and even I can barely sense it but it seems Satsuki Kiryuin has woven some of Ichigo's Life Fibers into Junketsu's body."**_

Watching as Satsuki effortlessly swung Bakuzan through the air, cutting through several trees nearly thirty meters away, Ryuko grit her teeth, "I take it that's a bad thing?"

"_**Yes, but not in the way you think. My memories are still fragmented but one thing I instinctively know is that a Kamui should never have the Life Fibers from a Life Fiber Hybrid implanted into it without its consent. Doing so will change not only a Kamui's memories but also its personality,"**_ Senketsu closed his one good eye for a moment as he listened to the sounds of pain coming from Junketsu. After hearing everything he needed to, Senketsu opened his eye and Ryuko was perplexed when he sounded relieved, _**"It seems we are in luck."**_

"How so?"

"_**Whoever inserted the Life Fibers did a shoddy job. Junketsu is rejecting his Life Fibers with every fiber of its being. The look you see in its eyes is Junketsu's internal struggle against the power of Ichigo's Life Fibers."**_

"Damn it…" Ryuko bit her lip in anger. While it was true Satsuki used Junketsu's powers to always stand in her way and generally make Ichigo and her lives a living hell, Ryuko could not find it in her heart to blame the Kamui. Much like Mugetsu and Senketsu, Junketsu probably could not do anything unless Satsuki was wearing it, "Senketsu…is there anything we can do to help Junketsu?"

"_**I'm afraid not,"**_ Senketsu's eye dropped in shame at his inability to help out a fellow Kamui from suffering a fate worse than death, _**"The only one that could help Junketsu is the one whose Life Fibers were used."**_

"And Ichigo's not here right now," Ryuko spit on the ground and clenched her Scissor Blade with both hands. Wordlessly transforming Senketsu into his Senkou configuration, Ryuko's face was lit up as the red energy circulating through her Scissor Blade reflected off, "Damn it. Where are you Ichigo?"

"This is no time to be losing your focus, Matoi!" Satsuki sprinted across the field towards Ryuko with Bakuzan arcing through the air, a crescent of light blue energy flowing behind it. As Ryuko quickly brought up her Scissor Blade to counter Satsuki's attack, she found her caution unneeded as a loud shrilling noise followed by an arc of dark purple energy exploded along the ground in front of her.

"Sorry to interrupt your little spar, Ryuko Matoi, but it looks like you could use my help."

Stepping out of the shadows of Karakura Community Park, his two-handed zweihander Ragnarok hefted onto his shoulder, Kugo Ginjo did not take his eyes off Satsuki Kiryuin. With Junketsu already in an advanced configuration it would not take much effort for her to strike him down before he could activate his Sauvegarde Raiment. When Satsuki did not appear to make any move towards him, Ginjo turned his attention to Ryuko and gave her a friendly smirk, "Don't worry about who I am. I have no intention of getting in the way of your fight against Satsuki. Isshin Shiba sent me as backup."

Twisting her body around and pointing Bakuzan at Ginjo, Satsuki frowned as a backdrop of light appeared behind her head, "Kugo Ginjo…traitor to Xcution and betrayer of my mother's trust. You have some nerve showing your face in front of me."

As Satsuki glared at Ginjo, she was enraged at the circumstances she was currently bound within. Standing in front of her was a man with possibly the most up to date information about Revocs forces, her mother's weaknesses and the abilities of Xcution's raiment, but as long as she was with Riruka Dokugamine Satsuki could not dare ask Ginjo anything without arousing suspicion about her motives. Riruka may act like a spoiled brat without any real cares in the world but Satsuki knew her mother would not have inducted Riruka into Xcution unless she was both resistant to Life Fibers and completely lacking morals.

"You don't say," Ginjo shrugged his shoulder uncaringly before asking, "Let's just say I'm not the kind of man that would willingly work for someone like Ragyo Kiryuin and leave it at that."

"Kugo Ginjo…" Ryuko searched her memory for why that name seemed so familiar before it hit her, "Wait a second, weren't you the guy that Ichigo's dad found half-dead on the side of the road?"

"Trying to fight the Grand Couturier tends to do that," Ginjo gave a humorless chuckle while ignoring the surprised look on Ryuko's face. That battle against Nui Harime was not something Ginjo wished to remember. The number of times she stabbed him in non-vital areas just to watch him bleed, all with a psychotic smile on her face, was going to give him nightmares for weeks if he was lucky, "Listen Ryuko, I need you to do me a favor. Take your fight against Satsuki Kiryuin as far away from here as possible."

Ryuko relaxed her body as she saw Satsuki lower her blade. While it looked like Satsuki didn't exactly trust Ginjo, that did not mean he was on her side, "How do I know you're telling the truth? Why the hell should I believe you?"

"Because I don't want you to get caught in Riruka's Duveteux Raiment," Ginjo stared intently at Riruka and took a step to the side, "I don't think even Satsuki knows what Riruka's outfit can do but trust me that unless you know exactly how to counter it even your Kamui will be at a disadvantage."

"You're a traitorous bastard, Ginjo! Why would you tell her all about my Duveteux Raiment?" Riruka spat heatedly at Ginjo before she began biting the end of her thumb. As much as she wished, and she really did wish, to simply activate her uniform and torture Ginjo to death, Riruka knew what he was wearing quite well. What was causing her no small amount of nervousness was that Ginjo's Cuirassé Raiment should have been torn to shreds by the Grand Couturier. Deciding to find out what the hell was going on, Riruka stamped her foot on the grass and pointed angrily at Ginjo, "Where the hell did you get that new uniform?"

"Are you talking about this old thing?" Ginjo looked down at his clothes in surprise, "I really shouldn't tell you anything but I suppose it is fair you know the name of the raiment that defeats you – Sauvegarde."

"I fucking hate that arrogant attitude you always have! I'm going to kill you nice and slowly!" Riruka bit her lip as fury welled up from deep inside her soul. Ginjo should have been begging for her forgiveness, not that Riruka would give it to him, but instead he was mocking her like she was a child!

"I'd like to see you try," Ginjo grabbed Ragnarok with both hands and held the large blade in front of his body, "Ryuko, you need to go now. I can easily deal with whatever Riruka can throw at me."

"Right," Ryuko nodded in appreciation at Ginjo before turning her attention to Satsuki. Briefly noticing the slightly more relaxed look in her eyes, Ryuko shouldered her Scissor Blade and turned around, "Let's take this somewhere else, Satsuki Kiryuin. I don't want you to have any more excuses for why I kicked your ass."

"The battlefield will not change the outcome of our fight, Matoi, but I will indulge your childish wish," Satsuki went to follow Ryuko but stopped before she could go too far. Turning around and giving Riruka a stern glare, she said, "I trust dealing with this man will not be a problem?"

"Heh," Riruka wiped someone from the edge of her mouth, "Lady Ragyo would not have sent me with you if she wasn't confident I could kill Ginjo. I'll catch up to you in no time."

Ginjo watched Satsuki follow Ryuko for a moment before tilting his head back towards Riruka. With a slightly bemused expression on his face, he began walking towards her, "I made many mistakes in my life but betraying Revocs and Ragyo Kiryuin is something I should have done sixteen years ago."

"Say whatever you want, Ginjo, because I'm going to fucking kill you. Nobody betrays Lady Ragyo and lives to tell about it! Xcution Uniform: Duveteux Raiment!"

Grimacing as a burst of rainbow light shot out from Riruka's body followed by five similarly colored four-pointed stars, Ginjo slid into a stance as he awaited Riruka's emergence, "Here it comes."

Taking a single step forward and pushing away the dust that encircled her body, Riruka's body was armored similarly to Jackie Tristan after the latter activated her Sanguinaire Raiment. Thick white armor covered the entirety of Riruka's arms and legs up to her shoulders and hips while faint pink light shone out from between gaps and separations in the armor's plates. Her short black dress had transformed and morphed into a knee-length armored battle skirt with the Xcution logo seared into the spot right above her heart. Staring at Ginjo from beneath her hat, whose rabbit-like ears now constantly stood upwards, Riruka held her right arm out and immediately the protrusions on her wrist glowed brightly before a full-body battle staff appeared in her hand.

Ginjo had to admit that from Riruka bringing out her secret weapon at the beginning of the fight that she really wanted to murder him. Chuckling mirthlessly as his own outfit began to glow with a similar rainbow light Ginjo gripped Ragnarok with both hands and said, "Boy, the price of freedom sure is steep. Isshin better be paying me overtime for all this."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>His head snapping to the side as Ichigo's fist connected with his cheek, the man stumbled backwards before recovering his balance. As the warm sensation of blood trailing down from his nose became apparent, the man tilted his head around back to Ichigo and gave him an apologetic look, "I admit that your strength is far greater than what I expected…Ichigo Kurosaki."<p>

Ichigo, slightly out of breath but otherwise uninjured, scowled at the man hunched over in front of him. He had been driving towards Karakura Town, taking one of the smaller highways to avoid being chased by Satsuki's forces, when his truck was hit by what he at first assumed was a bomb. It was only after he emerged unscathed from the wreckage already clad in Mugetsu and seriously pissed off that Ichigo realized the source of the explosion was the man standing with a bemused expression in the middle of the highway in front of him.

"I don't know who you are or why you tried to kill me," Ichigo growled as he glanced at the technique surrounding them. After confronting the man for trying to kill him, as well as demanding to know who he was, the man had raised the ornate sword in his hand and fired off several bursts of spiritual energy that quickly and effectively enveloped a large section of the highway surrounding them both. Deducing that it was a trap, Ichigo would have tried to break through the spiritual cage if the man hadn't instead tried to kill him, "But it's obvious you can't hurt me. Are you going to tell me why you attacked me or do I have to keep kicking your ass?"

Instead of answering the question the man stood up despite the many wounds covering his body he received from Ichigo's Tournesol. Wiping the blood trailing down his face onto the back of his white sleeve, the man adjusted his glasses and clapped his hands, "No, I've seen quite enough. I must apologize for my rather rude and brutish behavior earlier. It was all to see if you were indeed worthy of my cooperation and sure enough you are!"

Ichigo frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?"

The man dusted off his uniform before leaning over and picking up his hat, "You might think I'm mocking you but the truth of the matter is your techniques and abilities far outclass my own! If we had continued to fight, there would have been no way for me to win! Your Kamui is truly a magnificent thing to enable you to do so much damage to my body without sustaining wounds and injuries of your own!"

Ichigo's eyes widened imperceptibly at the man's causal mentioning of Mugetsu. Pointing Tournesol at the man, a familiar scowl already deepening on his face, Ichigo growled in irritation, "How do you know about Mugetsu? Who do you work for?"

"That's not how this game works, Mr. Kurosaki." The man gave Ichigo a mysterious smirk as he raised a finger to his lips, "All you need to know is that my organization is in opposition to what the Life Fibers have planned. If you truly wish to know more information you must give up something of equal value. That is how it works! So let us start! I'll ask you a question and if you answer it truthfully you'll be able to ask me one in return. Understand?"

Seeing no other way of getting past this man, especially if he had something else up his sleeves, Ichigo lowered Tournesol toward the ground, "Fine."

"Splendid!" The man clapped his gloved hands together and shouted, "Let us begin then! There are a few ground rules, of course. You cannot ask me my name, who I work for or anything related to my occupation. I, on the other hand, am forbidden from asking you any equally personal questions. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in punishment…which is what I would like to say if I didn't know you could easily defeat me! So let us work on the honor system. Question number one. Are you or are you not familiar with the true source of every single Life Fiber in existence?"

The peculiarity of the man's question threw Ichigo off balance. Thinking back on what little information Satsuki told him about Life Fibers Ichigo realized she never exactly told him, which struck him as quite odd. Satsuki had seemed determined to get his cooperation in stopping her mother's plans to turn the entire population of Honnou City into Life Fibers so why would she hold something back that would have helped her case unless she didn't know herself? Giving the man a curt shrug, Ichigo responded, "I didn't know they actually had a source until you told me. I thought Satsuki's mother created them herself."

"Ah yes, Ragyo Kiryuin." The man's smile faded as he uttered her name in derision, "She is truly a formidable woman. His…my superior would be extremely cautious if forced to confront Ragyo Kiryuin since I'm afraid the normal rules of combat do not apply to Ragyo. I'll give you a freebie, Mr. Kurosaki, so your trust in me does not falter. If Ragyo Kiryuin decided to seriously fight, she could most certainly defeat Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto before he could release his bankai."

The mentioning of the Head Captain's name startled Ichigo, "How do you –"

"Ah, ah, ah!" The man wagged his finger condescendingly at Ichigo and shook his head as he interrupted, "You should not waste your question on things I cannot answer. That would ruin our game. So think carefully about your next question."

Ichigo took a moment to think what he wanted to ask. As much as he wanted to demand answers from the man, he needed to make sure his question wouldn't be against his so-called rules. Mind racing as the perfect question came to him Ichigo rested Tournesol on his shoulder and asked, "Here's my question. How did you manage to track me down?"

The man gave Ichigo a rather bizarre smile. Turning his face up to the cage surrounding them, his smile fading for just a moment, the man answered, "It seems we have less time than I thought but you asked a very good question, Mr. Kurosaki! The answer to your question is that we've been watching over a select group of people for some time now. You were chosen because of your adamant opposition to Satsuki Kiryuin and her mother's plans. To answer the follow up question you undoubtedly want to ask, I am here because you are the first we were able to contact without Revocs or Ragyo Kiryuin interfering. My…abilities make it quite hard for the Life Fibers to sense what we are talking about for a short while. Eventually they will break through and our conversation will have to end."

"I suppose that's why you created the cage of spiritual energy surrounding us," Ichigo looked up at the semi-solid curved bars of spiritual energy enveloping them and frowned about the familiarity he felt from them.

"Your deductive skills are as high as our Daten suggested." The man sheathed his saber and clasped his hands together, "I suppose it is time for my second question. This game of ours is going on far longer than I hoped! Usually my opponent would have broken the rules, forcing me to punish them severely. Second question! Have you or have you not had contact with the Soul Society since the loss of your powers ten months ago?"

Continuing to be surprised by the man's knowledge of events surrounding his time as a substitute shinigami, Ichigo nevertheless kept his composure, "I can't say that I have. After I lost my powers and the ability to see shinigami or other spiritual beings I wouldn't be able to keep in contact, now would I?"

"Correct! And I will overlook that question at the end because you were giving your answer at the same time!" The man frowned and reached up to his ear, where he placed a finger and tilted his head. Listening attentively at whoever was on the other end, the man eventually turned his focus back to Ichigo, "Please excuse the interruption. That was an associate of mine. He was just informing me that a few Infiltration-Class COVERS are moving towards us. We still have a few minutes, so here's something to ponder, Mr. Kurosaki. Third question! How can you say you no longer see spiritual beings when you so clearly pointed out the spiritual cage surrounding us?"

Ichigo stuttered over the answer, "I –"

"Think long and hard about your answer…Ichigo Kurosaki," The man turned around and began walking away before stopping right before reaching the shadows, "Oh! I almost forgot a piece of important information! Do not discuss our conversation with anyone! As trustworthy you and your friends may be, there is no telling whether Life Fibers are listening in. Life Fibers are notorious for keeping their nature secret, after all."

"Wait a damn second!" Ichigo took a step forward and shouted, "I thought you were going to offer assistance or were you just bullshitting me?"

"Such vulgar language…" The man tilted his head back and adjusted his spectacles, "But you have a valid point. I did forget to address that particular point. While my superior is unable to enter battle against Ragyo Kiryuin and her forces, it has nevertheless been decided that several of my associates will arrive to offer assistance when the time is right."

As the man stepped into the shadows, the cage of spiritual energy dissipating as he vanished into the darkness, Ichigo tried to grab him only to find the man gone. Looking back and forth along the highway, his mind trying to piece together what just happened, Ichigo's musing was interrupted by Mugetsu's voice.

"_**I don't know who that man was but his clothing did not have a trace of Life Fibers in them."**_

"Are you sure?" Ichigo saw the confident look in Mugetsu's eyes and grimaced, "Damn, just what I needed, another mystery. There was one thing that bothers me, Mugetsu. That man, whoever the hell he was, mentioned something about COVERS. Does that make any sense to you?"

"_**It does not, I'm afraid,"**_ Mugetsu's eyes closed briefly before snapping back open, _**"But I am sensing a massive concentration of Life Fibers approaching our location. They are currently trying to hide their presence but as a Kamui I am more than capable of detecting them!"**_

"Then let's get out of here before they arrive." Shifting Mugetsu wordlessly into her Gufū configuration, Ichigo flew off into the sky before he blasted westward towards Karakura Town. His encounter with that man had delayed him long enough and Ichigo hoped he could make it back in time to stop Satsuki's plans.

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #22 – How to Train a Kamui (Part One)<strong>

Isshin Kurosaki didn't know what to say to the Kamui staring up at him with a hopeful look in its eyes. When Ragyo had told him to train it to be a proper Kamui, he had promptly asked her what exactly that meant. This was the first Kamui to ever be created so he had no idea what to do. Ragyo had taken one look at Isshin, who the Kamui had decided to cling to like an overly affectionate pet, and simply told him to figure it out on his own while she stood by and observed the results.

"Ok…" Isshin scratched his chin and hummed, "…Can you talk?"

The Kamui gave Isshin a happy nod and opened its mouth. The voice that came out, however, telepathically echoed in his mind as the Kamui smiled, "_**Daddy!"**_

"_Ok, that was a waste of time,"_ Isshin frowned thoughtfully as he tried to think of something, really anything, to make the Kamui understand him. It could talk. There was no doubt about that. The problem was the only things it could say were 'Mommy' and 'Daddy,' which had been cute the first few times but was now beginning to get on his nerves. For something that was supposed to be truly sentient and the ultimate article of clothing, the Kamui was surprising much like a child.

"I got it," Isshin exclaimed as a really great idea came to him. Pulling the Kamui off his arm and holding it up in front of him with both hands, Isshin gave the Kamui a bright smile and said, "If we're going to get anywhere, I'm going to have to give you a name! Now…what to call you…"

Several names came to Isshin's mind but he reluctantly shot each and every one of them down. His first choice for the Kamui's name was Ichigo but he couldn't use that because Masaki planned on calling their first child Ichigo. When Isshin protested with the logical argument that Ichigo wasn't a male name, Masaki had grabbed his ear and pulled until he quite enthusiastically agreed with her judgment. With Ichigo out of bounds, Isshin was having trouble coming up with another good name.

Ragyo, watching Isshin's mind grind to a screeching halt right before her eyes, decided to step in and give her input, "The name for such a symbolic piece of clothing must represent its birth and purpose. Its name shall henceforth be Junketsu. Born from the Life Fibers coursing through our veins, Junketsu is a blank state free to be shaped and molded as we see fit. Its purity knows no bounds."

Junketsu, happy at finally having a name, began bouncing up and down in Isshin's grip with a pleased expression evident on its face, _**"Junketsu!"**_

"Settle down! Don't get too excited!" Isshin struggled with the Kamui as Junketsu decided she wanted to give him a hug. Remembering the last time Junketsu tried to show affection but nearly strangled him in the process, Isshin carefully allowed the Kamui to wrap herself around his arm and torso instead. He may be a Life Fiber Hybrid and not need oxygen to breath, but it was just wrong to be smothered by clothing.

"Now that the matter of its name is settled, we can move on to the next phase," Ragyo wrote something down on her clipboard before waving her hand at Isshin, "Please put on Junketsu."

Isshin froze up in shock at what Ragyo was telling him to do. She did not just seriously ask him, a grown man full of male pride, to put on a female sailor uniform. Isshin may be a goofball most of the time but even he would never consider doing such a horrid thing! Sure he would have liked to see Masaki in a schoolgirl uniform but he was saving that for his birthday, "No. There is no way I will ever put on Junketsu. I have nothing against the Kamui but it was designed for a woman and I am most certainly not a woman! If I put Junketsu on, my future sons will have every right to hunt me down and kick my ass for embarrassing the Shiba and Kurosaki names for all eternity!"

Ragyo's eyes narrowed at Isshin's defiance, "Here's what's going to happen, Isshin. You are going to put on Junketsu so that we may obtain an accurate reading of its unreleased state and overall power. As the sole person in this room capable of understanding these readings, I cannot wear Junketsu. Now put it on before I make you wear it."

"Never!" Isshin pulled Junketsu off his body and reared his arm back. With Junketsu's telepathic laughter echoing in his head as a result of the Kamui thinking this was a game, Isshin aimed at the surprised expression on Ragyo's face and shouted, "Go get her, Junketsu!"

Throwing her sleeves out as she flew through the air, Junketsu landed on Ragyo and promptly began wrapping herself around the Kiryuin's body. Despite Ragyo ordering Junketsu to get off her the Kamui, egged on by Isshin's shouts of 'how proud he was of her,' continued in her attempt to finally be worn. As the rather expensive business dress was torn off her body, leaving her naked for a split second before Junketsu allowed herself to be worn, Ragyo shone with a bright rainbow light as she became the first person to ever wear a Kamui.

Taking a step forward, her new white and blue heels clicking loudly against the ground, Ragyo stared at Junketsu's form before quirking an eyebrow in interest. She hadn't worn a sailor uniform in many years but she was quite surprised she could still pull it off, "Oh my. I didn't know Junketsu came with thigh-high stockings. I shall have to make a note of this for future reference. I hope you're happy Isshin. Now that I'm wearing Junketsu, it's going to be hard to make the Kamui leave my body."

When she didn't get so much as an embarrassed cough from Isshin, Ragyo turned around and saw that Isshin had fainted. Walking over to his unconscious form, Ragyo frowned in irritation and gave Isshin's body a solid kick when she saw the trail of blood coming from his nose.

"Great. Just great…" Ragyo sighed miserably and rubbed her temple. Ignoring Junketsu's attempts to playfully communicate with her, Ragyo leaned her arms on the nearby table, "This is just my luck. I finally find something that grabs Isshin's attention and he faints like a horny teenager. This is just not fair."


	35. Chapter 35: Respect Yourself

So here is Chapter 35. A lot of interesting things happen in this chapter and we have reached the peak of the Karakura Town Occupation Arc. Next chapter ends the arc and the following begins the Festival Arc. I would like to point out that I've fixed the intro to Chapter 19 where Junketsu is talking to herself. There was a minor plot hole regarding her origins that I had to fix and while I was there I decided to just fix the entire section. So go back and read through the newly edited chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 35 – Respect Yourself<strong>

"Has the message been delivered?"

Jugram Haschwalth did not look at the larger man walking in front of him and to the left as he answered, "Quilge arrived through the Gate of the Sun not an hour ago. He was moderately wounded and required medical attention but the message has been delivered to Ichigo Kurosaki as planned."

"Excellent," Yhwach allowed a cold smirk to spread across his face without breaking his stride. Contacting Ichigo Kurosaki without immediately gaining the unwanted attention of COVERS required nearly perfect timing, "Since Quilge is not prostrating himself at my feet I take it Ichigo was amenable to the message. That is good. It would have been a shame to lose such a powerful asset due to incompetence."

Haschwalth nodded but did not speak as he recalled Quilge's state as he passed through the shadows back into the Schatten Bereich. Almost as soon as the Gate of the Sun had closed, sealing their realm off from rest of the dimensions, the Executive Hunting Captain of the 1st Jagdarmee had collapsed to his hands and knees as blood pooled on the ground. When several Soldats had moved forward to offer the Sternritter assistance, Quilge had brushed off their concern with his normal rough and abrasive personality. It was only when Haschwalth, along with several other members of the Sternritter who happened to be nearby, arrived that Quilge explained how his mission went.

After spitting out some blood, Quilge had grimaced and said the one thing Haschwalth already figured but the rest of the Sternritter were unware of – Ichigo's Life Fiber blade was able to tear through fully circulating blut vene.

"It was a great risk on my part to send Quilge to intercept Ichigo before he could reach Karakura Town," Yhwach said with a rare hint of melancholy. If Quilge had fallen to Ragyo's COVERS before he could return to the Schatten Bereich, Yhwach would have forever lost the piece of himself engraved on the Sternritter's soul, "It is fortunate that his jail was able to hide his presence for as long as it did. I fully expected him to have enough time to deliver only part of the message. Ichigo getting the entire message saves us time."

"From the Daten Quilge recorded it appears Ichigo's mind is already set on stopping Ragyo Kiryuin," Haschwalth stated respectfully, "The Daten also suggests our previous estimate of the power of Ichigo's Kamui is severely outdated. Even without his Life Fiber blade, Ichigo was more than capable of bypassing nearly seventy percent of Quilge's blut. Perhaps it would be wise to –"

"Adjusting the strength of blut would be a pointless endeavor," Yhwach interrupted with absolute clarity to his words, "No matter how much I strengthened your blut a Life Fiber blade will always be able to pierce straight through it. Life Fibers have always been countervailing to our existence. Ichigo Kurosaki not only possesses a Kamui but if the Daten obtained last week is accurate, he is also a Life Fiber Hybrid. In the face of such an opponent, not only will your blut be useless but most of your attacks as well. No, making enemies of Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies will do nothing but work against us. It is best we convince him that our goals align with his own."

Haschwalth pondered Yhwach's words for all they were worth. If Ichigo Kurosaki's power was truly able to ignore Blut Vene as easily as breathing attempting to coerce him into helping would truly be foolish, "Forgive my insolence Your Majesty but it is likely that despite Ichigo Kurosaki's goals coinciding with our own some of the Sternritter might be averse to working with a former shinigami."

Yhwach briefly paused in his stride as he pondered Haschwalth's words, "Such a notion has occurred to me but I must give thanks to Ichigo. The wounds he inflicted upon Quilge with so little effort will help convince your fellow Sternritter of the problem posed by Ragyo Kiryuin and the Life Fibers. You have been at my side longer than any other Sternritter so you alone know that there exists a mission that takes priority over the destruction of the Soul Society."

"The execution of Ragyo Kiryuin before she can implement the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet," Haschwalth finished for Yhwach with a polite tone to his voice. Out of all the Quincy in the Wandenreich only two knew of Ragyo Kiryuin's master plan – Yhwach and Haschwalth. The rest of the Sternritter as well as a number of the Soldats were aware Life Fibers were particularly strong against Quincy powers and abilities but due to remaining in the Schatten Bereich for years on end, only a few truly believed such Daten. Quilge Opie's wounds and inability to harm Ichigo Kurosaki or his Kamui would help to express the imminent danger of Life Fibers and mobilize the Sternritter out of stolidity.

The assassination of Ragyo Kiryuin, on the other hand, is something much easier said than done. Her power was overwhelming and ignoring the resistance held by Life Fibers against Quincy spiritual energy she could overwhelm the multiple Sternritter at the same time if she fought seriously. If one factored in the massive resistance from the Life Fibers making up her body, Ragyo Kiryuin was one of the few beings that could fight His Majesty with more than a good chance of winning. Traitorous thoughts aside, if His Majesty moved against Ragyo Kiryuin the scales of battle were heavily tilted in her favor.

"Indeed but we must move carefully lest Genryusai becomes aware of our continued existence."

Yhwach stepped out of Silbern and onto a bone-white patio overlooking the Schatten Bereich. As he gazed upon his realm hidden in the shadows, Yhwach closed his eyes and felt the souls of all his Sternritter open to him. All twenty six souls were scattered through the Schatten Bereich, some training for battle and others simply going about their lives, but in the end every single one of them belonged to the Father of the Quincy.

Clasping his hands behind his back as a stoic expression adorned his face, Yhwach pondered over all the Daten recently acquired and decided on a new course of action, "It seems from Ragyo Kiryuin's accelerated timetable that the Invasion of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo shall have to be put on hold. More pressing matters have come to light and the destruction of the world is not something I sanction. We do not press forward until she is dead and the Original Life Fiber is wiped from the face of the earth."

Haschwalth stood at attention as he asked, "Shall I inform the Sternritter to begin making preparations for the war against Ragyo Kiryuin?"

"It pains me greatly to say this but Revocs is out of our reach," Yhwach did not like to show weakness of any kind and the simple thought that he could not get near Revocs or Ragyo annoyed him. He knew more than anyone Genryusai would have set up spiritual energy detectors throughout the world that would send alarms throughout the Soul Society if so much as a hint of his power appeared in the world of the living, "But it appears fortune favors the patient, Haschwalth. Since its founding Honnou City has always been free from the Soul Society's ever watchful eye but in the past ten months a second location has also broken free from such oversight."

"…Karakura Town," Haschwalth muttered with suppressed interest.

"I have my theories how the current Jureichi accomplished such a remarkable feat but it comes down to one man – Isshin Shiba. His strength rivals Ragyo Kiryuin's to some extent but we need not worry about him for the moment. Gather the Sternritter and inform them that there shall be a covert mission in the world of the living. Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies might be strong but their strength pales in comparison to Ragyo Kiryuin's and the blonde girl lapping at her heels like a lost puppy. Find three, perhaps four, Sternritter that are capable of remaining below the radar and will not announce their presence to the Soul Society. Make it quite clear that disregarding my orders will not be tolerated."

"Yes, You Majesty," Haschwalth bowed as Yhwach left him alone to carry out his orders. It was hard for anyone to see emotions in His Majesty's face but Haschwalth had quite clearly seen the faintest traces of worry. His Majesty was truly worried about Ragyo Kiryuin's plans and Haschwalth could not blame him for such emotions. That woman was strong enough to decimate him without much effort. As he turned to walk through the Silbern in order to begin summoning the Sternritter, Haschwalth paused when a presence made itself known, "Have you been eavesdropping on His Majesty's private conversation?"

"I'm not stupid enough to insult His Majesty by doing something so vile. Who the fuck do you think I am Jugo, that creepy as hell Giselle?"

Bazz-B strolled out of the shadows with a perpetual look of annoyance on his face. He had returned to the Silbern after hearing about Quilge's wounds and by sheer luck his path took him straight to where Haschwalth was discussing the problem with His Majesty. Scoffing as Haschwalth scowled at his choice of language, Bazz-B asked, "So when do you want me to go hunt down the fucker that beat the crap out of Quilge?"

Haschwalth turned away from Bazz-B, "From your choice of words I see you truly did not listen to His Majesty's conversation. That is good. Such an act would have resulted in disciplinary action. As to your inquiry, the person that injured Quilge is our prospective ally. Quilge's wounds came from a combination of outdated Daten and his enthusiasm in testing Ichigo Kurosaki's powers."

"Wait a second," Bazz-B's eyes narrowed, "Isn't he that guy that defeated Sosuke Aizen and is one of the Special War Potentials? I thought he lost his stupid shinigami powers."

"Things have changed," Haschwalth began walking away and motioned with his hand for Bazz-B to follow, "Ichigo is one of the four people to possess a Kamui and is a Life Fiber Hybrid, granting him enough power to easily take down a Sternritter. It would be unwise for you to seek retribution for Quilge's injuries."

"He has a Kamui? Well…that sucks," Bazz-B remembered the Daten from Ichigo's fight against Satsuki Kiryuin a couple weeks back. The power of their Kamui's was downright frightening and the ability of their Life Fiber blades to bypass blut scared the shit out of him.

"That is why I wish for you to lead a team of Sternritter to offer assistance in assassinating Ragyo Kiryuin," Haschwalth turned down a hallway while leaving Bazz-B alone, "Gather two to three of your colleagues you believe are able to work covertly without announcing their presence to the Soul Society. Once you have done that, report back to me and I shall explain to your gathered party the parameters of the mission. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, yeah, I understand," Bazz-B muttered and left to go do what he needed to do. Truth be told, it was getting rather boring in the Silbern lately. Perhaps going to the world of the living to fuck some Life Fibers up would be a good vacation. The only problem is who he should take, "Great…now I have to fucking think about who to bring. That's just great. Let's see, it's almost noon so Bambietta should be in her room. Hopefully I can find her before she kills another Soldat and tries to make me clean up the mess. If she thinks I'm her butler one more time I'm going to burn her sorry ass to a crisp."

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><p>After he had finished speaking to Kugo Ginjo, not to mention helping to drag the poor man out of his slump, Isshin decided it was time to go for a walk. He couldn't return home since the Anti-Life Fiber system he installed around his house prevented any and all Life Fibers from entering or leaving for a period of twelve hours. So until two in the afternoon Isshin would just have to hope Kon could keep Yuzu and Karin from burning the house down. Eventually reaching a small café, abandoned by the owners in anticipation of Satsuki's invasion, Isshin sat down at one of the tables and pulled out a small box lunch he had been carrying around with him. He wasn't going to lock himself out of his house without making sure he had something to eat.<p>

As he slowly ate his sandwich, mindful of the battles going on around him to the north, east and west, Isshin thought about everything that was going on and frowned. Satsuki's helicopter should have landed in Karakura Community Park after Ryuken shot it down so Ryuko would have been close enough to confront her before she could leave the park. Focusing his senses outwards and honing in a two dense bundles of Life Fibers clashing, Isshin noticed Ginjo had already confronted the member of Xcution. That left Ryuko and Satsuki and judging by the other pair of pure Life Fibers zooming away from him, the two girls were already hard at work sorting out their problems.

"Fixing Junketsu is going to be a problem," Isshin muttered pensively. Without Ichigo around he didn't have the needed Life Fibers to remove the addition to Junketsu. It was unfortunate that Kisuke had used up all the Life Fibers Isshin gave him when he made Mugetsu. After thinking for a moment about how to solve such a problematic issue, Isshin decided that the best course of action would be to wait around for Ichigo to return. Once his tardy son returned, and Isshin gave him a stern lecture about being on time, he would inform Ichigo about what he needed to do to save not only Junketsu but also Satsuki.

"_That poor girl has no idea the danger she is in from wearing an unstable Kamui,"_ Isshin's maroon eyes narrowed in fear. He could tell quite easily that Junketsu was rejecting Ichigo's Life Fibers, which was a good thing, but the addition was starting to wreak havoc on the Kamui. If Ichigo didn't return soon, and by soon he meant within an hour, Isshin would be forced to hunt down Satsuki and tear Junketsu off her body, _"And that's not something I ever want to do."_

As he was about to take another bite of his sandwich Isshin became aware of a presence behind him. With the sandwich slowly lowering from his mouth, Isshin turned around and stared at his new guest with a goofy grin on his face, "It's really rude to keep someone waiting. I've sensed your presence since you entered Karakura Town, you know. Although I hope it wasn't too hard to find me with all the excitement."

Nui Harime didn't say anything as she stared listlessly at Isshin with her purple Scissor Blade held loosely enough that it was resting on the ground. As Isshin looked in her eyes and saw not a drop of emotions he realized that much like Ururu, Nui was experiencing unexpected side effects from the Kaizo Trap he implemented in his Anti-Life Fiber shield around Karakura Town. Her sapphire blue eyes, which always seemed to have highlights resembling smiling faces, were now a dull blue color and half-lidded. Taking one step and then another towards Isshin, her Scissor Blade dragging along the ground without care, Nui approached the man and asked in an emotionless whisper, "Why can't I feel anything?"

Pulling out the chair next to him and gesturing for her to sit down, he nearly flinched when Nui did so without a single complaint or comment. Watching the blonde haired girl sitting next to him with her eyes staring at the table without feeling, Isshin grimaced at his guilt but quickly recovered, "I have to apologize for that. The Kaizo Trap I set up to limit your strength if you tried to enter Karakura Town again had unforeseen consequences. To be perfectly honest, I know exactly what you are going through and I would never wish for a hybrid like you to have their emotions and feelings stripped so violently away from them."

"I killed them and yet I felt nothing," Nui whispered as she turned her blank gaze to Isshin. Dropping her purple Scissor Blade on the table with a dull thud, fresh blood dripping off the weapon, Nui let go of the weapon and allowed her arm to fall numbly to her side, "…I tried everything I could to feel something…quickly and slowly…painfully and quietly…but nothing worked. I felt nothing by killing them. Is something wrong with me, Mr. Kurosaki?"

Isshin leaned forward on his elbows and held Nui's wrist, "There is nothing wrong with you, Nui. As much as I want to blame you for everything that you've done I cannot. Ragyo was the only mother you ever knew. I shouldn't have separated you from Ururu seventeen years ago when I took her from Revocs."

Nui's dull eyes perked up and for just an instant they seemed to possess the usual amount of life before they returned to their listless state, "Amu…she hurt me…she wanted to hurt me…why would she want to hurt me? I didn't do anything wrong…Maman says I'm her precious daughter…why would Amu want to hurt me?"

Isshin scratched at his chin as he mentally cursed at the Original Life Fiber for what it not only did to Ragyo but to her family, "Mako and Ryuko are Ururu's friends. She was very angry that you tried to murder them for something neither of them did to you. I understand Ryuko's dad damaged your eye. As a Life Fiber Hybrid you must have felt vulnerable and weak for the first time in your life…well second after the stern warning I gave you six years ago. My point is you shouldn't have blamed them for what happened to you."

"My eye…" Nui absentmindedly brought her hand up to her left eye almost as if to prove it was still there. It was strange that ever since Orihime healed her eye Nui had woken up with the fear that it wasn't actually fixed. It may have only been a few days since she regained her complete sight but Nui still rushes into the bathroom every morning to look at her face in the mirror just to prove that she was not dreaming. When she continued speaking, her tone had a subtle hint of sadness to it, "…he took my eye…made me feel weak…I'm not human...Maman says I'm better than the naked apes…"

"Sure there are some things hybrids like us are better at than normal people," Isshin leaned back in his chair while ignoring the blast of spiritual energy from the north. Uryu must really be taking out all the stops if he's using something like Sprenger against Nonon Jakuzure, "But humans are better at other things!"

Nui looked at Isshin with a lost look in her eyes, "Like what?"

"They have limits," Isshin answered with a sagely tone. Allowing the color in his hair to bleed away to silver as a rainbow light began shining out from inside it, Isshin gave Nui and comforting smile, "I know you're confused about what I mean but it's actually quite true. Every single person has limits and they spend their entire lives attempting to surpass them. Some unfortunately aren't able to do so but there are other people who not only reach their limits but shatter them. But you know what the crazy thing is? Once they break their limits they find that there are new limits out there to reach. Humanity is a collective group of beings always trying to reach perfection but knowing they will never actually make it."

The Grand Couturier let her gaze fall away from Isshin as she digested his words. When Nui first arrived in Karakura Town, using Satsuki's invasion as a cover, she had thought it would be easy to track down her sister and ask her a few questions. She had no intention of bothering Ryuko, Ichigo or any of their friends. She just wanted to ask Amu a few serious questions but as soon as she arrived Nui felt all of her emotions and feelings quickly bleed away. She could remember how she normally acted but for some reason she had no motivation to continue acting that way, "…why?"

Isshin's eyebrows perked up, "Why what?"

"…why are you being so nice to me?" Nui's blonde hair fell forward onto her face as she stared at the purple Scissor blade resting so innocently on the table in front of her. She had used it to kill hundreds of humans over the last seven months since she tore it from Professor Matoi's dying body but Isshin wasn't even trying to take it away from her. Lady Ragyo said the two men were old friends so why wasn't he trying to get revenge? It wasn't like she cared if he killed her right now…Nui really didn't care about anything anymore. If Isshin wanted to kill her, Nui wouldn't even move to defend herself.

When she spoke again, her croaking voice was barely above a whisper, "…I really wanted to kill your daughters…I was so happy watching Ryuko's friend die in my arms…so why are you being so nice to me? Maman said –"

"Not another word."

Almost as soon as Isshin said those three words Nui found her mouth involuntarily closing. While she might not have known why she suddenly did not have the urge to talk Isshin was all too aware of the nightmarish ability he used. Out of the myriad of tricks and abilities the Original Life Fiber decided to drill into his skull, Life Fiber Hierarchy ranked up there amongst the worst of them. Every single Life Fiber Hybrid, whether artificial or natural, were genetically subservient to those directly gifted by the Original Life Fiber. While that was usually the case Isshin was glad it didn't normally work on human Life Fiber Hybrids. He didn't know whether it was due to the general level of independent thought most people naturally possessed but Isshin really couldn't find it in himself to feel sorry for the Original Life Fiber about something like that.

Even though using Life Fiber Hierarchy seemed to have worked on Nui Harime, Isshin knew it was only because her mind had been so broken and shattered by the Kaizo Trap that she was extremely suggestive to anything he might say or do. As a Life Fiber Hybrid becomes more emotionally and mentally unbalanced, the Life Fiber Hierarchy technique begins to have a greater and greater effect until the hybrid is literally unable to disobey the orders. Isshin would never use it against his son because he knew the second he tried to get him to listen to a single word Ichigo would punch him in the face.

"You really didn't do anything wrong," Isshin grimaced as released the technique mere seconds after casting it. As the Grand Couturier's shoulders slumped forward, her dull eyes gazing emptily into her lap, Isshin sighed in guilt and decided he needed to change the mood of the conversation. Reaching into the lunch Yuzu made for him and pulling out a cookie Isshin offered it to Nui and smiled, "Six years ago you wouldn't have gotten close to Yuzu or Karin since I sensed you the moment you arrived. As for trying to murder Mako…I already knew you would pull a stunt like that."

Nui numbly took the cookie from Isshin's hand but didn't try to eat it. Instead she looked at it momentarily before letting it fall to the ground. Staring at the crumbs on the ground, unable to understand what Isshin was telling her, Nui tilted her head enough so that she could look at him she asked, "You did?"

Isshin nodded as he folded his arms. Nui must have really been affected by the Kaizo Trap if she's lost the ability to even care and Isshin mentally noted to make it up to Ururu once the trap naturally vanished in a few hours, "I've been watching you for a while so you could say I'm familiar with your work. I knew if you failed to make Ryuko angry you would have a Plan B, C and D and nine times out of ten your Plan B involves killing someone close to your target. It was easy to figure out Mako was the closest person to Ryuko…excluding my increasingly tardy son of course. So I suggested to Orihime that she should go to Honnouji Academy to cheer for Ichigo. If you didn't do anything that would be great but if you did try something Orihime would be there to help."

"You…you knew what I was doing?" Nui's voice was barely a whisper as she listened to Isshin describe the plan she spent hours upon hours crafting. Lady Ragyo herself had approved of her plans when she was told and said it was worthy of being born from the Grand Couturier's mind. Hearing Isshin speak of her plans against Ryuko like it was nothing created a feeling of doubt completely unrelated to her current emotional state deep within Nui's mind. Reaching forward and gently holding the handle of her purple Scissor Blade for comfort, Nui's dull eyes stared at the reflective purple luster on the blade, "…it was worthless to even try…you could have stopped me at any time…"

"One day Nui you will learn that you just have to let certain things happen," Isshin leaned forward and gave her a gentle and friendly smile before he placed his hand on her head. As he ruffled her hair Isshin gave a hearty laugh and said, "You're smart but it's impossible to know everything. If you were against someone like Uryu or Satsuki I'm sure you could win but I'm just out of your league."

Nui opened her mouth to ask why he didn't stop her when she felt a searing pain in her skull. As her body began convulsing wildly in her chair, Isshin leaned forward while keeping his hand firmly pressed against Nui's head. With an apologetic expression on his face, Isshin forced the Life Fibers making up his body to shift into Marionette Threads before they wrapped themselves around Nui's brain. As the last of the Life Fibers vanished into Nui and Isshin removed his hand from her head, the Grand Couturier's eyes shone with a bright rainbow light before she slumped over and lost consciousness. Quickly moving and catching her before she could hit the ground, Isshin looked at Nui, "I'm sorry I had to do that."

Holding Nui's limp form in his arms, her body convulsing every few seconds as the Life Fibers in her brain continued to adjust themselves and tighten their grip, Isshin grabbed the purple Scissor Blade and with a simple flick of his wrist shrunk it down to the size of a normal pair of scissors, "…but it was the only way to help you."

As terrible as what he did to her was, it paled in comparison to the true and nightmarish form of Mental Refitting Ragyo was so willing to use. Instead of physically controlling the victim, Isshin used the Marionette Thread to implant memories and experiences he wished for them to see. Another thing that placated his conscience is that while his version knocked the victim out almost immediately and allowed them to wake up without any side effects some time later, Ragyo's was not so kind. She did not care that humans were conscious during the insertion of the Marionette Threads and she certainly did not think twice about the knowledge the victims were still awake and aware of everything she made them do. It took someone with barely any traces of humanity left to order a spy to return to their family and murder them in cold blood before allowing themselves to be caught.

The fact that it only worked on Nui because his Kaizo Trap was still active didn't help make Isshin feel any better.

"_I wish I could have figured out some other way that didn't involve doing this."_

The idea of implanting memories into Nui sickened him but Isshin would never follow Ragyo's footsteps and strip Nui of her free will. His specialized Marionette Threads, already wrapped around Nui's brain, weren't anything like the ones Ragyo used. Hopefully by the time the Marionette Threads accomplished their task and dissolved into nothingness his mistakes over the past seventeen years would start to be corrected. While Nui would not remember anything that transpired after entering Karakura Town, the memories the Marionette Threads carried were no so easily forgotten.

The memories he chose for Nui were very special ones, not only to Isshin but also to those close to him. Isshin desperately wished he could simply sit down with Nui and talk to her. If that even had a one in a million chance of working he would take it but the damage, emotional and probably sexual, Ragyo inflicted on Nui made the Grand Couturier utterly dependent on her for constant approval. If Ragyo asked Nui to kill herself to further the Original Life Fiber's plan, the blonde girl in his arms would do so with a smile on her face, confident in the fact that Ragyo must have loved her.

What bullshit. The thing that Ragyo became sixteen years ago is not the same woman he knew and cared about. Perhaps at the beginning Ragyo might have had a small amount of parental affection for Nui but not anymore.

As for the memories he gave Nui, Isshin made damn well sure that they would not integrate or interfere with her own memories. After trying the technique on himself several times while doing his best to access the specific memory he re-implanted and failing, Isshin was completely sure Nui would be mentally safe. If he wasn't, Isshin would never have bothered to try. The dangers of the foreign memories conflicting with Nui's own experiences were nightmarish. Over time Nui would begin to fail to distinguish between her memories and the ones he gave her, eventually culminating into a psychotic break that had a high probability of leaving Nui comatose for the rest of her life. Isshin would rather die than allow that happen to Nui.

When Nui fell asleep tonight, safe and completely oblivious to what he did to her, she would begin to dream. As she dreamt the memories he gave her would swim to the surface of her subconscious, allowing Nui to experience them as an extremely vivid and lucid dream. The point of what he did was not to mentally change Nui or to make her his loyal servant. That was what blackmailing Ichigo was for. Speaking of which, Isshin needed to ask Ginjo if he could find some photos of Ichigo in a suggestive pose with Satsuki or Ryuko. Pushing thoughts of blackmailing his son to the back of his mind, Isshin focused on why he used Mental Refitting on Nui – to give her the freedom of choice that Ragyo stole many years ago.

Holding Nui tightly in his arms, faint whimpers coming from the Grand Couturier, Isshin sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning. He wanted to give Nui the opportunity to see things from outside the rose-colored vision Ragyo blinded her with and allow her to make her own decisions. If Nui still decided to side with Ragyo and the Original Life Fiber, Isshin would be alright with that. He would be greatly disappointed but at the same time he'd be happy she was able to make up her mind without Ragyo's abusive influence. He dreamt, rather he hoped, that when the time came Nui would make the right decision. He didn't want to continue watching Ururu fight her sister any longer.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Ryuko Matoi dragged her hand across the side of the building, her armored fingers easily digging into the metal and plaster, as her momentum continued to carry her body backwards. Gritting her teeth together as she slammed Senketsu's heels down into the concrete sidewalk beneath her, Ryuko finally managed to bring herself to a stop, "Damn it, just how strong did she become?"<p>

As she regained her balance and tightly gripped the red Scissor Blade in her hands, Ryuko's mind raced as she tried to figure out where Satsuki's monstrous strength was coming from. There was no way in hell that her battle configuration was this much stronger than Senketsu Senkou. It was impossible and yet just a single attack managed to knock her back several blocks. As the parallels to her first fight against Junketsu and the ease at which she lost came to the forefront of her mind, Ryuko had to visibly hold herself back from charging back at Satsuki, "Any ideas on how to take her down, Senketsu?"

"_**You are now strong enough to use Niban Genkai without being forced out of my activated state but I do not believe that would be enough to stop Satsuki. Junketsu's Zenkan configuration is simply too fast and strong for Niban Genkai to hit,**_"Senketsu's voice had a hint of irritation to it as he grew annoyed at the ease in which Junketsu was beating Ryuko. He might have felt sorry for the Kamui after what Satsuki did to it but that did not mean he appreciated getting outclassed once again.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to stick with the normal Senkou," Ryuko twisted the Scissor Blade in her hands as she watched Satsuki Kiryuin slowly walking towards her with that insufferable half-smirk on her face. Gnashing her teeth together as she felt her blood beginning to boil, Ryuko pushed as much power through Senketsu as she possibly could before racing towards Satsuki. Leaping into the air as her Scissor Blade shone with a bright red light, Ryuko spun her body around before shouting, "Senkou – Ichiban Genkai!"

Satsuki's head tilted upwards as she watched Ryuko descend towards her with her Scissor Blade literally glowing with energy. With a nearly dispassionate look adorning her face, Satsuki raised Bakuzan with a single hand and promptly stopped the attack in its tracks.

"What the hell?" Ryuko stammered as Satsuki blocked Ichiban Genkai so easily. She had put enough energy and power into that strike to take down one of the Elite Four and yet Satsuki stopped it like she wasn't even trying. As the red energy exploded out from her Scissor Blade, hitting everything but Satsuki, Ryuko shock made her miss the hakama-covered leg snapping out and smashing into the side of her body with enough force to send her crashing into the nearby building.

"That was your Ichiban Genkai, Matoi? I am not impressed," Satsuki declared with her voice full of disappointment as she stared at the hole created in the side of the building by Ryuko's body. Taking several slow steps towards where Ryuko was already getting to her feet, Satsuki gazed longingly at Junketsu before adding, "But your inventiveness surprises me. It was not enough that you unlocked Senkou but you also created unique attacks."

"I don't want to hear your fucking praise!"

The building exploded with red and purple energy as Ryuko came soaring out of it clad in Senketsu Shippu. If Senkou wasn't strong enough to break through Satsuki's guard than she would just have to hit Satsuki too quickly for her to react and block. With her eyes full of righteous fury and the red lines stretching across Senketsu's starting to glow Ryuko roared as she swung her Scissor Blade at Satsuki only for the Student Council President to calmly lean out of way, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly within half an inch of its target. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Ryuko watched Satsuki so easily avoid her attack, her eyes full of surprise and disbelief at what was happening.

"Should you really be losing focus, Matoi?"

Snapping her arm out and grabbing Ryuko's wrist in the split second between dodging the Scissor Blade and Ryuko flying out of range, Satsuki spun around several times before launching Ryuko back into the same building she had just flown out from.

"This power is truly spectacular, Matoi!" Satsuki clenched her fist excitedly as she felt the power of Junketsu Zenkan flow through her body. From the ease in which she was dealing with Ryuko's different configurations it was becoming increasingly clear that Junketsu was the greatest Kamui. Sensing a disturbance from the building, Satsuki turned and watched Ryuko emerge from the rubble clad once more in Senkou. Confidently smirking when she saw the slightly injured state Ryuko was in, Satsuki raised Bakuzan parallel to the ground as her body began glowing with a blue light, "Junketu's power far outclasses the ragged excuse of Senketsu! Witness the power of someone with the drive and motivation to control the power of a true Kamui, Matoi! Zenkan – Tenrai Kagai!"

As soon as Satsuki announced the name of the technique her body began glowing with a faint blue light while similarly colored energy wafted off Bakuzan like illusionary smoke. Tensing her knees while the twin vents on Junketsu's pauldrons kicked into life and started emitting bursts of multicolored energy, Satsuki waited until Ryuko had brought up her Scissor Blade before attacking. If she truly wished for Ryuko to understand the folly of fighting against a superior opponent, Ryuko needed to see that all of her efforts amount to nothing in the end.

"Here I come, Matoi," Satsuki slid her left foot back before rocketing towards Ryuko with enough force that the ground caved inwards and exploded beneath her as she went.

Without even thinking Ryuko forced more power through Senketsu and attempted to counter Satsuki's Tenrai Kagai with Niban Genkai. Roaring as she swung her Scissor Blade just as Satsuki reached her, Ryuko was momentarily confident that she stopped the attack only to watch as Satsuki seemed to slip through her guard. Before she could maneuver her Scissor Blade around to block the attack, Satsuki hit Ryuko with several quick and powerful slashes before finishing up with one final one that sent her careening backwards, her body bouncing along the road.

"The…fuck…was that?" Ryuko panted as she spit out a glob of blood. Sneaking a quick glance down at Senketsu, she saw that apart from several rough and worn patches on his armor he was still intact. Forcing thoughts of what she would do if he was destroyed out of her mind, Ryuko sensed Satsuki coming towards her once more and slammed her Scissor Blade, augmented by Niban Genkai, into Satsuki's Bakuzan. A bright burst of red and blue light twisted chaotically through the air as the two weapons clashed before the ground beneath Ryuko's feet abruptly collapsed downwards.

"_She's getting stronger_?"

Ryuko felt her arms trembling as bursts of steam shot out of Senketsu. The Kamui was giving Ryuko as much power as he could to hold back Satsuki's Tenrai Kagai and while it was just barely enough to do so, the fact that Junketsu's power had increased so abruptly and exponentially worried both Kamui and wearer.

"_**What is happening should be impossible. Such a massive rise in power can only come about when human and Kamui move as one,"**_ Senketsu's eye narrowed as he stared into Junketsu's eyes. The enemy Kamui's eyes still looked bloodshot and frenzied but there was a subtle shift to them that Senketsu could not explain. Tightening up around Ryuko's body as a wave of worried coursed through his threads, Senketsu added, _**"Satsuki is still growing stronger. I would advise not getting hit by her attacks. If you do there's a good chance you will die."**_

"If this is truly the extent of your Kamui's power then you continue to disappoint me, Matoi."

Satsuki's frustrated and demanding tone forced Ryuko's attention away from Senketsu and back onto the battle. Gritting her teeth as multihued sparks briefly came into existence from the clashing weapons, Ryuko snarled, "Shut up!"

Leaning over Bakuzan with faint blue eyeliner beginning to form around her angry eyes, Satsuki scoffed when she saw Ryuko's arms trembling just to hold her blade back. Was this truly the end result of weeks of subtly training Ryuko to be strong enough to fight her mother? If Ryuko was unable to stand up to her then Satsuki could expect to see her die when either Nui Harime or her mother confronted her. Shifting Bakuzan around in her grip, a smile beginning to form on her face as an idea came to mind, Satsuki decided to test the limits of Ryuko's anger, "Are your dreams and ambitions so shallow that they are washed away by the first waves of the rising tide? With your current level of power there is nothing you can do to stop me from completing the subjugation of Karakura Town and all its inhabitants."

Muscles tensing in her arms as she listened to Satsuki rant angrily at her, Ryuko's patience finally reached its limit as with a shout she managed to push Satsuki away from her. Taking several gasping breaths as a wave of exhaustion hit her, Ryuko glared at Satsuki as her opponent landed gracefully several feet away. With energy beginning to once again flood her body, Ryuko stood up tall and gripped her Scissor Blade with both hands before answering, "I don't know what the hell your problem is but I already gave you my answer, Satsuki Kiryuin! Senketsu and I are going to stop you from destroying Karakura Town! You must be insane if you think I'm going to give up because you got a little stronger!"

"Your words are meaningless, Matoi. You barely possess enough power to stand against Junketsu Zenkan. How do you expect to stop me if you cannot even stand up to me?" Satsuki rhetorically asked with a faint hint of amusement in her voice. Turning away from Ryuko's annoyed gaze, Satsuki ran a finger down Bakuzan, the white armor covering her arms clashing with the pure darkness of the blade. She knew it would only be a matter of time until Matoi managed to shatter the mental blocks holding her back and Satsuki could not wait. She felt the foreign feeling of true excitement course through her body at the thought of fighting Senketsu's true power.

Chuckling eagerly as she returned her attention back to Ryuko she added, "At your current level your Kamui is not worthy of being sacrificed to Junketsu. Mugetsu, on the other hand, is more than perfect."

"What's your deal with Ichigo? He doesn't even care about you," Ryuko looked at Satsuki in confusion, which only continued to grow when instead of answering right away Satsuki frowned with a pensive expression on her face. For just a moment it looked like Satsuki did not know why she asked that question but the confusion on her face was quickly wiped away.

"Unlike you Ichigo has actually managed to beat me while I used my full power. As a Life Fiber Hybrid it only makes sense he is able to use the full power of Mugetsu. I wish nothing more than to fight him once more," Satsuki announced with a pleased hint to her voice. Fighting Ichigo would help to demonstrate which Kamui is truly superior now that the power of Zenkan was open to her. Their last fight was evenly matched and she only lost because Junketsu had been fighting her the entire way. Now, with Ichigo's Life Fibers woven into Junketsu Satsuki could not sense the constant and aggressive attempts by her Kamui to break down her will, "You have grown weaker, Ryuko."

Ryuko froze for just a second before snarling, "What the hell did you just say?"

Satsuki looked coldly into her eyes before scoffing and turning away, "You heard me, Matoi. Your power has weakened considerably. Your Niban Genkai, for instance, is but a pale imitation of the power it had during the Sudden Death Runoffs. Have you grown so fearful of Senketsu's power and bloodlust that you are subconsciously limiting your connection to it?"

Ryuko wanted to deny it but Satsuki was absolutely right. She might have forgiven Senketsu for what happened after Nui Harime killed Mako and she lost control of her anger and rage but her heart was still closed off to the Kamui. Senketsu was her friend but Ryuko was wary of losing control and hurting Senketsu again. From the fragmented memories she had of the event, Ryuko remembered Senketsu crying in pain and agony. She never wanted to hurt him like that again even if that meant she wasn't able to access her full power anymore.

"_**I know what you're thinking, Ryuko, and I don't blame you for what happened to us,"**_ Senketsu's comforting voice and complete lack of blame surprised Ryuko, _**"When your consciousness overwhelmed mine after Nui Harime killed Mako I was in a lot of pain but I will never blame you. I am willing to suffer such agony again if it means helping you achieve your goals and desires. Now, if you are done wallowing in pity let us show Satsuki Kiryuin how strong a true Kamui is!"**_

"Is this truly the right time to talk to Senketsu?"

Ryuko let out a strangled gasp as Satsuki's hand closed tightly around her throat. She hadn't even seen her move. In the time it took her to blink Satsuki had closed the distance between them and began cutting off the flow of air to her lungs. As she easily lifted Ryuko off the ground, the tip of her heels barely dragging along the surface, Satsuki grinned as she pressed the tip of Bakuzan over Ryuko's heart, "Do you have any last requests before I permanently end your defiance once and for all, Ryuko?"

"Yeah…I got one," Ryuko coughed harshly under Satsuki's choking grip as the edges of her vision began to darken, "I want to know what the hell's wrong with you!"

Satsuki momentarily tightened her grip before loosening it once more. As easy and simple as it would be to kill Ryuko, that was not something she wanted to do. For some reason she had to remind herself that all of her actions were designed to make Ryuko draw out more of Senketsu's power, "I would think carefully about your final words, Ryuko. If you continue to speak to me like that I will make sure your final moments are full of agony."

"That right there. That's what's bothering me," Ryuko gasped as she coughed once more within Satsuki's grip. Managing to keep her eyes locked squarely on Satsuki's she continued, "During our first fight everything you said and did was cut and dry. Even your taunting back then lacked any emotion but this entire fight you've been gloating about Junketsu's power like it was the best thing in the world! And you're calling me by my first name. You've never called me Ryuko. Not even once! It's always been 'Ryuko Matoi' or just 'Matoi!' It's like you're a whole different person!"

If Ryuko was expecting a response from Satsuki it was not for the Student Council President's eyes to widen as she abruptly let go, "I…what am I doing?"

Falling to her hands and knees as she breathed in deeply after nearly being strangled, one hand massaging her sore throat, Ryuko looked up at the confused and fearful expression on Satsuki's face. She had never seen Satsuki look anything other than pleased, annoyed or stoic. To see a look of horror on Satsuki's face was so strange that Ryuko could not help but ask, "What's wrong with you?"

Instead of answering or even acknowledging the question Satsuki stumbled back and clenched her hands in her black hair, Bakuzan clattering to the ground as she squeezed her eye shut. Hunched over as Junketsu's eyes began dilating strangely, Satsuki shocked Ryuko when she suddenly began mumbling, "Get out of my mind…I'm in control not you…You are nothing more than a Kamui, fit to be worn by humans…I won't let you gain a foothold...My will and ambition will keep you out…"

Ryuko watched Satsuki talk to herself before quickly glancing down at Senketsu's eye, "What's going on?"

"_**This is really, really bad Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's normally calm and assistive voice was full of terror as he watched Satsuki, _**"I thought I recognized what was going on before but it is only now that it makes sense. Throughout this entire fight Junketsu has been subtly influencing Satsuki's mind. That's why she started calling you Ryuko. The process was so slow that Satsuki was unable to realize what was happening until you pointed it out and it was already far too late."**_

As Satsuki stopped moving, her hands twisted deeply into her hair as if she was in terrible pain, Ryuko took a hesitant step towards her only to be blasted backwards a pillar of blue energy exploded out of Satsuki's body. Disturbed by the screams coming from the Student Council President and with a cold sweat breaking out across her entire body, Ryuko nervously gripped her Scissor Blade, "What's happening to Satsuki, Senketsu?"

"_**Do not lose focus for an instant, Ryuko, or you will die,"**_ Senketsu stated in a forceful voice, _**"I am going to grant you as much power as your human body can safely handle. What is happening to Satsuki is going to require us to be in full synchronization to win. I need you to open your heart to me once more. If you don't you are going to die for the opponent you are about to face is similar to Nui Harime."**_

"Don't worry, Senketsu, I trust you. Let's do this together!" Ryuko gave her Kamui a friendly smirk as she mentally felt Senketsu return the favor. As she opened her heart and mind once more to her Kamui, Ryuko heard Senketsu sigh happily as the bond between them was fully restored. Sighing contently as her power returned, the sudden lack of Satsuki's screaming drew her attention towards her opponent. Gripping her Scissor Blade tightly, the red Life Fibers glowing from the power flowing through them, Ryuko sneaked a glance at Senketsu and asked, "Is it all over?"

"_**Not even close, Ryuko. Here she comes."**_

Ryuko covered her eyes as the pillar of energy abruptly increased in intensity before shattering into illusionary shards of glass. Watching as Satsuki walked forward with her hand covering her face, her steps unsteady and testing, Ryuko swallowed nervously and shouted, "You ok, Satsuki?"

"**S-Satsuki?"** The voice Ryuko heard sounded as if Satsuki and another woman were speaking in unison. As a foreign and maniacal smile spread from under her hand, Satsuki said, **"Y-You think I'm Satsuki? D-Don't make me laugh!"**

As Satsuki lowered her hand from her face Ryuko let out an involuntary gasp as Satsuki's blue eyes were replaced by familiar multicolored rings of red, orange, yellow and blue. Taking another step towards Ryuko, her gait more steady and proper as time passed, Satsuki began chuckling, **"S-Satsuki is gone…I-It's just me now…"**

Beads of sweat dripping down her face as Satsuki walked towards her, a faint aura of blue surrounding her body, Ryuko steadied her footing and asked, "Quit screwing around! If you're not Satsuki then who the hell are you?"

"**A-A human like you asking me such stupid questions,"** Satsuki's multicolored eyes narrowed dangerously as she picked Bakuzan off the ground. Pausing momentarily before continuing she added, **"H-Humans are nothing more than food for Life Fibers and Kamui. Y-You are unworthy of Senketsu, Ryuko Matoi…"**

Ryuko barely had enough time, even with her newly restored strength, to bring her Scissor Blade up to block Satsuki's Bakuzan. As wisps of red and blue energy exploded off them, Ryuko had a feeling things had just gotten much, much worse.

"**N-Now die..."**

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Tatsuki Arisawa spat out a mixture of blood and saliva as she regained consciousness after slamming back-first into the ground. Rolling onto her stomach as a series of coughs wracked her body Tatsuki looked around at the fallen bodies of her allies and grimaced. Even after witnessing the overwhelming power of her opponent she did not know what happened. At the beginning of the fight everything had been going rather well. The collective power of the martial arts clubs, led by her and Mizuho Asano, had been more than enough to push back the Athletic Brigade. The two of them were even winning against Sanageyama despite his so-called Shingantsu's supernatural power.<p>

She should have known things would go to hell the minute it looked like they won.

Distracted by the sound of a low-flying aircraft passing overheard, Tatsuki took her eyes off Sanageyama just long enough for the Athletic Brigade Leader to use her shoulders as a springboard to jump into the air. When she attempted to chase him down and beat the crap out of him for daring to do something so insulting to her, Tatsuki was blinded as a series of multi-colored stars shone from in the air as Sanageyama collided with the white armoire that the unmanned drone had dropped. When the armoire collided with the road and kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke from the impact, Mizuho had been the one to so eloquently say what was on everyone's mind.

"Is that a mecha?"

Standing on the road with one leg propped on the open armoire was Uzu Sanageyama clad in his Blade Regalia Mark III. The newest iteration of his Goku Uniform was no longer colored dark green but instead a mixture of grey and white armor with light green highlights on his legs, hands and shoulders. Above the golden four-pointed stars emblazoned on his chest Sanageyama wore a pointed white mask with a golden visor that covered his entire face. As the last memories before losing consciousness returned to Tatsuki, she remembered Sanageyama gripping his shinai with his armored hands before she felt that same shinai slam into her abdomen with the force of a car.

"Damn…it…" Tatsuki pushed her body up onto shaking elbows as she took in several deep breaths.

The power Sanageyama possessed was staggering. The last time she felt so outclassed was when that pair of arrancar invaded last year but Tatsuki sensed something strange about Sanageyama's Blade Regalia. It was not like the savage or animalistic feeling she got from the arrancar or the quiet and tempered feeling shinigami gave off. This one was different. Staring up at her approaching opponent, most likely looking to finish off the last of the students, Tatsuki glared at him through one closed eye and scowled, "You're a cheating son of a bitch."

"I see you are still conscious," Sanageyama propped his shinai under Tatsuki's chin and used it to push her head up so she could stare him in the eyes.

He had to give Tatsuki and Mizuho credit where it was due. Sanageyama was positive that if his Goku Uniform had not arrived the moment it did he would have lost. The coordination between them had been frighteningly effective. They covered their openings so thoroughly that while his Shingantsu could tear apart their movements he could not exploit their weaknesses without leaving himself open in return. Scarred eyes narrowing inside his helmet Sanageyama added, "You are truly deserving of the title – Second Strongest Girl in Japan. I dare say Lady Satsuki of one year ago would have fallen to your strength. For that I envy you, Tatsuki Arisawa."

"I remember Satsuki Kiryuin," Tatsuki found Sanageyama's patronizing voice growing increasingly annoying by the second. If she was defeated she didn't want to hear an entire speech. Gathering up as much energy as she could, she managed to force her body onto its knees, "She was a stuck up bitch that always seemed to have a frown on her face. And you want to know something else, you blind bastard? She only won because my broken arm disqualified me. Up until that point I was winning!"

Sanageyama's face scrunched up in anger at Tatsuki's words. Bringing his shinai above his head and clasping the hilt firmly in both hands he shouted, "Do not dare to speak so lowly of Lady Satsuki, Tatsuki Arisawa! You were a worthy adversary whose skills should be commended so I shall finish this quickly! MEN!"

Tatsuki closed her eyes as Sanageyama sung his shinai down at her head. She knew this was the end but no matter what Tatsuki was not going to give Sanageyama the satisfaction of hearing her beg for her life. When the sound of wood smacking against steel instead of her skull echoed throughout the area Tatsuki opened her eyes and was stunned to see a massive figure dressed in an entirely black uniform blocking the shinai between his crossed forearms.

"Are you alright Miss Arisawa?" The man grunted as he struggled against the strength of Sanageyama's Blade Regalia, "I hope I was not too late."

Tatsuki stared at the man who saved her life before wincing as a lance of pain radiated up her side. Holding her hand weakly against her ribs Tatsuki bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. Turning his head around just far enough to look at Tatsuki, the man frowned and added, "Your determination is admirable but you have several broken ribs. It would be unwise to continue moving. Allow me to end this fight and I shall take you to the hospital."

"End the fight?" Sanageyama pressed down on the man with his shinai. As the concrete began to crack and dent under the man's feet Sanageyama noticed the symbol stitched on the man's breast and shouted, "You may be a nudist but do you think you have any chance of defeating me?"

"I do not deal with possibilities!"

Alex Louis Armstrong let out a roar as he shifted his stance and uncrossed his arms. As Sanageyama stumbled backwards from the sudden movement he was unprepared for the lightning fast steel gauntlet smashing into his faceplate with enough force to crack the golden material. Standing in front of his opponent with his sleeves rolled up his forearms and exposing the twin steel gauntlets with the Armstrong family seal etched on them, Armstrong took a deep breath and said, "Do you possess no shame? Attacking a defenseless opponent is simply unmanly!"

Quickly recovering from the unexpectedly strong attack, Sanageyama took the opportunity to leap away. His Blade Regalia might be powerful but the man in front of him had smashed through its armor with his fist. He was not delusional enough to think his Goku Uniform made him invincible and the fact the man somehow managed to avoid his Shingantsu was worrying. Deciding on a course of action that would undoubtedly lead to victory, Sanageyama pointed his shinai at Armstrong, "What is your name, nudist?"

"You wish to know my name?"

Armstrong gripped his military coat with one hand before tearing it off his body and exposing his well-defined and chiseled upper body. Flexing his muscles as purple stars surrounded him Armstrong introduced himself, "I am Alex Louis Armstrong, former Major in the United States armed forces and the current Major General of Nudist Beach. With this body, sculpted through years of service and sacrifice, I shall end the Kiryuin's stranglehold on humanity's future. The grip of Life Fibers on humanity's destiny shall forever be shattered!"

Sanageyama was ecstatic at the opportunity before him. Here was one of the highest ranking members of Nudist Beach. Defeating him would make Lady Satsuki's mother believe they were all loyal to Life Fibers, allowing Satsuki to assassinate her mother when the time was right. Hidden thrusters sliding out of his Blade Regalia before bursting into life, Sanageyama felt power course through his body as he rocketed towards Armstrong, "It was a mistake to face me, you nudist! Now fall beneath the might of my mighty wooden sword! KOTE!"

Moving so fast that his movements seemed to mimic teleportation to the untrained eye Sanageyama slid behind Armstrong before swinging his shinai at the larger man's wrist. To his immense shock Armstrong not only spun around to avoid it but he also slammed his elbow into Sanageyama's stomach hard enough to cause the Athletic Committee Chair to gag.

"I can see that you are not only shocked by my ability to avoid your attack but also that I managed to counter it," Armstrong started walking towards Sanageyama as he raised his arms into a modified martial arts stance, "As the invincible bulwark that stands between humanity and Life Fibers it is my sacred duty to withstand everything I encounter. You should feel honored, Uzu Sanageyama, for what I am about to show you. This martial arts style has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations! It would be wise to give up and surrender."

"Surrender? Don't make me laugh!" Sanageyama grinned as he realized he was facing an opponent powerful enough to give his Blade Regalia a challenge. Gripping his shinai with both hands he lamented the fact he probably would not be able to test his powers against Matoi or Ichigo before the next phase of Satsuki's plan began. Swinging his shinai through the air, Sanageyama took a moment to calm down before continuing, "This fight has only begun, Armstrong. Do you think I would simply give up because you are strong? This will be the perfect –"

Sanageyama found himself cut off as a massive column of blue light and energy shot up into the sky to the east. Turning to face the disturbance, Sanageyama immediately recoiled upon sensing the familiarity within it. It was easy enough to tell that the energy belonged to Lady Satsuki's Kamui but there was something sinister about what he was feeling. Sanageyama did his best to figure out why it felt so wrong but it was like trying to mix oil and water together. All his Shingantsu could tell him was that Satsuki was in trouble.

Just a few meters away Armstrong had also noticed the energy but was worried for different reasons. While the energy was most certainly coming from a Kamui Armstrong knew it could not be Ryuko's Senketsu. That could only mean she was facing Satsuki Kiryuin but there was something inherently disturbing about the energy. Shivering as a brief wave of coldness pierced through his heart, Armstrong steadied himself and focused his attention on Sanageyama, "It seems that something important has come up so you'll have to forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'll try not to hurt you too badly."

"I could say the same to you!" Sanageyama roared as his Blade Regalia began glowing with a green aura. He could not afford to hold back any more now that Lady Satsuki was potentially in trouble. If the evil feeling he felt was accurate she needed his help immediately. As the energy flowing through his body reached a crescendo Sanageyama rushed forward with his shinai already swinging down towards Armstrong, "This end here, nudist!"

Armstrong's muscles tensed and his blue eyes narrowed as he watched Sanageyama rocket towards him. Clenching his fist tightly enough that the steel gauntlet covering it creaked in protest, the Major General of Nudist Beach waited until Sanageyama was already dedicated to attacking him before ducking forward and countering with a powerful uppercut.

From the information Nudist Beach managed to gather on Honnouji Academy and brief time he'd been fighting Sanageyama Armstrong managed to discover a second weakness to his opponent's Shingantsu. Kinue Kinagase had been more than willing to report that it could be bypassed by an opponent with superior speed and reflexes but there was a second and much more lethal weakness that could be exploited by someone not wearing a Kamui. That weakness had nothing to do with Life Fibers or Goku Uniforms. It simply came down to basic fighting. Someone wielding a sword or shinai like Sanageyama would always need a split second longer to attack. While his Blade Regalia grants him a massive speed boost against an adversary of equal skill such a weakness is easily exploited…and Armstrong was far more experienced and battle-hardened than anyone Sanageyama had ever faced before in his life.

"Do not underestimate the strength and conviction of an Armstrong!"

As his eyes gleamed with a malevolent yellow color, Armstrong's fist not only smashed through Sanageyama's shinai but also connected with his chin with enough power to shatter the Life Fiber armor. Letting out a strangled gasp as he temporarily hovered in the air, spittle flying free from his mouth, Sanageyama was barely able to comprehend what happened before he bounced once against the road before the darkness welcomed him.

"He managed to remain conscious for several seconds. His Goku Uniform must be exceptionally durable," Armstrong took a deep breath before turning around to a stunned and still conscious Tatsuki. Walking over and picking her up as gently as possible, he began making his way back to Karakura General Hospital while ignoring Tatsuki's protests to let her down. Letting out another sigh, Armstrong wondered what it was about children these days that made them act so belligerently.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>As the column of blue spiritual energy produced by the Gezielt Sprenger slowly died away, allowing the morning light to return to normal, Uryu Ishida was already moving onto the next stage of his plan. Dealing with Nonon Jakuzure had taken a lot more time and effort than he anticipated. The resistance her Symphony Regalia had to his Quincy abilities had forced him to waste nearly an entire hour just to set up an attack with enough power to damage Nonon. Uryu had no delusions that he had actually defeated her. The best he could hope for was that Gezielt Sprenger had injured Nonon enough that she could not continue fighting.<p>

"Even so, Jakuzure forcing me to use Gezielt Sprenger was not something I anticipated," Uryu's eyes narrowed in contemplation before wincing. As much as he tried to ignore it, Nonon's punch hurt rather badly. Ignoring the fact Nonon could somehow bypass his blut, even though it was still far from perfect and needed practice, Uryu pondered if he had the strength to fight Satsuki Kiryuin.

In the ten months since Sosuke Aizen's defeat Uryu had not neglected his training. The mastermind behind many of their problems may have been dealt with but his humiliating defeats and losses forced Uryu to consider that his current training regimen was inadequate. Instead of simple training his Quincy powers Uryu also began physically training his body as well. His stamina had always been one of his weaker aspects and if another enemy decided to attack Karakura Town, Uryu needed to be sure he had the endurance to fight for a protracted period of time.

From the slight loss of breath he was currently experiencing Uryu was glad to see his training had paid off. A year ago he would have been exhausted barely thirty minutes into the fight. Raising a hand to his chin as he wondered how Life Fibers were able to negate his attacks and techniques, Uryu once again wished Kisuke hadn't disappeared. That man could have easily figured out the connection from the Life Fibers Uryu managed to procure for him.

Sensing a burst of spiritual pressure from the southeast Uryu immediately recognized it as belonging to Chad, "Satsuki Kiryuin's Goku Uniforms are no joke. To force Chad to use La Muerte is simply astonishing. If Jakuzure hadn't given me the time to set up Gezielt Sprenger I would have lost for sure but there's no time to stand around talking."

The plan he created and that Armstrong had found brilliant was a simple divide and conquer. The first stage called for the systematic paralyzing of the three forces heading towards Karakura Town using a mixture of ambushes and traps. Once the majority of Satsuki's forces were bogged down fighting Nudist Beach or the clubs Tatsuki had gathered together stage two would begin. Uryu, Ryuko, Tatsuki and Chad were to move in and deal with the Elite Four right away. The powers of their Goku Uniforms were well known and Uryu had stressed defeating the Elite Four before they could activate them. It was a dirty move but Uryu was anything if not pragmatic. Once the Elite Four were dealt with then they could move towards subduing Satsuki.

"_I hate to admit it but Ryuko's Senketsu is the only thing capable of defeating Satsuki Kiryuin and her Junketsu."_

Uryu walked in silence through the empty streets as he pondered the situation. Yoruichi and Tessai would have been helpful in taking down Satsuki but with Nui Harime, and subsequently Ragyo Kiryuin, finding out about Orihime's powers they were standing constant vigilance over her. No one was to get in or out of Kisuke's shop without their permission. Yoruichi said she fought Nui Harime before so if the Grand Couturier decided to show up she was certain she could fight her off long enough for Tessai to take Orihime to safety. No one wanted a repeat of when Aizen kidnapped Orihime.

When a burst of power exploded from the south with enough force to cause his hair to whip back, Uryu knew Ryuko had encountered Satsuki. The mixture of blue and red lights in the air confirmed that quickly enough. As he broke into a run, refusing to use Hirenkyaku in order to conserve his spiritual energy, Uryu's eyes widened as the street around him turned a vibrant purple and pink, "What the –"

"Die you four-eyed bastard!"

Quickly ducking and rolling to the side, Uryu just barely managed to avoid the heart-shaped beam as it barreled through the air and slammed into the side of a building. Frowning as he watched the building begin to collapse from the damage, Uryu stood back on his feet and summoned his bow without a word, "You are more resilient than I anticipated, Nonon Jakuzure, but you made a mistake in not giving up. I will not be so forgiving a second time."

"That hurt, you four-eyed freak," Nonon Jakuzure floated out from the smoke and dust kicked up by his attack. Although her pink eyes shone with a hatred that made Uryu immediately note he was in a lot of trouble it was clear Gezielt Sprenger had at least done some damage. The once pristine pink and white armor of her Symphony Regalia was cracked and damaged while several sections of her recorder thrusters were missing. Glancing angrily at her woofers, one of which was destroyed, Nonon gnashed her teeth and growled, "You damaged my Symphony Regalia! I won't ever forgive you for that! I'm going to make sure my Prestissimo is the last thing you ever hear!"

"_She managed to survive the full power of Gezielt Sprenger with only minor wounds,"_ Uryu's mind raced quickly as he tried to figure out a definitive course of action as Nonon's woofers began glowing. He couldn't afford to stay and fight Nonon anymore, not when Ryuko had already confronted Satsuki, _"That blast was strong enough to take out someone like Szayelaporro Granz. The resistance from her Life Fibers to my attacks is greater than I thought. Still, I did some damage to her. I'll just have to take advantage of her injured state to trap her long enough to escape and help Ryuko."_

"It appears I underestimated you, Nonon Jakuzure. It is quite impressive that you survived Gezielt Sprenger but I don't have time to waste fighting you any longer," Uryu's bow began glowing with an intense blue light as he gathered as much spiritual energy as he could into it. If he wanted to hold true to his promise to end the fight quickly then he needed to hit Nonon with his strongest heilig pfiel. While gathering the required amount of spiritual energy to actually damage her would cause his rate of fire to drop considerably, in the end it didn't matter. His normal heilig pfiel's weren't nearly strong enough to even scratch her Symphony Regalia.

His blue eyes narrowing dangerous behind his glasses as his heilig pfiel obtained its maximum power, Uryu carefully aimed at Nonon's left woofers in order to destroy her ability to fly. The energy gathering in her woofers was about to reach the same level as the attack that nearly destroyed the Zeichen barrier. Quickening his rate, Uryu pulled his arm back as a massive blue arrow brimming with spiritual energy appeared behind his bow, "Farewell, Nonon Jakuzure. It hasn't been –"

Uryu was cut off as a leg seemingly composed of blue polyhedrons appeared out of nowhere and smashed into the side of his body. As the shock from the attack caused him to lose focus and dispel his bow and heilig pfiel, Uryu's mind only a moment to contemplate how this new enemy managed to sneak up on him before he was catapulted through the air into a nearby building. Shattering the front windows and displays, Uryu's body didn't stop moving until it slammed into the back of the store with a resounding echo.

"It appears my calculations were accurate to within five-sigma."

The rest of his body appearing out of thin air, Houka Inumuta smirked victoriously as he looked into the destroyed storefront. With calculations and data streaming across the interior of his Probe Regalia Mark II, he was glad that he had decided to give his new Goku Uniform a field test. The sporadic satellite coverage of Karakura Town had shown Gamagori's defeat at the hands of Yasutora Sado and Sanageyama was himself on the brink of defeat if his Blade Regalia Mark III hadn't arrived in time. These students of Karakura High School possessed some remarkable powers and Inumuta wished to study them. If he could somehow replicate their abilities then Lady Satsuki's plan to take down her mother would be easier. Hearing the sound of rockets approaching, Inumuta turned towards Nonon, "I believe this is the part where you thank me. I did just save your Symphony Regalia from severe damage, you know."

"Bite me!" Nonon shouted loudly even though she was right next to him. Uryu's Gezielt Sprenger had temporarily damaged her hearing and although her Symphony Regalia was helping, it would be a few minutes until everything was back to normal. Seething as she stared towards where Uryu was waiting for them, a calculating look on the young Quincy's face, Nonon clenched her hands angrily, "Stay out of this Doggy! This four-eyed freak is mine!"

Inumuta took Nonon's scathing remark in stride. He had been working with her long enough to know when she was truly angry at someone or simply acting angry to keep up appearances. He knew without a doubt she was grateful for his sudden and unexpected assistance even if every word coming out of her mouth was a sarcastic comment. While the screen inside his Probe Regalia switched to infrared in order to keep track of Uryu's body heat, Inumuta looked over Nonon's Goku Uniform, "I'm impressed Uryu Ishida's attack managed to damage your Symphony Regalia. The data I collected during the previous hour suggested his abilities were useless against Goku Uniforms."

"His stupid arrows weren't even working until he tried using that stupid Quincy something," Nonon answered in a loud tone. Hovering in midair, her legs crossed over themselves as she proceeded to mimic sitting, Nonon blew a strand of pink hair out of her eyes and growled in annoyance. As weak as Uryu's attacks were against her, what he was doing was just plain impossible! He was using supernatural abilities without a hint of Life Fibers in his clothing.

Turning towards Inumuta, who had begun to use his Probe Regalia's processors to go over the data he collected while Uryu was preoccupied, she spat on the ground and asked in a shouting voice, "Hey! Did you figure out how he could fire those arrows of his without Life Fibers?"

"Not yet," Inumuta answered as he watched scenes from Nonon's fight against Uryu scroll along his screens, "All I've managed to figure out is that Uryu Ishida uses a foreign energy to create his arrows and attacks. More data is required before I can draw any further conclusions."

"More data, you say?" Nonon smirked deviously as her woofers crackled into life. If Inumuta needed his stupid data to figure out what the hell was going on than Nonon was more than willing to beat the crap out of Uryu. She owed the four-eyed bastard that much at least. Before she could move more than a few feet, however, Nonon was forced onto the ground as a massive wave of energy exploded from the south.

"The fuck…"

Nonon was on her hands and knees on the ground while Inumuta was barely able to stand as a column of blue energy exploded into the sky from just over ten blocks to the south of them. It wasn't the energy that was causing them to feel this way but the source – Junketsu. Something was seriously wrong with Satsuki's Kamui and if Junketsu was acting up than that could only mean Satsuki was in trouble. Pushing herself back into the air once the strange feeling passed, Nonon looked to where Satsuki had to be and shouted, "Lady Satsuki is in trouble!"

"Go help her," Inumuta answered without a hint of playfulness to his voice. With his attention firmly locked on Uryu, he doubled his calculation speed as he continued, "You can make it there faster than I can. I'll keep Uryu Ishida occupied while you help Lady Satsuki."

Nonon didn't utter a word as she gave Inumuta a serious nod before blasting off southward through the morning sky. While his sensors continuously tracked Nonon's position over Karakura Town using GPS, Inumuta took a step towards the destroyed store and commented, "You can come out now, Uryu Ishida. My infrared sensors detected your recovery nearly a minute ago."

Appearing out in the middle of the street a few meters away from Inumuta using Hirenkyaku, Uryu looked worse than he felt. The sneak attack and subsequent crashing through concrete and steel had split his lip open, allowing a river of blood to trail down his face. With one lens of his glasses cracked and useless, Uryu narrowed his eyes as he took several deep breaths, "Both optical and acoustical camouflage? Orihime told us all about your Goku Uniform's techniques but the one you are wearing does not match up with what she said. I take it you were given a new model?"

"How very astute," Inumuta stated with pride. It was always a pleasure to speak with something intellectually his equal. Lady Satsuki had told them Uryu Ishida was as smart and intelligent as her, so there was no reason for Inumuta to speak down to Uryu, "My Probe Regalia Mark II has advanced dampeners. The Life Fibers prevent any sounds I might make from being heard whenever I activate my camouflage."

"You don't say…" Uryu looked over Inumuta to the south. He had felt that brief burst of disturbing energy coming from where Ryuko was fighting Satsuki and from Inumuta's conversation with Nonon they were equally as worried. Briefly lowering his right hand, Uryu took the time to clean his glasses before continuing, "That burst of energy came from where Ryuko was fighting Satsuki Kiryuin. From your reaction I can assume whatever is happening is not part of your plans."

Inumuta smirked before several clones flashed into existence around him, "You must be thinking right now about teaming up to deal with whatever is happening to Lady Satsuki? While I find the idea quite intriguing mostly because it shows you are pragmatic to not allow my affiliation to interfere with dealing with a potential problem, I am most confident that Jakuzure's assistance will be enough. Once I have finished dealing with you I shall go help as well but before that I have a request. During our fight can you please use as many of your 'Quincy' abilities as possible? My Probe Regalia's Supernatural Powers folder is completely empty."

Uryu was briefly reminded of a similar mad scientist's interest in his powers and scowled, "While I would love to banter endlessly back and forth, I ask that you take a look at your left leg and then look at the left leg on all your clones."

Inumuta glanced down at his leg and saw that the Gezielt seal was indeed emblazoned on his Probe Regalia. That did not surprise him because the information he gathered informed him Uryu need nothing more than physical contact to apply the seal. If Uryu could create the seal during the brief instant Jakuzure punched him then it wasn't a leap of faith to assume he did the same during his sneak attack. What shocked him was the lack of the Gezielt seal on his clones, "Why is the seal not on them? I created my clones after you applied the Gezielt seal!"

"I'm surprised you know about that but then again you are Satsuki Kiryuin's information specialist." Uryu reached into his pocket and pulled out a third pair of glasses made of Reika Gin and Reika Garasu, making them nigh unbreakable, "It is a natural law that energy cannot be created out of nothing and the Gezielt seal is nothing but energy. So while you can most certainly mimic the Zeichen's shape you cannot create the energy I placed in it. That means your clones, no matter how perfect they are, stand out like a tree in the plains. As long as I can sense the energy in the Gezielt seal, your camouflage is useless."

Briefly stunned by the ease in which Uryu destroyed his Probe Regalia's offensive ability, Inumuta quickly recovered and gave a condescending chuckle, "Be that as it may it still does not guarantee you victory. The information I've gathered indicates your so-called Quincy powers are nearly useless against Three-Star Goku Uniforms. Even if you can track my movements while I am camouflaged, do you honestly think I will give you enough time to set up another Gezielt Sprenger? I've already removed the five blades you used to set up the previous one and I see no more on your belt."

"What makes you think Uryu is the one you will fight?"

Inumuta twisted around and saw Tsumugu standing behind him with a Carnifex pointed at the back of his head. As he wondered where the nudist had come from, he noticed the displaced manhole in the middle of the street, "Were you hiding this entire time?"

"Let me give you two important pieces of information," Tsumugu's face scrunched up in anger as he adjusted his grip on the Carnifex. Inumuta and his allies had led to many of his friends and colleagues getting hurt this morning and Tsumugu was intent on seeking retribution on the Life Fiber wearing teen, "One, your sensors are easily disabled by the miniature scrambler built into my new armor. Two, I also have a device capable of tracking Uryu's unique energy. That means your Probe Regalia is completely useless…"

"But I'm still faster than you!"

Ducking and spinning around under Tsumugu's Carnifex, Inumuta delivered a series of rapid punches to the nudist's stomach before following up with a kick that sent Tsumugu flying back along the road, "Did you really think that would…"

Inumuta trailed off as he saw Uryu running past him with no intention of stopping. That confusion quickly turned to horror when his sensors picked up several barely noticeable beeps coming from his back. Upon looking over his shoulder and noticing the dozen Spool Grenades plastered to his Probe Regalia Inumuta sputtered, "When did you –"

"Too late!"

Rolling into a crouch, Tsumugu grinned as he turned around and showed Inumuta the dozen carbon nanotube wires attached to his vest that had been connected to the Spool Grenades on his back until he had foolishly kicked the nudist away. As the beeping grew louder and more rapid by the second, Tsumugu got to his feet and took off in a dead sprint away from Inumuta.

Inumuta could do nothing but scream as he was enveloped in a massive and powerful explosion that not only exploded up into the sky but also expanded both ways down the street. As he was thrown through the air by the blast wave, Tsumugu grunted in pain as he slammed painfully into the roof of a parked car, "Damn. That was more powerful than I anticipated. I got to remember to tone down the starch explosives."

Rolling onto his back, wincing as he accidentally put pressure on his injured shoulder, Tsumugu sat up and stared at the dying fireball in front of him. Letting out a snort before spitting on the ground, Tsumugu could not help but grin at his victory. He had not only taken out a Three-Star Goku Uniform but also one belonging to Satsuki Kiryuin's resident hacker. As he hopped off the car onto the road, Tsumugu wondered what Kinue would say when she returned to Japan. In all likelihood she would scold him for taking risks against an opponent he was both slower and weaker than before congratulating him for outwitting Inumuta.

"That was some explosion. If I may ask, how did you know Inumuta would be there?" Uryu appeared next to Tsumugu using Hirenkyaku. The nudist operative, completely unfazed by the technique, reached for a cigarette and lit it before taking a drag from it.

"When you first used your…what was it you called it…Licht Regen against Jakuzure I saw Inumuta approaching from the west. I decided to keep a close eye on him and hid underground until I had an opening," Tsumugu took a deep drag from the cigarette before exhaling. Watching the cloud of smoke rise lazily into the air, Tsumugu frowned and flicked the cigarette away, "Your father's device was rather helpful in tracking the energy your Gezielt seal gave off. Without it I would never have been able to get that close to Inumuta."

"I'm sure Ryuken will appreciate the gratitude," Uryu looked south with narrowed eyes. Adjusting his glasses as he walked away he added, "We should leave before Inumuta recovers. My Gezielt seal is still active, which means his Probe Regalia is intact. Your attack damaged him significantly but I would rather deal with whatever is happening to Satsuki Kiryuin than stick around here."

"Agreed," Tsumugu broke out into a run as he and Uryu headed south, "That burst of energy was similar to what I felt when Matoi lost control of Senketsu during Nui Harime's attack but at the same time this one feels much worse. I have a really bad feeling about it."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<strong>I-Is this all you can do, Ryuko? I-I'm disappointed…"<strong>

Gagging from the hand clasped tightly around her neck, Ryuko coughed and glared down at Junketsu, "W-Why do you want to kill Ichigo?"

After Junketsu managed to wrest control of Satsuki's body and proceeded to attack, the crazed Kamui had made it clear she was going to hunt down Ichigo and kill him. While at the time she had been too busy trying to not get killed by Junketsu's increasingly powerful and lethal attacks, Ryuko had a good idea why the Kamui was intent on finding Ichigo. If Senketsu had told her the truth then Ichigo Life Fiber's inside Junketsu were really screwing with the Kamui's mind. That didn't explain why Junketsu wanted to kill him. Ichigo was the only one that could remove them so why would Junketsu want to murder him?

"**I-Ichigo did this to me…"** Junketsu giggled insanely before the smirk was wiped off her face. Gripping her head with her free hand, her eyes shaking violently as a spasm of pain coursed through her, Junketsu muttered something unintelligible before continuing, **"H-His Life Fibers are trying to erase who I am. I-I can't remember how I was made anymore. F-Father's face is gone. I-I don't want to die. I-Ichigo must die. T-That will stop the pain…"**

Ryuko could not help but feel sorry for Junketsu's predicament as the Kamui rambled on and on. As much as she wanted to be angry at Junketsu Ryuko realized the Kamui was not exactly in the right state of mind given all that's happened to her. Senketsu said that Ichigo's Life Fibers were not properly woven into Junketsu, which meant the Kamui was slowly and steadily losing pieces of her identity the longer they remained inside her. Grasping at the hand around her throat as she tried to loosen the grip Junketsu had on her, Ryuko coughed and asked, "Do you really think Ichigo would have done this to you?"

Junketsu stopped muttering and looked intently at Ryuko with her multihued eyes narrowed dangerously. When she didn't feel the hand around her neck tightening Ryuko took that as a sign to continue, "I know Ichigo. He's a good person. He would never have done this to you. Please Junketsu…let me help you. I'll help you find Ichigo and he'll be able to remove the Life Fibers from your body. I promise –"

Blood splattered on the ground and Ryuko's mouth opened in a silent scream as Junketsu drove Bakuzan straight through her stomach. Gasping in pain, her body already shaking from the shock, Ryuko looked at the blood-dyed blade pierced through her body with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Weakly grabbing onto Bakuzan with her hands, the red Scissor Blade clattering to the ground as she lost her grip on it, Ryuko coughed out blood and muttered, "W-What…"

"_**Hang in there, Ryuko!"**_

"**D-Don't bother, Senketsu. S-She's just a lowly human."** Placing her heel against Ryuko's waist, Junketsu pulled Bakuzan out accompanied by a spray of blood. Watching as Ryuko collapsed to her knees, her eyes shaking as she desperately tried to stem the flow of blood, Junketsu grinned as she raised Bakuzan to deliver the finishing blow, **"I-I won't kill you, Senketsu. O-Once I kill Ryuko I'll find Ichigo. K-Killing Ichigo will make the voices stop…"**

"Lady Satsuki?"

Bakuzan froze in midair as Nonon Jakuzure flew down in front of her. Unable to see Satsuki's changed eyes due to the angle at which she was hovering, Nonon looked down at the gravely injured Ryuko and couldn't understand what was going on. Satsuki's plans had hinged on making the Transfer Student strong enough to assist them when the time was right. She didn't know why Satsuki looked like she was about to kill Ryuko. Moving in front of Satsuki, cutting her off from Ryuko, Nonon looked worriedly at her leader and asked, "What are you doing, Lady Satsuki? This wasn't part of our plan. We were supposed to –"

Nonon gagged as Junketsu grew tired of listening to her and stabbed Bakuzan through her shoulder without a hint of remorse or regret. Pink eyes trembling from the mixture of pain and shock of betrayal, Nonon was so focused on Satsuki's apparent treachery that she didn't even notice Junketsu grab her by the face and slam her against the ground. Pulling Bakuzan out of Nonon's shoulder before kicking the girl away, Junketsu shambled towards the fallen Elite Four with her blade clasped tightly in her hand.

"**S-Stupid human…"** Junketsu's face spread in an insane grin as she spoke. Nonon, who had come to a rest, managed to focus on Satsuki's face and saw that her eyes were no longer the blue she knew, **"H-Humans need to die…"**

"Not so fast, Miss Kiryuin!"

To her credit Junketsu managed to not only react in time to Armstrong's ambush but counter by thrusting Bakuzan at the larger man. Working from years of experience, Armstrong grunted as the Life Fiber blade slid against his chest before he let loose a roar as his fist connected with Junketsu's face with enough force to send the Kamui-possessed teen rocketing backwards through the air until she slammed into a building.

"But you are no longer human, are you Junketsu? You are simply wearing Satsuki Kiryuin's body as if it were your own."

Armstrong looked at the leaking out of the wound on his side without flinching. He had sustained worse injuries in the line of duty so a simply flesh wound was nothing more than a slight inconvenience. What bothered him tremendously was that he had hit Satsuki, or rather Junketsu at this point, with his full power and yet she was uninjured. Glancing down at his gauntlet, the steel plating cracked from the impact against Satsuki's cheek, Armstrong knew they were in trouble. Junketsu had not only effortlessly defeated Ryuko Matoi and Senketsu but also tried to kill one of Satsuki's friends.

"_It appears Junketsu contains not a trace of Satsuki Kiryuin's previous morals or affiliations, which means she will have no compunction about killing any of us."_

They were going to need as much firepower as Nudist Beach could get its hands on if they wanted any chance of getting out of this mess alive and intact. Junketsu's power was truly frightening if she was able to so effortlessly defeat Ryuko and her Kamui. Taking a moment to examine Nonon Jakuzure's wounds Armstrong sighed in relief. It seemed that he had made it in time to prevent Junketsu from doing anything more than stabbing her. Staring into Nonon's quivering eyes, Armstrong knelt next to her and gently said, "I need you to listen to me very carefully and ignore my affiliation to Nudist Beach, Miss Jakuzure. You are going to be fine but I need you to release your Goku Uniform. The strain of its active form on your body is going to aggravate your wounds even further."

For a moment Jakuzure didn't look like she could understand what Armstrong was telling her but after a few seconds her Symphony Regalia vanished in a series of multicolored stars and lights. Lying on the ground clad once more in her blue and gold Three-Star Goku Uniform, it quickly became apparent to Armstrong the true extent of her wounds. The wound in her right shoulder was already staining her Goku Uniform red and she was beginning to go into the beginning stages of shock. She needed medical attention and fast.

"Allow me to offer help."

Armstrong spun around to see Ryuken approaching him with a medical kit. The elder Quincy knelt down next to Nonon and in just a brief instant was able to categorize the true depths of her wounds, "The blade missed the joint and passed clean through the bone. My hospital has the means to help her but she's going to need a blood transfusion within ten minutes."

Ignoring the rumble of energy from where Junketsu was thrown Armstrong looked over his shoulder at Ryuko, "That's good news. What about Ryuko?"

Ryuken's body froze for a moment before he stood up with Nonon Jakuzure held firmly and securely in his arms, "I patched her up before announcing my presence. Her…wounds weren't as extensive as they first appeared. By the time I got to her the amount of blood leaving her body was already lessening. I can only take one person at a time to the hospital. Once I make sure Jakuzure has the proper care I'll come back for Ryuko."

As Ryuken vanished with Nonon using Hirenkyaku Armstrong was forced to cover his eyes as a massive explosion of blue energy destroyed the building in front of him. Smashing his steel gauntlets together as a frown spread across his face, Armstrong brought his arms up into the fabled Armstrong stance, "Do not think I will give up without a fight, Junketsu! I may be human but I'll show you that an Armstrong never backs down and never surrenders!"

"**Y-You think you can hurt me?"** Junketsu staggered out of the rubble with nary a scratch on Satsuki's body. While her multicolored eyes stared insanely at Armstrong her gaze ever so slowly shifted to Ryuko. The human able to wear a Kamui wasn't dead yet and the other human was going to try to stop her from finishing the job. Giggling in anguish as her hand clenched at her head, Junketsu let out a scream before rocketing towards Armstrong, **"I-I'll kill you, you stupid human! T-Then I'll find Ichigo and make the pain go away. N-Now die –"**

"Licht Regen!"

Junketsu was stopped from killing Armstrong as a veritable rain of spiritual arrows slammed down on her location with the force of a small bomb. Appearing a moment later using Hirenkyaku with Tsumugu holding onto his shoulder, Uryu narrowed his eyes as he took in the situation. From his battle against Jakuzure he knew his heilig pfiels would have no effect of Satsuki and her Kamui. In fact, he was sure Gezielt Sprenger would be completely ineffective as well. Deciding that falling into despair would be the worst thing to do, Uryu began charging his heilig pfiels as much as possible before firing them at Junketsu. Upon noticing the different colored eyes staring crazily at him Uryu shouted, "Can someone please explain what exactly is going on?"

"Satsuki Kiryuin lost control of her Kamui," Tsumugu knelt down next to Ryuko, Senketsu already transformed back to his normal school uniform appearance. Snarling at the amount of blood pooled around Ryuko's body, Tsumugu stood up and pulled out his Carnifex. His Sewing Machine Guns would be ineffective against a fully-powered Kamui so he decided to bring something with a little more kick to it, "The creature you see is nothing more than Junketsu wearing Satsuki's body like a set of clothing."

"What?" Uryu gasped before quickly using Hirenkyaku to avoid Junketsu's abrupt surprise attack. Reappearing several meters away with a heilig pfiel already charged, Uryu grimaced when the spiritual arrow slammed against Junketsu and dissipated without even making her flinch, "Damn it. Her resistance to my attacks is even greater than Jakuzure's."

"**H-How did you do that?"** Junketsu tilted her head at Uryu as she tried to figure out how he had moved so quickly without Life Fibers. As she turned towards him, the bloody Bakuzan held tightly in her head, Junketsu was suddenly thrown back several feet as the high-velocity needles fired from Tsumugu's Carnifex slammed into her body.

"She's after Kurosaki," Tsumugu fired all six needles from his Carnifex in quick succession before reaching to his belt and removing the second clip. Frowning in irritation when he saw Junketsu only momentarily fazed by the needles, Tsumugu resumed firing and said, "Before passing out Matoi said Junketsu is hunting for Kurosaki since Satsuki Kiryuin's little helper put his Life Fibers into the Kamui. It's why Junketsu is so god-damned powerful and crazy."

Firing several heilig pfiel at Junketsu in order to keep her pinned down Uryu grimaced and asked, "I don't want to know why Ichigo has Life Fibers in his body. What I do want to know is how we get them out of Junketsu."

Tsumugu looked like he swallowed something sour as he answered, "We need Kurosaki to do that but we cannot wait for him to just magically appear in the nick of time. Major General Armstrong, we need to contact my sister. We need the power of Danketsu to help take down Junketsu before the Kamui destroys Karakura Town."

"The moment I felt this disturbance I contacted Kinue," Armstrong stood guard over Ryuko's unconscious body while he kept his eyes locked firmly on Junketsu, "She's still stuck in the United States. Apparently Ragyo Kiryuin has upped the ante and sent a full assassination squad after her led by one of the most powerful members of Xcution we've ever seen. His skill with various weaponry and tactics is on par with your own but it is his use of Ayatori using Life Fibers that is frightening. He's already chased her from San Francisco up to Seattle without rest over a period of two days."

"Damn," Tsumugu knew Kinue could take care of herself but every member of Xcution was a certified psychopath. Jackie Tristan's loyalty to Ragyo Kiryuin proved that quite thoroughly.

As Uryu slammed the most powerful heilig pfiel he could against Junketsu, Armstrong flinched under the intense wind and shouted, "But fear not Tsumugu! I have already sent an aircraft with enough fuel to fly across the Pacific Ocean several times to the United States. The pilot will fly over Seattle and Kinue will meet him before returning to Osaka. This man may be strong and cunning but Kinue assures me he cannot fly."

"**S-Stop getting in my way,"** Junketsu shouted as she swung Bakuzan through the air, knocking Uryu away. As his body slammed painfully into a building, a trail of blood falling down his face, Uryu saw Junketsu falling through the air towards him. With a manic and pained smile on her face, Junketsu swung Bakuzan down to bisect Uryu vertically only to suddenly shift her attention and use her blade to block a white and red armored fist.

"La Muerte!"

With his left arm clashing for dominance against Bakuzan, Chad released a burst of spiritual energy that exploded outwards with enough force to create an imprint of a skull on the ground below. Landing in a crouch in the middle of the newly damaged street with barely a mark on her body, Junketsu snarled as Chad landed several meters away. With both his Brazo Derecho de Gigante and Brazo Izquierda de Diablo at their maximum power, Chad was determined to prevent anyone from dying. Barely stumbling as his wounds from his battle against Gamagori caught up to him, Chad brought his arms up into a boxing stance and asked, "…what's going on?"

"**M-More humans standing in my way,"** Junketsu held her head with both hands as she both cried and laughed, **"I-I can't remember why I was created anymore. I-I need to find Ichigo. I-I'll kill him and then everything will be better. E-EVERYTHING! Z-Zenkan!"**

The explosion of energy from Junketsu as she effortlessly changed into her battle configuration was powerful enough that Chad was actually blown a couple of feet back by it. Sweating nervously as Junketsu stood in her Zanken transformation once more, Chad swallowed the lump as a sense of wrongness permeated the air. He had no idea what was going on but he knew whatever Satsuki Kiryuin was trying to do had to be bad.

"**I-I'll make this as painful as possible…T-Tenrai Kagai!"**

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #23 – A Massive Headache<strong>

_**Warranty: Just to keep you in suspense, events in this omake might have happened in a similar way. Bazz-B DID need to pick up Sternritter to accompany him. The way that they were picked, however, is not what happens below with 100% accurate. So do not think he's already chosen the 2-3 fellow Sternritter to help him. Enough said.  
><strong>_

Bazz-B sat on the outer steps of Silbern with his head propped against his hand. Absentmindedly tapping the pen in his other hand against the ground, the normally hot-tempered Sternritter was trying to narrow down the list of fellow Sternritter to only two or three. While a normally easy thing to do he had run into a major issue. Instead of focusing on whose powers and abilities would be the most useful in the mission His Majesty assigned to him, Bazz-B was now focusing on who would not fuck things up too badly. On the notebook, which he confiscated from Gremmy who has a whole room of them to dedicate to sharpening his imagination, Bazz-B had already crossed off several of his associates.

_**Loyd/Royd – **__Power mimicry would be useful but the fucking Grand Couturier is immune to his abilities…can't mimic Life Fibers anyway. Completely useless and will just die pathetically._

_**Pepe**__ – Seems the Grand Couturier has a whole love-hate thing. Can't tell if his infatuation will make her hate him or love him. Might bring along just to get the fat fucker killed. He's a pain in the ass._

_**Driscoll – **__Needs to kill to get stronger. He'll probably try to kill our allies. Wouldn't be surprised if Ichigo or someone else takes him out. Would be hilarious to see his face when their blades tear him apart._

_**As Nodt – **__Fear might actually be useful but there's no way to see if it will work on Life Fibers. Probably not, besides would be annoying to hear his creepy voice all the time._

_**Gremmy –**__ No_

**_Mask -_**_His strength would be useful but he won't take Nui seriously. Will probably get killed in one stroke. Does James's regeneration work if cut by Life Fiber blade? Don't know._

_**Giselle**__ – Her zombies would be useful for fighting but Ragyo Kiryuin can use Mental Refitting to strip away her control. Should bring camera to take picture of her shocked face. Life Fibers might also make the human immune to Gigi's powers._

_**Nianzol –**__ His spatial powers would be useful in combat but Life Fiber regeneration will limit his offensive powers. Don't really know if the Scissor Blade (still a stupid name) can break through his powers but it probably can._

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

Bazz-B looked over his shoulder and immediately a frown developed on his face upon seeing all five female members of the Sternritter making their way towards him. As his mind tried to piece together what the hell they wanted with him Candice Catnipp, better known by the moniker of "The Thunderbolt," used her ability to instantly appear next to him and snatch the notebook out of his hands. Growling in anger as an aura of fire surrounded him Bazz-B stood up with flames licking his fingers and shouted furiously, "You have some nerve, Candice! Give me one good reason, one fucking good reason, why I shouldn't just torch your ass!"

"We heard His Majesty assigned you a mission in the World of the Living," Candice tossed the notebook carelessly over her shoulder, where Giselle was waiting to jump in the air and catch it. Huffing indignantly as she placed her hands on her hips, Candice leaned forward with a pissed off expression on her face and scoffed, "We also heard His Majesty is allowing you to be the one to pick and choose who goes with you."

The aura of flame diminishing around him until it was just a faint shimmer in the air, Bazz-B scratched at his ear and asked, "Is there a point to all this? Shooting the breeze with you is low on my list of crap I want to do…fuck!"

Bazz-B stepped back as a bolt of lightning shot from Candice's fingers before striking near his feet, "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

Recovering from the unwarranted attack, Bazz-B frowned and flipped his hand through the air dismissively, "That's because I haven't decided who I'm going to bring, smart ass. This isn't exactly a mission where spiritual energy and pressure determines who wins, you know. The people we're going to be fighting are resilient to Quincy powers. I need people whose abilities would be better suited for helping rather than killing."

"Aw…I can't come?" Giselle frowned childishly as she found the page in the notebook with her name on it. Quickly reading over what Bazz-B wrote, her expression changed into something slightly sinister, "What do you mean my zombies won't work…and why would you bring a camera?"

Looking over Giselle's shoulder into the notebook, Meninas McAllon blinked twice before asking, "It appears that you don't have any trust in our abilities, Bazz-B. Do you really think we're all as weak as shinigami?"

Candice was of a similar mindset and for once in her life she found herself on the same side of an argument when it came to the topic of Giselle's powers. Usually she wouldn't go anywhere near Giselle when she was injured. Giselle's creepy tendency to want to use her blood to heal their wounds freaked Candice out to no end, "I can't believe I'm actually saying this but Giselle's powers would be perfect! She can send a few zombies and we can be done with this whole mess. I mean, how strong could these humans be? Sure they have Life Fibers but they're still human. We just aim anywhere but their clothes and they're dead!"

"Wow…" Liltotto bit down on the bag of chips in her hands so she could sarcastically clap at Candice, "You must have hit your head or something because I've never heard you say anything nice about Gigi's powers."

Bazz-B didn't say anything for a few seconds as he ran a hand through his Mohawk, "Jugo got permission from His Majesty to show me what I'll be fighting against. Believe me when I say this but none of you have any fucking clue the powers these people have. If you think Life Fibers are something you can just avoid then you're going to die very quickly. You remember how injured Quilge was? That was from Ichigo Kurosaki's punches. His Kamui or whatever the hell he calls it is able to fucking ignore our blut like it's not even there."

Bambietta Basterbine, who up until this point hadn't felt the need to say anything, decided to give her input, "So just don't stay anywhere near him. My Reishi Bombs can easily blow these people up without risking getting near them. You better not be lying to us just to earn favor with His Majesty."

"Let me tell you something. These people Ichigo Kurosaki are fighting scare the piss out of me," Bazz-B pointed angrily at Candice before reaching into his uniform. The limited Daten His Majesty had on Revocs came with a few photographs. One of which was of Nui Harime, "See this girl? Her name is Nui Harime and she's the Grand Couturier of Revocs but what scares the crap out of me is that if all five of you were to try and fight her she'll kill you without breaking a sweat. She has Menina's super strength, Candice's speed and fuck me she has Giselle's zombie powers."

"Huh?" Giselle cocked her head to the side but anyone familiar enough with her knew the posture was anything but cute. She was finding Bazz-B's words not only confusing but incredibly insulting, "My zombies are perfect. There's no one else in the world that can do what I can do!"

"You're right about that. Nui Harime's zombies are much, much worse," Bazz-B remembered the clip of the Mentally Refitted people and shivered. If Ragyo Kiryuin was a woman His Majesty was afraid of directly fighting than he shouldn't go charging in all hot-blooded, "She uses something called Mental Refitting. Instead of blood she uses Life Fibers to ensnare dozens, if not hundreds, of people to her will. They don't even have to be dead for it to work. It's like someone took our abilities and decided to make someone with all of them."

Without saying another word Bazz-B turned around and left the five women in order to go and find someplace to rest and relax. He needed some peace and quiet before his headache developed into a full-blown migraine. He was sure that by now every single Sternritter knew of his mission, which meant every one of them would be asking for him to take them. Grumbling several choice curses under his breath at his misfortune, Bazz-B headed towards the one place no one would dare look for him – his chambers.


	36. Chapter 36: You Wear It Well

_So here is chapter 36 and the introduction of a new character. Now, I didn't give his name for good reason but his inclusion is to help show that Kamui are not invincible. Even a fully powered and synchronized Kamui and its wearer can be taken down if they underestimate their opponents. This chapter is also the final chapter in the Karakura Town Occupation Arc. The next chapter starts the Festival Arc, which I promise you will be both awesome to read and cause you to curse Ragyo from the bottom of your souls. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review at the end!_

_So as always I would like to remind you that this story has a tvtropes page! (under To My Death I Fight so should be easy to find). If you have the time to spend hours clicking through the entirety of tvtropes have fun...but make sure to stop by my page first and add anything you feel is missing. There is always room for improvement after all._

_I also have a thread on Spacebattles (a forum) that has more than 2000 posts. It is where I post my updates to each chapter as well as character bios, backgrounds and information that you might not find in my main story. I actually posted 1.000+ word histories of Jackie Tristan, Riruka and Yukio on Spacebattles so take a look when you can. I promise you won't be disappointed._

_This chapter also puts my total word count above 1.000.000 words. Hurrah!  
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><p><strong>Chapter 36 – You Wear It Well<strong>

Kinue Kinagase grimaced as she adjusted the winter jacket around her body as she blended into the crowd surrounding her. Winter had come early to Seattle with the first snowstorm had hit the city the day before her arrival. Walking through the inch high snow blanketing the city Kinue looked around and easily saw out of the crowd of shoppers and tourists walking alongside her that she was the only one not shivering from the subzero temperature. One of the benefits of being permanently merged to Danketsu was that despite the minimalistic appearance the Kamui easily kept her wearer from succumbing to hypothermia. As she put her hands into her jacket's pockets Kinue listened to Danketsu's complaints with the strain of maintaining her normal emotionless expression evident in her blue eyes. Clenching her hands together as Danketsu's feelings of apparent treachery and betrayal pierced into her mind, Kinue mentally replied to her Kamui that she was doing this for the good of both of them.

After her infiltration of Honnouji Academy and subsequent conversation with Ichigo and Mugetsu she had vowed to never wear anything to cover Danketus's upper body again. Years of ignoring Danketsu as a living thing with her own thoughts and feelings have done nothing but damage both of their lives and Kinue was determined to make things right again. The circumstances that she currently found herself in, however, were so extreme that she had apologized profusely to Danketsu before putting the jacket over the Kamui. Wincing slightly in pain as the headache she had been carrying since entering the city momentarily intensified, Kinue looked sullenly into the bleak and overcast sky before muttering, "…How did he get here before me?"

Her mission to assassinate Shukurou Tsukishima had veered sharply off course even before she arrived at San Francisco. Kinue didn't know how he was able to find out she was coming but upon her arrival at San Francisco International Airport she found an entire army of Mentally Refit soldiers waiting for her on the tarmac before immediately opening fire. She considered herself lucky that Danketsu's defense, which was the strongest of the four Kamui, enabled her to ignore the bullets as she focused on taking down Tsukishima, which turned out to be highly annoying. The son of a bitch had led her through a long chase in downtown San Francisco, forcing her to cut down any Mentally Refitted human along the way, before she finally cornered him on Alcatraz with the members of the San Francisco Police Department still under his control. He had tried to barter his freedom with her by offering several pieces of information about the raiment belonging to his fellow Xcution members but Kinue would hear none of it. Forcing her way through the police without killing any of them Kinue had briefly engaged Tsukishima before piercing her Genji Blade through his heart.

Back then, as she stood over Tsukishima's cooling corpse while fires raged throughout the city in the distance, Kinue thought things would finally die down. Without Tsukishima to keep his Mental Refitting active the people he had controlled would regain their free will and cease coming after her. Kinue even silently mused that Nudist Beach might even get an influx of recruits from those that Tsukishima controlled. She wasn't prepared for the immediate and lethal retaliatory force Ragyo Kiryuin sent her way the very next day.

The squad of so-called 'Revocs Anti-Nudist Personnel' had been easy enough for her to deal with using Danketsu's superior power. It was their leader that forced Kinue to flee San Francisco and head north to Seattle. She had thought her brother was a tactical and trap-making genius but this man, a member of Xcution from the symbol on his clothing, put Tsumugu to shame. In their very first encounter she had almost immediately fallen into several of his traps, which used her own Nudist Beach Anti-Life Fiber technology, and had only managed to escape due to Danketsu's ability to detect her opponent's raiment with high precision. Quickly fleeing the scene using her Funsha configuration as soon as she escaped the last trap, Kinue had immediately called Armstrong and requested an emergency evacuation at the Nudist Beach Foreign Operations Base in Seattle, Washington.

Upon fleeing San Francisco to rendezvous in Seattle Kinue saw to her frustration that her opponent was easily able to keep up with her using a variety of military vehicles. The first day had involved a midair fight between her and the Apache helicopter he had somehow commandeered. She had only managed to escape by severing the primary rotor and forcing the helicopter to crash violently on the ground but as she flew away Kinue had seen her pursuer calmly walking away from the crash with not a single scratch on him. Even from the distance she was from him Kinue could sense the confident smirk on his masked face, which was the only sign she needed to quickly and immediately fly straight upwards to avoid the bleach-tipped rockets fired from a hidden Cold War missile silo on the ground.

After that nearly fatal encounter Kinue had decided to immediately head to Seattle without worrying about her opponent. He had already demonstrated the uncanny ability to spontaneous build complicated and efficient Anti-Life Fiber traps and Kinue wasn't going to allow him to dictate the direction of their fights any longer. Veering to the west and passing through Willamette Mission State Park, where she managed to finally lose him in the dense woods, Kinue had forced herself to rest for several hours. Even with the enhanced stamina and endurance Danketsu granted her, the nearly thirty hours she'd been awake was starting to affect her mentally. Her opponent was not someone she could afford to fight with a sleep-deprived mind.

"_**That asshole is somewhere nearby. He's fucking toying with us!"**_ Danketsu's annoyed voice managed to snap Kinue out of her reminiscing. Tucking her chin down into her jacket in order to better mimic looking cold, Kinue's eyes diligently scanned the crowd of people surrounding her. She had a somewhat good idea of what her opponent's body and facial structure was like but his mask and hat prevent her from seeing his eye and hair colors. It did not help that ever since entering Seattle Danketsu had done nothing but complain to her about everything the Kamui could think of. It was only due to years of learning how to control her emotions that Kinue prevented any of Danketsu's emotions from bleeding over the mental connection.

"Given that he arrived hours before us it is likely that he's managed to turn the entire city into a trap. Simply being diligent and sticking as low to the ground as possible until the transport arrives will minimize the probability of setting off any of his traps," Kinue paused as she considered that particular scenario. If coming to Seattle was one enormous trap it stands to reason that he expected her to trigger it even if she was already aware. That meant her opponent must have known this was her destination all along. Either there was a mole in Nudist Beach, which the General made damn well sure wasn't the case, or her pursuer had one hell of an information network.

"_**And you think this fucker will just let you leave?"**_ Kinue could literally feel the sarcasm dripping off her Kamui's voice, _**"I thought your brother was prepared for anything but this guy is just insane! How the hell could anyone set up traps hours ahead of time? It fucking confuses the hell out of me!"**_

Kinue stopped in mid-stride and quickly looked across the street. For just a moment she had been sure someone was watching her but she couldn't see anyone acting suspicious. Scanning the crowd one final time before continuing to walk, Kinue pondered Danketsu's question before answering, "No, if I was allowed to escape without setting off a trap I'd be greatly surprised. The fact that I haven't run into him since arriving suggests he is up to something. I cannot afford to let my guard down. His raiment's already shown to have lethal offensive abilities and I don't doubt he showed that to me for a reason."

"_**What are you talking about?"**_

"He wanted me to see how skilled he was with Ayatori so that I would focus entirely on that particular ability," Kinue raised a hand to her chin and narrowed her eyes, "If that is the case, I suggest – "

"Excuse me, ma'am? You appear to be lost. I've been in this city for some time so might I suggest visiting Colman Park? I heard it's lovely this time of year. Much better than anything San Francisco has to offer," The overly polite voice speaking fluent Japanese stopped Kinue's train of thought. Turning around, her hand drifting toward her Genji Blade, Kinue found herself standing a few feet away from the masked face of her relentless pursuer. Giving her a sly grin, the man leaned forward and waved at her with a gloved hand in a mock greeting, "Hi…"

"From the stunned look on your face I see you're curious why your Kamui wasn't able to detect my raiment. The thing is…I'm not wearing my raiment right now." The member of Xcution smirked proudly at the slight widening of Kinue's eyes. It pleased him to see the muted expression of shock adorn her face, "I can see you know what that means. If I hadn't introduced myself a moment ago you would never have known I was there."

Kinue didn't say anything as she stared silently at the amused man. She had considered him doing something similar to what he did in order to avoid Danketsu Life Fiber sensing. The man's intelligence precluded him from making such stupid mistakes. The question on her mind right now, however, was why he would appear in front of her completely vulnerable. Danketsu was telling her that the man wasn't wearing his raiment, which meant he wasn't lying about that, but he would not have introduced himself unless…

"…this is the trap," Kinue's soft muttering caused the smirk on the man's face to widen considerably. Apparently he was quite pleased to see that she was able to figure it out so quickly. Slowly drawing her red Genji blade from the newly fastened sheath along the small of her back Kinue said, "This was your goal the entire time. You knew I would blindly follow Danketsu as she tracked the Life Fibers in your raiment. All the while you would have free reign to spy and follow me to your heart's content. Who are you?"

The man chuckled as he reached into the pocket of his green jacket. As he found what he was looking for, the man pulled his hand out and flipped it around, "My name isn't important. What I have in my pocket, on the other hand, is something I think you'll find more important than knowing my name."

On the picture in the man's hand was the interior of an empty warehouse but what made Kinue grit her teeth in suppressed rage was what she could see on it – dozens upon dozens of men, women and children tied together on the ground surrounded by at least several tons of C4 and other explosives, "So that's your game. You truly are a coward to bring innocent people into this."

"Thank you, for that is truly the highest praise you can give me." The man gave Kinue a mocking bow as he put the picture back in his pocket, "But allow me to correct you. Whether these people live or die is entirely up to you. If you hadn't killed Tsukishima after taking down Jackie Tristan than Lady Ragyo wouldn't have decided to send me after you. Whether these one hundred and fourteen people live or die is up to you…Kinue Kinagase."

Kinue didn't hesitate as she pulled her Genji blade entirely free of its sheath and pointed it directly at the man's throat, "How do you know my name? I would talk if I were you. The last two members of Xcution who thought they could beat me ended up sorely mistaken."

The lack of any sort of response from the pedestrians walking past them alerted Kinue to one of the most insidious effects of Life Fibers and why she was working to bring down Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs. Even with her attention focused squarely on the man standing in front of her Kinue could see the Revocs logos on every single person. All clothing manufactured by Revocs contained just the barest trace of Life Fibers and while Kinue had no delusions as to why Ragyo would do something like that it was their secondary effect that made her sick. The Life Fibers in Revocs clothing could literally eat a person's memories. Kinue didn't know why Life Fibers could do this and Danketsu was adamant about being in the dark as well. Most of humanity was in the dark about the war raging for their freedom and it angered Kinue to see people so willingly dooming their species to extinction.

"Let's not be too hasty. Killing me will only make things worse." The man held his gloved hands up in a placating gesture even as his voice carried a hint of condescension. Both of them knew he held all the cards so whether she was able to save the hostages or not rested entirely on if she was willing to listen to him talk, "The explosives are connected via a dead man's switch to my heart rate. Killing or knocking me out will trigger the monitor to detonate not only those explosives but the four other stockpiles I've scattered throughout the city. You were willing to cut down anyone to get to Tsukishima but I wonder if you can survive tens of thousands of deaths on your conscience. I am more than willing to give you the address of the warehouse but something about you is bothering me…"

The man turned away from Kinue and began pacing back and forth as he stroked his chin, "Lady Ragyo allowed me to see the battles concerning Junketsu, Mugetsu and Senketsu but one thing about them all is that those that wear Kamui must eventually take them off due to the strain on their bodies. Even their activated state only has a maximum of eight hours before the Kamui will forcibly revert back to its normal form. You, on the other hand, have not only kept your Kamui in its activated state since we met but you're showing no signs of mental straining. I wonder what that means..."

Kinue followed the man with her eyes firmly watching for any sudden movements, "What exactly are you implying?"

Even though they were behind a mask Kinue could see the man's eyes widen in amusement but instead of answering he pulled out a card and threw it at her, "That would be telling. On that card you will find the address of the warehouse but do hurry. The bombs are set to go off at precisely midnight and my watch says it is currently 11:54…"

The man looking with veiled amusement as Kinue glanced at the address on the card before shifting Danketsu into her Funsha configuration and flying off into the night sky. Watching the blue and purple light of her Kamui fade off into the west the man adjusted his cap and whistled as he abruptly took a step back and began walking in the opposite direction. He hadn't lied to Kinue about the address being on the card. What he may have forgotten to mention was that he switched around the address. It would take her about a minute to find out she went to the wrong address before doubling back, which gave him more than enough time to walk the one block distance to the actual location of the warehouse.

Heading down an alley as an explosion of light briefly shone in the distance when Kinue finally realized he tricked her, the man paused and looked around, "Hmm…now where did I put it?"

Turning to the left he abruptly lashed out and kicked an old and rusty dumpster hard enough to not only dent the side but also flip it over. Dusting his hands off as he bent down, the man picked up his Lache Raiment safely secured in Life Fiber hiding plastic. Ripping off the plastic covering, which cost Revocs a few million dollars to produce, the man sensed Kinue screaming back towards him and quickly changed into his raiment. As he made the final adjustments to his raiment and tossed his temporary set of clothing into the overturned dumpster he stepped out of the alley and watched as Kinue crashed through the roof of the warehouse.

Reaching into the pocket of his raiment and pulling out a miniature detonator, the man tossed it up in the air before quickly catching it, "It's been fun but I do hate getting my hands dirty. Good bye, Kinue Kinagase."

With but a single press of his finger the collection of Starch and Anti-Life Fiber explosives carefully spread throughout the warehouse exploded in a massive fireball of rainbow light. Tilting down his hat to cover his eyes, the man lamented that he wasn't able to secure one of the fabled Bleach Bombs. There were only several of those devices known to exist and only two people outside of Revocs were known to have the knowledge to make them. It was unfortunate that Ragyo Kiryuin didn't acquiesce to his request for one such device while his information network found itself strangely unable to find any blueprints for the Bleach Bomb.

As he walked towards the flaming wreckage of a building, fire truck sirens already growing louder by the second, the man wondered if the explosion had been too big. He never had the fortune of fighting a Kamui so he was forced to extrapolate the amount of Anti-Life Fiber explosives needed for taking out raiment and tripled it for good measure. The fallout at Revocs would not be pretty if he destroyed the Kamui. Ragyo Kiryuin had stressed the importance of collecting the Kamui and had warned him quite thoroughly of the ramifications should he fail.

Kicking a piece of burning debris out of his path, the man nonchalantly walked into the flaming wreckage in search of Kinue's body, "Huh, I wonder where –"

The purple and blue fist that exploded out of the ground beneath him took the man completely by surprise and sent him soaring through the air. While his body bounced and skidded across the ground several times the man quickly managed to regain his balance. Skidding to a halt, his shoes leaving marks on the ground, the man snapped his fingers and immediately dozens of Life Fiber wires emerged from his raiment and began weaving around his fingers in preparation for a potential fight. His whole trap had been designed to knock out Kinue in the warehouse and if she was alive, and most likely pissed off, he would need to fall back on his raiment's skills to complete Ragyo's mission.

With blood dripping down her body and several tears in Danketsu apparent to the man, Kinue stumbled out of the warehouse with a look of absolute rage on her face. She had never been hurt like this since being forced to permanently wear Danketsu and the pain she felt reverberated through her body on a level she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Gritting her teeth together as Danketsu began repairing herself, causing the purple and blue light glowing in her body to slowly vanish, Kinue stared at the man in front of her before her ears picked up the sound of an aircraft overhead. Muting out Danketsu's shouts of rage and vengeance Kinue quickly forced her Kamui into Funsha and blasted off into the sky but not before using her Genji blade to destroy several of the man's Life Fiber wires.

Frowning as he watched Kinue escape the reach of his Life Fiber wires, the man let out a depressed sigh as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. Ragyo wasn't going to like the Kamui getting away from him but as his thumb hovered over the call button, the man stopped and thought things over. Since he failed his mission Ragyo would likely set him up with some 'private tutoring' by the Grand Couturier and as tempting as that sounded, the man was more than happy to pass.

"Hmm, I think I'll wait a few days before calling Lady Ragyo," the man flipped his phone shut and turned around. Walking off into the shadows of the night as the red and blue sirens appeared around the corner, he thought about what he was going to do. He knew with the Great Culture and Sports Festival coming soon Ragyo will be busy setting everything up, which means she'll be a fairly good mood. So he came to the decision that since he was in Seattle he might as well take a tour of the sights while relaxing for a few days. That should give him enough time to come up with a good excuse if Rei or Ragyo decide to call him.

* * *

><p>...<p>

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><p>Kugo Ginjo was a man who preferred clean and honorable combat above all else. His years spent at a shinigami had drilled the concepts of honor and pride into his mind but unlike the majority of the Soul Society Ginjo was perfectly fine with the concept of working together to defeat your opponents. That was why he couldn't understand why the Soul Society had sat on its collective ass during the Winter War. If he had been the Captain Commander Ginjo would have gone to Hueco Mundo as soon as he could and destroyed Aizen and his Espada without any difficulty. It was because Yamamoto allowed Aizen time to plan and scheme that his zanpakuto's fire was able to be sealed. If Yamamoto hadn't been so intent on following tradition he would have seen Aizen's position in Hueco Mundo as vulnerable and moved to exploit it.<p>

"_Then again…"_ Ginjo's train of thought was momentarily cut off as he slammed into the truck of a tree before his momentum neatly snapped it in half, _"…the Soul Society had always been stuck in the past. I can't remember how many times I tried to give current military advice to the captains only to be either laughed at or told it wasn't any of my business. I suppose Aizen being the only one to listen to my advice explains why he nearly won in the Winter War."_

As his face slid across the damp grass and he stabbed Ragnarok into the ground to arrest his movement, Ginjo realized in hindsight that Sosuke Aizen had been too nice and amiable to not be suspicious. Captains were supposed to be the crème of the crop, so to speak, and were required to have years of battle experience to even be considered for the position. Such events inevitably lead the captains to develop personality quirks in order to cope with the stress. That was why Aizen's friendly and gregarious personality confused Ginjo. That Aizen could talk and act like he didn't have a care in the world should have given Ginjo the notion that something was up. Perhaps he would have remained a shinigami if he just told Yamamoto about Aizen.

"Such things are in the past now. Besides, I have bigger issues to deal with at the moment," Ginjo panted heavily as he finally came to a halt. Riruka's punch had more force to it than he expected and he had been caught completely off guard by it. Sensing a massive amount of Life Fiber energy building up on the end of Riruka's battle staff, Ginjo grit his teeth as he gripped Ragnarok's hilt with both hands and deflected the Addiction Shot away into the morning sky.

"_Damn it!"_ Ginjo mentally cursed as he realized by blocking Riruka's Addiction Shot he made a potentially fatal mistake. Letting go of Ragnarok's hilt and quickly rolling away, he watched in annoyance as the Life Fibers hidden within the Addiction Shot weaved their way through his blade in order to make it 'fluffy.' The reason he sent Ryuko away while he fought Riruka was not because the magenta haired, foul-mouthed teenager was overly powerful. On the contrary her strength and speed were about average for being a member of Xcution. The danger lying within Riruka's Duveteux Raiment was its 'Dollhouse Zone.'

Surrounding Riruka's body was a spherical area roughly seven feet in radius where microscopic Life Fibers were constantly being extruded into the air. If anyone were to enter this zone, which Riruka calls her Dollhouse, the Life Fibers in the air would instantly weave their way into their weapons until they became unable to so much as harm Riruka. Getting around this 'fluffiness' as Riruka calls the process is quite simply and demands exact knowledge of how her raiment works. The rate at which an object becomes fluffy is proportional to its speed and power. If one is able to move quickly and hit Riruka hard enough before the fluffiness takes hold then they could potentially end the fight. That is, of course, if they were aware of Riruka's limited vision and her propensity to always focus her powers on what she could see in front of her.

If Riruka's Dollhouse Zone wasn't bad enough her Addiction Shot was just plain terrible. By focusing the power of her raiment through the battle staff in her hands, she could fire a beam of energy containing Life Fibers at a target. Once the beam contacts with something the Life Fibers within it immediately start weaving their way into the target, whatever it may be. Ginjo had seen firsthand the effects Riruka's so-called 'fluffiness' had on several captured Nudist Beach operatives and had quickly stabbed Ragnarok through their hearts in order to end their misery.

Clenching his gloved hands in the damp soil as he spit dirt out of his mouth, Ginjo frowned deep in thought as he pushed himself up onto one knee. The fight was not going the way he expected. He had fought Riruka's raiment in the past and it was nowhere close to being this strong. Looking at the large crack on his left spaulder before shaking his head, Ginjo chuckled mirthlessly as he watched Riruka walking towards him, "I don't remember your Duveteux Raiment ever being this strong, Riruka."

Riruka's magenta eyes gazed upon Ginjo's exhausted form with cold delight. It pleased her greatly that the traitor to Lady Ragyo and Life Fibers would get what was coming to him. Folding her arms across her chest, the battle staff in her hand held loosely between her fingers, Riruka walked to a stop several meters from Ginjo's crouching form and scoffed derisively, "You want to know why you can't beat me? It's because Ichigo Kurosaki's Life Fibers are woven into my wonderful raiment! That's right. The guy who hasn't even shown up to protect his own city from Lady Satsuki is a Life Fiber Hybrid and what's best of all is that with his Life Fibers my fluffiness has increased threefold! My Dollhouse is no longer limited to seven feet but is now a much more impressive twenty feet! So there's no fucking way you can beat me now, you damn traitor!"

Ginjo rolled his eyes as he listened to Riruka's gloating. Standing up with a grunt and brushing some dirt off his black pants Ginjo remembered the stoic and bored personality Riruka had upon being brought to Revocs. It was depressing to see that a mixture of Nui Harime's 'teaching' and her raiment had all but destroyed who Riruka had been several years ago. Sighing as he ran a hand through his hair, Ginjo briefly narrowed his eyes when he saw a blue speck of light in the distance that was growing larger by the second. Immediately guessing who or what that could be, Ginjo decided to take a gamble, "Why did you come to Karakura Town, Riruka? Don't tell me it's because Ragyo Kiryuin felt motherly and wanted to protect her daughter. That woman could not care less about anyone other than Nui Harime or herself."

"Humph," Riruka snorted haughtily before she slammed her battle staff against the ground while a faint rainbow aura surrounded her body, "What makes you think I'll tell you anything? I'm not stupid, you know! If by some miracle you escape after I tell you, Lady Ragyo is going to be mad at me! Now stay still and die like the naked ape you are, Ginjo! Addiction –"

Riruka paused in midsentence as she sensed a massive amount of energy building up behind her. Twisting around and staring up into the morning sky she gasped in surprise when she saw something falling directly towards her. From the amount of energy permeating the atmosphere and the way it continued to increase by the second the source could only be a Kamui and that meant only one thing – Ichigo Kurosaki had arrived in Karakura Town.

"Don't think I'll let you sneak up on me!" Riruka screamed as she pointed her battle staff at the falling Ichigo as rainbow colored energy gathered on the tip of the weapon. As her face danced with a cacophony of colors Riruka gnashed her teeth and shouted, "Taste my full power, Ichigo Kurosaki! Addiction Shot!"

The fully powered Addiction Shot blasted forth from Riruka's battle staff with enough force to send the magenta haired girl skidding back nearly a foot. Twisting and shooting up through the air towards the falling Ichigo, the Addiction Shot contained enough condensed power that even if he was wearing a Kamui Ichigo would be seriously hurt if not outright defeated by it. Instead of dodging around the attack like any normal person would, Ichigo spun in midair as he shifted from Mugetsu's Gufū configuration to her Zangetsu. With blue energy dancing along Tournesol's blade, Ichigo raised the Life Fiber blade above his head and swung it down as the Addiction Shot was about to hit him.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

Mugetsu's Getsuga Tenshou was nearly the exact opposite of Ichigo's former attack in everything except name so it did not repel the Addiction Shot much as it forced the energy to part around him. As he continued to push more of Mugetsu's energy into the Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo began spinning his body around, literally drilling his way through the Addiction Shot, before slamming into the ground near Riruka. Before the magenta eyed member of Xcution could so much as utter a single syllable about how he should have already been fluffy, the blue energy continuing to flicker around Tournesol blasted into a raging inferno before Ichigo swung the Life Fiber blade at her. Piercing through the protective screen of Life Fibers inside Riruka's Dollhouse Zone without so much as slowing down, Tournesol mashed into the side of her body much to the Xcution member's complete and utter shock. As her eyes flickered down and focused upon Ichigo's intense gaze the Getsuga Tenshou held within Tournesol exploded against her with the force of a small explosion and bathed the area in shades of blue and white.

Ginjo watched the scene with rapt attention. Out of all the things that could happen to him today meeting Isshin's son was not even close to the top of his list. There were many things he wished to talk to Ichigo about but how does one even begin explaining that it was his actions that allowed Ragyo Kiryuin to turn him into a Life Fiber Hybrid? Shaking his head as he decided to put off telling Ichigo what he did until after Isshin spoke with him, Ginjo grabbed Ragnarok and hefted the blade on his shoulder. He could see the Life Fibers woven throughout the blade disintegrating, which could only mean Riruka had been defeated by Ichigo's attack.

"Thanks for the help," Ginjo waited as Ichigo didn't turn around to face him before sighing. Rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand he added, "I'm sure you're wondering if I'm an ally or enemy. The thing is –"

"I already know you're on my side!"

Ichigo's loud declaration momentarily took Ginjo off-guard, "You did?"

"Of course I did!" Ichigo turned around to face Ginjo while pointing off his shoulder with his thumb. From the moment he arrived in Karakura Town Ichigo had immediately sensed where every single Life Fiber Satsuki collected from his body was. Most of the Life Fibers were concentrated in six sources, which confused Ichigo because Satsuki and her Elite Four were only five people. So as soon as he singled out Satsuki and her cohorts Ichigo immediately headed towards the sixth person, "I sensed my Life Fibers almost the moment I arrived. By the way…who the hell was she?"

"Her name is Riruka Dokugamine, a member of Xcution," Ginjo turned his head slightly to the north as the feeling of wrongness continued to intensity. About ten minutes ago something happened during Ryuko's fight against Satsuki, which led to the strange feeling hovering over Karakura Town like a veil. Ginjo didn't know what exactly happened but if he had to hazard a guess he would assume it had something to do with what Satsuki did to her Kamui, "Xcution is the heavy-hitters of Revocs, which is not that dissimilar to Satsuki Kiryuin's Elite Four, but instead of having regalia each member of Xcution wears raiment woven from fifty percent Life Fibers."

"_**Fifty percent Life Fibers?"**_ Mugetsu's worried voice grabbed Ichigo's attention as he thought over what that meant, _**"I didn't know humans could have that high of a resistance to Life Fibers without losing control and going berserk."**_

"Ryuko and Satsuki are able to wear Kamui without too many problems," Ichigo replied to his Kamui with a small shrug before turning around. The smoke and light from his Getsuga Tenshou had already mostly cleared so he could see Riruka's unconscious and badly injured body lying on the grass. From the rise and fall of her chest she was still breathing but it was clear she would need medical attention, "So Xcution members wear raiment? That's good to know."

"You're taking being a Life Fiber Hybrid much better than I thought," Ginjo would have thought after finding out he hadn't been human for more than sixteen years Ichigo would have been depressed or angry. Seeing Ichigo talk to his Kamui without any animosity in voice quite frankly surprised Ginjo.

"Oh, that," Ichigo sighed as the memories of Nui Harime pulling his heart out of his chest returned to him, "Let's just say being a hybrid doesn't really surprise me all that much."

Slowly dropping Ragnarok into the massive sheath on his back while keeping his Sauvegarde Raiment activated, Ginjo walked towards Ichigo and said, "I suppose that comes from being a former shinigami."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as he twisted his head around to face the stoic-looking Ginjo, "What did you just say?"

Ginjo looked into Ichigo surprised eyes before looking away, "I used to also be a substitute shinigami. In fact, I was the one right before you. It may come as a surprise to you but there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of substitutes throughout the Soul Society's history. You probably never heard of them because of the Soul Society's dark and dirty secret – they kill substitutes after they've served their purpose."

Ichigo didn't know what to make of Ginjo's words but staring into the man's eyes he could tell Ginjo at least believed he was speaking the truth. Glancing briefly to the north towards where Satsuki and Junketsu were fighting Ryuko Ichigo asked, "What do you mean?"

"I didn't find out the truth of what happened to me until I spoke to your father," Ginjo leaned against a tree and stared at the ground. It wasn't until days after speaking to Isshin after his initial exile that Ginjo realized he was incredibly lucky. Mere minutes after speaking with Isshin and being safely escorted to Revocs a squad of Onmitsukidou had arrived in the World of the Living to assassinate him, "What you don't know is that substitute shinigami aren't supposed to exist…at least by the Soul Society's standards and laws. Even if the substitute is utterly and completely devoted to the Soul Society they will inevitably be killed because of one thing – their lack of a true zanpakuto."

"True zanpakuto…" Ichigo's mind replayed meeting Zangetsu and his inner hollow before a scowl adorned his face, "What the hell are you talking about? Of course I had a zanpakuto!"

"No, you only thought you had a zanpakuto." Ginjo shook his head sadly, "I too once thought the same as you but the zanpakuto you had was born from your soul's spiritual power attempting to mimic an asauchi. Long story short, because you did not have a true zanpakuto your power was not shackled to the Soul Society's laws and thus they could never control you. If you had not lost your spiritual power taking down Aizen, the Captain Commander would have declared you a criminal and had you assassinated. That's the cold truth, Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't want to believe Ginjo but the way the man utterly believed what he was saying caused him to pause and think. Hadn't Byakuya once said his bankai wasn't a true bankai? His powers had always seemed a tad different than the shinigami he'd come to know, "If what you're saying is true, then shouldn't I have –"

"You've finally arrived, my tardy son!"

Caught off guard by his father's random and sudden dropkick to the back of his head, Ichigo skidded across the ground before coming to a halt. Pulling his face out of the grass, a deeply annoyed scowl on his face, Ichigo jumped back to his feet and turned around, "What the hell was that for, old man? Couldn't you see I was talking about something important?"

Isshin shook his head sadly at his son's supposed lack of attention, "Words can wait until your work is done, Ichigo! Can you not sense the plight of your girlfriend?"

Ichigo wanted to shout that Satsuki wasn't his girlfriend, and hit his dad for good measure, but the man had a point. There was something disturbing about the power emanating from the north and he could instantly tell it was coming from Junketsu. Frowning as he quickly understood the Life Fibers Satsuki took from him and implanted in Junketsu's form were to blame, Ichigo looked his father dead in the eye and said with a serious tone of voice, "Yeah, I can feel what is happening to Satsuki and it probably has something to do with the Life Fibers she took from me and put in Junketsu. I need to get them back, don't I?"

Isshin grinned clownishly and wrapped his son in a one-armed hug, "You are a sharp one, my tardy son! It pleases me to know that you're not as stupid as I initially thought you were! Now before you attempt to hurt your dear old dad I am going to tell you exactly how to save Satsuki from a fate worse than death. Since the Life Fibers came from your body you simply need to place your hand against her chest and will them to come out of Junketsu!"

"Over…her…chest…" Ichigo's face turned red in embarrassment before he turned and slugged his dad across the face, "Damn, you old pervert! You're telling me I need to feel up Satsuki to save her!"

Rebounding from the unwarranted attack with surprisingly fast speed, Isshin rubbed his cheek and grumbled, "Didn't you know that a Kamui's core is located around the sternum? If you're going to save Satsuki and Junketsu you need to place your hand against the core and mentally pull the Life Fibers from it. I would hurry as well. Junketsu doesn't have much longer before it will be impossible to remove the Life Fibers."

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but quickly thought against it, "Fine, but when this is over I want you to tell me everything you know."

Isshin hesitated for a moment before nodding. It was time Ichigo was told about what was going on but it bothered him that he couldn't come out and tell his son himself, "By the way, I think now's a good time to tell Mugetsu about your past as a shinigami. She's your Kamui, after all, so she has a right to know about what you used to do, don't you think?"

Ichigo looked down into Mugetsu's expectant eyes before turning his head away, "Yeah, I think it's about time I told her. I've put it off for too long."

"_**Told me what, Ichigo?"**_ Mugetsu spoke to Ichigo with a hint of betrayal in her voice as the Kamui began thinking that Ichigo had been hiding things from her.

Blasting off into the sky before quickly rocketing north towards Satsuki, Ichigo closed his eyes as various memories of his time as a shinigami coursed through his mind. Things had seemed so simple before meeting Rukia and Ichigo could not help but wonder what would have happened if he had not met her that fateful night. Snapping open his eyes, determination evident in them, Ichigo smiled and said, "It all began when I met a girl by the name of Rukia Kuchiki…"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Ma'am, the latest satellite images from Karakura Town have arrived," Rei Hououmaru stood at attention across from Ragyo Kiryuin. With her eyes closed even behind her aviator sunglasses, the dark-skinned secretary and leader of Xcution gently slid the high resolution images over the desk, "It is just as you predicted. Lady Satsuki has lost control of Junketsu and has succumbed to the Kamui's superior will and power."<p>

"It's a shame Satsuki fell so quickly," Ragyo pondered in amusement as she rested her cheek upon her hand. Gazing over the images scattered across her desk with amusement, she picked one up at random and smirked, "I assumed she would have managed to hold off Junketsu's will for at least another day. C'est la vie…"

Rei held off on the rest of her report until she was certain Lady Ragyo was paying attention. She had worked for the elder Kiryuin for more than twenty years and instinctively knew when Ragyo was lost deep in thought. As the minutes dragged by and Rei's patience continued to hold steady, she saw Ragyo's maroon eyes softly open and stare her, signaling for Rei to continue, "Per your earlier request I had the satellite programmed to keep track of the various fights throughout Karakura Town…there are some things you need to see."

Walking towards the screen behind Ragyo's desk and pressing a button on the side, Rei pulled out the USB cable and connected the monitor to her PDA. As the screen flickered to life and dozens of high resolution pictures appeared on it, Rei magnified one of the images and said, "This image was taken during the clash between Ira Gamagori and Yasutora Sado, a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki's. As you can see he seems to have a special ability that allows him to not only fight on an even level with a Three-Star Goku Uniform but actually surpass it."

Ragyo stared at the image of Chad using La Muerte on Gamagori and could not help as a psychotic smile stretched across her face. With the rainbow light in her hair intensifying alongside her emotions she wondered a human, nothing more than food for Life Fibers, was able to obtain a power completely unrelated to Life Fibers. The armor on Chad's arms looked similar enough to Satsuki's Goku Uniforms to be mistaken for one but Ragyo knew otherwise. Isshin would not have allowed a single thread of Life Fibers inside Karakura Town unless he authorized it.

"Comme c'est interessant! It pleases me that even after all this time Isshin still has tricks up his sleeves. He made it so Satsuki's little helpers were intercepted before they even reached Karakura Town," Ragyo wondered what secrets she could learn from Yasutora Sado's body but quickly decided against kidnapping the youth. After her successful kidnapping of Ichigo, courtesy of Ginjo's former loyalty, Ragyo knew attempting to spirit away anyone from Karakura Town was an effort in futility. She had only allowed Uryu Ishida to intern at Revocs because his father was powerful enough that if she refused without a very good reason he could hit her hard enough financially that the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet would be delayed by a decade at the least. And how was it Uryu and his father repaid her? By stealing her precious Life Fibers and giving them to a human to weave into a Kamui. The only question that Ragyo had was whose Life Fibers were used to finish Mugetsu – Ichigo's or Isshin's.

"On a related topic Uryu Ishida appears to have similar, if not identical, powers to Ryuken Ishida. He was able to use a wide-scale version of the same technique his father used against the Grand Couturier to seriously damage a Three-Star Goku Uniform," Rei touched the screen and brought up a top-down photograph of Uryu about to use Gezielt Sprenger on Nonon Jakuzure. The leader of Xcution has been mildly surprised by the foresight and planning Uryu had put into trapping someone wearing a uniform made of thirty-five percent Life Fibers long enough to cast his ability.

Ragyo stared at the images of Uryu with less interest than she had for Chad, "The powers of Ryuken and his son, the self-proclaimed Quincy, do not concern me. Their supernatural powers have little to no effect on Life Fibers. Ryuken was barely able to seal my precious Nui's movements long enough to run away like a rat. The fact his son was able to damage a regalia to such an extent is more of an insult to the skills of Satsuki's couturier than a testament to their power. Speaking of which…did the Infiltration-Class COVERS find out who was trying to sneak about around Honnou City?"

Rei shook her head, "Whoever spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki was long gone by the time the COVERS arrived on the scene. Before I ordered them to return to headquarters I had them collect samples of the energy signature left over at the scene using their Life Fibers – it's a 97.5% match to the powers possessed by Ryuken and Uryu Ishida."

"My, oh my, it seems that there are quite a few Quincy scurrying around in the shadows," Ragyo mused thoughtfully with a shake of her head. People possessing supernatural powers outside of those granted by Life Fibers had not been part of her plans but Ragyo was anything if not pragmatic and resourceful. So what if these so-called Quincy possessed abilities strong enough to barely fight on par with a thirty-five percent Life Fiber weave. The difference between regalia and raiment was like comparing Satsuki's power in Junketsu with her own. It was impossible to measure.

Tapping a manicured nail against the polished surface of her desk as she looked upon the images, Ragyo chuckled before scoffing airily, "I know you wish to investigate who's leading these Quincy Hououmaru but let's refrain from moving against them just yet. The fact that they've escaped my notice for so long suggests that despite their worthless abilities they are quite organized, perhaps even to the extent of my former husband's organization. Have several dozen Infiltration-Class COVERS to spread out across Japan in search of the Quincy energy signature. I want to be ready when I feel the need to drown these rats out of the shadows they're hiding in."

"Right away, Ma'am," Rei bowed her head respectfully to Ragyo before she turned around and tapped the screen. As several images of Ichigo arriving in Karakura Town appeared on the screen she continued, "Ichigo Kurosaki has arrived in Karakura Town. It is only a matter of time before Isshin tells him how to remove the Life Fibers from Junketsu."

"You speak as if that's a problem, Hououmaru," Ragyo smiled and from the look on her secretary's face it was clear that Rei did not understand what she was planning. The moment Satsuki arrived at Revocs before the School Raid Trip she had instinctively known what her poor daughter did to Junketsu. It was not hard at all for her to see Ichigo's Life Fibers woven haphazardly throughout the Kamui. The lack of skill by Satsuki's couturier was apparent enough to Ragyo that she knew it was only a matter of time before Junketsu's devolved into insanity and the Kamui made a play for Satsuki's mind and body.

Rei looked at the screen and asked, "And is it not, Ma'am?"

Ragyo shook her head as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her clasped hands, "If Ichigo fails to rescue Satsuki from Junketsu then his Life Fibers woven within the Kamui will merge completely with it. Junketsu's current insane and disturbed behavior will then vanish as her original loyal personality reasserts itself. Satsuki will be dead but in return I will have a daughter completely loyal to the Original Life Fiber. For the first time in her miserable life Satsuki will be worthy of wearing Junketsu but this time it will be the other way around."

"And if Ichigo manages to remove his Life Fibers from Junketsu?"

"As much as allowing Junketsu to wear Satsuki pleases me, I would much rather have Ichigo save her worthless life," Ragyo's smile widened psychotically as her maroon eyes trailed across the images of Mugetsu and Ichigo. Rei Hououmaru was extremely loyal to the Life Fibers and Ragyo would admit she was the human closest to being her friend but she was still just a human. She could not begin to imagine the secrets of the Original Life Fiber that were woven within Ragyo and Isshin's mind twenty years ago, "The relative power of a Life Fiber Hybrid is not easy to but there is a single way to measure how much their Life Fibers have developed. It takes a hybrid of similar strength to the Grand Couturier and me to telekinetically control our Life Fibers once they leave our body. If Ichigo is able to remove his Life Fibers from Junketsu and save Satsuki then that will show he's nearly ready to join us…"

Rei watched as Ragyo stood up and slowly walked over to one of the windows of her spacious office, "You still plan on making Ichigo your heir?"

Ragyo turned her head around as the rainbow light shining from her hair intensified, "But of course. Satsuki has been nothing but a failure in life. Her plan to kill me using the students she gathered at Honnouji Academy is cute and shows initiative but she is nothing but a human that Life Fibers rejected. My second daughter showed more promise but she died from the experiments before they bore fruit. Perhaps I should have waited a few days after the experiment to see if it was a success before tossing her into the trash. The past seventeen years have shown that Life Fibers sometimes take time to adjust to a particularly compatible host. C'est la vie…"

Out of the hundreds of experiments she conducted with Life Fibers only four bore any importance to the elder Kiryuin. Ragyo's first attempt to create an artificial hybrid was with Satsuki but due to her initial inexperience it was nothing but an abject failure. Satsuki had survived the implantation with no detrimental side effects but the Life Fibers placed inside her body had disintegrated from the incompatibility. Ragyo's next attempt was with her second daughter and it was also a failure. At that point, bolstered by both of her daughters failing to properly merge with Life Fibers, Ragyo began blaming Souichiro's inferior genetics. What started next was a series of experiments of placing her fertilized eggs directly into the Original Life Fibers and seeing which survived. Nui and Amu developing normally from the same egg intrigued Ragyo but that was mostly because of who the father was. The last of the four experiments, and perhaps the most important one of all, involved…

"What about the Grand Couturier, Ma'am?" Rei's question broke Ragyo's train of thought, "I was under the assumption that she was to be your heir alongside Amu when we managed to recover her from Isshin's control and recondition her memories."

"You are mistaken, Hououmaru, Nui was never to be my heir," Ragyo smiled coldly as she wondered what Nui Harime was doing. She knew her daughter had gone to Karakura Town during Satsuki's little excursion but she knew Isshin had most likely prevented Nui from doing anything fun or interesting, "Nui may hold the title of Grand Couturier of Revocs but that is not her true title. Both Amu and Nui were born from the same egg and thus are needed together to design and weave Shinra Koketsu when the time is right. Inside each of their minds are half of the plans for the ultimate Kamui, which is the one thing the Original Life Fiber did not impart unto me or Isshin. They are the true Daughters of the Original Life Fiber."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Alex Louis Armstrong grunted as his back collided violently against a piece of overturned concrete and asphalt. As spittle and blood involuntarily escaped from his mouth, the Major General of Nudist Beach quickly ducked to the side to avoid having Bakuzan skewer him through his head.<p>

Everything had gone to hell when Junketsu had unleashed the maelstrom of death and destruction that was Tenrai Kagai. If Satsuki's usage of the advanced battle technique was akin to that of a raging storm than Junketsu's was a hurricane. In the single instant between calling out the name of the technique and reappearing behind them, Junketsu had singlehandedly taken out Uryu and Tsumugu while inflicting deep wounds on Chad and himself. It was only by luck that Armstrong had been the furthest from the epicenter.

When Chad used La Muerte against Junketsu and forced her away from Uryu, Armstrong had instantly moved forward to confront the Kamui before she could charge Tenrai Kagai to the fullest. He knew from years of experience in fighting those that wear Life Fibers that if they have to shout out the name of a technique than they need time to cast it. That split second interval was what Armstrong shot for. As he rushed towards Junketsu with his fist only inches away from her face the Kamui had grinned at him before unleashing Tenrai Kagai without a moment's hesitation. Throwing his body to the side as Bakuzan swept through the air Armstrong had managed to escape with only a moderately severe gash along his right shoulder to show for it.

Twisting around Junketsu's forward stab Armstrong quickly brought his right arm up and blocked her subsequent attack with his Anti-Life Fiber steel gauntlet. As he heard the increasingly familiar sound of the metal cracking and splintering under the strain of trying to keep Bakuzan from killing him, Armstrong began to wish he had brought his DTR with him. Model Rex would have been a godsend in helping to occupy Junketsu until Ichigo arrived to remove his Life Fibers from the Kamui. As much as he wished for his DTR Armstrong knew he could not have anticipated Satsuki Kiryuin of all people losing control over her Kamui and going berserk.

"Is…this…all…you…can do?" Armstrong felt his arms strain under the superior strength of Junketsu. As his knees started to buckle from the effort of holding back Bakuzan from slicing deeply into his neck and beads of sweat trailed down his body Armstrong pushed back with all his might and shouted, "Do not underestimate the strength of an Armstrong!"

With a burst of strength, honed from years of service to his country and fellow man, Armstrong pushed Junketsu away before rushing forward. Avoiding her counterattack by leaning to the side he grabbed Junketsu's shoulder pads with both hands before forcing Satsuki's face straight into his knee with a resounding cracking sound. For just a moment Armstrong thought he finally managed to hurt the Kamui. The nose was composed of pure cartilage and even if wearing a Kamui granted the wearer superhuman strength and durability there was a limit to the amount of protection. Tsumugu's ability to injure Ryuko Matoi was proof enough of that.

"**W-Was that supposed to hurt?"**

"Impossible…" Armstrong's eyes opened in surprise as he stared into Junketsu's unflinching gaze. He knew that his knee had connected directly with Junketsu's nose but she looked completely unfazed by it.

"**I-I have to find Ichigo. I-I have to kill him to stop the pain…"** Junketsu screamed as she punched Armstrong in his stomach with enough force to send the much larger man bouncing back along the ground before he rolled to a halt. Watching as the human struggling to pick himself off the ground, Junketsu couldn't understand why he would continue getting in her way. She didn't even care about any of them anymore. All she wanted to do was hunt down Ichigo and kill him in order to make the pain and agony wracking her mind and soul stop. If that meant allowing a few humans to live than Junketsu was content to do that. She didn't even want to kill this human anymore so why was he getting in her way?

Gripping her forehead in pain with one eye closed in agony, Junketsu stalked towards Armstrong with Bakuzan clenched tightly in her other hand, **"M-Must find Ichigo…p-pain will end…I-I want to be myself…"**

Coughing as he pushed himself onto one knee Armstrong thought back on his decision years ago to join the army and wished he could have instead continued playing football. Joining a professional team would have undoubtedly been much safer for his continued existence than fighting a mentally unstable Kamui hell-bent on killing everyone in her path. Gauntlet scrapping along the ground harshly as he staggered back to his feet, Armstrong took one unsteady step before he forced his body into the Armstrong fighting stance. Blue eyes staring passionately into his opponent's multihued ones Armstrong spit out some blood and said, "For as long as I continue to draw breath I swear upon my honor as an Armstrong I shall be the invincible shield that protects Ichigo from your blade!"

Junketsu tilted her head to the side as she listened to Armstrong speak as if he had the strength to fight her. None of the humans she had fought since she wrested control of her body away from Satsuki had managed to so much as make her bleed. Yasutora Sado had been the closest to hurting her with a slight bruise on her cheek to show for it but that was the extent of their effort, which is why Junketsu could not understand Armstrong's determination to stop her. He was nothing more than a simple human, a pig in human clothes, born and raised to be food for Life Fibers when the time came so why was he not afraid of dying?

"**W-Why do you stand in my way?"** Junketsu winced in pain as a massive lance of agony tore through her head as Armstrong's form wavered and for just a moment took the form of a large man with an eyepatch and black hair fashioned up into spikes. Clenching her eyes shut and muttering that it would be only little longer until she killed Ichigo, Junketsu opened her eyes once more and saw Armstrong was back to normal, **"Y-You're just a worthless human!"**

"I may be nothing more than a mere man," Armstrong clenched a fist dramatically before pointing a finger at Junketsu. The wounds covering his body were causing him to slowly lose feeling in his extremities but an Armstrong would never pass out before an opponent was dealt with. Falling unconscious in battle against a murderous adversary would bring nothing but shame to the Armstrong name, "I may even die this day but I shall perish knowing that you were unable to lay a finger on Ichigo!"

"**You think you can stop me?"**

The stutter that had been persistent in Junketsu's speech ever since the Kamui first began wearing Satsuki abruptly vanished. Tilting her head to the side as a series of uncontrollable giggles escaped her mouth, Junketsu wove her fingers through Satsuki's hair as the pain in her head returned in full force. Memories of running for her life in a maze of tall white buildings while being chased by a monster in the guise of a man passed in front of her eyes. Letting loose a scream of defiance and causing the land around her to crack and shatter into thousands of pieces, Junketsu charged towards Armstrong even as he once again appeared in the form of the man with the eyepatch. Growling at the insane grin on the man's face, Junketsu pushed as much power into Satsuki's body as it could handle all with the purpose of ending Armstrong's life as violently as possible.

"**Die! Die! Die you stupid human!"**

Armstrong sighed wearily as the odds of surviving his fight against Junketsu dropped to nearly zero. Every single attack, ranging from his Anti-Life Fiber traps and weaponry to Uryu and Chad's supernatural abilities, had been barely effective at even leaving a bruise on the Kamui-possessed Satsuki. Gathering up his courage and remaining energy Armstrong smashed his fists together as a yellow light twinkled in his eyes, "Come at me with everything you have, Junketsu! You'll find that this particular man will not die so easily! An Armstrong never runs away from a fight!"

Even though Junketsu was already planning to kill Armstrong quickly and violently simply hearing the Major General's words of defiance caused her to shout in rage. She could feel her mind slipping away into the dark abyss and it would not be long until she forgot her own name. Already the memories inside Ichigo's Life Fibers were beginning to interfere and Junketsu was afraid that soon she would not even be able to tell the difference between Ichigo's memories and her own. Blue heels clicking along the ground hard enough to shatter the asphalt Junketsu brought Bakuzan up to bisect Armstrong and finally end his foolish defiance when a black and white blur slammed bodily into her. As an armored fist smashed into the side of her face with enough force to tear the eardrums of anyone unfortunately to be in range, Junketsu was sent soaring through several buildings before coming to a crashing halt nearly two blocks away.

"Sorry it took me so long," Ichigo stared in the direction he had hit Junketsu and scowled as he noticed the fallen forms of Uryu, Chad, Tsumugu and Ryuko laying on the ground with pools of blood around their unconscious bodies. Turning around to face the heavily injured Armstrong Ichigo sensed Junketsu already recovering and said, "I don't know who you are but I need you to get Ryuko and the others away from here. Removing my Life Fibers from Junketsu might get messy."

It took Armstrong a few seconds to realize who had arrived but when he did the Major General's expression hardened. Forcing his already exhausted body to move Armstrong walked towards Ichigo and clapped the youth on the shoulder, "Very well Ichigo, I shall leave dealing with Junketsu in your capable hands. I look forward to discussing important matters once this battle is finished. However…"

Ichigo looked over his shoulder, "What?"

Armstrong looked around the destroyed Karakura Town, his gaze stopping for several seconds on each and every person that had fallen to Junketsu's disturbed rampage, before he answered Ichigo, "It will be difficult for me to bring all four of them to the hospital in my current condition. I might be able to manage carrying two of them but I do not wish to find out Junketsu's uncontrolled power had killed the other two in the interim. I am only one man and Ryuken Ishida is still treating Nonon Jakuzure's wounds sustained from Junketsu's awakening."

"Don't worry. I'm going to make sure Junketsu does not hurt anyone else," Ichigo began walking away from Armstrong with Tournesol held tightly in his grip as the lines traced across Mugetsu's armor plating began glowing with a fierce blue light. Knowing Junketsu had attacked and nearly killed Nonon changed everything. Ichigo had planned on trying to talk Satsuki down like Mako did for Ryuko when she lost control of Senketsu and went berserk. Realizing out of everyone at Honnouji Academy, including the Elite Four, that he was the closest person to Satsuki both confused and disturbed Ichigo.

"I'm going to save both Satsuki and Junketsu!" Ichigo exclaimed to the Major General, "You do what you can for Tsumugu and the others! I can sense my dad coming so he should be able to help them survive long enough for Orihime to heal them!"

Armstrong may have known Isshin Kurosaki for nearly two decades now but the man was as much of an enigma as ever. While his past relationship with Ragyo Kiryuin was sealed apart from several interesting pieces of evidence one thing Armstrong knew for certain was that Isshin was a damn good doctor. Isshin's only lost three patients in his twenty or so years of practice in Karakura Town. Knowing a man with such medical expertise was arriving soon filled Armstrong with relief, "Well said, Ichigo! Your dedication to your friends is truly admirable! I am more than capable of fixing things up on this end! Go save Satsuki Kiryuin from being devoured by her Kamui!"

Without giving Armstrong so much as an affirmation Ichigo wordlessly shifted Mugetsu into her Zangetsu configuration and vanished in a burst of speed in Junketsu's direction. He had no delusions that his punch, which was more than capable of flooring someone like Gamagori while he was wearing his Shackle Regalia, actually did anything more than annoy Junketsu. In Ichigo's first battle against Satsuki back at the beginning of the school year Mugetsu had informed him that Junketsu was withholding roughly half of her power from Satsuki. Now that Junketsu's was wearing Satsuki's body like a set of clothing Ichigo realized the Kamui would be coming at him with everything she had. Ichigo may have gotten stronger alongside Mugetsu but he didn't believe his power had doubled in the span of a month.

Pushing off the ground and vaulting over a pile of debris recently formed from Junketsu's unexpected flight Ichigo hovered in the air as he caught sight of Junketsu standing in the middle of the road waiting for him. Landing softly some distance away from the Kamui Ichigo gripped Tournesol in one hand and stared into his opponent's multicolored eyes. Even as he immediately sensed his Life Fibers permeating Junketsu's form Ichigo did not dare approach her for the moment. Satsuki's body was quivering sporadically as Junketsu held herself back from charging at him. As he watched Junketsu grip a hand through Satsuki's black hair and lean her head forward Ichigo softly asked, "Junketsu…why did you try to kill my friends? I can't pretend to understand what you're feeling but they had nothing to do with what Satsuki and Iori did to you."

"**Ichigo…Ichigo is here…"**

Junketsu did not pay attention to what Ichigo was telling her as her mind became enraptured at the thought of her agonizing ordeal finally ending. She had just about given up hope of finding Ichigo before losing what remained of her mind but knowing that he was standing in front of her filled her with happiness. Clenching Bakuzan tightly in her hand as the blue lines on her Kamui began shining with an intense blue light Junketsu laughed deliriously as she charged towards Ichigo, **"Ichigo is here! I've been looking everywhere for you Ichigo!"**

Blue and white heels cracked the ground beneath Junketsu as she rushed at Ichigo with a speed he would have been hard-pressed to match outside of his former bankai. Leaning to the side as Junketsu attempted to stab Bakuzan through his heart Ichigo was caught off-guard when she abruptly stopping moving and spun around before slamming her foot into his chin. Even as spittle freely flew forth from his mouth Ichigo managed to keep his attention locked on Junketsu and was able to bring Tournesol around to parry the Kamui's riposte before he was blown back by a large burst of power.

Crashing through an already scattered window and rolling to a stop in what had once been an office building Ichigo pushed himself to his feet and grumbled, "She's certainly stronger than when Satsuki was in control. I don't remember Satsuki having this much power during our fight."

"_**This is not the time to worry about trivial things like that, Ichigo!"**_Mugetsu chided Ichigo's question as her eyes focused on the approaching Junketsu. With how little time Junketsu had left before Ichigo's Life Fibers overwhelmed her mind forever Mugetsu could sense the abject fear and terror coursing through her fellow Kamui. It pained Mugetsu to know that everything Junketsu was doing was to prevent a fate worse than death, _**"You need to remove your Life Fibers from Junketsu!"**_

"I know that!" Ichigo exclaimed as he sprinted out of the building just as Junketsu appeared in the air right outside. Twisting around Junketsu's attempt to skewer his neck Ichigo reached out and gripped Satsuki's face with his hand before instantly shifting Mugetsu into Gufū. Flipping around so that he was facing the ground Ichigo forced his newly formed rockets to blast at full power as he slammed Junketsu headfirst into the road. Leaping back as a cloud of smoke expanded into the air and obscured his vision Ichigo grimaced and looked into Mugetsu's eyes, "She's just so strong. I can't get close enough to place my hand against Satsuki's chest without Junketsu counterattacking."

"**This is not enough…**" Junketsu's voice echoed out of the smoke, instantly putting Ichigo on guard. While he hadn't actually been trying to kill her with that last attack Ichigo was certain he'd injured Junketsu. As the Kamui walked out of the smoke with barely any wounds on her body, Junketsu tilted Satsuki's head to the side as she began muttering, **"I have to kill Ichigo…Killing Ichigo will make the pain stop…I don't want to disappear!"**

"Damn it…"

Ichigo managed to react in time to Junketsu's assault by parrying her initial lightning-fast attack to the side with Tournesol but he was caught completely by surprise when Junketsu did not follow with another strike as she instead leaned forward until her multicolored eyes were only inches away from his own. For just a moment his eyes locked gazes with Junketsu's and Ichigo was nearly overwhelmed by the fear and loneliness pulsing right beneath the insanity. It sickened him to actually see what his Life Fibers were actually doing to Junketsu. Ichigo would never do anything like this if he had a choice. As his ears began picking up the sound of Junketsu muttering to herself, her every word laced with pain, Ichigo wanted to say something to comfort the Kamui but found his head forcibly jerking back as Junketsu slammed her forehead into his nose.

"**Die!"**

Reacting instinctively Ichigo brought up Tournesol and managed to block Junketsu's strike. As the ground around him began audibly cracking under the force Junketsu was exerting, Ichigo grit his teeth and pushed back with as much power as Mugetsu could safely grant him, "Stop it, Junketsu! I'm trying to help you!"

Junketsu's eyes widened before narrowing as another wave of mental pain, worse than the last one, tore through her mind. Managing to ignore the pain long enough to plant her heels against Ichigo's chest and push off his body, Junketsu slid to a halt some distance away as everything began wavering around her. For an instant the surrounding buildings and streets of Karakura Town appeared to be submerged in darkened water but it was what Ichigo briefly looked like that caused Junketsu to collapse onto one knee in pain. For just an instant, flickering across her vision like a static image, the colors on Ichigo's skin bled away until it was pure white while his hair turned a brilliant shade of silver.

"**Well now…"**

The moment she heard the familiarly twisted voice Junketsu knew for certain it was not Ichigo talking to her. The smirking bone white Ichigo constantly flickered back and forth between it and the normal Ichigo but one thing that remained constant was that both Ichigo's wore Mugetsu. Wincing as another bout of pain hit her Junketsu saw the pale copy of Ichigo chuckle in a warbled tone and scoff, **"…this is quite the surprise. Does a weak and worthless Kamui like you actually believe you can kill a Life Fiber Hybrid like me? You must be out of your mind…"**

Junketsu seethed as she pushed Satsuki's body to stand back up, **"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!"**

"What's wrong, Junketsu?" Ichigo didn't know what was going on or why Junketsu was staring at him with enough hatred to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. One moment she was staring at him with a confused look in her eyes and the next she was shouting at him to shut up, "Mugetsu, what's going on?"

"_**I don't know but I think it has something to do with your Life Fibers,"**_ Mugetsu had felt something pulse in Ichigo's Life Fibers just a few seconds ago but she couldn't think of a reason why Junketsu would think Ichigo was talking. She hadn't heard him say anything that could warrant such a response, _**"They've been acting up since we arrived in Karakura Town. Perhaps the Life Fibers Satsuki Kiryuin put in Junketsu is allowing her to somehow hear the Life Fibers resonating in your body."**_

Ichigo didn't know how any of that worked but this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to pass up. Stabbing Tournesol deeply into the road and rushing forward with his arm outstretched in front of his body he exclaimed, "This is it!"

Although Ichigo and Mugetsu's voices had been loud enough for Junketsu to easily hear them the Kamui could not focus on anything other than the pale facsimile of Ichigo standing in front of her. The smirk on the copy's face, which both infuriated and demeaned Junketsu, slowly died off into a frown, **"Well, what do you know? It seems you can hear my voice. I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted. I suppose it's because a small part of me is in you right now…"**

"**Stop mocking me, Ichigo!"** Junketsu shouted angrily at the silver-haired copy.

As another bout of pain wracked her mind Junketsu was forced to let go of Bakuzan, the weapon clattering to the ground as a result, as she gripped head with both hands. Watching all this with a strangely apathetic expression on his face, the pale copy of Ichigo sighed wistfully and rubbed his palm against his forehead, **"You want to know something funny? You might blame me for what's happening to you but the truth is I'm not the one controlling the Life Fibers slowly eroding your mind and soul!"**

The copy's voice grew louder and louder as it talked until it was nearly shouting at the end, **"What you fail to realize, my dear Junketsu, is that if the pretty little princess whose body you're wearing had simply asked for some of my Life Fibers this wouldn't be happening. I would never give any part of me to you, to be honest, but if by some strange coincidence I did then…well…you would be fine and dandy while still under Satsuki's thumb. So you were screwed either way!"**

Junketsu's eyes clenched shut in pain as she shouted, **"Shut up!"**

"**What? You think I want this to happen to you? Get real."** The pale copy of Ichigo scoffed and folded his arms before smirking as something came to mind, **"Well, it's been real fun talking to you but it seems like everything is just about over…"**

With that the pale Ichigo abruptly shattered into thousands of blue Life Fibers all the while his warbling laughter echoed into the wind. As Junketsu found the world shifting back into reality she saw the true Ichigo rushing towards her with his hand outstretched. Just as she was about to shout at him to stay away from her Ichigo's hand pressed firmly against Satsuki's chest and everything faded to darkness.

Ichigo sat upright with a startled gasp. Taking in several deep breaths as he tried to remember what happened after he placed his hand on Satsuki's chest he found himself drawing a complete blank much to his surprise. One moment he had finally managed to use the perverted technique his dad said would save Satsuki and Junketsu and the next he was waking up on the shore of a beach. Sitting up and looking around Ichigo noticed that while the ocean stretching out to the horizon in front of him was as smooth as glass the dark gray storm clouds above made him realize that he wasn't anywhere in the real world.

"This is an odd place," Ichigo pushed himself to his feet and absentmindedly brushed sand off his clothing, "I wonder how I got here. You know anything about where we are, Mugetsu?"

When he failed to elicit a response from his Kamui Ichigo looked down and noticed that for the first time in months he was not wearing Mugetsu. Instead of the familiar black and white patterns and multihued eyes on his shoulders Ichigo saw that he was wearing one of sets of clothing he owned before he was transferred to Honnouji Academy. Shivering slightly as a cold breeze blew across the beach Ichigo rubbed his arms and muttered, "I guess I'm on my own from here on out. This must be Satsuki's inner world. I never expected a stormy beach to be her inner world."

Deciding that he had spent enough time enjoying the view Ichigo turned around to begin looking for his Life Fibers when he stopped and deadpanned, "Of fucking course…"

Stretching up into the sky and taking up most of the horizon opposite the beach was a large and imposing castle. Dozens of bastions and parapets lined the walls of the fortress and even from his distance Ichigo noticed various colored flames illuminating the thousands of windows. While the weathered stone fortress appeared to have seen better days but Ichigo knew that despite its rustic and beaten appearance it was more than capable of protecting against any assault. Casting his gaze upwards Ichigo frowned when he noticed the familiar blue glow of his Life Fibers coming from the clouds surrounding the towers stretching into the stormy sky.

"This is more like it," Ichigo groaned and rubbed his temple. Why couldn't anything be easy? Searching the entire castle is going to take forever and time was something he could not afford to waste.

As Ichigo took his first steps towards the imposing castle stretching into and beyond the clouds he stopped as he heard something familiar faintly whispering on the wind. Pausing and cupping a hand to his ear in order to better hear it, the look of concentration on his face quickly changed to a scowl of annoyance as he placed the sound, "The Imperial March from Star Wars? Of course Satsuki would have the theme of Darth Vader playing in her head. God dammit…"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache he was certainly going to get if he continued thinking about why Satsuki's inner world had background music Ichigo sighed loudly and walked towards the castle. He could always ask Satsuki about it after he saved her. As he stepped across the sandy dunes, prepared to run if needed to reach the castle in the distance, Ichigo felt the world around him shift and warp until he found himself standing on an expansive stone bridge that lead directly to the castle's front gates.

"That was convenient," Ichigo eyed the burning pyre in the middle of the bridge as he hurried towards the castle. Instead of the logs or burning embers that he expected to find he saw that there were dozens of perpetually burning wooden mannequins. What bothered Ichigo and forced a frown to adorn his face was that every single mannequin had the shape of a woman but their wooden faces were all either crying or attempting to cover themselves in shame.

"Where am I?"

Kneeling down next to one of the mannequins that had fallen out of the pyre, Ichigo was just about to turn it over and get a good look at its face when the gates to the castle opened and cast a bright rainbow light over the area. Covering his eyes with his hand, his mind immediately recognizing that light from Satsuki's mother, Ichigo lowered his arm as his eyes began to adjust to the abrupt illumination and saw a short and shadowy figure walking out of the castle towards him.

"Quick, Master Ichigo!" The short man dabbed as his forehead with a handkerchief as he waved Ichigo to enter the castle. Staring up into the stormy skies as a flash of blue illuminated everything, the man shouted once more at the hesitant Ichigo, "There's no time for dawdling, boy! You have to get inside before she finds you!"

Ichigo stared at the short man suspiciously. He had never heard of a normal person being able to enter someone else's inner world. What he was doing could be considered the sole exception and Ichigo knew for a fact that Satsuki did not have shinigami powers. Deciding to voice his concerns Ichigo took several steps towards the man and asked, "Who the hell are you and how are you in Satsuki's inner world?"

The man opened his mouth to speak but was knocked to the ground as something slammed into the far end of the bridge. Twisting his body around to see what happened Ichigo felt a bead of sweat trickle down his cheek upon the figure staring at him. At first glance she looked like Satsuki but the colors were all wrong and the last time he checked Satsuki did not have blonde hair. Sprinting towards the castle without as second thought, Ichigo dove under the closing gate just as the fake Satsuki teleported the length of the bridge and was about to clasp a black armored hand around his leg.

"What…the…hell…was that thing?" Ichigo asked in between pants of breath.

"There is no time for small talk, Master Kurosaki." The portly man scowled at the thick metal gate one final time as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with handkerchief before placing it back into the pocket of his tuxedo. As a bright flash of lightning illuminated the castle in shades of eerie blue and white the man smoothed the wrinkles out of his suit before turned away from Ichigo. As he sensed the suspicious scowl on the hybrid's face the man sneered before abruptly bowing, "Please excuse my rudeness, Master Kurosaki. While I may be nothing more than an aspect of Lady Satsuki's will my actions so far have been quite rude. If you wish to call me by a name might I suggest Takiji Kuroido?"

Ichigo frowned as he tried to place why that name seemed so familiar before asking, "Aren't you the Steward of the Kiryuin Family or something?"

The being that took the form of Takiji Kuroido gave an oily smirk as it answered, "You are well informed Master Kurosaki. However I am simply part of Lady Satsuki's will that's been given form and substance in order to better guide you on your journey to save her. Please follow me and watch your step. Lady Satsuki's mind is fatal to anyone that has not been invited. My presence is the only reason you have not yet succumbed to the mental traps."

Giving Ichigo one last unpleasant smile Kuroido turned and began walking away, the shadows permeating the darkened corridors seeming to reach out towards him as he went. As Ichigo glanced down at his clothing, wishing once more that Mugetsu was here, he heard Kuroido's echoing voice from down the hallway, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Master Kurosaki, but your Kamui did not make the trip. It was your Life Fibers that've infected Junketsu after all. Now please try to keep up. I would prefer that you not manage to get lost before helping Lady Satsuki."

Ichigo did not say anything as he slowly followed the shadowy form of Kuroido. While the tall open windows spaced every ten feet or so along the walls would usually bring in enough light to illuminate every corner of the castle, the raging storm outside had forced the windows to be shuttered with thick opaque glass that let in almost nothing apart from the occasional flash of lightning. As his footsteps echoed on the stone floor interspaced with oriental rugs Ichigo stopped walking as he gazed at a painting taking up the wall in front of him where the corridor turned sharply to the left.

Unlike the rest of the castle the painting was fully illuminated, which allowed Ichigo to see the detail of every single brushstroke of the nearly thirty foot high piece of artwork. As he stared up at the two figures featured predominantly in the painting, both Satsuki Kiryuin and her mother, Ichigo began to feel as if something was off about it. While Ragyo Kiryuin appeared to be normal as she sat upon an ornate thrown made out of what appeared to be Life Fibers and wearing an elaborately sewn Japanese wedding dress it was the look on Satsuki's face that caused Ichigo to lean closer for a better look. The Satsuki in the painting may have only been six or seven years old but the look of sadness on her face as she stared in the exact opposite direction of her mother caused Ichigo to…

"Master Ichigo!" Kuroido's loud shout from down the hallway disrupted Ichigo's line of thought, "We do not have the time to observe the art! I do not see why a picture of Lady Satsuki and her mother intrigues you so much anyway."

Looking one final time at the painting before he continued following Kuroido Ichigo was shocked to see that the context had changed in the brief moment of distraction. The almost sinister smile on Ragyo's face had been replaced by a nearly maternal one and the look of shame and uncomfortableness on Satsuki was now one of mild contentment and annoyance that most six years old had when forced to pose for a painting. Frowning as he tried to understand whether the painting had indeed changed or he just saw something that wasn't there, Ichigo was forced to abandon that line of thought when Kuroido's increasingly impatient voice forced him to continue following the portly butler.

As Ichigo finally caught up to Kuroido at the base of a rather large staircase he watched as the faux butler removed a torch from a nearby sconce. Lighting the torch with a match that flickered with an alien blue light, Kuroido's face was cast in eerie blue and white shadows as he motioned for Ichigo to stop, "If you wish to truly save Lady Satsuki out of the goodness of your heart, Master Ichigo, then answer a simple question – why are you here?"

Ichigo did not even hesitate as he answered, "I'm here to save both Satsuki and Junketsu from my Life Fibers. What more of a reason do I need?"

Kuroido gave an inhuman snicker as he waved the torch in the air in front of his body, "What more indeed. Lady Satsuki does not have good memories of Life Fiber Hybrids. In fact before you were exposed as one the only such being she had any close contact with was Nui Harime. I take it you understand why I feel the need to not trust your altruism at face value?"

"I'm here to help," Ichigo countered with grim determination as he stared directly past the glasses Kuroido was wearing into his beady eyes, "If you truly are part of Satsuki than you should already know that."

For just a second it seemed as if Kuroido was not going to accept his answer but soon enough he began chuckling in his normal oily tone. As he began ascending the staircase, the blue light from the torch flicking the shadows back and forth, Kuroido took several steps before turning around and saying, "Well said, Master Ichigo. The answers you seek are this way and I advise you to watch your step. These stairs were not designed for anyone other than Lady Satsuki. They might be…disconcerting."

Ichigo scoffed at Kuroido's worry but as soon as his foot touched the very first step everything seemed to sway and change. The once even and easily climbable steps suddenly appeared to bend at obtuse and strange angles while the heights of individual steps continuously changed right before his eyes. As his mind became increasingly dizzy and he threatened to lose his balance, Ichigo felt a thick hand grab the front of his shirt. When everything immediately reverted back to normal Ichigo looked around and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"I warned you," Kuroido sneered before letting go of Ichigo and proceeding onwards, "Lady Satsuki's mind is a fortress, Master Ichigo, which demonstrates her inhuman will and drive to persevere. In order to defend against mental and spiritual threats she has implemented various traps and defenses that will only get worse as we get closer to her inner sanctum. I dare say you might never find quite another mind like Lady Satsuki's."

"You'd be surprised what some people would do," Ichigo muttered just loudly enough for Kuroido to hear as he followed the steward up the now normal-looking stairs. As memories of fighting Byakuya passed through his mind Ichigo wondered why someone like Satsuki would act and behave like a centuries old shinigami captain. Byakuya was born in a noble house and grew over decades to accept the rule of law while getting a temper on his emotions. Satsuki, on the other hand, was only seventeen years old and from what he'd been able to find out she's been like this for more than ten years.

"Might I trouble you for another answer, Master Ichigo?" Kuroido turned around as they reached a landing and waved the torch in Ichigo's face, "Do you know how to remove your Life Fibers from Junketsu before the Kamui's mental encroachment upon Lady Satsuki mind, body and soul becomes complete?"

Ichigo scoffed and looked away, "My dad said all I needed to do was place my hand against Satsuki's chest. He never said anything about having to travel through her inner world."

"Ah yes, Master Isshin was always notorious for skimping on the details," Kuroido sneered viciously as he turned away from Ichigo. As the two of them approached the top of the stairs he saw the perplexed look on Ichigo's face and added, "If you truly do not know how to remove your Life Fibers than perhaps my assistance will be required. Every room in this castle represents part of Lady Satsuki's overall personality. Perhaps you might gain some insight about how to safely remove your Life Fibers from Lady Satsuki."

Gripping the elaborate wrought iron handle of the door in front of them Kuroido flashed a conniving smirk at Ichigo as he pushed it open with a rusty creak, "Here is the first stop, Master Ichigo."

The room that lay beyond the threshold was not what Ichigo expected. Instead of the dark and dreary room made out of stone that he expected to see what he saw instead was a pure white room that appeared to shine with a bright light. Stepping inside with Kuroido following closely behind him Ichigo looked around and felt something was off, "There's nothing here."

"This is simply the viewing room, Master Ichigo, the real room is right this way," Kuroido answered in a mocking tone as he walked past Ichigo, the blue-lit torch no longer in his hand, and approached the single stained glass window on the far side of the room. Pushing open the window and allowing the light from outside to penetrate the room Kuroido added, "Please take a look."

Ichigo had a scowl on his face as he slowly walked towards the open window. Glancing suspiciously at Kuroido one final time before leaning forward out the window he was surprised to see that instead of the raging storm and howling winds blanketing Satsuki mindscape he was looking upon a thirteen year old Satsuki Kiryuin walking through a grove of cherry blossoms. As he watched the soundless scene play out Ichigo saw as the much younger Satsuki was confronted by an equally younger Ira Gamagori. While he was unable to hear what Satsuki said to Gamagori Ichigo was still able to watch as she effortlessly demolished his guard as well as the steel armor Gamagori was hiding underneath his clothing.

"What am I watching?"

"You are witnessing the first encounter Lady Satsuki had with Ira Gamagori. She is quite extraordinary, would you not agree?" Kuroido answered with little concern.

Ichigo didn't answer as the scene shifted to Satsuki standing over a defeated Gamagori. Chopping the larger teen on the back of his shattered armor Satsuki said something that Ichigo wished he could hear before Gamagori bowed his head and knelt in front of Satsuki with his hand held out. Just as Satsuki smiled and reached out with her own hand the scene abruptly vanished only to be replaced by the familiar storm outside. As Ichigo stood with his upper body getting drenched by the torrential downpour he scowled and asked, "How long has Satsuki been this way?"

"Thirteen years, three months, five days, three hours and fourteen minutes," Kuroido answered in a completely uncaring tone as he walked away from the window towards the only other exit to the room. As he placed a hand on the archaic and rustic wooden door, the hinges creaking open with an audible groan, Kuroido looked over his shoulder and said, "There is still much to see, Master Ichigo, and we do not have much time."

There was something inherently wrong with the answer Kuroido had belted out without any hesitation. If he was to take the answer at face value than Satsuki had been like this ever since she was about five years old or so. It bothered Ichigo tremendously to know that a five year old girl became like this, "Before we go any further I have a question of my own. What exactly caused Satsuki to become this way? I don't think someone just wakes up one day and decides to become a different person on a whim."

The steward's black form seemed to blend into the shadows and for just a moment Ichigo's eyes saw something else. That feeling quickly abated when Kuroido turned around and sneered, "Lady Satsuki will have the answers you need. I am not at liberty to discuss anything bothering her with anyone, including you."

Ichigo did not press the issue as he followed the steward. Watching that scene play out in front of his eyes raised more questions than it answered and Ichigo didn't know how seeing pieces of Satsuki's past would help him save both her and Junketsu from his Life Fibers. Pursing his lips as something passed across the forefront of his mind Ichigo paused and asked, "What's Satsuki's relation to her mother?"

"Lady Ragyo?" Kuroido quirked an eyebrow above his glasses as he turned his head around to face Ichigo, "Lady Satsuki's relation with her mother is perhaps more formal than most families. Her father disappeared when she was but five years old. Since that day Lady Ragyo has tried to keep her daughter from drifting too far away. I will admit that Lady Ragyo's relationship with her daughter might seem…strange…to those outside the family but…"

Whatever Kuroido said after that was drowned out as they walked past dozens of simple rooms lining either side of the hallway. As Ichigo stared into the first one on the right he saw that the room was filled with mannequins identical to the ones burning in the pyre outside the castle but with a slight difference. Instead of being completely naked these ones were clothed in elaborate and covering dresses that glowed with a very familiar rainbow light. The next room was similar to the first but as he passed more and more rooms Ichigo began to become disturbed by the increasingly erotic and shameful poses of the mannequins until he could not look at the last room out of fear what he might see.

"Hey," Ichigo cut of Kuroido and swallowed nervously, "I have another question. What the fuck is up with the mannequins in these rooms?"

"You didn't look, did you?" Kuroido's eyes widened in fear as a series of agonizing moans erupted from the rooms. Quickly closing the door of the room nearest them before the mannequins inside could leave Kuroido grabbed Ichigo's hands and rushed down the hall. As the mannequins in the rest of the rooms awkwardly stumbled towards them Kuroido grimaced and said, "Quickly! This way, Master Ichigo! We don't have much time remaining before Junketsu breaches the security of Lady Satsuki's fortress!"

Pulling his hand out of Kuroido's cold grip Ichigo ran alongside the portly man and frowned when he saw more mannequins appearing out of the shadows in front of him. Skidding to a stop and thinking quickly, he grabbed Kuroido by the back of his tuxedo and pulled him into what looked like an empty room before slamming the door behind him. Breathing heavily as he rested his forehead on the door Ichigo muttered, "I think that should buy us some time. Damn it Satsuki, why does your mind have to be such a fucking mess?"

"We should not be here, Master Ichigo…"

Ichigo frowned at the worried tone in Kuroido's voice and turned around expecting to see more of those nightmarish mannequins or something even worse. Instead of one of Satsuki's mental defenses, however, the only thing in the now lit room was a statue of Satsuki clad in Junketsu and holding something up in the air but due to the angle Ichigo could not see what it was. As curiosity overrode his fear and he took a step forward to see what it was Satsuki was holding Kuroido grabbed Ichigo's wrist to stop him, "This is a very sacred room to Lady Satsuki, Master Ichigo. It's where her deepest desire is kept safe! The longer we are in here the more likely her mind is to lash out and erase your presence from reality!"

Effortlessly pulling his arm out of Kuroido's tight grip Ichigo walked forward and around the statue. When he saw exactly what it was the statue of Satsuki was holding in her hand Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back to Kuroido, "Tell me something, Kuroido. You said that Satsuki and her mother get along fairly well. So tell me…why the hell is Satsuki's deepest desire to hold her mother's severed head!"

"He…he…he…"

As the room containing Satsuki's deepest desire began to melt around them Ichigo tried to rush forward and grab Kuroido only to find the Kiryuin's steward melting along with it. Letting go of the amorphous body as he fell to the ground in a wet heap, Ichigo twisted around as he felt droplets of rain hit his face. Gritting his teeth angrily into the stormy skies above Ichigo was forced to cover his eyes as a helicopter appeared from over the edge of the castle with Kuroido hanging off the side with a rocket launcher easily held in his hand.

"So you finally managed to figure things out, you stupid boy." Kuroido's voice carried easily through the air even though the helicopter's rotors were barely five feet away from him. Sneering derisively down at Ichigo, who glared up at him through the rain-filled skies, the steward aimed the rocket launcher at Ichigo and shouted, "But it's too late for you to do anything about it! Junketsu is going to destroy the last remnants of Satsuki's mind in less than five minutes!"

Ichigo bit his lip as he watched Kuroido prepare to attack him while he was powerless to do anything. He no longer had shinigami powers and without Mugetsu he just a normal human. Who cared if he was Life Fiber Hybrid when it really didn't help him in a fight? Glowering at Kuriodo he shouted, "I knew I couldn't trust you! Satsuki would never have someone like you as part of her subconscious. So who the hell are you?"

"You truly are a stupid and naïve little boy," Kuroido scoffed angrily at Ichigo's stupid question as he aimed directly at Ichigo. He was but an extension of Lady Ragyo's will, implanted into her daughter in order to spy on her actions. Therefore he knew that Ichigo needed to live to see his creator's plans come to fruition. Snickering menacingly at the look of powerless anger adorning Ichigo's face he sneered and said, "Don't worry. I won't kill you. Lady Ragyo still had need of you after all…"

"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed and began running parallel to the helicopter as Kuroido took aim and fired. As his sneakers slipped against the wet surface of the roof Ichigo was thrown forward and into the air as the rocket detonated just over a dozen feet behind him. Bouncing along the roof as he temporarily lost control of his body Ichigo managed to arrest his movement just before he could roll off the edge and fall to the ground thousands of feet below. Ichigo only managed a quick glimpse over the edge of the roof before a wave of vertigo hit him and forced him to close his eyes and turn away.

"_Damn, the perspective in this place is screwing with me…"_

Upon hearing the faint sound of a second rocket being fired Ichigo threw his body against the soaked roof and felt the heat of the rocket's exhaust against his back as it sailed harmlessly over him. Gritting his teeth and pushing himself back onto his feet Ichigo ignored the sound of the rocket detonating against another part of the castle in order to focus on staying alive, or at least inside Satsuki's inner world. As he took a series of ragged breaths, exhaustion already affecting him despite his superhuman endurance, Ichigo began to notice something strange.

After blinking his eyes and rubbing them to make sure he wasn't seeing things, Ichigo looked to the left and then the right as the torrential downpour seemed to slow to a crawl. The rain that once blanketed the rooftop in a perpetually falling sheet of water now appeared to be moving in slow motion. Although he didn't know how it was possible Ichigo knew that he could individually follow each and every droplet of water as it hit the roof.

"You got lucky twice now!" Kuroido sneered as a third rocket appeared inside his weapon. He was starting to get really sick and tired of Ichigo managing to stay alive. Sure his rockets would not kill the boy but he needed to remove him from Satsuki's mindscape before he stumbled upon a way to save her.

As Ichigo watched the rocket leave the launcher he knew that this time would be different. Reaching out to the rocket as it reached him Ichigo's body was already twisting in motion as his fingers gently grasped the metal casing of the explosive. With almost practiced ease Ichigo spun around with the rocket's exhaust leaving a curved trail of smoke before letting go and allowing it to shoot straight back towards Kuroido.

"Shit!"

Kuroido desperately threw his arm across his face as the rocket slammed into the cockpit of the helicopter, which reeled for several seconds until it exploded in a massive fireball that sent the steward of the Kiryuin family crashing through the air before he slammed bodily against the rooftop. As the helicopter fell over the edge of the roof into the abyss of Satsuki's mindscape Kuroido coughed harshly and saw flecks of rainbow-tinted blood splattering on the wet stone tiles.

"Damn boy!" Kuroido sneered as his body was wracked in pain. The damage he sustained would not be permanent, he wa a small piece of Lady Ragyo after all, but he could feel the Life Fibers making up his body straining to stay together. How the hell could he have been expected to fight a Life Fiber Hybrid? Gritting his teeth as he desperately tried to push himself off the ground Kuroido turned his head upward when he saw a shadow blocking the light. Glaring into Ichigo's angry gaze Kuroido sneered before he began chuckling, "You think you've won, boy? You may have beaten me but I still won the battle. I've stalled you long enough that you don't have a chance to save Satsuki from being Junketsu's permanent set of clothing!"

"Shut the hell up."

Ichigo glared down at the fallen mockery of a steward with rage boiling through his mind. Kneeling down in front of Kuroido and grabbing the steward by the front of his tuxedo Ichigo pulled the shorter man into the air with both hands and scowled, "I think I have a fairly good idea what happened to Satsuki thirteen years ago. I don't care what you say I'm going to save Junketsu and Satsuki!"

Kuroido was about to scoff at Ichigo's stupidity when he saw the boy's hair lighten in color. His eyes widened in shock and fear behind his tinted glasses as the orange hair Ichigo had always known bled away until it was a very familiar shade of silver. After staring at Ichigo's newly silver hair Kuroido began laughing maniacally even as he felt his body begin breaking apart. With a rainbow glow emanating from the increasing cracks on his faux body he said, "Very well then…Lady Ragyo will be pleased to know you were a complete success."

Ichigo was forced to squint when Kuroido's body exploded in a cacophony of rainbow light before hundreds of Life Fibers dissipated into the storm around him. As a crackle of thunder faded away in the distance Ichigo watched as a single rainbow Life Fiber hovered in the air in front of him before it too vanished into nothingness. Staring across the now empty rooftop as the final words of Kuroido echoed in his mind, his empty hands clenched angrily at the realization of Satsuki's past, Ichigo forced himself to calm down.

"There's no time to focus on that right now. I need to save Satsuki," Ichigo sighed dramatically as he turned around to find a way off the roof. Kuroido had been correct about one thing – he didn't have much time left to save Satsuki. Already he could feel his Life Fibers in Junketsu beginning to penetrate the castle around him. He had perhaps only a few minutes left until it was too late. While he hurried across the rooftop towards the newly created parapet that would take him to the highest tower of the castle Ichigo noticed his reflection in a puddle and quickly skidded to a stop.

"My hair!" Ichigo pulled at his now silver hair as realized that his orange hair was gone, "Why the hell is my hair silver? Damn it! I'm too young to be going grey!"

Sighing miserably at the thought of going out in public with grey hair Ichigo realized that there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. His hair turning silver might even be a side effect of staying in Satsuki's mindscape for too long. With the belief that his hair will be its natural orange once he left Satsuki's mind Ichigo hurried along the parapet and gripped the handle of the door before giving it a solid push.

With a barely audible creak of metal the door gently swung inwards and Ichigo quickly found himself standing in a very familiar setting. Instead of the dark and menacing fortress that was beginning to break under the strain of his Life Fibers in Junketsu Ichigo was now standing in an exact replica of Satsuki Kiryuin's room at Honnouji Academy. Stepping forward and into the main room of the luxurious apartment Ichigo immediately felt that this version was different. Instead of the cold and spartan accommodations that he seen during the Naturals Election the room around him gave off a feeling of warmth and comfort, which caused Ichigo no small amount of surprise.

"Is this Satsuki's true inner world?" Ichigo muttered as he slowly walked around the room and looked around. One of the most apparent changes to the room was the dozens of pictures lining the walls and placed on dressers and stands. Picking one up at random and turning it over in his hands Ichigo saw that it was a picture of a five year old Satsuki smiling happily while eating ice cream alongside a man with auburn colored hair that could only have been her father.

"_Satsuki's father…"_

Ichigo didn't know much about Satsuki's father. From the lack of involvement in her life he assumed he was either divorced from Ragyo or dead. After meeting the woman during Parent Student Day, seeing her rein in Nui Harime without much effort and the knowledge he learned while in Satsuki's mindscape Ichigo was beginning to lean towards the latter.

"There you are Ichigo."

Upon hearing the familiar and confident voice Ichigo turned around and saw Satsuki Kiryuin, or at least a mental representation of her, walking across the room towards him. Clad in Junketsu's normal untransformed state, the outer rings of the Kamui's a familiar shade of blue instead of black, Satsuki's heels clicked rapidly along the marble tiles before she elegantly sat down in a chair. Crossing her legs over each other Satsuki folded her hands in front of her face and said, "Your foolish excuses for not offering advice for the Tri-School Raid Trip were beginning to get annoying."

Ichigo stared at Satsuki with confusion evident in his eyes. As far as he could tell Satsuki had changed the Tri-City School Raid Trip from the Kansai Region to Karakura Town around a few days before the battle. Frowning as he tried to determine what was happening Ichigo decided to ask, "So you're not going after Karakura Town?"

"Of course not," Satsuki gave Ichigo her version of a pleasant smirk as she leaned her head back against the chair, "Do you not recall what happened during the Sudden Death Runoffs? After we managed to drive off Nui Harime before she could kill Mako Mankanshoku I vowed to leave Karakura Town out of my conquest. It is the least I could do for helping to keep our fellow students from dying at the hands of the Grand Couturier."

"_That's not what happened."_

Satsuki's explanation of the events bothered Ichigo. He knew that Mako had died at the hands of Nui Harime during the Sudden Death Runoffs but Satsuki appeared to firmly believe that the two of them managed to stop her before that happened. Walking across the room and sitting down in the chair opposite of Satsuki Ichigo frowned as he tried to think of something to say. He couldn't just tell Satsuki that they were in her mind with perhaps less than two minutes before Junketsu assumed complete control of her body. She would never believe him. He needed to come up with another approach, one that would make Satsuki realize that none of this was real. As his eyes widened slightly as he came up with the perfect idea Ichigo decided to put his acting skills to the test.

"I'm sorry about that. It's been a real busy week for me." Ichigo leaned back in the chair and gave Satsuki an apologetic smirk, "So what sort of advice do you want?"

The slight change in Satsuki's expression signified the extent of her surprise. She hadn't expected Ichigo to actually agree with her methods. Everything she knew about him indicated he was completely against her Raid Trip plan and would be a significant thorn in her side. For him to suddenly turn around and agree to help her temporarily threw her off guard, "Your change of heart surprises me, Ichigo. Before we begin tell me what brought about such a change in your demeanor? During the Sudden Death Runoffs you were nearly antagonistic to me yet now you're more than willing to offer assistance for my plans."

Ichigo felt rather than saw the mindscape around them shake but it was clear that Satsuki did not notice it whatsoever. Looking out the large windows taking up the entire wall to his right as storm clouds began replacing the pleasant midafternoon sky he grimaced and said, "I changed my mind because I realized doing so would allow me to help someone I care about. If I stand back and let her go off on her own than something bad is going to happen to her."

"Care about, you say…" Satsuki's face adopted a pensive look as she thought about Ichigo's words. While there was no reason for her to find Ichigo's words overtly strange since he was most likely talking about Matoi Satsuki forced herself to ignore the feeling of déjà vu she was experiencing, "While I find myself intrigued by your relation to Matoi I fail to see how my plans for the Kansai Region affect her. Without her Kamui she is just another human."

Satsuki's words worried Ichigo, "What happened to Senketsu?"

For a moment Satsuki looked surprised by Ichigo's question before she scoffed and looked out the windows, "I forgot you were busy at the time with saying your farewells to Orihime Inoue. Nui Harime intercepted Matoi while you were occupied and managed to not only defeat her but destroy her Kamui. While I managed to stop the Grand Couturier before she could kill Matoi I nevertheless collected the scraps of her Kamui in order to bolster my forces in preparation for the Raid Trip."

Ichigo ran a hand through his silver hair as he reminded himself that none of this was real. He had to wonder if things could have actually turned out this way if Nui hadn't killed Mako during the Sudden Death Runoffs. If Mako had not died then Orihime would not have been forced to heal her, which would lead to Nui forcing her to heal her eye. Without her eye getting healed Nui's vendetta against Ryuko would have continued unabated. Ichigo didn't know what else might have changed but simply thinking about how Mako dying would have been better than living greatly disturbed him.

"There is one last matter we need to discuss – our public relationship," Satsuki seemed to find merely saying those words irritating if the frown of annoyance on her face was any indication. As she watched Ichigo flinch back in surprise Satsuki continued, "My mother has been quite insistent that we assume a formal relationship. While I am adamant in waiting until after the pacification of the rest of the Japanese academies is complete it seems that we cannot wait any longer so I will give you this solution, Ichigo. In all public appearances we shall have the formal relation as boyfriend and girlfriend. Since you already live in the Student Council quarters our fellow students will not find such a notion unbelievable."

"Wait. What?" Ichigo coughed in embarrassment at Satsuki's rather forward declaration of being his girlfriend, "You can't be serious!"

If anything that comment made Satsuki's frown deepen, "Of course I am serious, Ichigo. Your ability to not only control Mugetsu but wear it for an indefinite amount of time is a sign of your immense mental fortitude. If there is anyone on Earth worthy of standing alongside me it would be you. Do you not agree?"

"I didn't say that!" Ichigo answered defensively as a flush of embarrassment adorned his face. Grimacing in annoyance as a picture of his dad egging him on came to the forefront of his mind Ichigo scowled and said, "And your reasoning for being my girlfriend is all wrong. It shouldn't be based on power or worthiness or whatever else you called it. Look…I don't have much experience with having a girlfriend so I'm basing everything on my dad's stupid advice and he's not the best source of reliable information about women."

"Then you have not heard my mother talk about him," Satsuki quipped seriously as a small smirk of amusement crossed her face, "I've asked my mother about her relation with your father and the only thing I was able to take away from it was that she once hoped to marry him."

"Are you serious?" Ichigo deadpanned as the look on Satsuki's face never changed. Great, there was another thing he had to ask his dad about when this was all over. Rubbing his face with his hand and muttered unintelligibly about murdering his dad Ichigo sighed and said, "Oh god, you are serious. That's just great. As for your offer…sorry but I'm not interested in a girl that basically wants to go out with me simply as part of some hidden agenda."

"I'm surprised by your disbelief, Ichigo," Satsuki uncrossed her legs as she folded her arms across Junketsu, "Is your opinion of me truly that low?"

Ichigo scowled and looked away from Satsuki, "I'm just going from what I know of you. You really haven't deserved the benefit of the doubt. Almost everything you've done since Ryuko and I arrived has been to further your plan to take down your mother."

Satsuki chuckled at Ichigo and allowed a mirthful smirk to grace her face, "I'm not some omnipotent being, Ichigo. While Matoi and your actions may have helped further my plans do you honestly think I could have gotten this far if Matoi had stopped to truly think about her father's murder? Most of my plans were based of Matoi's predictable reactions to vaguely worded statements and declarations. I knew that if I hinted at knowing the identity of her father's murderer she would stop at nothing to get to me. I was, as Inumuta heard you say, making it up as I go."

"What about trying to kill Ryuko after getting Junketsu?" Ichigo countered.

Before she answered him Satsuki reached forward and picked up one of the cups of tea that had spontaneously appeared on the table between them. Satsuki sipped at the hot and bitter liquid for a moment before answering, "I am not a murderer Ichigo. I had no intention of taking Matoi's life. The entire purpose of the fight was to force her to get over her childish self-worth issues and truly wear Senketsu. Did you know that a Kamui's full power is stunted if the wearer is embarrassed to wear them?"

Ichigo grimaced as he thought back to the first time he truly wore Mugetsu. Silently thanking Kisuke for not making Mugetsu anything like Senketsu and Junketsu he answered, "No I didn't. I never really encountered that particular problem."

"My intention that day was to help Matoi unlock the true power of her Kamui by realizing that she should not base her self-worth on what others thought," Satsuki finished her tea and stared at Ichigo sternly. She found it incredibly insulting that someone like Matoi, who never had to deal with a mother like Ragyo Kiryuin, had body self-worth issues. If she could push forward and wear Junketsu without issue than Matoi should have been able to do so right from the beginning, "You could not imagine my disappointment when she failed to realize the only thing keeping her from matching me in combat was her own embarrassment. That is why I was glad when you arrived, Ichigo. Your interference allowed Matoi the time to get over herself and reach her full potential."

Ichigo scowled as he thought back and remembered saving Ryuko from being killed by Satsuki, "Am I to assume all the comments you made about sacrificing Mugetsu and me to Junketsu were lies?"

"It was nothing more than simple banter, Ichigo." Satsuki smirked and rested her chin on her hand, "I needed you to give it your all so I could test the extents of Junketsu's power. I had only put on Junketsu a couple of hours prior to the fight so I didn't know my own limits. I had intended to test them against Matoi but we both know how that turned out."

"I suppose…" Ichigo trailed off as he realized that he didn't have much time left. While the Satsuki in front of him didn't seem to notice anything wrong with the mindscape he could feel Satsuki's inner world slowly but surely collapsing around them. He didn't know why it was taking this long but he couldn't waste any more time on talking, "…listen Satsuki, I have a personal question for you. I've seen your mother but what happened to –"

"…my father?" Satsuki interrupted Ichigo without waiting for him to finish. With a scathing bite to her tone she explained, "He's dead. My mother ordered his assassination when I was five years old after he attempted to leave her. He had just found out about her true nature and decided he could not condone her plans any longer. From what I heard the person she chose to kill him was Kuroido. You can rest assured that I have a very special punishment in store for him."

The dark and predatory look on Satsuki's face worried Ichigo but he couldn't really blame her. If the real Kuroido was anything like the mental projection he fought earlier he didn't have a doubt in his mind that he would gleefully murder anyone, even Satsuki's father, if Ragyo gave him the order. Scowling and running a hand through his silver hair, his mind trying to understand everything he's learned so far, Ichigo decided that they had talked long enough, "Satsuki…do you remember how Orihime healed Nui's eye?"

"What sort of question is that?" Satsuki asked in mild irritation, "Orihime Inoue is but a normal human who was sent by your father as moral support for you during the Sudden Death Runoffs. How could she have…healed…Nui…?"

Satsuki froze as memories of the true events that transpired during the Sudden Death Runoffs returned to her in full force. As he watched Satsuki regain her memories Ichigo noticed the lighting of the room shifting and upon looking through the windows saw the once pleasant day replaced by familiar storm clouds. Watching as an arc of blue lightning stretched across the now turbulent sky Ichigo turned his attention back to Satsuki when she began speaking, "None of this is real, is it Ichigo? Everything that I believed to be reality was nothing more than an illusion created by Junketsu to keep me placated until she could seize full control of my body."

As the illusionary room around them began to crack and splinter, beams of a familiar blue light shining through the gaps, Ichigo turned towards the pensive Satsuki and said, "If you remember everything than you know why I'm here. I can remove my Life Fibers from Junketsu but I don't think it will work unless you retake control of your body first!"

Satsuki didn't say anything as she stood up and took a deep breath. As she adopted a stern expression and looked outside Ichigo saw her body beginning to fade away, "What you say makes sense. Removing your Life Fibers from Junketsu will not make it relinquish its hold on my body. I know what I must do but…thank you for helping me, Ichigo."

"Don't mention it."

While Satsuki didn't say anything in response Ichigo didn't doubt that she heard him. As the familiar backdrop of light surrounded her, tinged by the blue light of his Life Fibers, Ichigo watched in awe as Satsuki took a single step towards the window and immediately the storm raging outside abated before disappearing entirely. Taking another step forward as more of her body faded away from existence, Ichigo was forced to cover his eyes to protect them from her backdrop's intensifying light. As he watched through barely open eyes as Satsuki's body faded away he saw her turn around and face him.

It took Ichigo a second to realize what he was seeing. As she looked at him with more than half of her body already gone, the corners of Satsuki's mouth curled up until a warm and wide smile had blossomed across her face. Staring in shock at the sight before he managed to regain his composure, Ichigo returned Satsuki's smile with a grin of his own as he watched her fade completely. As the last traces of Satsuki vanished Ichigo saw her inner world disappearing as well.

"Where am I now?" Ichigo pondered as he looked around the white expanse that stretched for as far as he could see. There had to be a way out of Satsuki's mind now that he rescued her from being consumed by Junketsu. The only problem he had is that his dad didn't exactly give him instructions on how this worked, "Wait a second…how the hell did he know I was a Life Fiber Hybrid?"

"**Hello Ichigo."**

Turning around at the familiar voice, this time lacking the psychotic and mentally unbalanced tones he had come to expect, Ichigo found himself standing face to face several feet away from the strangely colored version of Satsuki in her Kamui that had chased him into the castle. As he stared into the multihued eyes of the blonde haired Satsuki standing before him Ichigo's own eyes widened in realization as he instinctively knew who she truly was, "Hello Junketsu. Are you feeling better now?"

Junketsu gave Ichigo a soft smile as she held out her arm and opened her hand, allowing him to see the small ball of blue Life Fibers curled up within it. As the Life Fibers lit up her face in a pleasant blue light, Junketsu stared at the orb of Life Fibers dancing above her palm before muttering, **"You saved me, Ichigo. Even after I tried killing you and those other humans you still saved me. Why?"**

"Because I made a promise that I would save both you and Satsuki," Ichigo's answer caused Junketsu to look up at him with shock evident on her face. Scoffing as he folded his arms across his chest Ichigo continued, "I wasn't about to go back on my word because you tried to kill me. It wasn't like you were in your right state of mind, after all, so I don't think anyone is going to hold a grudge against you but an apology couldn't hurt."

"**I see…"** Junketsu allowed the Life Fibers to leave her hand and watched as the slowly pulsating orb floated towards Ichigo who caught it in his own hand. Watching as the orb slowly seemed to shrink to nothing as it was absorbed back into Ichigo Junketsu looked down and gave a miserable sigh as she saw her body beginning to disappear, **"Satsuki's regained control of her body. It seems as if I'm going to return to being nothing more than a caged animal under her thumb."**

Ichigo stepped forward and placed a hand on Junketsu's shoulder as he gave her a supportive smile, "I don't think that's going to be the case. Satsuki didn't know how much she was hurting you. I think if you give working with Satsuki a chance you'll find that she's not that bad. Sure she's a little annoying and never seems to smile but she's still a good person. She may not be able to hear your voice and understand what you want but she's smart. I'm sure she'll figure out a way to talk to you eventually. Besides, even if that never happens you still have Ryuko and me. I'm sure Mugetsu and Senketsu would like meeting the real Junketsu."

Junketsu returned Ichigo's smile as the last remnants of her body faded from the mindscape, **"I…suppose…thank you…Ichigo…"**

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><p>The first thing Ichigo noticed upon leaving Satsuki's inner world was that he was laying on his back with Mugetsu transformed back into her normal uniform appearance. Groaning as he pushed himself into a sitting position Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and looked around, which is when he noticed the second thing upon escaping Satsuki's mindscape. Sitting down on a piece of rubble, Junketsu torn and dirty but once more in her normal appearance, was Satsuki.<p>

The Student Council President did not seem to notice Ichigo's return to consciousness as she stared into the distance with the sheathed Bakuzan resting between her legs. Even though her appearance was currently disheveled and she looked as if she might fall over from exhaustion at any second Satsuki still managed to project an aura of strength and power. Turning her head as she heard Ichigo push himself off the ground Satsuki narrowed her eyes momentarily before closing them, "While I am highly appreciative of the help, Ichigo, I must know one thing – how much of my mind did you see?"

Ichigo ignored the worried questions Mugetsu's was asking him as he grimaced and looked to the side, "…I saw enough."

"I need to know exactly what you saw in there, Ichigo," Satsuki's tone might have sounded forceful and demanding but for Ichigo there was no masking the desperate undertone carried on all her words. He knew exactly what she was asking and it bothered him that he had to answer.

"Look…" Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck as the proper words escaped him. This was a topic he never thought he would have to talk about and it was taking everything he had just to say something, "I'm not going to pretend I understand what you went through but what I saw…your mother…how could –?"

"Do not say it, Ichigo," Satsuki's venomous tone caused Ichigo to flinch and cut his questions short. Standing up, her legs shaking ever so slightly before she regained her balance, Satsuki began walking towards Ichigo with a slightly conflicted look in her eyes. Stopping just a few feet away from him and giving an uncharacteristic sigh she said, "You are most likely the only person fully aware of the unspeakable acts my mother has done to me. Please do not speak a word of it to anyone. Nobody must know the true extent of my mother's madness."

"…alright. I won't say anything," Ichigo felt that there should be something he could say to Satsuki to help her feel better but what the hell would it be? He had fought some terrible opponents during his time as a shinigami but nothing they did compared to what Satsuki's mother apparently did. Pushing himself off the ground with a tired grunt and brushing dust and dirt off Mugetsu, who gave a pleased sigh in gratitude, Ichigo bit his lip and tried to come up with something to say, "I may not ever understand what you went through but if you ever need someone to talk to I'm –"

"Lady Satsuki!"

Ichigo was cut off when Gamagori, Inumuta and Sanageyama appeared out of nowhere and landed on the ground between them with a resounding thump that nearly caused him to lose his balance and fall over. While he looked worse for wear after his clash against Yasutora Sado and his Goku Uniform was torn and dirty Ira Gamagori still managed to seem as if his body bridled with power and strength. Giving Ichigo one final angry glare before turning in worry to Satsuki Gamagori asked, "Are you alright, Lady Satsuki?"

"I am fine, Gamagori," Satsuki shifted back into her normal persona without any effort. Glancing at the three members of her Elite Four standing before her she frowned in contemplation and asked, "Where is Jakuzure?"

"I'm right here, Lady Satsuki."

Walking towards them with her Goku Uniform unbuttoned in order for the bandages wrapped around her chest to breathe was Nonon Jakuzure. Her memories after being betrayed by Lady Satsuki and nearly killed were hazy but she vaguely remembered being taken to a brightly lit room by a man with white hair before someone that looked a lot like Orihime Inoue began healing her. When she finally regained consciousness Nonon woke up to find that she was lying on a cot at Karakura General Hospital and left as quickly as she could. Noticing the barely repressed anger coursing through Gamagori, Nonon gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes, "What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me? Do you not see how you are currently dressed?" Gamagori pointed a massive finger at Nonon, who simply folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes a second time.

"For your information I can't button up my Symphony Regalia because of the bandages," Nonon countered with a bite to her tone. Ignoring Gamagori's remaining complaints in order to take a look at Satsuki she mentally sighed in relief when once again saw the familiar blue instead of the alien multihued coloring belonging to Junketsu. Pushing past Inumuta, who requested she tell him who managed to injure her so greatly, Nonon stalked towards Ichigo and grabbed him by the front of Mugetsu. Pulling him down to eye level Nonon looked around before narrowing her eyes and whispering, "I don't like you but thanks for saving Lady Satsuki's life…Strawberry."

Upon hearing Nonon's familiar name for him Ichigo pulled down a lock of his hair and sighed in relief upon seeing its usual orange. Snorting at Ichigo's weird behavior before kicking him in the shin, Nonon turned to Satsuki, "What are we going to do, Lady Satsuki?"

Satsuki looked at Ichigo for a moment before turning around and placing Bakuzan's scabbard back on her hip. Pulling the flare gun out of Gamagori's pocket and firing it directly upwards into the sky Satsuki did not have to wait more than a minute before the new helicopter piloted by Elena appeared, "I am ordering a general withdrawal of all Honnouji forces. Giving your current states it is clear that you have lost your respective battles. If we remain in Karakura Town any longer our defeat is all but certain."

As she jumped into the helicopter, where Iori and a severely enraged Riruka could be seen stared angrily at Ichigo, Satsuki turned around as a backdrop of blue-tinted light appeared behind her, "Be grateful for this day, Ichigo, for you have done what no other city has accomplished! Do not let this victory cloud your judgment for I shall be waiting for the day you let your guard down!"

Ichigo didn't answer as he watched Satsuki and her Elite Four fly out of Karakura Town and back to Honnouji Academy. Almost as soon as they were out of sight Ichigo collapsed onto the ground and gave a tired sigh, "Damn it, this has been one long day."

"_**It's not even noon yet, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu replied and Ichigo could hear the sarcasm in his Kamui's voice, _**"By the way, what happened after you touched Junketsu? After you pressed your hand against Satsuki's chest the two of you didn't move for almost five minutes before you were thrown backwards and I was forced out of my activated state."**_

Ichigo took a large breath as he stared up into the sky. Every inch of his body felt as if he had just gone two rounds with Kenpachi and then fought Byakuya for good measure. Rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing he answered, "Apparently what my dad failed to mention is that after I did that I would enter Satsuki's mind."

"_**Really?"**_ There was no hiding the excited tone in Mugetsu's voice. After everything he explained to her about his time as a shinigami while flying towards Junketsu the Kamui was excited to hear more about Ichigo's adventures, _**"What was it like? What did you see?"**_

"…I really can't talk about. I saw some of Satsuki's memories, talked to her for a while and then met Junketsu," Ichigo paused for a moment before adding, "You would like her when she's not trying to kill us. She's actually very nice even though Junketsu took on Satsuki's form inside her mind. Seeing a happy smile on Satsuki's face was disturbing."

"_**I don't doubt that,"**_ Mugetsu grumbled jealously.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned his head to the left and saw Ryuko and his friends running towards him. Grimacing as he forced his body to once again leave the comfort of the ground he winced and rubbed his shoulder before waving back. Skidding to a stop next to him Ryuko looked around for Satsuki before scoffing and kicking at a rock, "Damn it! That's the second time I lost to her!"

"Technically you fought Junketsu," Ichigo muttered before running a hand through his hair. His fight against Junketsu had been a lot tougher than the one against Satsuki and Ichigo had to wonder if they would get even stronger if Satsuki learned to work together with her Kamui. When Ichigo noticed that Ryuko's wounds were completely gone he looked around and asked, "Where's Orihime?"

Ryuko blinked owlishly at Ichigo before her eyes lit up, "Oh! My wounds weren't as bad as they looked. By the time your dad brought Orihime over most of the bleeding had stopped. Apparently Satsuki's sword just cut open my side or something. Still, it was an awful lot of blood for such a small scratch."

"_**Where is Junketsu?"**_ Senketsu's eye looked around in concern before it focused on Mugetsu, _**"Did you manage to save her from Ichigo's Life Fibers?"**_

"_**As a matter of fact we did,"**_ Mugetsu answered smugly while taking the opportunity to rub her superiority in Senketsu's metaphorical face. As she gave her fellow Kamui the equivalent of a haughty laugh she added, _**"Ichigo saved the day while you were too busy getting your fibers kicked!"**_

"_**What? Come over here and say that to my face!"**_ Senketsu tried to pull himself off Ryuko to go teach Mugetsu a lesson but she quickly put a stop to that by grabbing hold of his lapels and not letting go. As her Kamui briefly struggled to free himself and teach Mugetsu a very valuable lesson he quickly stopped when he felt Ryuko's angry gaze focused entirely on him.

"What the hell's your problem Senketsu?"

Senketsu looked up at his wearer with a childish look in his eye, _**"She mocked my abilities as a Kamui. She must pay."**_

"What are you, five? Ichigo and Mugetsu were the only ones that could have saved Junketsu. All we were capable of was stalling for time," Ryuko scoffed before she remembered why she was there, "Oh, I almost forgot. That Armstrong guy wanted me to come get you. He said it was time we learned the true goal of Ragyo Kiryuin and Life Fibers. Apparently he's like the second in command of Nudist Beach or something stupid like that."

Ichigo had thought he would be forced to hunt his father down and beat the answers he needed about Life Fibers out of him. Actually getting the answers he wanted without having to go to hell and back was a surprising relief. Standing up and nearly falling over as a wave of exhaustion hit him Ichigo pulled Tournesol out of the road and rested it on his shoulder. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that something bad was going to happen really soon.

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #24 – Let's Switch Places!<strong>

"_**Welcome to the twenty-fourth installation of Kamui Tales!"**_ Senketsu appeared in front of the screen before hopping away until he was standing next to the television with the remote held firmly in his sleeve, _**"Despite the author having trouble coming up with various omake and other things like that, he still manages to do it. Anyway the topic of this chapter's omake is Junketsu's appearance!"**_

Pressing down on the remote with his sleeve Senketsu watched as the screen lit up with an image of the black-skinned and blonde haired Satsuki speaking to Ichigo, _**"When inside their wearer's inner world, mindscape or just their imagination a Kamui will adapt an appearance similar to their wearer but at the same time quite different. Hmm…I wonder what I would look like in Ryuko's inner world."**_

As images of a dark-skinned Ryuko with an eyepatch and wearing a white version of his Kamui appeared in Senketsu's mind he found himself kicked across the room as Junketsu appeared from off screen. Catching the remote in her hand and looking at Senketsu's fallen form with mild amusement she fixed a bang of blonde hair that had fallen across her face upon her introduction, **"You can dream all you want but without a body you are weak, Senketsu."**

"_**Those are bold words coming from the Kamui that fainted the last time she appeared in one of these segments!"**_ Senketsu countered and tried to take back the remote but found Junketsu's new body to be too powerful.

"**It appears I've taken on some of Satsuki's self-confidence along with her appearance,"** Junketsu quipped as she held off Senketsu with only a single hand. Quirking an eyebrow as Senketsu attempted to bite her to make her give him the remote Junketsu spun around and threw the male Kamui across the studio until he crashed against the far wall and collapsed limply to the ground with a swirl replacing his eye.

"_**Hmm…I can't say he didn't deserve that but he had a good point. Why are you the only one with a body?"**_ The camera panned to the side to show Mugetsu lying across a couch with the top of her body hanging off the armrest, _**"Out of the three main characters I was with Ichigo the longest. I should have a body first."**_

"**True,"** Junketsu raised her arm as Senketsu came flying out of nowhere in an attempt to grab the remote, **"But this arc was about Satsuki's character development and her relationship with me. It is only fair that the author gave me a body first but there is a slight problem. I am female and Satsuki is female…the same cannot be said about your humans."**

Both Mugetsu and Senketsu thought about Junketsu's words before they shuddered in revulsion. They hadn't thought about having a body of the opposite sex. Having a body only worked for Junketsu and possibly Danketsu, but that bitch of a Kamui had refused to come to the omake under the excuse of 'vacationing in Hawaii.'

"_**Hmm…"**_ Senketsu brought a sleeve up to his mouth as a seemingly brilliant idea came to him. Hopping over to Mugetsu he stopped by her head and said, _**"Let's trade wearers!"**_

Mugetsu nearly fell off the couch, _**"What?"**_

"_**I said let's trade wearers!"**_ Senketsu replied with enthusiasm. Either ignorant of the growl coming from Mugetsu or simply deciding to ignore it Senketsu raised a sleeve in a mock salute and continued, _**"I'm sure the author can switch our Kamui forms so that nothing disturbing is shown but I want a body and you want a body so let's trade places!"**_

Junketsu watched with veiled amusement as Mugetsu launched herself off the couch and began trying to kill Senketsu. Sighing as she threw the remote over her shoulder she began walking away with a clear purpose in mind. Now that she had a body she could do the one thing she always wanted to do – learn how to dance.


	37. Chapter 37: Tell Me Something Good

_I present to you Chapter 37 and with it the first part of the Great Culture and Sports Festival Arc. There is a lot going on in this chapter and much of which follows the events of Episode 16 up to a certain extent. That means the…bath scene…is here so if it bothers you I won't fault you for skipping it. I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review when you are done!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 37 – Tell Me Something Good<strong>

"_So this is what it truly feels to wear a Kamui…"_

As she embraced the feeling of being able to wear Junketsu's transformed state without having to clash against the Kamui's will Satsuki Kiryuin lamented the hypocrisy of her words to Matoi during their confrontation. She had retrieved Junketsu from its…her…sealed container with the sole purpose of being able to counter Mugetsu and Senketsu's power. Ichigo had already shown himself to be far stronger than the embarrassed Matoi and Satsuki considered it was only a matter of time until he became fed up with the system at Honnouji Academy and decided to stop her. At the time Satsuki hadn't bothered to consider whether forcing Junketsu to obey through sheer force of will was the proper thing to do. Satsuki was determined to rid the world of the monster that was Ragyo Kiryuin by any means and just a few days ago she considered doing anything it took to achieve her goals.

That hubris nearly cost Satsuki both her body and mind to a mentally unbalanced Junketsu.

Turning her gaze away from the window and the landscape passing by thousands of feet below Satsuki knew that the only reason she was able to think about her past actions was due to the intervention of Ichigo Kurosaki. As a Life Fiber Hybrid and the fact she used his Life Fibers to bolster Junketsu's power Ichigo was able to not only enter her mind and save her but also speak with Junketsu. Satsuki did not know what he spoke with her Kamui about but ever since leaving Karakura Town Junketsu has been much more cooperative. Closing her eyes and mentally asking Junketsu to shift back to her regular form as a uniform Satsuki was relieved when the Kamui did not hesitate before doing so.

Thinking back on Ichigo's words nearly twelve hours ago Satsuki leaned her head back and sighed wistfully, _"Ichigo was right. In my desire to see my mother pay for her crimes against humanity as well as what she did to me I had almost sunk to her level. What point would there be in saving the world if I become just like my mother?"_

As she reminisced on Ichigo's words last night Satsuki wondered exactly how much of her memories he'd seen. While she did not doubt he had been able to figure out what it was her mother was doing to her Satsuki privately worried about whether Ichigo had seen the true depths of her mother's depravity. Clenching a fist softly in her lap Satsuki wished that Ichigo had never found out about her private shame. She was a strong willed woman with the ability to inspire the masses into following her every command through charisma and fear and yet she wasn't able to stop her mother's 'purification' rituals. Still despite Ichigo possessing the knowledge of how much of a monster her mother was, Satsuki could not help but give a relieved smile.

"_He didn't look at me any differently…"_

Satsuki sighed softly and closed her eyes as she forced her mind to focus on more important matters. While she wanted to speak with Ichigo about what they discussed in the fathoms of her mind there would always be time for such things in the future. Right now she needed to focus on the end of the Raid Trip. After leaving the perimeter of the Anti-Life Fiber shield and picking up an unexpected guest along the way, Satsuki had ordered Elena to touch down and let her Elite Four and Riruka off. While her friends understood Satsuki's reasoning for wanting to be alone Riruka had been quite angry and demanded that she stay on the helicopter. Satsuki, instead of threatening Riruka by placing the tip of Bakuzan at her throat, simply informed the magenta haired member of Xcution that she no longer possessed her raiment and was simply a human.

The lack of retort from Riruka as she quietly scurried away from the helicopter said it all.

"Your tea is ready, Milady."

Satsuki allowed a smile to grace her face as she allowed Soroi to refill the ceramic cup sitting innocently on the table in front of her. Picking up the cup and sipping the bitter tea that she had gotten used to enjoying over the years, Satsuki allowed herself to savor the familiar taste before speaking, "Thank you, Soroi."

"Your gratitude is appreciated," Soroi bowed politely upon hearing Satsuki's compliment. The elderly butler had been worried Satsuki was overusing Life Fiber Override and was risking her health but when she returned looking exhausted but otherwise fine Soroi had emitted a sigh of relief. Turning his head ever so slightly around towards the back of the helicopter Soroi leaned forward and whispered, "Please forgive my rudeness Milady but about our guest…"

Satsuki chuckled softly as she answered, "You need not worry about the Grand Couturier, Soroi. She is simply smarting from the loss of her purple Scissor Blade."

"You should really watch what comes out of your mouth, Lady Satsuki." Nui Harime tilted her head to the side and stared directly at Satsuki with a psychotic grin adorning her face. As her razor sharp teeth shone in the afternoon sunlight the Grand Couturier giggled menacingly and added, "It's not polite to speak about things you don't understand, you know. It's really rude and might get someone into a lot of trouble."

Once she finished speaking Nui turned her eyes away from Satsuki and stared aimlessly at the floor. Despite the venomous tone in her voice Nui had no real intention of harming Satsuki or any of the humans she cared about. Lady Ragyo had great plans in store for Satsuki and if refraining herself from killing a few humans and acting as if she followed orders was all it took to keep Satsuki in line than Nui would do so with a cheerful smile on her face. The anger coursing through her body was directed at one man – Isshin Kurosaki.

"_How did he do it? What did he do to me?"_

Nui's blue eyes narrowed and her blonde hair cast her face in shadow as she tried to remember what happened after entering Karakura Town. The last thing she clearly remembered before waking up in Satsuki's helicopter was skipping down the road into Karakura Town. Everything after that was a grey blur full of nothing but half-recalled visions that gave Nui a headache the more she tried to remember them. When she woke up and saw that Satsuki was perfectly fine while Junketsu had reverted back to her old self Nui was ecstatic because that meant Ichigo was nearly at the same level as her and would soon join their family. That elation quickly turned to anger and finally to hatred when Nui noticed that something she valued more than anything else, her purple Scissor Blade, was missing.

The first thing Nui did upon discovering its absence was to ask, really demand, Satsuki tell her where the Life Fiber weapon was. When Lady Ragyo's daughter had declined knowing anything about the location of the blade it had taken all of Nui's self-control to not lash out angrily. A Life Fiber blade was more than just a sword or weapon in the hands of a hybrid. When someone such as herself holds such a weapon its Life Fibers take on her will and desires. Why else would the Scissor Blade, which was originally red, turn purple in her hands and Tournesol turn blue in Ichigo's? That, however, was not the primary reason Nui was thinking of killing Isshin Kurosaki. In a normal situation she could have suffered the loss of the Scissor Blade but to have it stolen from her while unconscious was demeaning on so many different levels. That still did not compare to the level of humiliation she received from the note Satsuki said she found taped to her dress.

_Dear Nui,_

_By now I'm sure you've woken up and noticed the loss of your purple Scissor Blade (actually it's not so purple anymore). I'm sorry that I absconded with it without asking for your permission but you were sleeping and I didn't feel like waking you up. I have some extra-large letters to open and the normal scissors I have at home are far too small. I'll return it when I'm done._

_Regards – Isshin Kurosaki_

_P.S. You owe me one chocolate cookie._

_P.P.S. Say hello to Ragyo for me!_

"I'm going to kill him. He's going to die…" Nui giggled maniacally as she focused on thinking of ways to kill Isshin but no matter what plan she came up with she knew it would be an effort in futility. He was just as strong as Lady Ragyo and Nui instinctively realized trying to fight him would be suicide. He could kill her before she even knew what hit her and what was worse was that she couldn't even take hostages. She already tried that on him once and it wouldn't work a second time.

"_He took my Scissor Blade. It was mine and he took it…"_

Nui's blue eyes narrowed as she pulled her knees onto the chair and wrapped her hands around her pink boots. That Scissor Blade was one of the few things Nui truly owned. Everyone thought that as the Grand Couturier of Revocs Nui could buy whatever she wanted. Such a belief could not be further from the truth. The fact was that Lady Ragyo bought everything that Nui owned with only a few exceptions. The pink Lolita dress she always wore, kept permanently clean and proper by the Life Fibers woven within it and her body, was one of them and it had originally came with a parasol to match. That was why when Kisuke Urahara destroyed her lovely parasol Nui had stopped trying to hold back as much. While it wasn't as important to her as the purple Scissor Blade the parasol had been one of the few true possessions she owned, _"I had that parasol for so long and he destroyed it. I only wish I was able to make Mr. Urahara suffer for eternity instead of leaving it to my clones."_

"I just wanted to speak to Amu for a bit. She's my sister and I wanted to talk to her…" Nui's soft whispers were just loud enough for Satsuki to hear. The youngest Kiryuin had initially been surprised by the Grand Couturier's single-minded focus on Ururu. For as long as she had been forced to bear Nui's childish antics and lack of morality Satsuki had never seen the Grand Couturier this determined about something. Nui's passions were akin to the seasons – short and brief before moving onto something else when she got bored or killed them.

"I didn't even get to see Ichigo," Nui tilted her head forward causing her blonde pigtails fell over her forehead, "Mr. Kurosaki is going to pay for ruining my fun…"

Before Nui could whisper any more threats directed at Isshin the intercom of the helicopter flared into life and Elena's voice came through a moment later, "Lady Satsuki, I just received a message from Rei Hououmaru."

Satsuki's body tensed at the mentioning of Rei. If she was contacting her that could only mean that her mother had something important to say. Placing the cup of tea in her hand down on the silver tray in Soroi's hands Satsuki leaned back in the chair and said, "What does my mother wish to speak about?"

Elena didn't respond for nearly a minute as she listened to Rei Hououmaru's voice over her headset. When she finally answered Satsuki noticed a slightly more professional tone to the pilot's voice, "Lady Ragyo arrived at Kiryuin Manor an hour ago. She wishes to speak to you personally concerning the results of the Karakura Town Battlefield Trip."

"I see," Satsuki closed her eyes and thought deeply on the matter before turning her head and looking at Nui. From the new excited look on the Grand Couturier's face it was clear that Nui had come to the same conclusion why her mother would come home now of all times. As memories of Ichigo talking to her in the inner recesses of her mind came to the forefront of her memories Satsuki sighed and said, "Tell my mother that I will head home without delay. Soroi, inform Iori and the others and let them know that I will be returning a little later than I initially planned."

Soroi bowed his head, "Of course, Milady. Is there anything else?"

Satsuki paused in thought for a moment before nodding, "Yes. Tell them to remain vigilant until returning to Honnouji Academy. I would not put it past Nudist Beach to launch a counter attack. They must not assume victory until all opposition is crushed under our heel."

"Very well, Milady," Soroi answered and upon noticing the empty cup of tea on the tray inquired, "Shall I pour you another cup of tea?"

Satsuki looked at what remained of the bitter liquid in the cup and narrowed her eyes gently. She was not looking forward to seeing her mother by any stretch of the word and as much as she wished to decline she knew she couldn't. Glancing one more time at Nui Harime, whose mood had shifted upon the realization that she would be seeing Lady Ragyo, Satsuki muttered politely, "Yes please."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.<p>

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

"Amen."

Snapping the bible in his hand shut with a soft snap the man stared solemnly at the simple gravestone in front of him bearing the name 'Masaki Kurosaki.' Pulling the grey cassock he was wearing tighter around his body as a stiff autumn wind kicked up through the graveyard the man stood silently for several seconds before crouching down. Pulling a lighter out of his pocket he lit the incense in front of the gravestone. Masaki might have been Catholic but Isshin had been adamant she receive a proper Japanese funeral. Fifteen years ago the simple thought of having a Catholic partake in such a tradition would have forced him into a frothing rage but now…

"It does not do a soul good to dwell on the past." Speaking in a thick Irish accent as he stood back up and turned around, the man took a look at the columns of smoke rising from Karakura Town just over a mile away and scoffed, "The wee lass sure did a number on the place."

He had rushed to Japan as fast as he possibly could as soon as the General sent the alert concerning Satsuki Kiryuin switching the focus of the Raid Trip from the Kansai Region to Karakura Town. While Nudist Beach had plans in place to deal with Honnouji Academy attempting to destroy their headquarters underneath Osaka, the sudden change in venue had thrown the General off balance and that was never a good sign. It was unfortunate that he arrived at Karakura Town mere hours after Satsuki Kiryuin's forces had retreated. He had been looking forward to testing the effectiveness of his Tailor Bayonets on an actual Kamui.

"Ah, well I suppose I can wait a few more days before hunting down the wee lass and destroying the unholy abomination she wears."

Kamui were an abomination and it was his job to destroy each and every on. He knew of the General's orders to leave Ryuko Matoi and Senketsu alone but the man would not be fooled. A Kamui was nothing more than Life Fibers and if given half a chance would betray the human wearing them. Kinue had been lucky ten years ago due to Isshin Kurosaki's magical device but it was only a matter of time until it stopped working. When that happened he would need to be the one to put her down once and for all. He owed Tsumugu that much. No brother should have to be the one to murder his sister.

"Senketsu…Fresh Blood…such an audacious name…"

The man quite frankly did not care what the Kamui was called. It had already gone out of control once before and would do so in the future. If Isshin's boy and his friend hadn't stepped in and interfered Ryuko would have died that day and he would be paying his respects to her grave as well. Thinking about Orihime Inoue caused the man to pause as he recalled Tsumugu's report of the incident. The younger Kinagase had claimed Orihime managed to not only heal Mako Mankanshoku's wounds but also bring her back from the dead after the Grand Couturier ran the Scissor Blade through her heart. As blasphemous of a claim that was the man had seen the uncut security footage of the fight. He had seen Orihime create some sort of barrier before Makanshoku rose from the dead. He had actually witnessed a holy miracle.

Sensing a presence walking slowly towards him the man looked down the hill and saw a fully clothed Aikuro Mikisugi walking towards him. Scoffing as he tucked his hands into his cassock and walked away from the grave the man asked, "You're actually wearing clothes? I'm just a wee bit surprised."

Smirking as he ran a hand through his blue hair Aikuro replied bombastically, "While I would love to do nothing more than expose my beautiful nude body for the world to see I'm afraid it is much too cold out on this fine autumn day! As a fellow commander of Nudist Beach you should be nude as much as possible in order to boost morale of the troops!"

"I boost morale every time I deliver righteous vengeance on those that wear Life Fibers," the man answered coldly as he walked past Aikuro and down the hill. Up until twelve hours ago he had been in Moscow tracking the movements of Moe Shishigawara. After Kinue took down Jackie Tristan in Paris the General had ordered him to head to Moscow after receiving a confidential report that the youngest and least experienced members of Xcution was stationed there. While no one in Nudist Beach apart from Kinue had managed to actually bring down a member of Xcution since the organization's founding he was one of the few that managed to survive long enough to retreat.

Aikuro chuckled, "There is more to life than fighting, Anderson."

Alexander Anderson, Nudist Beach Commander of Life Fiber Pacification and Elimination, did not hesitate to correct Aikuro and growled, "As long as a single Life Fiber remains on the surface of this planet I will not cease my righteous quest. I will not lay down my weapons until the day every single Life Fiber has been sent to the pits of Hell. Now why have ye come here?"

"There's been a development concerning Isshin's son," Aikuro knew from the slightly tensing of Anderson's face that the former priest knew what he was about to say. As much as he wished to keep it a secret Aikuro knew it would be better for Anderson to find out now than at a highly inappropriate time later on, "During the Sudden Death Runoffs at Honnouji Academy Nui Harime pulled out Ichigo's heart. It is as we thought – he is a Life Fiber Hybrid."

"So it has come to pass." There was a flash of light reflecting off metal as a black and green Tailor Bayonet slid out of Anderson's right sleeve and into his hand. After taking a moment to marvel at his Anti-Life Fiber blade Anderson began the long walk towards where he knew Isshin still lived, "We all assumed that monster's experiments might one day bear unholy fruit but deep in my heart I prayed to God that Masaki's boy would not take to the tainted Life Fibers."

Aikuro felt a bead of sweat drip down his face as he watched Anderson walk away from him. Shivering as a feeling other than the cold autumn air pierced through his body he asked, "Do you actually intend to kill Ichigo?"

"Ye ask me that question when you already know the answer, Aikuro," Anderson stopped and turned around with a calm and serene look on his face that lasted all of five seconds before it was replaced by rage, "Have you forgotten every single innocent soul Nui Harime has slaughtered in the name of Life Fibers? Ichigo is of the same mold as the Grand Couturier! It is only a matter of time before his humanity and soul are devoured by the Life Fibers in his body!"

"This goes against both the General and Major General's orders. You know she won't stand for your insubordination," Aikuro knew he was grasping at straws by this point but he could not let Anderson attempt to kill Ichigo. Not only would it forever leave a wedge in his trust of Nudist Beach but Aikuro didn't even think Anderson would get close enough to do the deed. Ururu Tsumugiya was Nui Harime's twin sister and it seemed she had extensive training. She would massacre Anderson if he even got close.

"It will be better for Masaki's boy to die as a human than live as monster," Anderson answered he stalked out of the graveyard.

Aikuro watched the former priest make his way towards Karakura Town and shook his head. Telling Anderson Ichigo was a Life Fiber Hybrid was incredibly risky but it was also the smartest thing he could do given the current situation. As soon as he was sure Anderson was out of earshot Aikuro pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed redial, "Hey, it's Aikuro. There's a problem heading your way. I told Anderson about Ichigo and now he's heading straight for him…yeah, I know…I know. Just make sure to prepare for his arrival. It might get a little messy."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>In the aftermath of Honnouji Academy's invasion of and subsequent retreat from Karakura Town the secret training ground built underneath Kisuke Urahara's shop had been converted into a makeshift headquarters for Nudist Beach's operations. Unlike the training ground that Kisuke built in the Soul Society beneath Soukyoku Hill this one was created for multiple purposes besides simply training. It wasn't more than a few years into his exile from the Soul Society when Kisuke realized he needed a place to conduct his experiments without humans or the shinigami finding out about them. Using the knowledge he confiscated from the Soul Society Kisuke managed to build a second training ground underneath his newly acquired shop in a single day and night that was nearly eight times the size of the first one.<p>

Tearing off his shirt and exposing the gathered teenagers to the wondrous essence that was his well sculpted body Alex Louis Armstrong flexed his biceps as he boisterously addressed them, "So you all wish to learn the truth of Life Fibers? If that is the case I feel I should warn you that what you learn may shatter the delusions you have of the world! Anyone that wishes to back out and live in the comforting embrace of an illusion can do so without any repercussions!"

"I think we deserve answers after getting our asses kicked by people wearing magical clothing!" Tatsuki Arisawa's wounds might have been healed by Orihime but her temper was shorter than normal. She did not like the fact that Uryu hadn't bothered to inform her about Sanageyama's Blade Regalia before she got her ass kicked. When she confronted him about the lack of details Uryu had calmly and annoyingly explained that the Elite Four other than Jakuzure had their Goku Uniforms destroyed, which is why he would be the one fighting Nonon.

"Please calm down, Tatsuki!" Orihime rapidly waved her hands in front of her body and gave a nervous chuckle as she attempted to calm her best friend down, "I'm sure Mr. Armstrong will explain everything. Just don't do anything rash or you might hurt yourself again!"

"As much as I hate to say it, Tatsuki has a point," Uryu may have interned at Revocs over the summer but the amount of knowledge he had concerning Life Fibers was minimal at best. Even when he broke into the company and stole enough Life Fibers for Kisuke Urahara to run tests he still did not know much about them. In retrospect Uryu was extremely fortunate that both Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime were away on clothing-related business that day. If he had been caught the consequences would have been most dire. Closing his eyes and adjusting his glasses Uryu continued with his line of thought, "I may have briefly worked at Revocs but Ragyo Kiryuin is notorious for locking down information. That is why I stole Life Fibers and gave them to Kisuke. I hoped he would be able to figure something out about them."

"Wait a second," Ichigo scowled and turned to Uryu, "You were the one that gave Kisuke the Life Fibers that made Mugetsu?"

Uryu nodded as his expression fell, "Yes, but in my defense at the time I was unaware of Nui Harime's existence. If I knew what she could do I would have made sure to cover my tracks better. Perhaps If I had been a little more careful she would not have been able to track me back to Karakura Town."

Sitting between Ichigo and Mako, who was currently playing with a terrified Kon, Ryuko Matoi ignored the conversation taking place as she loathed her powerlessness. She had all of Senketsu's power and strength at her fingertips and yet it wasn't enough to win when it counted. Her first true fight against Satsuki Kiryuin had nearly resulted in her death if Ichigo hadn't come and saved her. When Tsumugu ambushed her she had barely been able to dodge his attacks before ultimately failing and when Nui Harime took Mako hostage all of her strength had amounted to nothing as she watched her best friend die right before her eyes. Why did she have all this power if she wasn't able to use it to make a difference?

"_**Your pulse is erratic, Ryuko. Is something wrong?"**_ When Senketsu saw his wearer was ignoring him while looking mopey his single eye narrowed in annoyance. Turning his gaze onto Mugetsu, who was much more interested in watching Chad hold back Tatsuki from attempting to strangle Uryu for something he said, he gave the mental equivalent of a cough and said, _**"Mugetsu! What can I say to make Ryuko feel better?"**_

Scoffing without turning around Mugetsu replied, _**"She's your wearer. How should I know what to do?"**_

Senketsu was about to offer a snide remark of his own when an idea hit him. Taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts he took what sounded like a deep breath before speaking, _**"Ryuko, it is true that our power hasn't been enough to win our fights but I don't care about that. While you may have initially worn me to fight Satsuki Kiryuin and I was originally worn by you so that I may drink your blood things have changed. Did you not say you wanted to wear me to avenge your father? I will stick by your side until the very end…as long as you always hand wash me. I never wish to experience the torture that is a dryer ever again!"**_

For a second it didn't seem like Ryuko had heard him but when Senketsu saw a small smile appear on her face he sighed in relief. Wrapping her arms around her Kamui Ryuko muttered, "You're right, Senketsu. I –"

"You're all better, Ryuko!"

Mako's eyes gleamed in happiness when she saw that Ryuko was no longer upset. Throwing Kon into the air, the mod soul screaming girlishly until he landed some distance away, During the Raid Trip Mako had been sent to Ichigo's house for her own safety in case the Grand Couturier tried to kill her again but that was not what she was told. Pulling her aside during the initial stages of Uryu's plan Isshin had shown Mako a picture of Yuzu and Karin and said that she should go hang out with them. While Mako had been upset at not sticking with Ryuko she still had a great time! Who knew Ichigo's sisters were twins? It was so much fun! They watched movies, dressed up Bostov in all kinds of cute dresses and ate almost as much candy as the time that truck exploded in front of their house and rained skittles throughout the neighborhood.

"Seeing you back to normal is great, you know!" Mako leapt through the air until she was standing in front of Ryuko with her arms crossed over her head. As Ichigo and the rest of his friends turned to see what was going on Mako began speaking, "After my mysterious blackout I noticed that you were super depressed about something. I wanted to talk to you about it but every time I tried my mom would interrupt me with random chores and other meaningless tasks that were certainly not suspicious in nature. Seeing that you, my best friend, is back to normal is wonderful and makes me really happy! Let's go shopping, Ryuko! I've never been to Karakura Town before and there must be lots of food and gift shops around with awesome stuff!"

"That was…interesting," Chad's deep voice cut off the tension left over from Mako's speech. Turning towards Armstrong he asked, "So what's the deal with Life Fibers? That Ira Gamagori guy was pretty strong. It took nearly my full power to defeat him."

"Indeed! Let's get started!" Armstrong snapped his fingers and several Nudist Beach operatives appeared out of nowhere and within moments had set up a projector system. Thanking the man who gave him the remote control Armstrong half-turned his body around and began explaining, "Out of all the species on Earth only one wears clothing – humanity. Now some of you might think that is simply due to evolution. Humans have evolved to become more intelligent and thus are less sturdy than our ancestors but the truth is far more insidious. Humanity did not make clothing – clothing made humanity!"

"Hold the phone!" Tatsuki angrily interrupted Armstrong's lecture and asked, "You're telling us that clothes made humanity? Are you crazy! How the hell can stuff made from wool and silk possibly do any of that?"

"Please wait until after the lecture is finished before asking any more questions," Armstrong ignored Tatsuki's interruption, causing the girl to gnash her teeth angrily before turning back to the presentation. As an image of space appeared he continued, "The reason I say that is quite simple, my friends! Life Fibers are not something native to this planet! That's right! They come from outer space!"

"_**So that's what I am…"**_

While both Senketsu and Mugetsu thought the exact same thing their reactions differed greatly. Mugetsu was easily able to pull herself out of the depressed state by remembering what Ichigo had told her about his adventures as a shinigami. Wishing she had the time to ask him about his battles in Hueco Mundo she was surprised when Ichigo spoke up, "I knew there was something strange about Life Fibers. Ever since my Life Fibers awakened, as Nui called it, I've felt something different about my body. I don't know what it is exactly but I think it's safe to say that I'm no longer human."

"Don't buy into it Ichigo!" Ryuko snarled at Ichigo before turning and glaring at Armstrong, "He's obviously making this all up. Everybody knows there's no such thing as aliens."

"Wait just a damn second!" Tatsuki turned towards Ichigo with a confused look on her face, "Did you just say –"

Before she could finish her question Tatsuki was thrown backwards as Armstrong lobbed the remote at just the right angle that it slammed into her forehead with enough force to send her crashing backwards against the ground. Catching the remote with style as it ricocheted through the air and back into his hand Armstrong took one last look at the fallen Tatsuki, whom Orihime was desperately trying to revive, and said, "Please refrain from asking any unnecessary questions that do not pertain to the lecture. If you pay close attention I will do my best to deliver the information you seek! I swear upon the Armstrong name that the answers you seek shall be given!"

Clicking on the remote as the more mature images appeared Armstrong ignored the gasps from the gathered teens as a picture of living lab rat appeared on the screen. Staring at the image with a steely expression Armstrong said, "It may be hard to accept but Life Fibers are an extraterrestrial lifeform that arrived on the Earth at least one hundred thousand years ago."

"One hundred thousand years?" Uryu was baffled by that piece of information. The Soul Society had only existed in its current state for a few thousand years at most. To know that Life Fibers, which were already organisms that defied comprehension, were far older than any shinigami currently in existence greatly worried the young Quincy.

"That's…kind of hard to believe," Chad muttered equally surprised before he thought of something, "Wait a second. If Life Fibers are aliens then they must still eat something."

"You are correct Yasutora Sado but not in the way you think. When Life Fibers reach a world they will seek out the native lifeforms. They will then parasitize the lifeform and breed by consuming the bioelectrical current of its nervous system. There is, however, a limitation on this," Armstrong's normally cheerful demeanor disappeared as he clicked on the remote. As the screen changed and showed the same lab rat convulsing for several seconds before finally dying he finished, "Life Fibers cannot directly enter a host's body. If they attempt to do so they will inevitably burn out the host within hours."

"What about Ichigo?" Ryuko pointed to Ichigo, who was listening to Armstrong's explanation with a pensive and tense look on his face, "He's a Life Fiber Hybrid. How is that possible when you just said it couldn't happen?"

"I don't know," Armstrong was truly at a quandary about Ichigo's existence. The only other hybrids that he knew about, Ururu Tsumugiya and Nui Harime, weren't exactly born to a human mother as far as Isshin Matoi was able to discover, "Everything Nudist Beach knows about Life Fibers came from either Isshin Matoi or Isshin Kurosaki but neither of them had any idea how or why a Life Fiber Hybrid could exist."

As Armstrong mentioned Ichigo's dad everybody turned to him but it was Uryu that asked, "Your dad…really? Although it makes sense that your father would willingly name an organization devoted to overthrowing Life Fibers Nudist Beach."

"Don't be like that Uryu." Orihime clapped her hands together and chuckled nervously, "I'm sure Ichigo's dad had a really good reason for picking such a…unique name."

Ichigo's scowl deepened as even Ryuko chimed in, "I always knew Nudist Beach was a weird name but I had no idea it came from your dad!"

"Actually it was Ichigo's mother who came up with the name," Armstrong's clarification not only stopped the argument but caused both Uryu and Ichigo to stare at him incredulously. Ignorant of the sudden and deafening silence Armstrong stroked his chin as he reminisced in the past, "Nudist Beach did not always have such a magnificent name! Long ago during its founding Masaki had been the one to suggest the name…"

Ichigo nearly fell over as images of his mother leading a brigade of naked warriors while completely naked herself entered his head. Grimacing as he directed all his disgust at what he just imagined into pure rage at his father he managed to pick himself up and ask, "If you say she was naked I swear to whatever deity exists that I will kill you!"

"Do you take me for some kind of pervert, young Ichigo? Nudist Beach is just a name or did you truly think we all strip down upon a moment's notice like Aikuro Mikisugi?" When he received nothing but blank stares from the gathered teens Armstrong looked down as his bare chest and frowned, "…point well taken but my message stands firm and tall! The full extent of my showmanship extends to my waist so you can sleep content at night knowing my pants shall never come off!"

"Damn that hurt!" Tatsuki finally picked herself off the ground and growled at Armstrong, "I don't want to imagine Ichigo's mother naked anymore! Can you please explain what Life Fibers want you naked bastard?"

Armstrong flipped the remote between his fingers before moving the slideshow along until another rat was shown. Unlike the previous rats this one was entirely covered in Life Fibers, "Putting aside young Ichigo's impossible existence as a hybrid for the moment, Life Fibers realized that if they could not infest a host directly they would instead cover them. While the bioelectrical energy obtained through this method is barely one percent of the direct approach the host does not die."

"Question," Chad raised his hand and asked, "Why did they pick humans? Aren't there animals with larger nervous systems?"

"Life Fibers do not feed solely on bioelectrical energy," Armstrong crossed his massive arms and sighed, "They require hosts of a particular intelligence in order to breed. When they arrived one hundred thousand years ago Homo sapiens possessed the most developed cerebrum at the time but still it was not enough. The Life Fibers needed us to be smarter and so they helped us…evolve so to speak. Instead of evolving us physically the Life Fibers evolved us mentally and intellectually. They accelerated the process humanity would have naturally undergone so that we would multiply and spread across the planet until we stood on top of the entire ecosystem. When humanity reaches that point…"

"…they're breeding us like cattle. Everything we've accomplished since before recorded history has been because Life Fibers led us there," Uryu had always prided himself on his intelligence but at this moment he wished his mind hadn't been able to come to such a dire and nightmarish conclusion. He had thought hollows were mindless beasts with no purpose other than to eat human souls but Life Fibers put them to shame.

"_**I-I'm eating Ryuko?"**_ Senketsu quivered nervously around Ryuko's body as he tried to come to terms with the revelation while Mugetsu was doing the same next to him. His scattered memories suggested that as a Kamui he was different than most, if not all, life on Earth but finding out he was an alien that would eventually eat Ryuko, one of the few people he cared about, bothered him tremendously.

Ryuko gently patted Senketsu in an attempt to calm him down before glaring at Armstrong, "If what Uryu suggested is the truth than why haven't Life Fibers eaten us by now? The only Life Fibers I've ever seen are in the Goku Uniforms at Honnouji Academy and Kamui."

"There are many theories as to why the Life Fibers have waited so long but your father believed it was because they went into hibernation not long after arriving. We don't know why they did this but one thing we do know is that the tendency to wear clothing was born soon after," Armstrong pressed a button on the remote and immediately a picture of Ragyo Kiryuin in her splendid rainbow glory appeared on it but what surprised everyone was that there was another picture of Isshin Kurosaki right next to her, "Roughly twenty years ago Life Fibers awoke when Ragyo Kiryuin and Isshin Kurosaki made contact with the Original Life Fiber."

Ichigo stared at the photo of his father and asked, "How is my dad involved?"

Armstrong looked at Ichigo with a weary look on his face, "We narrowed down the night Ragyo Kiryuin made contact with the Original Life Fiber from various eyewitnesses. That very night Rei Hououmaru arrived at your house, Ichigo, and informed your parents that something was wrong with Ragyo. Before you ask what happened I'm afraid we in Nudist Beach are in the dark about what happened after Isshin arrived at the Kiryuin Manor. Your father refuses to even talk about it."

Putting one more tally mark on the mental chalkboard in his mind of how many times he needed to kick his dad's ass Ichigo frowned as he felt Mugetsu's worry that she was feeding off of Ichigo. Lightly patting his Kamui on the shoulder Ichigo scowled, "So let me get this straight. Life Fibers woke up twenty years ago and are trying to devour humanity. Why have you waited this long before doing anything about it?"

"Do you have any idea of the power Ragyo Kiryuin possesses?"

Tsumugu Kinagase walked out from behind an outcropping of rocks and scoffed angrily, "From your vacant expressions I say you don't. Let me put it another way. Your supernatural powers may allow us to conquer Honnouji Academy and put down Satsuki Kiryuin but her mother…let's just say she could kill each and every one of us without trying. The only way we could possibly, and I mean _possibly_, kill her is if we take advantage of her arrogance but that will only work once."

"Come on!" Ryuko scowled and spat on the ground, "Satsuki's mom can't be that –"

"Let me give you two useful pieces of information Matoi," Tsumugu stalked forward until he was standing in front of the gathered teens, "The first is that your assumption that Nui Harime is the strongest challenger you'll face is dead wrong. Nui Harime and Ururu Tsumugiya's strength are leagues beneath Ragyo Kiryuin's. The second is that there is an entirely different level of opponents that you'll most likely run into – Xcution."

"Xcution?" Tatsuki narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, "That's a stupid name. It sounds like the name of a garage band!"

"Xcution is far more dangerous than anything you could possibly face at Honnouji Academy apart from Junketsu," Armstrong explained to a disbelieving Tatsuki. Clicking the remote several times before an image of Jackie Tristan in custody while wearing an orange jumpsuit appeared Armstrong went on and said, "Satsuki Kiryuin's Regalia are made from between thirty and thirty-five percent Life Fibers. Xcution, on the other hand, are Ragyo Kiryuin's elite forces. Each one of them wears raiment composed of fifty percent Life Fibers. Their power is at least twice that of Satsuki's Elite Four."

"Just how powerful are these people?" Uryu was starting to get the feeling that he had stumbled into something much bigger than he could have ever dreamt about. He had struggled throughout his battle against Nonon Jakuzure and her thirty five percent Life Fiber weave to do any lasting damage. It had taken the use of Gezielt Sprenger to pierce her resistance to his Quincy powers and even then he hadn't done more than slightly injure her. Knowing that there existed people at least twice as strong as Satsuki's Elite Four caused a shiver to crawl up his spine.

"They are powerful enough that it would take the strength a Kamui to have any chance of guaranteed victory," Tsumugu mockingly explained as he gaze lingered over Ichigo and Ryuko as well as their respective Kamui. As much as he hated relying on using Life Fibers he had to admit that having Kamui on their side in the upcoming battles would be more helpful than detrimental.

"That is why Professor Matoi created Senketsu!" Armstrong announced enthusiastically as he stepped in front of Ryuko and pointed dramatically to her Kamui, "Somehow he predicted this day would come and that you would be one of the few people on Earth able to survive wearing such a powerful piece of clothing! I don't know how Senketsu was created by Professor Matoi but he said he used your DNA in order to complete it, Ryuko! Senketsu is as much a part of you as you are of him! That is why you are the only person that can draw out the full and pure power of Senketsu!"

"You're saying that Senketsu was made from my DNA?" Ryuko looked into Senketsu's eye with a mixed expression, "How is that possible?"

"Even though we were in your father's inner circle he never shared how he made a Kamui," Tsumugu sat down and crossed his legs before pulling out a cigarette. Remembering whose company he was in Tsumugu scowled as he put it away, "I'm sure you've had the pleasure of meeting Danketsu, the Kamui currently bonded to my sister. Professor Matoi made her in secret and only brought her out when Kinue was test fit her. So we're in the dark about how Senketsu was made as much as you are Matoi."

Ichigo frowned as he remembered the letter he found on Mugetsu when Kisuke was attacked by Nui, "Hang on a second. The note Kisuke left with Mugetsu when Nui went after him suggested he used my DNA to finish her."

"It seems both of your Kamui required genetic material to be completed," Uryu muttered as he raised his hand in front of his mouth. He knew that such a similarity could not be a coincidence. There was something inherent in Ichigo and Ryuko's DNA that was required for their Kamui to function. The only question plaguing his mind was what it could possibly be.

"It does not matter what was needed!" As Armstrong flexed his muscles and purple sparkles surrounded his head he gave Ichigo a powerful handshake and exclaimed exuberantly, "Ichigo and Ryuko! I must apologize deeply for keeping the two of you in the dark for so long! I was worried that you wouldn't be able to handle the truth but the determined looks on your faces suggest my fears were unfounded!"

"I'm still not totally convinced Senketsu is an alien," Ryuko countered with a scoffing tone, "But if half the crap you said about Ragyo Kiryuin is true than she needs to be stopped."

Apparently Tatsuki was of a similar mindset to Ryuko. Her experiences with the spiritual world and her near death at the hands of the arrancar caused her to train her ass off to become stronger. Even if she would never have the same level of power as Orihime and the others Tatsuki was determined to not be useless. Standing up and glaring at Armstrong she said, "There's no way in hell that I'm going to let that woman turn humanity into food for glowing yarn! When and how do we take her down?"

"As the only one here besides Ichigo who's spoken with Ragyo Kiryuin it is safe to say she is the most dangerous person I've ever met," Uryu adjusted his glasses as he stared at the picture of Ragyo Kiryuin still being projected on the screen. He could never forget the feeling of fear whenever he was in her presence. It was almost as if his body was telling him that Ragyo can and will kill him without a moment's hesitation, "But one thing eludes me. Someone with her appearance cannot be human. After hearing about what happened to Ichigo when he found out he was a Life Fiber Hybrid I think it is safe to assume Ragyo Kiryuin is one as well. There is no way a normal woman, even if she was working for the Original Life Fiber as you said, would be able to control Nui Harime so thoroughly."

"You have quite the head on your shoulders!" Armstrong laughed loudly at Uryu managing to figure out the truth about Ragyo. Nudist Beach had managed to figure out that she was a hybrid years ago. All their research and development over the past ten years has been in order to overcome her great strength. As he watched Tsumugu pull his cell phone out of his pocket and walk away Armstrong scratched at his chin and said, "The bravery and strength you all displayed during the defense of this marvelous city cannot be ignored. You all put your lives on the line and gratitude must be given. Henceforth consider yourselves honorary members of Nudist Beach!"

Orihime blushed in embarrassment upon hearing that and began twiddling her fingers, "Oh…um…does that mean we have to fight naked?"

"I hope we don't because if we do…" Tatsuki cracked her knuckles menacingly as she stared at Armstrong with all the hatred she could muster.

"Nah, it's just Aikuro that likes to strip," Ryuko interrupted with an annoyed scoff as she leaned her head backwards. Staring up at the fake clouds in the secret training room Ryuko was about to ask Armstrong if her dad had said anything else when Tsumugu came running back with a worried look on his face.

"We have a problem." The younger Kinagase sibling looked at the Major General straight in the eyes and said, "Anderson's on the way. He knows about Ichigo."

Armstrong's blue eyes narrowed as he pondered the situation. Usually he was one of the few people that could rein him in but if what Tsumugu said is true than Anderson knows about Ichigo's status as a Life Fiber Hybrid. It was going to take a lot more to stop Anderson at this point, "This is a problem but as long as he we can intercept him before he arrives we should have enough time to calm him down. Yoruichi and Tessai should be able to keep him out for the moment."

"That's the issue," Tsumugu might hate Life Fibers with a passion but he was at least willing to allow Matoi and Ichigo to use their Kamui in the fight against Revocs. Anderson, on the other hand, would rather destroy the two Kamui before even thinking about working with them, "Tessai took Ururu Tsumugiya to Karakura General Hospital after retrieving Mankanshoku from Isshin's home while Yoruichi is guarding Isshin's kids in case the Grand Couturier tries to make a move against them."

Armstrong turned around and crossed his massive arms over his bare chest as he considered the situation. The absence of Tessai and Yoruichi for even five minutes will be all that Anderson needs to waltz into the Nudist Beach base under Kisuke Urahara's shop, "How much time do we have until he gets here, Tsumugu?"

Tsumugu frowned as the artificial lights above them flickered briefly, "Aikuro was in Karakura Graveyard when he met Anderson. I'd say it would take about seven for a normal person to get here…two for Anderson."

"I see before me unholy abominations. Cursed beings in the eyes of God…"

As the deep and gravelly voice of Anderson echoed from around them Ryuko leapt to her feet and pulled out her red Scissor Blade. Glancing back and forth for the source of the voice she turned to Armstrong and growled, "Who the hell is that?"

"This must be Anderson," Uryu stood up and summoned his spiritual bow around his hand. As he carefully examined every nook and cranny around them Uryu focused his senses on picking up the sounds of Anderson's movement. While tracking spiritual energy would normally be easy Uryu was finding it increasingly annoying that people like Armstrong possessed some form of inherent power that was frustratingly hard for him to track. Even when Armstrong was standing in front of him Uryu was unable to get a bead on the man's considerable and strange spiritual energy, "Tell me something. How strong exactly is Anderson?"

"He can take down a Three-Star Goku Uniform with relative ease in straight out combat," Armstrong nodded to Tsumugu who began to immediately relay orders to their fellow nudists. He needed to pull back all personnel in order to minimize the collateral damage sustained, "Do not underestimate this man. Anderson is a brilliant tactician despite whatever he may say or do."

"God will not save ye from this fate!"

The flickering of the artificial lighting against metal was the only warning anyone had before a veritable deluge of tailor bayonets began raining out of the sky. Out of all of Ichigo's friends Chad was the first to react. Summoning his Brazo Derecho de Giganta while running towards Orihime and Tatsuki he managed to cover the two girls and himself with the shield on his arm just before the tailor bayonets slammed into the ground. While Uryu was the fastest of Ichigo's friends he barely managed to leap out of the way of the initial wave of bayonets to avoid being skewered before he was forced to use several bursts of hirenkyaku.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?!"

As memories of watching Mako getting stabbed by Nui Harime passed through her mind Ryuko burst up from her chair and slid in front of Mako. Drawing her red Scissor Blade from the pouch on her hip and willing it to expand to its full size, Ryuko let out an aggravated shout as she rapidly swung it through the air in front of her body. Deflecting the bayonets that were aimed at Mako with her Life Fiber weapon Ryuko growled angrily as she tried to spot the bastard attacking her. As her eyes scanned her surroundings for any sign of Anderson she noticed a shadow falling through the air before a man wearing a grey cassock slammed feet-first into Ichigo.

Once he was sure Ichigo's friends would not interfere with his righteous mission Anderson made his move. Jumping off the plateau he had been standing on and using the artificial lighting to keep his form hidden from any unwanted eyes Anderson drew two of his last nine tailor bayonets from inside his sleeves and fell towards the unsuspecting Ichigo. Passing over the head of a black haired girl who had unluckily turned the exact opposite way from him Anderson slammed his feet directly into Ichigo's face. As the orange haired hybrid bounced along the ground Anderson threw one of his tailor bayonets at Ichigo, piercing through the flesh of his right hand and pinning it to the rock behind him.

"Now ye cannot summon your unholy power, abomination!" Anderson grinned fanatically as he stalked towards the pinned and struggled Ichigo. It was a shame that Ichigo had to die. Anderson realized that when he finally passed into the Lords domain Masaki would punish him severely for what he was about to do. But as long as he prevented another monster like Nui Harime from arising Anderson was content. Reversing his grip on the tailor bayonet as he nearly reached Ichigo Anderson raised the weapon up into the air and shouted, "Pray before God that your end be swift, monster!"

"Santen Kesshun!"

Anderson's eyes widen in rare surprise as a translucent orange barrier shimmered into existence in front of his body. Looking in shock as his tailor bayonet literally shattered into shards of glinting metal as it hit the barrier Anderson muttered, "What in God's name?"

His question would go unanswered as Alex Louis Armstrong appeared behind him and smashed a fist into his chin hard enough to send him flying into the air.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I shall see to it that Junketsu is ready when you are finished."<p>

Satsuki steeled her expression as she began removing Junketsu from her body without complaint. As she felt her naked body shiver from the cold air of the manor Satsuki held the limp form of Junketsu in her hands in front of her body and stared momentarily into the Kamui's eyes. Thinking briefly over the revelations of the morning Satsuki turned around and handed Junketsu into Rei Hououmaru's outstretched arms. The dark skinned secretary of Ragyo Kiryuin nodded her head politely at Satsuki before she placed Junketsu on a specialized hanger and waved with one arm towards the large and majestic doors several meters to her left, "Lady Ragyo apologizes but she will be a few minutes late. She will meet you in the Grand Bath as soon as possible."

"Thank you Hououmaru," Satsuki stared stoically as Rei moved in front of her and pushed the doors open with an almost gentle effort. As she walked into the steam-filled room with her arms folded across her chest in modesty Satsuki heard the doors close behind her as Rei left to examine any issues and problems with Junketsu.

Taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and prepared for what was to come Satsuki stepped into the steaming water of the Grand Bath and submerged her body until the water was just barely able to lap against her chin. With her blue eyes gazing into the turbulent and chaotic surface of the bath Satsuki was surprised at the lack of pain she felt. The first two times she had bathed in the Grand Bath after donning Junketsu Satsuki had been unable to keep in the winces of pain. The distinct lack of pain was just another thing she had to thank Ichigo for when she had the chance. Submerging herself even further until her nose was just barely above the surface Satsuki truly wished to know how Ichigo had managed to quell her Kamui's insatiable lust for blood. She knew he could speak to Kamui due to being a Life Fiber Hybrid but Satsuki figured there was something else she was missing. If she could just figure out a way to communicate with her Kamui like Matoi and Ichigo can then perhaps…

"I am truly surprised," Satsuki's thoughts were cut off as a bright rainbow light began filling the entirety of the Grand Bath. Looking up as the far doors opened with a dull echo and the light continued to intensify Satsuki heard her mother's voice continue speaking to her, "I thought you would be overexerting yourself but it seems that is not the case. Tell me, what's the cause of this exciting development?"

"Hello mother," Satsuki averted her gaze as she heard her mother enter the bath. With a tone to her voice brought about by years of practice Satsuki looked at her mother straight in the eye and lied, "Junketsu has simply realized it was futile to attempt to overpower my will. There is nothing more that needs to be said."

Ragyo had a predatory grin on her face as she heard her daughter lie directly to her face. She had to admit Satsuki had not given anything away in her expression as she lied about what transpired in Karakura Town. If Hououmaru had not been keeping her updated on what was happening in Karakura Town during the Raid Trip Ragyo would not have been absolutely certain about her daughter's lie. There was one thing that Ragyo wished to know – the sudden lack of enmity from Junketsu towards Satsuki. Many years ago she wove her Life Fibers into Junketsu to make the Kamui more pliable to her orders. Even if Ichigo had managed to save Satsuki from the fate she deserved Junketsu should not have stopped attempting to devour her.

"You say that and yet your body tells me otherwise," Ragyo stalked through the stomach-high water until she was standing in front of her daughter. Gently caressing Satsuki's cheek sensually she leaned forward with a glint evident in her maroon eyes, "This water is saturated with specialized medicines meant to boost your harmonization rate with Junketsu. You may have begun to actually wear Junketsu but your body is still stressed and damaged from the strain. Soak yourself in the water and allow it to permeate your body."

"Yes, mother."

As she trailed her fingers up Satsuki's face Ragyo briefly paused she felt something missing from her daughter. Thinking over what it could be for barely a second Ragyo's eyes widened in momentary surprise before the grin on her face returned. It seemed that Ichigo's successful attempt to rescue her useless daughter's mind and body had accomplished far more than she hoped. In any other case Ragyo would have been mildly irritated that the rainbow Life Fiber she implanted in Satsuki's mind when she was five years old was destroyed.

"You have such lovely skin, my dear daughter," Ragyo's hand moved lower on Satsuki's body as she moved closer to her, "Give yourself to me so that I may conduct the ritual of purification…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Damn…" Bazz-B cursed as he stepped onto the roof upon leaving the shadow portal temporarily connecting the world of the living to the Silbern. Placing his hands inside the pockets of his Wandenreich uniform and walking towards the edge of the roof he stared at the rising columns of smoke dotting the city around him and asked to nobody in particular, "This is Karakura Town? It looks like a damn war came and kicked everyone's ass!"<p>

Unclasping his cloak and tossing it away Bazz-B adjusted the collar of his trench coat and thought back on the first objective of the mission. Jugo had been quite insistent that he and the three Sternritter he picked out make contact with Ichigo Kurosaki as soon as possible to limit the risks of Ragyo Kiryuin discovering their presence in the world of the living. Quilge had barely escaped back to the Silbern after intercepting Ichigo nearly twelve hours ago and Bazz-B did not want to find out what would happen to him if the Life Fibers caught him. He would rather blow his own head off than be taken prisoner.

"So where the hell is this bastard anyway?" Bazz-B looked around Karakura Town but he couldn't sense Ichigo anywhere. The Daten His Majesty possessed on the orange haired teen ended just after Ichigo lost his shinigami powers. Without any spiritual energy to track Bazz-B would be forced to hunt down Ichigo the old fashioned way, which really pissed him off.

"Did you expect a mission of this magnitude to be easy?"

Bazz-B didn't bother turning around as Lille Barro appeared from the shadow portal. The X-Axis looked across the surrounding landscape with his only open eye before he took off his cloak emblazoned with a six-sided black star and threw it back through the portal. When Bazz-B had initially come to him with the premise of asking for his assistance Lille had refused. He was one of His Majesty's elite guards tasked with the eventual goal of destroying the Royal Guard. To debase his power and skill in what at first seemed like a simple mission insulted him. Surely Life Fibers could not be dangerous enough to threaten His Majesty's life?

At least that was what Lille Barro thought until Bazz-B showed him the limited Daten Jugram Haschwalth had given him permission to see. As the X-Axis watched Nui Harime decimate dozens of armed and well-trained humans while regenerating from their bullets he had decided that such beings were an immediate danger to His Majesty and needed to be dealt with post haste. The Wandenreich could not afford to be on the losing side. If that happens the Wandenreich would not be able to react fast enough to counter Ragyo Kiryuin's immense power.

Leaning his massive and powerful reishi rifle against his shoulder Lille Barro looked up at the sky and muttered, "Can you feel that Bazz-B? There is a barrier of Life Fibers surrounding the entire city."

"I felt it as soon as I got here," Bazz-B scoffed before sniffing, "The damn thing is irritating my nose to the point where I feel like I need to sneeze. Why don't you stop talking and just take it out already?"

Lille Barro sighed at Bazz-B's tone as he shifted his rifle until the stock was placed against his shoulder. As he stared through the scope of the rifle he took aim at the invisible barrier before firing a massive heilig pfeil at it. The two Sternritter watched as the bullet-shaped spiritual energy shot through the air towards the shield but to their shock it failed to destroy it. Lille Barro stood in shock as his bullet slammed into the shield with nary a noise before simply disappearing and causing the shield to momentarily shimmer brightly before settling back down to invisibility, "What's going on? That bullet had enough power to pass through a mountain. It should have been able to shatter the Life Fiber barrier with ease!"

"You can't use brute force to destroy Life Fibers, idiot!"

Bambietta Basterbine stepped out of the shadow portal with an irritated look in her blue eyes. Giving the self-proclaimed 'deadshot' a scoffing roll of her eyes she pointed with a gloved hand at the sky, "You were so gung-ho about destroying Ragyo Kiryuin that you forgot that our powers are weak to Life Fibers. If you don't give it everything you have from the start you're going to die."

Lille Barro looked away before bringing his rifle back up once more. Placing one foot on the edge of the roof for support he looked through the scope and said, "You are correct. This time I shall fire the strongest bullet I –"

"Don't be an idiot!" Bazz-B twisted around and smacked Lille Barro's rifle downwards before he could fire it, "Who knows what the hell that barrier does! You already shot one bullet at it and it didn't work. Do you want to find out what happens if you shoot another? I don't want to die knowing I was eaten by fucking clothes!"

Bambietta didn't bother chiming in her opinion as she sat down on the roof and leaned her check onto her hand. While she was certainly surprised that Bazz-B had chosen her for the mission she could understand why. If His Majesty needed the Sternritter to stay below the radar to avoid the attention of the Soul Society than those that Bazz-B could depend on were quite limited. While Bambietta didn't doubt some of her fellow Sternritter could certainly start the mission with stealth in mind once the fighting started all bets were thrown out the window. Casting her eyes up at where she could sense the Life Fiber barrier surrounding the city Bambietta snorted and asked, "So where is Ichigo Kurosaki, Bazz-B?"

"What are you looking at me for?" Bazz-B growled rhetorically before scoffing and walking away from her across the roof. Closing his eyes and trying to sense Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual energy Bazz-B's brow creased in irritation as he failed once again. He was a Sternritter, dammit! Sensing spiritual energy should have been as simple as looking through a window to see what the weather was like outside. As he was about to give up in order to try a different approach Bazz-B felt something faint prickle across the edges of his senses. Focusing everything he had on this new presence he nearly recoiled at what he felt.

"God damn it!" Bazz-B quickly stopped trying to sense the spiritual energy as he stumbled back like he was just hit in the face, "What the fuck is that?"

Every spiritual being had different colors and characteristics to their spiritual energy when a quincy sensed it. That was why Bazz-B could easily pick out a shinigami, hollow, arrancar and a fellow quincy even if he couldn't see them. The energy he just felt, however, was not only different but it also scared the piss out of him. He could still see the glowing blue and red monstrosity made out of flames and Bazz-B would swear it was looking directly at him. Nothing that strong should be capable of hiding so thoroughly and yet Bazz-B had not been able to sense it until he put everything he had into looking for it. Turning around and noticing the confused and amused expressions coming from Lille Barro and Bambietta respectively Bazz-B scoffed and said, "It's about half a mile to the north. Tell me that doesn't bother you!"

Lille Barro narrowed his eye as he followed Bazz-B's directions and focused his senses on the spiritual energy described. Upon feeling it a bead of cold sweat dripped down his face as he took a step back, "That's…I feel it but you're mistaken about one thing. While there is no doubt in my mind that the spiritual energy you felt belongs to Ichigo Kurosaki you failed to account for another."

"What the fuck?" Bazz-B asked incredulously, "There are two of those things?"

"That thoroughly awful spiritual energy is actually coming from two similar beings within close proximity to each other," Lille gazed through the scope of his rifle in order to try and spot Ichigo Kurosaki. When he was unable to find any trace of the orange haired youth he rested the barrel of his rifle on the roof and shook his head, "From the difficulty I had in detecting them separately I would hazard a guess that Ichigo Kurosaki is within fifty feet of someone just like him."

Bambietta didn't bother trying to sense the spiritual energy. If both Bazz-B and Lille Barro were reacting to it so badly than she certainly didn't want to feel whatever the hell was out there. Drumming her fingers along the length of her leg she tried to figure out whether her reishi bombs would work against someone like Nui Harime or really anyone wearing Life Fibers. Sure Nui Harime could regenerate but could she come back from being blown to atoms? Bambietta didn't know but she was more than willing to find out.

"That spiritual energy certainly feels awful. Life Fibers are really nasty things after all."

Meninas McAllon stepped out of the shadow portal as it snapped behind her with a soft hiss. As she looked around Karakura Town and the destruction evident from Satsuki's earlier attack Meninas moved a strand of pink hair out of her eyes and promptly tripped over Bambietta. Regaining her balance with a hop and fixing the bow around her neck she gave the irritated Bambietta a half-sincere apology, "I'm sorry Bambi but I didn't notice you down there. You can't be tired already. We just got here after all."

"Bite me, Meny!" Bambietta snarled before getting back onto her feet before Meninas could make any more snide remarks. Briefly fixing her miniskirt before giving Meninas one final glare as if to dare her to try anything else Bambietta flipped her black hair around and asked, "Now that we're all here can we go? His Majesty wanted us to make contact with Ichigo Kurosaki right away."

"So you're looking for Ichigo? That's a surprise. I didn't know he had this many friends."

The four Sternritter turned around in shock to see Isshin Kurosaki standing behind them with his hands in his pockets and a pondering expression on his face. Upon noticing that he had their undivided attention Isshin gave a nervous chuckle and said, "That shadow portal thing was pretty cool! I've never seen anything like that before. I guess you learn something new every day."

Without preamble Bazz-B spun around and began summoning his reishi flames to deal with the unexpected threat. His Majesty's mission was of the utmost importance and while Bazz-B felt a little guilty about having to kill a human he would do so if it meant protecting their cover. Extending his arm towards the still defenseless Isshin Bazz-B's eyes narrowed as a burst of fire concentrated around his finger, "Sorry about this, man, but His Majesty does not like witnesses. Burner Finger One!"

The narrow beam of fire shot out from Bazz-B's finger towards the junction of Isshin's neck and chest with enough power to pierce through a shinigami as powerful as a captain. When Isshin not only caught the Burner Finger One but squashed it out of existence using only the palm of his hand with nary a burn on his skin Bazz-B's arm fell limply to the side. He knew Burner Finger One could be stopped by the more powerful captains but without even a burn? That was impossible.

"That was quite rude," Isshin dusted off his palm before he scratched at the back of his neck, "Attacking me while my guard was down doesn't really help to make first impressions. Why don't we start over and introduce ourselves. My name is Isshin Kurosaki and I'm here to have a long talk with you four about your plans for Ichigo."

"We don't have to explain ourselves to a shinigami like you." Appearing behind Isshin's still undefended form using Hirenkyaku Meninas snapped her leg out with the intent to sever his neck from his body. Every Sternritter was given Daten about the captain and lieutenant class shinigami as well as their respective techniques, powers and zanpakuto. Isshin Kurosaki was a former captain of the tenth division and a shinigami on par with that of Sosuke Aizen. Dealing with him before he could use Engetsu was paramount to achieving victory.

"Hang on just a minute," Isshin's arm snapped up as he blocked Meninas's enhanced kick with the back of his forearm. Giving the surprised pink haired girl a goofy grin as he easily blocked a kick that could kill most opponents Isshin shifted his arm and allowed Meninas to leap away before said, "A woman should not just throw herself at the first man she sees. You have to introduce yourself and then take things slowly from there."

Bambietta took a step back as she watched Isshin stop Meninas's kick with almost a lazy effort before her trepidation turned into annoyance. Holding her arm out and gathering reishi Bambietta prepared to use The Explode on Isshin Kurosaki, damn the consequences. If he was strong enough to not only stop Meninas's attack but act as if it was something simple she would need to be serious. No talking, no gloating and no time for Isshin to think of anything. Bambietta was going to hit Isshin with enough reishi bombs to turn his body into a smear on the roof. Pulling out her sword in the shape of a Chinese dao and coursing her reishi through it until the metal glowed blue-white Bambietta shouted, "Die you dumb shinigami!"

"Hmm…" Isshin stared at the four Sternritter preparing to attack him with mild worry not for his health but for the surrounding neighborhood. Even if all four of them used their respective Vollstandig, Isshin needed to thank Ryuken for helping him pronounce that correctly, he would walk away without a scratch on his body. Deciding that he needed to teach them a lesson before things got out of hand Isshin clapped his hands together and said, "Four on one isn't very fair."

Appearing in front of Isshin with her arm cocked back and her hand clenched into a fist Meninas gave the former captain a cold stare as she went to punch him, "Being fair to a shinigami is quite stupid, don't you agree?"

Before she could hit Isshin Meninas was sent spiraling through the air as someone or something slammed into her with the force of one of her own punches. As the super-strong Sternritter bounced along the roof Bazz-B quickly reacted and appeared in front of her using Hirenkayku and managed to catch her before she could fall over the edge. Letting Meninas down, who was more embarrassed than injured, Bazz-B was just about to let his reishi flames explode out of his body when he saw the purple Scissor Blade held in the newly arrived girl's hand, "Oh fuck. How the hell did we stumble across Nui Harime so damn quickly?"

"My name is Ururu Tsumugiya. Do not call me Nui Harime," Ururu's sandals touched down on the roof in front of Isshin with barely a sound as she held Nui's former purple Scissor Blade in a reverse grip. She was surprised when Mr. Kurosaki had given it to her barely an hour ago. When she asked why he was giving her Nui's weapon Isshin had smiled and said to consider it a late birthday present since she was at Honnouji Academy in September. Focusing her sapphire blue eyes on the Sternritter in front of her Ururu held the Scissor Blade in front of her and allowed the sunlight to glint off the purple surface before continuing, "Please surrender. I don't want to have to kill you."

"Screw you!" Bambietta shouted as she swung her dao towards Ururu. Watching in sadistic glee as the wave of reishi collided with Ururu before detonating in a massive explosion that created a column of smoke similar to the dozens rising throughout the city Bambietta turned to Isshin and grinned, "Now that she's dead why don't you just let us kill you already, former captain?"

"I'm sorry…but were you trying to kill me?"

Bambietta could not hide the look of utmost shock as Ururu appeared from the smoke without a single scratch on her body. Even the girl's clothing was prim and proper. As she looked at the individual Sternritter's expressions Ururu turned to Isshin and asked, "They tried to kill me and they're going after Ichigo. Should I eliminate them?"

"Now there's no need for that Ururu. I'm sure Yhwach didn't send them here to kill Ichigo," Isshin took a single step forward and promptly caught the reishi bullet Lille Barro fired at his head in the palm of his hand. Staring at the vibrating casing of spiritual energy for a moment before crushing it he looked at the shaken marksman and chuckled, "I'm not one to brag but I'm far stronger than any of you so why don't we start over? I'm Isshin Kurosaki and you are…?"

Bazz-B may be a hothead but he knew a losing battle when he saw one. Isshin Kurosaki had outright _tanked_ attacks from Meninas, Lille Barro and him using nothing more than his left arm. If they had any shot of killing the former shinigami captain they would need to use their Vollstandig and Bazz-B doubted that would be enough to stop him. Grimacing as he placed his hands in his pockets in order to not do anything stupid he stepped forward, mindful of Ururu constantly watching him, and said, "Fine. You seem to be in the loop and I don't think His Majesty would appreciate us killing Ichigo's dad. The name's Bazz-B and the epitaph His Majesty has given me is H for The Heat."

Shouldering his rifle and giving Isshin a concerned look Lille Barro nevertheless followed Bazz-B's example, "Lille Barro. My designation is X for The X-Axis."

"Damn it…" Bambietta felt fear for the first time since Giselle had tried to 'heal' her several months ago after an accident where one of her reishi bombs accidentally detonated against her body. She never wanted to see Giselle's creepy and unnerving smile again, "Fine! I'm Bambietta Basterbine and I'm E for The Explode."

"I'm Meninas McAllon and His Majesty gave me P for The Power!" Unlike her three compatriots Meninas's introduction was far more enthusiastic. She knew Isshin Kurosaki was the enemy but it had been quite a long time since someone was able to overpower her strength. She had enough power to lift city blocks above her head and yet Isshin had blocked one of her kicks with nothing more than his arm. Finding someone she could actually hit and not immediately turn into a bloody pulp was too interesting for her to ignore.

"Are the other letters of the alphabet involved here or did Yhwach just send you four?" From the tensing of the Sternritter's shoulders at the casual mentioning of Yhwach Isshin was fairly certain that they were the only ones he sent. He might hate the propagator of the Quincy for what he did to Masaki and Kanae Katagari but Isshin had to admit the man was pragmatic. Sending some heavy hitters to support Ichigo was something Isshin knew Yhwach would do when a significant threat to his power appeared.

"Since no one else is going to say it let me be the one to ask," Lille Barro strapped his reishi rifle to his back and crossed his arms, "You seem to be familiar with His Majesty. How?"

Isshin rolled his eyes and laughed at the question before his expression darkened considerably, "His use of Auswahlen nine years ago killed my wife and my children's mother. If Masaki hadn't already been slowly dying at the time I think I would be more than a little pissed off right now. I'm willing to let that slide as long as Yhwach realizes that if he does anything to harm the rest of my family there will be nothing to stop me from coming after him. I will break through the shadows surrounding the Silbern, track him down to his throne and kill him."

"You dare threaten His Majesty?" Bambietta may have been unnerved by Isshin's power but hearing him insulting and threatening His Majesty was enough to sever any form of self-control she had. As she began swinging her dao through the air towards Isshin with the sole intent of murdering him Bambietta was stopped when she felt the edge of the purple Scissor Blade pressed against her throat. With the tip of the Scissor Blade tearing through her blut like it was paper Bambietta felt her body break out in a cold sweat, "But how –"

"If you try to hurt Mr. Kurosaki I won't hesitate to kill you," Ururu explained in an emotionless tone. Stepping away from Bambietta and allowing the Sternritter to collapse to the ground. Ururu watched Bambietta rub her neck as she took a single step before vanishing and reappearing next to Isshin with the Scissor Blade held behind her back once more.

"Good job Ururu," Isshin patted the girl on the head with a smile on his face before his expression hardened, "But you might want to take a few steps back. I need to exchange some harsh words with these people and it might not be good for you to stand so close to me. Understand?"

Although slightly suspicious of the way Ururu leapt away from Isshin before landing on the water tower on the other side of the roof the Sternritter had no time to think as Isshin's body began to glow with an intense rainbow aura. As his hair bled to silver and his eyes maroon the Sternritter took a few steps back in fear as Isshin's appearance seemed to regress nearly twenty years with the slight wrinkles and grey hair signifying his forty-eight year old appearance disappearing in less than a second.

"W-What's going on?" Bazz-B collapsed onto the roof as he felt rather than sensed the overwhelming aura of Life Fibers from the man in front of him. His Majesty's Datan said Isshin Kurosaki was a former shinigami captain. It never said he was made of fucking Life Fibers.

"I-I don't feel so good…" Meninas was desperately trying to keep herself from throwing up from being in such close proximity to Isshin. Unlike Lille Barro, who had leapt away as far as he could upon noticing Isshin transforming and was thus the least affected, she was the closest and felt her body seizing up.

"So here's what's going to happen," Isshin massaged his neck as he released his disguise for the first time in nearly seventeen years. After that night twenty years ago Isshin had gone home and saw to his horror that his mere presence was enough to visibly sicken Masaki. Since the effects of Life Fibers scales proportionally to a quincy's power and Masaki was one of the strongest quincy in the world his new body had nearly killed her before Isshin managed to mask his power under a disguise.

As he looked around to the four Sternritter and saw that they were experiencing the effects of being in the presence of a true Life Fiber Hybrid Isshin reined his power back in and said, "I know that Yhwach sent you to support my son in the fight against Ragyo. I am perfectly fine with that but let me lay down a couple of ground rules. I know what Yhwach has planned and I just want to make it clear that you are not to try and recruit Ryuken's son or anyone else into your little army. And if under any circumstances you threaten either Yuzu or Karin I will demonstrate to you that Ragyo is not the only one that can make COVERS."

Bazz-B swallowed nervously but managed to keep a cool façade as he stood back up. Turning his head to the side and scoffing in an attempt to look like he hadn't been affected by Isshin's show of power he spat on the roof and said, "Why the hell would we go after your other kids? His Majesty sent us here to help take down Ragyo Kiryuin. Pissing off someone that could kill us isn't high on my list of shit to do."

"His Majesty's word is law and must be followed to the letter," Lille Barro added as he chanced getting closer to Isshin now that the man was keeping his power from leaking out. Glancing worriedly at Isshin before looking at the still recovering Meninas he added, "As long as your suggestions do not conflict with His Majesty's directives I do not see a problem with agreeing to your terms. Having someone like you on our side in the battle against Ragyo Kiryuin can only bolster our odds of victory."

Isshin let go of the seriousness in his expression and chuckled heartily, "I guess that's the best I'm going to get out of the lot of you, isn't it? I can see that you really are here to help my son stop Ragyo from eating the world. You can find him in Kisuke's shop to the north and I expect you to be on your best behavior because if not…I'll know…"

"Damn man, we're not stupid enough to go against someone like you." Bazz-B helped the almost recovered Meninas to her feet before heading north using Hirenkayku with a scared Bambietta and a pensive Lille Barro following close behind him. The power he felt from Isshin Kurosaki was almost equal to His Majesty's and Bazz-B wanted to be the last person to piss him off. Treacherous thoughts aside but if His Majesty ordered him to assassinate Ichigo's sisters Bazz-B would probably try to fake his death or something. He did not want to face a pissed off Isshin Kurosaki under any circumstances.

Back on the roof Isshin watched the Sternritter leave with approval. Isshin was certain the threat alongside his display of power was enough to make sure they didn't try and pull anything behind his back. He wasn't bluffing when he told them he could break into the Silbern. Being friends with a quincy of Ryuken's power did have its upsides. The moment Yhwach made a move against his family Ryuken would be ready to open the shadow portal and send Isshin to go…negotiate with the father of the quincy.

"Hmm…Now that I'm done here I should go check up on Ichigo," Isshin remembered when he told Ichigo how to save Satsuki and Junketsu and knew his son would want answers. The only problem was that Isshin was completely incapable of giving the answers no matter how much he wanted. It was a good thing Armstrong and Tsumugu were on hand with most of the information Ichigo was looking for. The only problem, and it was a big problem, was how he would explain to Ryuko what exactly she was. Souichiro believed it took DNA to make a Kamui work and Isshin had been content with the man assuming that was correct, "Damn…I need to think of a way to get the point across to Ryuko that she's a hybrid like Ichigo. If I know Ragyo as well as I think I do I'm sure she'll figure who Ryuko is soon enough. That girl doesn't need that complication added to her life."

"Umm…"

Isshin blinked childishly when he felt Ururu tugging on his sleeve tore him out of his thoughts. Turning down to the perpetually shy Life Fiber Hybrid he asked, "What is it Ururu?"

At first Ururu wanted to ask why Mr. Kurosaki's hair and eyes were like Ragyo Kiryuin's but when she saw that he was still the same nice man she realized it wasn't important. Gripping the purple Scissor Blade tightly in her arms she asked, "Umm…your hair is still glowing like a rainbow Mr. Kurosaki."

"What?" Isshin looked and saw that, sure enough, there was still rainbow light emanating from his head, "I thought I put my disguise back up! Thanks for looking out for me, Ururu. It would have been awkward if Anderson saw me…like…this…"

Ururu tilted her head to the side as Isshin's expression fell into almost the same blank look she had on her face. After a moment of wondering what he was thinking about Ururu was nearly blown backwards as Isshin shouted, "Oh god, I forgot about Anderson!"

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><p>As Ragyo Kiryuin led her daughter down through the secret passageway beneath Kiryuin Manor she could not help but reminisce on how everything was coming together. Satsuki's failure to capture Karakura Town was tragic but in a way Ragyo wanted Isshin to win that skirmish. She knew that the organization her former husband founded would help defend the city and when they won, which they did, they would come after Satsuki at Honnouji Academy.<p>

"_La vie est drôle,"_ Ragyo could not wait to reconnect with Isshin after so many years apart. She had felt a sudden burst of Life Fiber energy from Karakura Town half an hour ago and immediately realized that Isshin had shed that ridiculous disguise of a human he always wears. If she did not love him with every fiber of her being Ragyo didn't know how she would put up with Isshin's antics. When he confronted her during the Great Culture and Sport Festival Ragyo made a mental note to strip him of his disguise. Seeing the looks on his allies faces as Isshin is exposed for the magnificent man he is almost made Ragyo chuckle in amusement.

"We have arrived," Ragyo reached out of the full length cloak covering her naked body and pressed a hand against the ancient doors in front of her. Feeling a familiar pulse of thrum through her body upon making contact she closed her eyes and gently pushed them open.

Unlike twenty years ago when the entrance to the Fiber Palace – Forbidden Room was at the bottom of a barely lit and damp staircase the current entrance was much more grandiose and beautiful. Not long after making contact with the wonderful Original Life Fiber Ragyo had commissioned several of the best architects she could find to tear down the unsightly hallway and rebuild it with a glory that was befitting of what lay behind the doors in front of her. A white marble staircase replaced the old metal one and high quality rainbow-tinted lights dotted the ground on either side of the hallway. When it came time to pay the architects Ragyo had of course paid them but used Mental Refitting for the first time to erase the memories they had of Kiryuin Manor.

As she stepped into the Forbidden Room, her bare feet softly walking across the carpet of Life Fibers covering the floor Ragyo sighed as she connected directly with the Original Life Fiber hovering before her. Feeling the will of the Original Life Fiber course through her mind, pleased with the rate at which things were now progressing, Ragyo smirked when she heard Satsuki gasp, "This is where everything began?"

"Indeed it is," Ragyo's maroon eyes gazed fanatically upon the Original Life Fiber as every Life Fiber in her body began to resonate with the magnificent creature hovering before her. Feeling the Original Life Fiber responding to her demands Ragyo watched as part of the creature began to twist and distort as she continued, "This is the source of everything and everyone – the Original Life Fiber."

Satsuki had known about the Original Life Fiber for years but she never dreamed it was anything like this. Ever since his recruitment into her forces, Inumuta had secretly searched for the source of Life Fibers all across the globe but to know that it was literally right under her feet the entire time stunned Satsuki. Taking a moment to calm her raging emotions Satsuki let out a small sigh as she gazed up at the Original Life Fiber. Every nerve in her body was telling her that she was looking at something that defied logic and human rationale and it took Satsuki's immense self-control to keep her voice steady as she said, "It is an honor to be shown this, mother."

Ragyo knew her daughter was scheming behind her back but she appreciated the blatant pandering. Watching as the Original Life Fiber began sectioning off a piece of itself into a small glowing sphere of red and orange Life Fibers Ragyo smirked and held her hand up in the air, "Humanity's fate to serve clothing began the instant this magnificent ball of thread landed on Earth. When Isshin and I first discovered the Original Life Fiber twenty years ago we were entranced by the beauty and power it held."

This time Satsuki could not hide the look of shock evident in her eyes. There was only one Isshin her mother could be talking about – Isshin Kurosaki. The fact that Ichigo's father had discovered the Original Life Fiber alongside her mother was surprising to Satsuki but it helped to clear many things that had been confusing her for some time. If Ichigo's father was truly like her mother it explained both his method of sneaking into Honnouji Academy without getting caught as well as how her mother could slap him but do nothing more than leave his cheek slightly sore. It also resolved how Nui Harime lost the purple Scissor Blade upon leaving Karakura Town.

"Life Fibers are destined to cover the planet."

Ragyo smiled in satisfaction as she caught the ball of Life Fibers in her hand. Forcing her will through her body and into the Life Fibers she watched as they morphed into a paper-thin white business suit with a glowing red tie. As Ragyo mentally moved it into place along the walls surrounding the Forbidden Room she mused on the fact that the COVERS were modeled after Isshin's own sense of fashion. Limited as it may be but when the man concentrated and focused on picking out his own clothes he could be surprising. When she saw Isshin wearing the very suit the COVERS were modeled after during the Parent Student Day Ragyo was once again reminded of the annoying fact she lost him to Masaki.

Lowering her arm as soon as the COVERS was in place and connected once more with the Original Life Fiber Ragyo turned to her daughter and sighed wistfully, "The Life Fiber beings hibernating all around us are COVERS and only one man in the world can stop what is about to happen."

Satsuki quickly filled in the blanks and said, "Isshin Kurosaki."

The slight tightening of her mother's eyes was the only sign of Ragyo's displeasure at the name, "Yes, Isshin Shiba is the only man in the world capable of halting the COVERS. Despite his rejection of my love and affection he is just as strongly connected to the Original Life Fiber as I. That reminds me…my precious Nui said that one of Isshin's COVERS appeared during Parent Student Day in the form of a plushie lion named Kon. The Grand Couturier was quite surprised when she found what looked like one of Revocs's toys made out of pure high-quality Life Fibers."

Ragyo didn't allow Satsuki any time to ponder her words as she turned around and left the Forbidden Room with Satsuki close behind her. As much as she wished to stay with the Original Life Fiber there were things she needed to do. With the Great Culture and Sport Festival beginning soon Ragyo made sure all living members of Xcution were to return to Japan to welcome the nudists that would no doubt show up. Letting the robe covering her body to fall to the ground as she took the dress Hououmaru was holding while Satsuki once again wore Junketsu Ragyo said, "While I would have been more satisfied if every academy in the country was conquered I suppose I cannot fault your failure in Karakura Town. Your progress before being repelled exceeded my wildest speculations. Tell me something Satsuki. Have you learned anything from your first failure in life?"

Satsuki stoically walked behind her mother as they returned to the main floor of the Kiryuin Manor, "Yes, mother. Ichigo's former classmates possessed abilities equal to that of a Three-Star Goku Uniform. Gamagori and Jakuzure were taken out by Ichigo's associates while Sanageyama was beaten by a Nudist Beach Commander called Alex Louis Armstrong."

"Armstrong…my, that's a name I haven't heard in quite some time," Ragyo chuckled in amusement as she recalled the failed coup sixteen years by the first generation of Xcution. It was ironic that the same organization that existed to spread Life Fibers across the world was once designed to contain them. Olivier Mira Armstrong was a woman that Ragyo admired for her ability to focus on the mission at hand while leaving trivial emotions like love and attachment on the wayside. Sixteen years ago Olivier had trained the Revocs security force into one of the most powerful private armies in the world and yet she didn't think twice of setting off a series of bombs in their barracks at the start of the coup.

"Losing to an Armstrong is an honor, Satsuki," Ragyo slowly shook her head and sighed wistfully, "If this man was anything like Olivier than beating one of your Elite Four should have been easy for him. It is foolish to underestimate an Armstrong. They are quite tenacious and I would dare to say it would require the full use of Junketsu's power to put one down."

Satsuki pondered quietly as shattered memories of Junketsu fighting Armstrong pierced through her mind. The time from when she first started losing control of Junketsu to Ichigo saving her was a blur but there were a few things she could remember. Fighting a man with enough physical strength to stand up to Junketsu and her Bakuzan was one of the few she could recall, "Forgive my intrusion mother but I seem to recall Olivier Mira Armstrong being part of Xcution however all records of her disappear around a year after my birth. What happened to her?"

The presence of Xcution was always something Satsuki had to consider for her plans but the concept of a first generation drew her attention more than anything. All she could find out, even with Inumuta's prodigious assistance, was that there were six members but only two of which continued to work at Revocs – Rei Hououmaru and Kugo Ginjo. Hououmaru was still loyal as a dog to her mother and Ginjo had betrayed Revocs only to barely escape the Grand Couturier with his life. As for the other four members Satsuki searched for any information on them but it was almost as if their existence was erased from the face of the planet.

"Oh nothing much," Satsuki saw a sadistic smile stretch across her mother's face as she answered, "Olivier and some of the other members of Xcution thought it would be a good idea to assassinate me. I simply showed them the error of their ways and returned the favor."

"I see…" Satsuki did not say anything else as she thought over the fact she was not the first to betray her mother. Judging from the information her mother had inadvertently admitted it seemed the first generation of Xcution was not as fanatically loyal as the current one. For two-thirds of them to rise up and rebel against her mother meant they had seen the monster Ragyo was years ago and tried to put an end to her only to fail.

"Let us not dwell on such fond memories. There is a more important matter I wish to discuss," Ragyo stopped in mid-stride and looked over her shoulder at Satsuki, "With most of the country's academies conquered I think it is time to move the Honnouji Academy experimental city into stage two."

"Stage two?" Satsuki pursed her lips as she thought about what that meant. Her forces were not nearly as ready as she would have liked them to be and she still needed to acquire a few things in order to limit the chances of her mother countering her plans.

Ragyo hummed softly for a moment at her daughter's surprise before asking, "Hououmaru, is everything ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Rei Hououmaru subtly adjusted her aviator sunglasses as she pulled out her PDA. Tapping the screen a few times until a live feed of Honnouji Academy appeared she said, "I commissioned the construction of the Ragyo Stadium this morning. As of an hour ago it is complete and ready for your arrival. All other preparations for the festival are finished as well."

Turning to her daughter Ragyo smirked as the rainbow light from her hair intensified, "Satsuki, it is time to begin the Great Culture and Sports Festival."

Satsuki's heart skipped a beat before she managed to calm down. Even though her forces were not as prepared as she would have liked this was still the moment of truth. It would at the festival where her mother would be at her most vulnerable. Satsuki was counting on Ragyo to not bring more than one or two members of Xcution with her. Such a lapse in security would allow Satsuki's forces to overwhelm and kill her mother. She only hoped that Ichigo and Matoi took the bait and returned to Honnouji Academy, "Of course, mother."

Ragyo felt the shift in Satsuki's pulse and was amused at her daughter's attempt to hide it, "What are your –"

"Lady Ragyo! Lady Ragyo!"

Running towards the three women with a light sheen of sweat on his portly face was Takiji Kuroido. Stumbling to a stop as he reached them he took a few seconds to catch his breath before saying, "There's been a breach of security! Someone's locked themselves in your private study and is currently downloading confidential Revocs files!"

Satsuki never even saw her mother leave her side before Ragyo was racing through the halls of the Kiryuin Manor towards her private office. Ragyo did not fault Kuroido for coming to her instead of dealing with the problem himself. The walls of her office were saturated with high density Life Fibers that prevented anything short of an anti-tank shell from penetrating and to open the door required being able to overcome several thousand pounds of force pushing against them. The only question her enraged mind had was the identity of the perpetrator. It could not be Isshin since she would have detected him the minute he stepped foot in the manor even with his disguise in place.

Racing up the grand staircase in less time than it took a normal human to blink Ragyo sped towards the door to her office at the far end of the hall. Pushing it open with barely an effort on her part she was just about to kill whoever was inside when she froze upon seeing the man typing away at her computer, "You -!"

"Hold on a second. Trying to crack the password on these damn files is annoying as hell."

Sitting behind the desk and typing furiously on her keyboard was the long presumed deceased head of General Security and Interrogations – Batou. Back when Ragyo hired the man as part of the first generation of Xcution she had been curious about the lack of a full name. When she brought it up Batou had simply stated he had no last name. Maroon eyes watched as the grey haired man pressed one final key before pulling the flash drive out of the computer and stuck it in his pocket. Swiveling in her chair with his hands clasped behind his neck Batou gave Ragyo a wide grin and said, "Heya boss! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I'm sure you're wondering how I survived being thrown out your window."

"As a matter of fact I'm not," Ragyo grinned sadistically as she walked across the spacious office towards Batou, the hollow clicking of her heels the only sound she made.

The past sixteen years had been overly kind to the former member of Xcution but Ragyo vowed to make sure that changed. The fact he survived falling to his death did not annoy her. What was causing Ragyo to experience a rare burst of anger was that he was stealing her private files. Once she was done dealing with Batou and his body was strung up as an example to those nudists showing what would happen if they tried anything Ragyo would task Hououmaru to track down how he survived.

"I knew I should have searched for your corpse after burning Genesis and Motoko's remains," Ragyo stopped on the other side of the desk and held her hand out in front of her body. As she watched the surprised and shocked expression on Batou's face as a Life Fiber Needle, glowing with the colors of the rainbow from the Life Fibers composing it, spun into existence in her hand, "La vie est drôle."

"So what are you going to do now?" Batou didn't look worried as he stared down death in the face. Swiveling the chair around and pointing to the open window behind him he said, "By the way, that's how I got in here. You really need to tighten up the security in this place. A stranger could just waltz right in and stumble across all kinds of secrets."

"Your suggestion has been noted, Mr. Batou," Ragyo knew Batou hated to be called that but since he was going to die very soon she decided to at least get a little enjoyment from annoying him. Gazing momentarily upon the Life Fiber Needle in her hand Ragyo mentally noted to give it to her precious Nui once she was done murdering Batou. She had been so busy preparing the COVERS that she forgot all about her precious Nui's birthday last month. Ragyo was confident that the Grand Couturier would love the new weapon to replace the one Isshin took from her. The loss of the purple Scissor Blade was indeed tragic but her former husband's blades were a pale copy of the true Life Fiber weapon in her hand.

"I thought I told you the name's just Batou. Mr. Batou makes me sound old as hell," Batou grunted as he stood up and popped a few joints back into place. As he rubbed a crick in his neck from sitting down for too long he stared into Ragyo's eyes and asked, "This is the part where you kill me, right?"

"How very astute of you, Mr. Batou," Ragyo ignored Batou's suggestion before laughing viciously at the annoyed expression on his face, "But it seems I've changed my mind. I'm far too interested in how you survived falling to your certain death to just kill you. I'm sure my precious Nui will be more than happy to take the information from your mind. She's always wanted to test her interrogation skills against the illustrious Mr. Batou. I'm sure a man experienced as you are in enhanced interrogation can appreciate the value of hands-on training."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Batou scowled before letting out a large sigh, "Well, since you're going to kill me can I just say one last thing?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Batou. I know you far too well to allow that," Ragyo knew better than to allow Batou to stall for time. As an original member of Xcution he was well versed in on the spot planning and long term strategies. She could not allow him to pull off anything like that.

"Oh, but you're going to love this," Batou grinned in a familiar manner as he pointed to the carbon fiber harness previously hidden under his jacket. Tossing a small sphere at Ragyo while kicking the chair away he shouted, "…now!"

Ragyo rushed forward through the flash grenade Batou threw at her and just barely missed skewering him with her Life Fiber Needle before he was pulled out the window by a helicopter bearing the Revocs emblem. Angrily watched as the helicopter and Batou flew away into the afternoon sky Ragyo was just about to go after them when Satsuki and Hououmaru appeared outside her office. Stabbing the Life Fiber Needle into the floor of her office Ragyo turned to Hououmaru and asked, "Who do we have on retainer today, Hououmaru?"

Rei looked at the PDA in her hands and frowned before answering, "We don't have anyone, ma'am. All pilots have no scheduled flight times today. Whoever that pilot is they are not one of ours."

"I believe I know the identity of the pilot," Satsuki stepped forward and briefly glanced at the Life Fiber Needle stuck in the floor. She had never seen her mother wield a weapon before but Satsuki could instinctively tell it was just like her Bakuzan if not better. Stoically closing her eyes and clearing her mind Satsuki said, "Her name is Elena and if I recall correctly she had shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes much like my own. From the inflection in her voice that she tried to hide it is clear she was a military woman at some point in the recent past."

As she processed the description of the woman the rest of Ragyo's anger evaporated into nothingness. Pulling the Life Fiber Needle out of the floor with barely an effort she walked across her office and chuckled softly, "It appears I am paying for the follies of my youth. Only someone of her caliber could have infiltrated the Revocs mainframe to such an extent without being caught. No one else could come up with such brilliant plans and strategies aside from me after all…"

Satsuki noticed the change in her mother's tone and asked, "I take it Elena was not her true name?"

"It is like I said – it is foolish to underestimate an Armstrong," Ragyo said as she strolled out of her office and pulled the door closed behind her. With all the rats coming out of the woodwork she needed to make a few calls.

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #25 – The Job Interview<strong>

_Nineteen Years Ago_

Batou was completely bored out of his mind as he sat in the expansive lobby of Revocs. Leaning his head back against the leather chair as he flipped through one of the magazines that had pictures of things he could never afford he mumbled, "Why did I agree to come here?"

When Motoko told him she was working at Revocs in the security division known as Xcution Batou had been more than happy for her but in hindsight his celebration was a bit premature. It was only after he offered to visit that Motoko told him Olivier was also working at Revocs but by then it was too late to change his mind. Batou still remembered Olivier as the harsh and heavy-handed commander of his division during the South American skirmishes. He didn't want to go anywhere near that woman but he couldn't tell Motoko he had a change of heart. If he did Batou knew Motoko would tell Olivier and then Olivier would pay him a visit.

Olivier scared him six ways to Sunday and so Batou found himself sitting alone in the lobby of Revocs waiting for Motoko to come down. There had been a few more people about ten minutes ago but they had left in a hurry upon getting one look at him.

As he looked at his watch, wondering why Motoko was late, three masked gunmen burst through the front doors of the lobby and fired their weapons briefly into the air, "Everybody down on the ground now! Anyone that tries to move will be shot!"

Without even thinking about it Batou rolled out of his chair and ducked behind it. Reaching for the empty pistol hidden in the back of his belt Batou smirked in relief that Revocs security hadn't bothered to check the soles of his military boots for the hidden magazine. If there was one thing South America taught him it was that you never go anywhere without a weapon. Trekking through the damp rainforests with his friends and colleagues getting taken out by snipers left and right taught Batou that not carrying a weapon was the same as holding up a sign that said 'kill me now. I'm unarmed.'

"_These guys aren't messing around,"_ Batou peered out from behind his cover as one of the gunmen took the receptionist hostage. Quickly looking over the armor and weapons they were carrying Batou narrowed his eyes as he recalled the specific model of assault rifle being outright banned in most countries, _"From their coordination these guys aren't some amateur thugs looking to kidnap a CEO for profit. They're either working for a government or sponsored by one and judging from their accents I'd say Russian or eastern European."_

Snapping the magazine into the pistol with a soft click Batou noticed the bathroom straight ahead and came up with a crazy idea, _"Damn. Here goes years of military training out of the window."_

Leaping out from behind his cover and sprinting straight towards the bathroom Batou aimed at the gunmen and managed to get off several rounds before they could retaliate. Smirking as he watched one of the gunmen collapse as a bullet clipped their jugular Batou managed to reach the bathroom just before the remaining two recovered their senses and opened fire on him. Keeping his head low to the ground as the walls were destroyed by the rain of automatic fire Batou looked at his gun and grimaced, "Five rounds left, huh? I need to make them count."

When Batou heard the two remaining gunmen speak in what had to be Russian he quickly leapt to his feet and hid deeper in the bathroom. If he knew terrorists and hired gunmen as well as he did than either one of two things were about to happen. If they were really smart they would both come in after him to make sure the job was done. If they were stupid, and judging from the one pair of feet he could hear slowly approaching the bathroom, they would come in one at a time. Smirking as he hid behind the wall separating the entrance from the rest of the bathroom Batou waited until the gunmen stepped inside before aiming the pistol right at his forehead. Grinning as he saw the man's eyes widen in horror Batou pulled back on the trigger and said, "…hi!"

Batou watched stoically as the gunman's head snapped back and a spray of blood coated the wall behind him. It always seemed that close range kills were the messiest and Batou was just glad that this time the blood didn't get on his favorite coat. Pursing his lips as he counted four rounds left Batou was just about to see what the last gunman was doing when he heard a man scream loudly before it was cut off as a choking gasp. Carefully making his way towards the entrance of the bathroom he was surprised to see a rather tall woman with silver hair and a rainbow glow holding the dead gunman up in the air with a single hand. As he noticed her maroon eyes turn to him Batou put his pistol on the ground and raised his hands into the air, "Don't worry I'm not with these guys."

"I know," Ragyo Kiryuin allowed the dead gunman to fall to the ground before she turned to the shaken receptionist, "Why don't you take the rest of the week off? I think you've earned it."

Batou watched the woman give Ragyo a deep bow before turning his attention back to her, "I take it you're Ragyo Kiryuin? Sorry about the mess."

"As long as nobody died I don't care about property damage," Ragyo noticed her security forces finally arrive and sighed miserably. Why was she paying these men and women to keep Life Fibers from the rest of the world if they were always going to be a few minutes late? Rubbing the palm of her hand against her face she sighed once more before turning back to Batou, "You seem to have handled yourself quite well, Mr. …"

"Batou."

"…Mr. Batou," Ragyo finished.

Batou looked away in annoyance as Ragyo inadvertently called him by the one name he hated, "Actually it's just Batou. Mr. Batou just makes me sound old."

"Very well then, Batou," Ragyo gave Batou a pleasant smile as she held her hand out, "After seeing that performance I don't think we need to have the job interview, don't you agree?"

For a moment Batou had no idea what Ragyo was talking about but as he recalled the various men dressed in fancy suits being put off by his appearance. At the time Batou thought it was because he was a gruff military man while they were all pampered and rich assholes but now he realized they were nervous because they thought Batou's presence meant they had no chance at getting the job. As he was about to tell Ragyo he wasn't here for the job Batou realized this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ever since leaving the military it had been difficult for him to find employment. This might be the only chance he had of permanent employment so with a smile he took Ragyo's hand a shook it, "That's fine by me. I was never good with the formal stuff anyway."

"Welcome to Revocs, Batou," Ragyo let her arm drop to her side before looking around, "While I would have been the one to show you around unfortunately I have to remain here and deal with this mess. I'll allow Olivier to give you the tour instead."

"Olivier?" Batou's blood ran cold, "Oh, you don't need to –"

"Mr. Batou!"

Batou subconsciously snapped to attention as the voice of his former commander echoed through the lobby. Stalking towards him with her hands behind her back and the symbols of Revocs and Xcution stitched on her jacket was Olivier Mira Armstrong. Casting her angry gaze over her former soldier Olivier snapped a salute to Ragyo before pointing down the hall, "You expect to work for Lady Ragyo while looking like you just stepped off the street? Move! Hopefully we can find you something less appalling to wear!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Batou saluted Olivier before following after her. God damn it…why hadn't he just said no to Ragyo when he had the chance?


	38. Chapter 38: School's Out

_So here is Chapter 38 and just off the bat I'm going to tell you that there is NO omake this chapter. It is not because I couldn't think of one. I did, in fact, have one lined up. It is just that the impact of the chapter would be lost if I had an omake. So I apologize to anyone that had been looking forward to the next installment of Kamui Tales._

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><p><strong>Chapter 38 – School's Out<strong>

Alexander Anderson snarled as his body was slammed against an outcropping of rock for the fifth time. Feeling a burst of pain radiate up his left arm as his shoulder became dislocated Anderson realized he would never be able to kill Ichigo. His entire plan had been predicated on distracting Ichigo's friends and his fellow nudists long enough to deliver the fatal blow. He never expected for his bayonet to be shattered by a holy shield conjured into existence by the same girl who performed the miracle of raising the dead. As the world suddenly became blurry, courtesy of the lenses in his glasses shattering into hundreds of shards, Anderson let his last two Tailor Bayonets fall to the ground, "Ye have me beat, Armstrong."

"Forcing you to surrender was never my goal, Anderson."

Alex Louis Armstrong stood several feet away from the injured former priest but did not have a single scratch on his flawlessly sculpted body, "As your superior officer I am commanding you to leave Ichigo Kurosaki alone. I am not naïve enough to think you will simply learn to live with him. I am simply asking that you allow him a chance to prove himself."

Anderson barely winced in pain as he popped his shoulder back into its socket and gave his surroundings a cursory glance. Even with his vision as poor as it currently was Anderson could tell Armstrong had purposely forced their fight away from the children and judging by the lack of interference most likely asked to be left alone. Smirking as a trail of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth Anderson answered, "If ye think I will allow an abomination to live than ye must be daft in the head. Life Fiber Hybrids are inherently evil and crave nothing more than death and destruction. It is merciful to kill the boy before he loses what remains of his humanity before it is too late."

Armstrong stared at the Nudist Beach commander before sighing and looking in the direction of Ichigo and his friends. He knew it would not be long, perhaps a minute or two, before they would disregard his orders to come investigate. Steeling his expression while turning back towards the injured Anderson Armstrong folded his arms across his massive chest and said, "You may have a point. From general experience all hybrids have been either insane psychopaths or psychotic megalomaniacs with dreams of genocide on a massive scale. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before Ichigo falls and becomes a threat but we cannot live our lives on presumptions, Anderson. If Isshin thought his son was a threat do you think he would allow him to meet with us?"

Anderson didn't answer as he pondered Armstrong's question. Everyone in Nudist Beach knew the only reason the organization managed to grow to its current size was because of Isshin Kurosaki. Nobody knew what the man had on the Kiryuin matriarch but whatever he had was enough of a threat to keep Ragyo not only away from Karakura Town but from the entire Kansai Region. For several years after joining Nudist Beach Anderson had futilely tried to figure out what Isshin held on Ragyo Kiryuin with the singular goal of harnessing whatever it may be to finally kill her.

"Perhaps ye have a point."

Armstrong's expression softened in relief as he watched Anderson grunt as he picked up his two Tailor Bayonets and slide them back into his gray cassock. The simple fact that Anderson would willingly sheath his weapons meant he was sincerely giving up trying to kill Ichigo for the moment, "I take it we have come to an accord. I will allow you to keep an eye on Ichigo but you are forbidden from doing anything unless he makes the first move. Understood?"

"Ye have my word that I will not touch the lad," Anderson grunted while forcing his bruised body to move. Catching Ryuko talking to Ichigo in the distance, the annoyance clearly visible on her face, Anderson scoffed and asked, "Has it already been thirteen years?"

Twenty-three years ago Anderson had been promoted to director of the church's orphanage and boarding school in Kobe after the previous director embezzled most of the orphanage's finances. Although the first few years were rather difficult, due in part to the financial situation even with substantial donations from the local population, Anderson always managed to find a way to keep food on the table and the lights on. It was six years later, long after the scandal with the previous director passed and a pleasant monotony settled over the orphanage, when Masaki Kurosaki appeared at his office with a small bundle wrapped in her arms.

After nearly an hour of questioning Masaki explained that Isshin Matoi, Ryuko's father, was in dangerous and couldn't watch over his daughter without putting her own life in danger. When he asked Masaki why she came to him, especially given the fact Ryuko wasn't Catholic, Anderson had expected her to come up with some form of excuse. He was surprised to know that the person Isshin Matoi feared was the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin. After listening to Masaki's entire story, as well as her plea for him to allow Ryuko to stay at the orphanage for several years, Anderson had expressed his sympathies but declined. He wouldn't risk the other orphans if Ragyo Kiryuin, whether he believed her story or not, discovered where she was.

When Masaki offhandedly asked about the orphanage's dire state and how much money it would take to fix everything Anderson had grown livid and demanded she leave. His rage evaporated just as quickly when Masaki pulled out a check signed by the CEO of Ishida Pharmaceuticals and gave it to him. While the check was enough to keep the orphanage open for two years, which puzzled Anderson, Masaki promised that if he took in Ryuko the orphanage would never need to worry about money again.

Following Anderson's gaze Armstrong muttered, "I know you wish to speak with Ryuko but I must ask that you refrain from doing so at the moment. She is currently unaware Professor Matoi sent her to an orphanage for part of her childhood."

Anderson grimaced, his green eyes narrowed in disgust, upon remembering the night Isshin Matoi came for his daughter. The former priest hadn't joined Nudist Beach until two years after it was formed but from what he knew those first few years were truly a nightmarish time. Somehow Ragyo Kiryuin had discovered the organization and sent everyone and everything she had to destroy it. Assassins, mercenaries and the Revocs private security force were not only sent after Nudist Beach but also their friends and family. Dozens of innocent people, many of them children, had been killed before Nudist Beach went underground and Ragyo Kiryuin could not longer find them.

Anderson coughed harshly as specks of blood coated the front of his cassock, "Now if ye will excuse me I need to find a doctor before I keel over."

"Don't be absurd, Anderson! Why would you go to the doctor when we have the best healer in the world right here?" Armstrong laughed boisterously as he clapped Anderson on the shoulder and causing the injured man to nearly fall to the ground. Turning towards Ichigo's group Armstrong raised his other hand to his mouth and shouted, "Do you mind coming over here, Ms. Inoue? My comrade is in need of your services!"

Armstrong watched as Orihime looked up with a start before quickly making her way over to them despite protests from Ryuko and Tatsuki. As she ran towards the two commanders of Nudist Beach Orihime thought back to just a few minutes ago when she nearly saw Ichigo get killed. After Armstrong had punched his comrade away and left to go deal with him Chad had rushed over and pulled out the bayonet pinning Ichigo's hand to the wall in one go. She had immediately gone to heal him but saw Ichigo's wound glowing blue before the blood disappeared back into his body and his injury vanished entirely. It was only when Ichigo explained to the stunned group, apart from a knowing Ryuko and an oblivious as always Mako, that he was a Life Fiber Hybrid that Orihime's memories of the Sudden Death Runoff and Nui Harime pulling out his heart came rushing back to her.

When Orihime finally reached Armstrong and Anderson she touched the tips of her fingers against her hairpins and said, "Souten Kisshin!"

Anderson had heard about Orihime's powers but experiencing them was something entirely different. He watched as his wounds healed in front of his eyes before nary a trace of damage could be seen on his body. Even his glasses that had been shattered during the fight were fully restored and rested on the bridge of his nose once more. Clenching his hands gently Anderson turned to Orihime, "Ye must an agent of the Lord to work such miracles."

Orihime blushed in embarrassment at the compliment but was stopped from speaking when Tatsuki grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from Anderson before stepping in front of her. After watching the man nearly kill Ichigo she was not about to let him get anywhere close to Orihime or any of her other friends, "Why did you go and heal this bastard, Orihime? He nearly killed Ichigo!"

"Well…" Orihime looked away from Tatsuki's piercing gaze and mumbled quietly, "…because Mr. Armstrong asked me too and he's really strong. I knew that even if I healed him Mr. Armstrong could beat him up again if he did anything."

As Tatsuki stared at Orihime in disbelief at her logic the rest of her friends managed to catch up to them. While most of them were weary of Anderson and prepared to fight him off now that they knew what to expect it was Ryuko who stormed up to him and pointed her red Scissor Blade at his face, "Why the hell did you attack Ichigo? Tell me, damn it!"

Anderson saw the angry scowl on her face and immediately remembered a three year old Ryuko doing the exact same thing when she didn't get her way. Without saying a word, much to Ryuko's frustration, Anderson adjusted his cassock and walked past her towards the exit to the underground training chamber. He was conflicted about the Kamui she was wearing and needed some air to clear his head. As much as he saw her for the girl that spent the first four years of her life in his orphanage Anderson could not get past the fact she was wearing Senketsu and needed to leave before he did something rash.

"Watch yourself, lad," Anderson gave Ichigo a hardened expression as he passed him. Locking eyes with the orange haired teen Anderson growled and said, "I'll be watching your every move. The first time you step out of line I will end your existence. I will not allow another Nui Harime to come into being on this planet even if it kills me."

Ichigo watched Anderson stalk away and vanish around an outcropping of rocks before he even considered letting his guard down. As he clenched his right hand, the same one that minutes ago had been pierced clean through by a bayonet, he heard Mugetsu's feminine voice ask, _**"Are you alright, Ichigo?"**_

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Ichigo answer must have not satisfied his Kamui because when she spoke again her voice was full of sarcastic wit, _**"You don't sound fine at all, Ichigo."**_

"Hey Uryu," Ichigo ignored Mugetsu's sputtered at being ignored and turned towards the young Quincy, "When you worked at Revocs you met Ragyo Kiryuin, right?"

"Once or twice," Uryu answered evenly as he tried to figure out where Ichigo was going with his line of questioning. Adjusting his glasses and sighing he added, "Although I met her a few times it was not until I returned a month ago with my father that I actually spoke with her."

Ichigo seemed to ponder Uryu's answer for a moment before asking, "This may sound stupid but did you ever try and read her spiritual energy?"

Uryu paused before answering as the rest of their friends began listening in on the conversation, "Yes but only once. When I first saw Ragyo Kiryuin I was quite curious about the source of her rather unique and flamboyant appearance since people don't just naturally emit rainbow light. My initial assumption was some sort of technological apparatus but as soon as I tried to get a read on her I realized how much I was wrong. What I felt made me nearly throw up. There is something…wrong for a lack of a better word…about her spiritual energy. It wasn't until I stole the Life Fibers from Revocs for Kisuke that I realized Life Fibers had the same spiritual energy, albeit on a much smaller scale, as Ragyo."

"Does that mean Ragyo Kiryuin is a hybrid like Ichigo and Nui Harime?" Ryuko stabbed her red Scissor Blade into the ground as she chimed in with her own thoughts. Ichigo and his friends had given her and Mako a summary on spiritual energy and other supernatural things on the way to Kisuke's shop. A month or so ago Ryuko would have laughed her ass off and dismissed them as delusional but after watching Uryu, Chad and Orihime use abilities without Life Fibers she had to admit there was something to them.

"Most likely," Uryu conceded as he grimaced in frustration, "I don't know what happened to you, Ichigo, but right after the Winter War your spiritual energy started changing. I know it was supposed to vanish after defeating Aizen but over the course of about ten days your spiritual energy dropped to nearly nothing before rebounding. I tried to figure out why it might be doing that but I was immediately repulsed by what I felt."

"That's strange," Chad added as he thought about it, "I sensed Ichigo's spiritual energy a few months ago and it didn't feel any different. Maybe it felt a bit strange but nothing like that."

"Damn it," Ichigo spat out in frustration. It seemed like the more he learned about what was going on the more it felt like he didn't know anything. Nui Harime had always called him her cousin, which meant she knew he was a hybrid from the very beginning. If Nui knew that than it was more than likely that Ragyo knew it as well and judging from the complicated relationship between his dad and Ragyo it was likely he knew about it as well.

"So what if you're a hybrid?" Ryuko scoffed in annoyance as she turned away from Ichigo. Pulling her Scissor Blade out of the ground and collapsing it down before tucking it in the pouch on her waist she kicked at the ground before huffing and turning back around and glaring at him, "This doesn't change a thing! You're not insane like Nui Harime or weird and creepy like Satsuki's mom. You're the most normal person I know at Honnouji Academy."

Senketsu listened to Ryuko try to cheer Ichigo up before dryly commenting, _**"You just insulted yourself, Ryuko."**_

"Shut it, Senketsu!" Ryuko growled as she pulled on her Kamui's lapels.

Senketsu scoffed at Ryuko's actions before turning his attention to Ichigo, _**"Despite what she said Ryuko has a point, Ichigo. I don't know how but somehow I felt you were slightly stranger than the other people at Honnouji Academy and that's saying something considering who you and Ryuko hung out with."**_

Ichigo's eyebrow started to twitch in annoyance, "Can you get to the point?"

"_**Yes,"**_ Senketsu looked straight at Ichigo as he said, _**"Even if you're a Life Fiber Hybrid does that actually change anything? It's just like Ryuko said. Out of all the people at Honnouji Academy you are by far the most normal…Ryuko included."**_

"What did I just say, Senketsu?!"

As Ryuko began arguing with Senketsu while Mako stood on the sidelines cheering Ichigo was conflicted about what he should do. He had promised Satsuki that he would not breathe a word of what he saw in her mind to anyone and he intended to keep that promise but the same could not be said about her plans. There was too much at stake to be keeping something like that a secret, especially with Ragyo Kiryuin threatening every single person on the planet. Taking a deep breath and preparing for the immediate fallout that was coming Ichigo said, "There's something about Satsuki you guys don't know about."

"What?" Tatsuki looked away from Orihime with a sly grin on her face, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"What? No!" Ichigo sputtered out before shaking his head and regaining his composure.

"Are you sure, Ichigo?" Orihime had a quizzical look on her face as she stared into the air, "From what I heard it's almost like you and Satsuki have some unresolved tension. You two really need to figure out a way to work through your problems."

Ichigo wouldn't have been nearly as embarrassed if Orihime hadn't been so clueless about what she just said. Gritting his teeth angrily as both Tatsuki and Ryuko broke out into laughter he kept a tight grip on his anger as he asked, "Who told you that?"

"Why, I saw it of course! It was clear from the limited interactions I saw that you both have feelings for each other but are unable to express them." Ryuko actually fell over from laughing too hard as Orihime still did not understand the double entendre she just said. Cocking her head to the side and adopting what appeared to be an intellectual pose she added, "Anyone with two eyes could see Satsuki Kiryuin sneaking glances at you all the time, after all."

"That's not what I was going to say!" Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh as he rubbed his temple to keep from shouting again. Why did everyone have to assume that he and Satsuki was a couple? It had been old the first few times he heard it but now it was just pissed him off. What made things worse was that he couldn't even tell Orihime to shut up since she wasn't trying to make fun of him. After taking a calming breath he said, "What I'm trying to say is that you're wrong about Satsuki's motives. She's not trying to help her mother – she's trying to kill her."

"Are you absolutely certain?" Armstrong appeared in front of Ichigo before he could so much as see how his friends were taking the news.

"Satsuki told me after I became her Vice President," Ichigo looked past Armstrong and saw that Ryuko had stopped laughing and was looking at him in a mixture of shock and surprise. Mentally sighing as he knew Ryuko would want an explanation about why he kept this from her for so long he turned back to Armstrong and explained, "Apparently everything she's done so far has been nothing more than a ruse to kill her mother."

Armstrong stared at Ichigo for any signs of deception but when he saw the honesty on the boy's face he hummed thoughtfully, "It seems you are indeed telling the truth, Ichigo. If everything you just said is to be taken as fact then Miss Satsuki has concocted the most convoluted scheme I have ever heard. She not only put herself on a pedestal as a villain but she also purposely alienated every potential ally. Such an elaborate plan bears the hallmarks of genius but Satsuki is also taking an incredible risk."

Tatsuki shook her head in confusion, "Huh? It seems pretty cut and dry to me. Satsuki's just pretending to be an asshole to get close to her mother, right?"

"It's risky because it depends on Ragyo Kiryuin _not_ knowing about it," Uryu scratched at his chin as his mind worked on trying to figure out what this all meant. He knew Satsuki was intelligent but knowing she was capable of a long term plan like this put the debates he had with her in an entirely different light, "Ragyo Kiryuin is likely aware of Satsuki's plan. What bothers me is why she has not tried to stop Satsuki. What motive does Ragyo Kiryuin have for feigning ignorance and lulling Satsuki into a false sense of security? It can't be as simple as a trap. We're missing something vitally important."

"_**There's something Ichigo did not tell you, Ryuko."**_ The somber tone in Mugetsu's voice drew Ryuko's attention away from Uryu, _**"Nudist Beach already told you what Ragyo Kiryuin has planned for the world but what Armstrong does not know is that Honnouji Academy is to be the testing ground. Every single person in Honnou City is going to be sacrificed as food for Life Fibers."**_

"That means Mako's family is in danger!" Ryuko sputtered out in shock.

"Why's my family in danger, Ryuko?" Mako turned away from staring at a particularly pretty rock and tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Did my dad forget to pay his taxes again? He sometimes does that and we have to go into hiding for about a week."

"No, it's nothing like that," Ryuko fumbled for the right words that could get the point across the Mako and easily and clearly as possible, which was much easier said than done. Mako may be her best friend but she was sometimes a little too dense so instead of telling her and hoping Mako understood Ryuko turned to Armstrong, "Mugetsu said Ragyo Kiryuin is going to test out the plan for Life Fibers to eat humans at Honnouji Academy."

Armstrong's eyes lit up in realization as he pondered what Ryuko told him, "We always assumed that Ragyo Kiryuin would need to test out her plan on a small scale to iron out any flaws but knowing Honnouji Academy is the location will make things much easier. Once we are done here I am going to make a few calls. By this time tomorrow there will be several dozen of our finest undercover operatives constantly keeping an eye on Honnou City and Satsuki Kiryuin."

"_**You knew about this and didn't tell us earlier?"**_ Senketsu's voice had a hint of betrayal as he gave his fellow Kamui the fiercest glare he could, _**"You knew about Satsuki Kiryuin and her plans for more than two weeks and you didn't tell us? Did you not trust Ryuko?"**_

"_**Would you have believed Ichigo or me if we told you?"**_ Mugetsu scoffed and rolled her eyes but her tone was completely serious, _**"What would you have done if Ichigo said to Ryuko that Satsuki Kiryuin was trying to stop her mother from destroying the world? Ryuko would have probably stormed up to Satsuki and the Elite Four while shouting about the plan all along the way. Satsuki trusted Ichigo enough to confide in him because she knew he wouldn't tell anyone until the moment is right."**_

Senketsu's eye narrowed, _**"Why you –"**_

"Mugetsu's right, Senketsu," Ryuko ran a hand through her hair and let out a large sigh. She hated to admit it but Mugetsu was right on all counts. She may have matured greatly during her time at Honnouji Academy but when she first transferred she was loud, rude and prone to getting into fights against people she couldn't beat, "I probably would have charged straight at Satsuki back then if Ichigo told me but we have more important things to worry about. We need to go back to Honnouji Academy and stop Ragyo Kiryuin's plan!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Tatsuki did not like sitting around doing nothing when the fate of the world was at stake. Grinning at the thought of actually helping to save the world she asked, "But if Ragyo Kiryuin is really this strong what can we do to stop her? As much as I want to just charge in and kick her ass I don't think that's going to work."

"It's not so much a matter what we can do so much as it is what we are able to do," Armstrong answered as he thought deeply on the matter. Sending a large force of nudists at Honnouji Academy was the first thing that came to mind but he knew Satsuki would engage them in battle if it meant trying to keep her mother from finding out her true allegiance. What he needed to do was come up with a way to let Satsuki know her mother was fully aware of her plans.

"Staying in Karakura Town and waiting for Ragyo Kiryuin to come to us is not going to help," Uryu reluctantly admitted as the basis of an idea came to him. It was a long shot but it was the plan he could think of, "My Quincy powers might not work as well as I hoped against Life Fibers but I'm not going to just sit around and let the Earth get destroyed. If we're going to devise an effective strategy to neutralize Ragyo Kiryuin we first need to deal with her allies. She's strong enough on her own but our chances of victory drop to zero if we cannot remove Nui Harime and Xcution from the equation."

"Ururu should be more than strong enough to keep Nui Harime occupied," Ichigo said as he began to understand where Uryu was going with his plan, "She should be capable of stalling Nui for at least five to ten minutes but Xcution is going to be far easier to take down."

Ryuko's eyes widened as she remembered the man in the part when she confronted Satsuki and Riruka Dokugamine, "I almost forgot about that Ginjo guy! Didn't he tell you he was a former member of Xcution? That means he must know all of their powers and weaknesses. I just hope there aren't too many of them."

"You can count me in," Chad stepped forward and clenched his hand into a fist, "Ichigo, for the last ten months I've trained and practiced so when you recovered your powers I would not be a burden. After I defeated Ira Gamagori and helped to save Karakura Town I realized I was wrong about something my abuelo told me a long time ago. Using my power only to protect my friends is good but my abuelo would be disappointed if I stood back and allowed Ragyo Kiryuin to hurt innocent people."

"I'm glad you're all happy about going to war because things are about to get a lot worse."

Standing on top of an outcropping of rocks with a scowl on his face was Tsumugu Kinagase. As he chewed on the end of an unlit cigarette he counted the number of teenagers and mumbled, "I see Anderson failed to finish what he set out to do. I'm actually surprised."

Ryuko spat on the ground and glared up at Tsumugu, "Did you come here just to annoy us you Mohawk bastard?"

Tsumugu ignored Ryuko's outburst as he turned to Armstrong, "I've received word from the General. Her mission was a success and she was able to acquire the necessary information from Ragyo Kiryuin's private computer. The date for the Great Culture and Sports Festival has been moved up considerably. Instead of couple of months it is taking place tomorrow. We have less than a day before Ragyo Kiryuin puts her plan to devour humanity into action."

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><p>As he sat on the roof of Kisuke's shop and stared into the afternoon sky Kugo Ginjo knew his presence in Karakura Town was not exactly welcome. Isshin Shiba might know the truth of his past but most shinigami, exiled or not, saw him as a murderous criminal who killed dozens of shinigami in the pursuit of power and nothing would change their minds. He may have been innocent but upon defending himself from the Onmitsukidou he broke the ancient laws of the Soul Society and would need to forfeit his life.<p>

Sighing as he sensed a familiar presence touch down behind him Ginjo looked over his shoulder at Yoruichi Shihoin, "I suppose you think I'm up to something, don't you?"

Yoruichi folded her arms and glared at Ginjo, "I ran into Isshin on the way back. He explained what he knew about your past and while I don't exactly buy what he said it does make sense. I don't know why the Onmitsukidou were to assassinate you when you were willing to stand trial. Such missions are only supposed to be given if the defendant is a flight risk. What happened to you goes against everything I taught Sui-Feng."

Ginjo smirked as he felt Yoruichi's hostility lessen. While she was still somewhat suspicious of why he was helping them Yoruichi was at least willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, which was something he was never given by the Soul Society. As an unfamiliar sensation prickled on the edges of his mind Ginjo turned to the south and quickly stood up before reaching for Ragnarok on his back, "Is it just me or are there several rather powerful Quincy coming directly towards us?"

Yoruichi refused to answer Ginjo's question in order to get a better read on the strength of the Quincy approaching them. There was no doubt that they were strong, perhaps even as strong as a captain, but the better question was why they were here. Their arrival hours after Satsuki Kiryuin's failed invasion could not be a coincidence. They must have taken the damage to Karakura Town as a sign of weakness and moved in while the city's guard was weakened. Amber eyes narrowing as she was finally able to count the number of Quincy rushing towards them Yoruichi said, "There are four in total and each of them possess at least low captain strength."

"We can't take them with just the two of us. Even if we're stronger they outnumber us. If they're actually competent they will use their numbers to flank us," Ginjo's body tensed as he was encompassed by a rainbow flash of light. Appearing clad in his Sauvegarde Raiment once more he hefted the massive form of Ragnarok onto his shoulder and took a steadying breath, "I was listening to what Uryu Ishida said about his fights against Junketsu and Nonon Jakuzure. For some reason Quincy attacks aren't that effective against Life Fibers. My raiment should be strong enough to buy you time to get reinforcements."

"That may be true but we don't have time," Yoruichi's head snapped to the side as her sensitive hearing picked up four sets of feet only a block away, "They're here."

Ginjo and Yoruichi spun around and braced themselves as four Quincy clad in white military-like uniforms appeared on the street in front of Kisuke's shop using Hirenkyaku. For a few seconds not a single word was exchanged between the two groups but eventually Bazz-B broke the silence. Taking a step forward and giving Ginjo and Yoruichi a predatory grin he said, "Damn, we've only just got here and already the big shots are coming out to play. You shinigami must really be dying to roll out the red carpet for us. I'm actually honored and all that crap."

"Aren't you the confident little brat? You get a little power and suddenly you feel like you can take on the world," Yoruichi returned Bazz-B's grin with a cat-like smirk of her own as she vanished using shunpo before reappearing in front of Kisuke's shop. Despite her cheerful demeanor Yoruichi was analyzing the four Quincy for any possible weaknesses. The one with the Mohawk appeared to be the leader of the group, which meant that he was most likely the one giving them orders, but she was not about to ignore her instincts saying that the other three were just as dangerous as Bazz-B. Watching as Ginjo jumped off the roof and landed on the ground beside her Yoruichi's smirk fell off her face, "What do you four want?"

Bazz-B snorted and shook his head before turning around to Meninas McAllon, "We don't have time to shoot the breeze. Deal with them so we can get on with our mission and be sure not to kill them."

"Holding back so I don't kill a shinigami?" Meninas sighed as she began walking towards Yoruichi and Ginjo while adjusting her frilled gloves, "I suppose there's a first time for everything."

Yoruichi and Ginjo's eyes widened in surprise as Meninas slammed her foot against the road before the pavement literally buckled and shattered. As they were forced to jump away Ginjo cursed when he saw a shadow descending through the air towards him. Gritting his teeth and bracing his feet against the upturned pavement he took a step forward and swung Ragnarok through the air just as Meninas cocked her arm back and through a punch packing enough power to send him flying through at least one building. In a burst of light Ginjo's Life Fiber enhanced greatsword slammed into Meninas' fist accompanied by a sonic boom that shattered every window on the street.

"That's some punch you got," Ginjo commented sarcastically as he pushed back against Meninas's fist. Adjusting his grip on Ragnarok as he slowly began overpowering Meninas Ginjo asked, "Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you Quincy all about using bows?"

"You must really be clueless if you think firing heilig pfeil is all we can do," Meninas quipped rhetorically as she pushed more power into her fist just to be able to keep even with Ginjo. She might have seen the Daten provided by His Majesty but experiencing the effects of Life Fibers was an entirely different matter. Even using three-quarters of her power without going into Vollstandig she wasn't able to do more than match Ginjo blow for blow. What surprised the physically strongest Sternritter the most was the lack of environmental damage. Usually when she used this much of her strength she could level an entire city block but not only was Ginjo blocking her punch but the ground beneath his feet had barely cratered downwards.

"That's good to know," Ginjo smirked before releasing more of his Sauvegarde's power. It was foolhardy to hold one's power back when fighting an opponent as powerful as Meninas McAllon but Ginjo needed to know what she was capable of doing. He needed to make sure she wasn't somehow able to use his own strength against him. As the outpouring of power from his raiment forced Meninas back Ginjo quickly let go of Ragnarok and rushed forward before delivering a punch that sent her soaring back towards her compatriots.

Bambietta Basterbine massaged her temple and sighed in annoyance as she watched Meninas crash into the building behind them from Ginjo's punch. His Majesty may have ordered them to keep as low a profile as possible but if they continued to fight Yoruichi and Ginjo they risked jeopardizing the entire mission. Drawing her dao and allowing her spiritual energy to course through it Bambietta cautiously walked towards Yoruichi while wearing a psychotic smirk on her face, "This won't kill you but I'm sure it'll hurt like hell, shinigami."

"That's cute but I'm afraid this fight is already over," Yoruichi's confident response angered Bambietta and caused the Sternritter to swing her dao while releasing an invisible wave of spiritual energy. Smirking as she dodged the spiritual energy using shunpo Yoruichi reappeared in front of Bambietta and kicked her with enough force to send her crashing into Lille Barro. Frowning at the lack of damage she inflicted on Bambietta due to the girl's blut Yoruichi leapt back as a large and imposing man landed in the street in front of her.

"Way of the Holy Arts Number Three!" Tessai Tsukabishi clapped his hands together without preamble as his glasses shone with a menacing light. Without daring to wait for the Sternritter to try and counter or dodge his spell Tessai thrust his right palm forward and shouted, "Hakudan Keppeki!"

Tessai let out an exhausted sigh after he successfully cast Hakudan Keppeki and wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. Watching as Bazz-B attempted to use Burner Finger One to pierce through the translucent barrier alongside Meninas and Lille Barro's own attempts Tessai huffed and explained, "Hakudan Keppeki is one of several Anti-Quincy spells I've devised in case of an emergency. By using spiritual energy from a volunteering Quincy I was able to create a barrier that completely negates any Quincy techniques and abilities from those trapped inside."

"Nice work, Tessai," Yoruichi landed just outside the Hakudan Keppeki and glared at Bazz-B. Locking eyes with the pissed off Quincy she asked, "Now are you going to tell us why you came here or do I have to make you talk?"

"What is this?"

Yoruichi and Tessai turned around as the front door to Kisuke's shop slid open harshly as Alexander Anderson stepped out of the darkness and into the afternoon sunlight. As the light glinted off his glasses and momentarily hid his eyes the former clergyman sneered as he noticed the uniforms of the four Sternritter trapped within Tessai's Hakudan Keppeki barrier. Flicking his wrists as his last two Tailor Bayonets slid out from the sleeves of his cassock Anderson's footsteps were heavy and with determined purpose as he stalked towards Yoruichi, "This is turning out to be quite the day."

Alexander Anderson?" Ginjo knew of Anderson from his time in Xcution and was thus immediately aware of the danger he represented. It was quite telling of Anderson's skill and power when someone like Ragyo Kiryuin prohibited anyone other than herself, Nui Harime, or the members of Xcution from engaging him in battle.

"Well now…this day is full of surprises," Anderson's grin stretched across his face as he noticed Ginjo standing off to the side with one hand holding Ragnarok in front of his body. Smiling and allowing his white teeth to be clearly seen Anderson asked, "It pleases me to see ye seeking atonement for your sins."

When Ginjo turned his head away instead of saying anything Yoruichi took the opportunity to ask, "Who are you and how did you get inside Kisuke's shop?"

If Yoruichi expected Anderson to answer with the same tone of voice he spoke to Ginjo with she was dead wrong. In the space of less than ten seconds Anderson's voice began slightly less gravely and the growl permeating most of his words nearly disappeared, "The same way that anyone enters a building – through the front door. Please forgive my rudeness, ma'am. I am Alexander Anderson, Nudist Beach commander in charge of Life Fiber Pacification and Elimination, at your service."

Yoruichi frowned at Anderson's admittance of his ties to Nudist Beach but she was more worried about how he slipped inside Kisuke's shop so easily. She couldn't have been gone for more than five minutes, "So I take it you work with Armstrong and Tsumugu. Tell me something. What are you doing out here?"

Anderson hummed softly to himself as he walked past Yoruichi with a pleasant smile on his face. Stopping just as he reached the Hakudan Keppeki he tapped one of his Tailor Bayonet's against the translucent white barrier before answering, "I decided to get a bit of fresh air after failing to kill Masaki's son."

Seven sets of shoulders tensed at Anderson's causal confession of attempting to murder Ichigo and failing. While Tessai was focused on keeping the Hakudan Keppeki at full power and was thus unable to move Ginjo and Yoruichi were not as handicapped. As Ginjo gripped Ragnarok's hilt with both hands in preparation for a fight Yoruichi's amber eyes narrowed angrily as she asked, "What the hell did you just say?"

Anderson did not answer Yoruichi's question as he gazed at the four Sternritter trapped within the Hakudan Keppeki. Tapping a Tailor Bayonet against the barrier once more while marveling at the apparent strength of the supernatural barrier Anderson's voice became pleasant and warm as he turned and addressed Bazz-B, "What are ye names?"

Bazz-B didn't know why everyone was afraid of Anderson. He could sense the man's spiritual energy even from inside the barrier and while it was quite large for a human it still paled in comparison to any of the Sternritter. Folding his arms and kicking at the barrier in frustration he glared at Anderson and asked, "Why the hell should I tell you anything, old man?"

"We don't have time for this," Lille Barro grabbed the rifle off his back and began gathering spiritual energy. The Hakudan Keppeki might be strong enough to contain them but every barrier has a weakness. Every second he could feel the barrier weakening and in only a few minutes it would shatter completely. If he could fire a bullet at just the right time he could pierce through the weakened barrier and take out Tessai Tsukabishi before he could reinforce it, "We cannot fail when Ichigo Kurosaki is just within reach."

Anderson's demeanor changed as soon as he heard Lille Barro mention Ichigo's name. He may want to kill Ichigo but that was only because he needed to spare the world from a second Nui Harime. Tightening his grip on his Tailor Bayonets as he took a step away from the barrier he quickly came to the conclusion that the four people currently trapped within it could not be allowed to reach Ichigo no matter what it cost him, "Is that so? Tell me yer names so I have something to put on ye gravestones when I am done with ye."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bambietta shouted in a mixture of confusion and annoyance, "Just a second ago you were all cheerful about trying to murder Ichigo but now you're upset that we're here to see him? You must be insane!"

"Someone like ye does not have the right to argue," Anderson's voice deepened until it was nothing more than a growl once more. Ignoring the indignant sputtering from Bambietta Anderson turned towards Tessai and asked, "I take it ye are the one keeping this barrier intact?"

"I am…" Tessai answered slowly and reluctantly. He knew exactly what Anderson was actually asking him about and he refused to release the barrier no matter what the man did to him, "…and I will not release the Hakudan Keppeki no matter what you may say or do."

Tessai watched as Anderson grew enraged but was saved from whatever the man might have done when Ururu appeared out of nowhere in front of him. Coincidentally holding the purple Scissor Blade behind her back exactly as Nui Harime was prone to do when she was relaxing Ururu gave Tessai a short bow and said, "Sorry I took so long to get back, Mr. Tessai. Mr. Kurosaki took me out for ice cream and we ran a little late."

"You had ice cream this early in the day?" Tessai hummed in parental disappointment at Ururu's apparent lack of responsible judgment. He was fine with her having ice cream but he knew for a fact that Ururu did not have lunch and having dessert before having a meal was poor dietary judgment. As disappointed as he was Tessai was more focused on the purple Scissor Blade in Ururu's hands, "Where did you get that interesting purple blade, Ururu?"

"Oh, this?" Ururu cocked her head to the side as she held out the purple Scissor Blade in front of her body, "Mr. Kurosaki gave it to me for my birthday."

Tessai did not seem convinced, "It's the middle of October, Ururu. Your birthday was on September 9th."

"I know," Ururu nodded her head and added, "Mr. Kurosaki said that he forgot to get me something for more than a month."

"That does sound like something Isshin would do," Tessai pondered what to do. He may not have liked Ururu having a sharp weapon like the Scissor Blade but Tessai knew she was responsible enough to make sure she never hurt herself or anyone else, "Alright I'll let you keep it for the moment but you should be careful to not run while holding it. I do not want you to poke your eye out or –"

"Nui Harime!"

Gnashing his teeth together as his knuckles bled white from how tightly he was gripping his Tailor Bayonets Anderson stared at Ururu with as much hate as he could muster. He recognized both the purple Scissor Blade as well as the voice of the person claiming to be Ururu as none other than Nui Harime. Reversing his grip on his bayonets Anderson prepared to rush forwards towards Ururu when he felt a pair of hands grab his wrists before his arms were pulled around his back and he was forced down to his knees.

"I think that's enough out of you," Yoruichi kept a tight grip on Anderson's wrists as she got a good look at Ururu. While she was happy to see Kisuke's daughter as much as anyone else she was more than curious about why Ururu had Nui Harime's purple Scissor Blade. If she took Ururu's explanation to be the truth than Isshin had been the one to take it from the Grand Couturier, which only raised the question of how he did that in the first place. Shaking her head as questions continued to pile up in her mind she turned to the trapped Bazz-B and said, "I think we need to clear some things up. I take it you're not here to kill Ichigo?"

"When did we ever say that?" Bazz-B shouted, sarcasm thick in his voice, but before he could say anything else, and most likely piss Yoruichi off, Lille Barro held an arm in front of his comrade.

"I apologize for Bazz-B's crass demeanor. His aggressive and direct personality tends to lead to misunderstanding," Lille Barro gave Yoruichi a polite nod of his head despite what the Wandenreich thought of shinigami. Enemies they may be but Yoruichi Shihoin was actively working towards Ragyo Kiryuin's defeat, which made them unlikely allies until the battle was over. Shouldering his rifle to show he was sincere about his actions Lille Barro continued, "While it is true we seek Ichigo Kurosaki it is not to kill him. Our leader has deemed Ragyo Kiryuin to be a significant threat. We have been sent to offer Ichigo Kurosaki assistance in stopping her. Will that be a problem?"

"What's going on out here?"

Yoruichi turned around, amber eyes narrowing in surprise, as Ichigo and Ryuko walked out of Kisuke's shop. As he noticed everyone was looking at him, Ichigo sighed and ran a hand down his face, "Do I even want to know what this is all about?"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>As Rei Hououmaru walked into the darkened office she could not help but feel slightly worried about the news she was delivering. While she may be the commander of Xcution as well as Lady Ragyo's personal assistant that did not mean she was exempt from punishment. Rei was still human and thus no matter how much she may strive to better herself she would never be as magnificent as either the Grand Couturier or Lady Ragyo herself.<p>

Taking note of the seven spools of different colored Life Fibers on Ragyo's desk Rei clicked her heels against the floor and adjusted her aviator sunglasses. She could not remember the last time Lady Ragyo brought out her specialized Life Fibers and it could only mean that she was nearly prepared for the events that were to transpire at the Great Culture and Sports Festival, "I apologize for the late update, Ma'am, but we were unable to track Mr. Batou after he escaped from the manor. We did manage to locate the hijacked helicopter in an empty lot approximately fifty-eight miles south of Honnouji Academy but it was rigged to explode if anyone wearing Life Fibers approached it. Eight employees were injured and two killed in the subsequent explosion."

"A pity but nothing we cannot recover from," Ragyo's voice did not have a hint of sadness in it as she absentmindedly played with the spool of green Life Fibers on her desk. The loss of her men was tragic only in the sense that they might have died with valuable information about Batou's current location. She had intended for Batou to escape so that she could track him down once he returned to whatever hole he crawled out from but this setback complicated things. She would need to think of an alternative plan to neutralize Batou and Olivier before they could do anything to interfere with the COVERS invasion.

"Shall I send a team to comb over the wreckage?"

"There would be no point since Olivier was careful to not leave anything behind," Ragyo ran her fingers over the green Life Fibers and sighed sensually at the feeling of the specialized Life Fibers.

Life Fibers in their natural state were always vibrant red and consistently glowed from energy collected after centuries of gestation inside the Original Life Fibers. While they could be artificially tinted different colors it was only in Life Fiber Hybrids and Kamui that Life Fibers adapted a permanently different natural coloring. The Life Fibers in Ichigo, for instance, were a bright blue in color while those dwelling inside Nui and Amu were purple. As she carefully placed the spool of green Life Fibers next to the other six Ragyo rested her cheek on her hand and continued, "While Batou and Olivier may have managed to elude my grasp for the moment it seems their victory was a much a testament to their skills as it was to the lack of security at the manor. Don't you agree, Hououmaru?"

"I do," Rei bowed her head before writing something on the clipboard in her hands. It was anathema that Lady Ragyo's security could have been broken so easily and quickly with the perpetrator able to escape. She personally remembered the ingenuity and skill both Batou and Olivier possessed. While they were more than capable of eventually breaking into the Kiryuin Manor they should not have been able to do it so quickly, "Shall I order Kuroido to be punished for his failure?"

"Yes…but let us hold off on that for the moment, shall we?" Ragyo smirked as an idea came to mind, "Perhaps Kuroido shall manage to redeem himself. Besides, it is not easy to find someone that so willingly wants to be devoured by the Original Life Fiber. It would be a shame to kill him now."

Laughing as she stood up and bathed her office in rainbow light Ragyo stepped towards the massive screen that showed which parts of the world were covered by Life Fibers and sighed in mild disappointment. The darkened areas covering most of Western Europe and most of North America were due to the increasingly militaristic actions of that annoying organization her former husband created. Ragyo lamented how easy it would have been to destroy Nudist Beach if they were filled with people like Souichiro but not only did that have several of the brightest military minds running the organization from the shadows but they also had a Kamui with a power equivalent to both Junketsu and Mugetsu in their employ. Ragyo had seen the footage Satsuki collected of Danketsu's human fighting Amu and it only helped to increase her desire to hold the Kamui.

As much as Ragyo wished to discover the secrets held within Danketsu's Life Fibers she forced her mind to focus on the matter at hand. The original COVERS invasion was supposed to occur when more than ninety percent of humanity wore Revocs clothing but the various setbacks over the last few weeks had dropped that percentage down to barely above seventy-nine percent. As much as she wished to accelerate her plans for the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet Ragyo needed to be cautious and careful. She had already lost two members of Xcution due to underestimating Nudist Beach and a third member to treachery. She could not afford to lose any more due to arrogance. Perhaps it was time to take a page out of Isshin's book.

"Hououmaru, has Satsuki returned to Honnouji Academy?"

Rei nodded, "Yes, Ma'am. She touched down at Honnouji Academy nearly two hours ago."

"Good…" Ragyo closed her eyes and smirked, "And tell me something else…is her little friend still actively monitoring Revocs's servers and satellites?"

Even though she did not understand what Ragyo was leading towards Rei nevertheless nodded her head once more, "Yes but we have managed to isolate most of his programs. Currently he is sifting through several terabytes of junk data in the hopes of discovering something about COVERS."

Ragyo didn't say anything for several seconds before she turned around and sat back down once more. With maroon eyes gazing at the screen, her face glowing with a soft green, she said, "It would be a shame for his persistence to not pay off. I want you to purposely upload a file containing the relative strength of COVERS to Satsuki's Goku Uniforms and make sure that he finds it."

It took Rei a moment to fully understand the breadth of Lady Ragyo's plan but when it hit her she could not help but let out an amazed gasp, "That is truly brilliant, Ma'am. Purposely allowing Satsuki to so easily obtain data on the COVERS will force her to assume it was false."

"And people claim I'm not a good mother," Ragyo sighed wistfully before her mood became more serious, "Satsuki may think her plans and contingencies are brilliant but they will amount to nothing more than temporarily delaying the inevitable. No matter what she may do tomorrow the COVERS will awaken and humanity will be guided towards their true destiny as food for Life Fibers. The one thing I must prepare for is Isshin's arrival at Honnouji Academy during the Great Culture and Sports Festival."

Rei wrote something on the clipboard before asking, "Shall I prepare a proper welcome for him?"

Ragyo chuckled at the rhetorical question before responding, "Anyone other than me would not stand a chance against Isshin. Even the Grand Couturier cannot do anything to him if he were to fight seriously but it was his kidnapping of Amu that has made Isshin the only one to truly set my plans back. The creation of Shinra Koketsu was to begin two years ago but I'm afraid my little Nui cannot do anything without Amu at her side. It is a good thing I have something in play to lure Amu back to her true family."

Rei knew bringing Amu back into Ragyo's grasp would be difficult. Mentally Refitting a hybrid, especially one with equal power to the Grand Couturier, took time and she was certain Isshin would do everything in his power to stop Ragyo, "That is only if Isshin gives you the opportunity, Ma'am. From his actions it is clear that he knows of Amu's importance in the creation of Shinra Koketsu. Attempting to isolate Amu long enough to bring her back into the fold without drawing Isshin's attention will be difficult."

"That is why I've had the Great Culture and Sports Festival moved to tomorrow," Ragyo mused victoriously as she spoke, "I'm sure Isshin has plans in place to stop me but I'm counting on that. Isshin may seem like a complicated man to most people, Hououmaru, but he is delightfully simple for me to read. The second he sees any sign of COVERS he will come running to Honnouji Academy."

"Gosh, everyone seems to be talking about who's coming to Satsuki's festival. Who cares if that annoying old goat shows up?" Ragyo closed her eyes and smirked as Nui Harime appeared on the edge of her desk to her left. With her feet kicking playfully in the air Nui stuck out her tongue and said with an excited tone to her voice, "What's really interesting is that Ichigo is going to be there! I can't wait to see him and catch up on everything I missed!"

While Rei bowed her head respectfully to the Grand Couturier's arrival Ragyo simply gave Nui a bemused look, "Is Ichigo the only one you truly wish to see? Has your interest in Matoi's daughter vanished now that your left eye is restored once more?"

"Gee, nothing gets by you, Lady Ragyo!" Nui clasped her hands behind her back and puffed out her cheeks reminiscent of a child. With her eye healed and her body restored to perfection Nui had no vested interest in doing anything to Ryuko, which meant Matoi's daughter can go die in a fire for all she cared, "But I'm not interested in speaking to Ryuko! She's really boring and even with that ugly Kamui she doesn't know how to have fun. I mean, she lost control after I killed only one human. Ichigo and Satsuki would have surely lasted through a least a dozen."

"Say what you will but Matoi's daughter continues to interest me," Ragyo tapped her finger on her desk and the screen in front of her shifted from the map of the world to various clips from Ryuko's fight against Junketsu earlier in the day. As her maroon eyes widened in interest at Ryuko's increasing power Ragyo continued, "A normal human might be able to wear a Kamui without being devoured but one that can access advanced configurations is truly remarkable. After all, Satsuki could only use Zenkan due to Ichigo's Life Fibers coursing through Junketsu."

Nui cocked her head to the side as she watched enraptured when the digital image of Ryuko shifted Senketsu between Senkou and Shippu without much effort as she fought Satsuki and then Junketsu. Smiling as she watched Junketsu nearly kill Ryuko with Bakuzan Nui's sapphire eyes noticed the seven spools of Life Fibers on the desk and wondered why Lady Ragyo would decide to use them. Blinking and dragging her gaze back to the screen Nui rested her chin on the palm of a hand and nodded her head, "I wish I could have seen Zenkan with my own eyes, Lady Ragyo. The pictures you showed me of Junketsu were really beautiful, you know."

"You always know what to say, my precious Nui," Ragyo reminisced on the first time she wore Junketsu and the way the infant Kamui had tried everything to please her. As much as Ragyo had adored the feeling of being worn by Junketsu it was the interested stares Isshin that had so desperately tried to hide which she remembered most of all, "Junketsu is truly beautiful. It is a shame that Satsuki is forcing her to be worn. Such a wondrous piece of clothing cannot truly be worn by humans."

"That's why I can't wait to see you wear Junketsu!" Nui's smiled broadened as she tucked her knees up and lay on her stomach while lazily kicking her feet in the air, "It would be bad of someone were to crash the big event tomorrow. Do you want me to go finish off Ryuko, Lady Ragyo?"

"Hmm…" Ragyo's eyes narrowed as she appeared to notice something before she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. As the screen turned dark with a momentary blaze of static Ragyo turned around and stared at Nui, "I know how much you wish to please me but Matoi's daughter is to be left alone for the moment. I wish to see Senketsu with my own eyes so that I may judge its aesthetic beauty."

"Aw," Nui pouted momentarily before perking up, "Alright, Lady Ragyo! There are lots of other things I can do to have fun before tomorrow!"

"Have as much fun as you like," Ragyo stood up and began walking towards the doors to her office. As a bright rainbow light filtered into the room from outside and caused even the normally immune Nui to squint her eyes Ragyo looked over her shoulder and said, "I expect you to dress yourself appropriately for the festival tomorrow. Amu will most likely be there. It would be rude for her sister to not look her best, don't you agree?"

"Yep!"

Nui had a wide smile on her face as Ragyo and Rei left to go prepare for the Great Culture and Sports Festival but as soon as she was alone it was quickly replaced by a look of mild irritation and annoyance. As her normally light sapphire eyes shifted to a darker blue Nui sat up before tucking her knees to her chest, "How could Amu hurt me? It should have been impossible without the Scissor Blades and yet she could do it. Why?"

Hopping off the desk while landing perfectly on the floor Nui took a moment to fix her pink dress as she began trying to think of a reason how Amu was able to hurt her. Due to recent events Nui had been far too busy to think about such things but now she couldn't keep her mind from continuously wandering back to it. Walking back and forth across Ragyo's office with her cheek puffed outwards Nui tried thinking of a reason but gave up after several minutes of fruitless effort.

Sitting down in Ragyo's chair and tucking in her legs Nui huffed and said, "I won't be hurt a second time. I'll just make sure to hurt Amu before she can hurt me."

As memories of nearly being defeated coursed through her mind Nui stared in annoyance at the Life Fiber spools on the desk, the collective rainbow light illuminating her face, as she switched topics and attempted to figure out her most recent annoyance – how Isshin was able to steal her Scissor Blade.

After several minutes with nothing to show for it Nui gave into temptation and once again reached into her pink Lolita dress and pulled out the letter that had been left behind for her. She had originally wanted to toss it out Satsuki's helicopter but for some reason she had decided to keep it. Lady Ragyo always talked about Isshin's cunning and intelligence so Nui kept it in case he had left a secret message for her. Reading over it once more and finding nothing Nui was just about to toss it into the trash when something in the deepest recesses of her mind stopped her hand once more.

"Humph," Nui tucked the letter back into her dress and stood up. Once she was certain her hair and dress were both prim and proper with not a speck of dust on them Nui began skipping towards the door to Ragyo's office, "Who even cares about what Mr. Kurosaki wrote in his letter anyway? I'm much more interested in Ichigo and Mugetsu!"

She could not wait to meet up with him and find out how much stronger he's gotten but Nui reminded herself that she needed to be careful. Ichigo was strong enough on his own but with Mugetsu's power he could very well manage to surprise her. He was already fast enough to hit her when her attention was on other things, as their first fight demonstrated. As long as she fought seriously Nui was confident she could avoid everything Ichigo threw at her.

"Gee, it's such a shame I won't be able to relax and enjoy myself tomorrow," Nui mused sagely to herself as she stepped into the elevator and began humming to the music playing on the speaker, "But I suppose that's a good thing! After all, it would be really bad if Ichigo's power surprised me and I lost an arm or something! That would really ruin my day!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>The smell of chilled sake permeated the air of the Student Council chambers as Soroi Mitsuzou calmly and carefully poured the alcoholic beverage into six saucer-like cups. As his careful and practiced hands failed to spill even a single drop of the expensive liquid Soroi's darkened eyes drooped as he recalled the expression on Satsuki's face upon departing from the Kiryuin Manor not several hours ago. While Satsuki's abstruse personality may manage to fool even her closest comrades Soroi had always been able to tell what she actually thought. Thirteen years of raising her from a sweet girl into an independent and confident young woman allowed Soroi to pierce the veil Satsuki placed on her emotions and feelings. The anger and hatred she felt for her mother as they departed for Honnouji Academy had been as transparent as the sake in his hands.<p>

Satsuki Kiryuin calmly watched Soroi pour the sake, her eyes focusing on the clear liquid, before she let out a placid sigh and turned her attention back to her Elite Four and Iori, "Have all preparations to welcome my mother been completed?"

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Nonon Jakuzure gave a curt bow in order to not antagonize her wounds any further than she already had, "The Ragyo Stadium is ready for the Great Culture and Sports Festival."

Satsuki gave Nonon an appreciative nod before shifting her attention to Gamagori, "Have you finished allocating the ceremonial dress uniforms?"

"As of ninety minutes ago the last batches of uniforms were handed out to the families of the No-Star students," Gamagori clasped his hands together behind his back as he stood at attention. Unlike the rest of the Elite Four, who sported wounds and bandages signifying their hard fought battles in Karakura Town, Gamagori had come out of his fight with Yasutora Sado with relatively negligible injuries, "There were several complaints from Mankanshoku's family about their daughter's whereabouts but I managed to placate their concerns with promises of free catering tomorrow."

"I've been keeping an eye on the naked apes but so far I've seen no sign of large scale mobilization," Inumuta answered loudly but his voice came out heavily muffled so with an exasperated look in his eyes reached up and manually unzipped the collar of his Probe Regalia. The damage to his Goku Uniform had been quite severe even though he managed to escape the concurrent blasts with only a few minor injuries. Until Iori had a chance to patch up his Probe Regalia Inumuta was unable to either activate it or automatically unzip his collar whenever he wanted to speak.

Known to only those currently in the Student Council chambers was the knowledge that Satsuki was counting on Nudist Beach to appear at the Great Culture and Sports Festival. Even if her final conversation with Ichigo before the School Raid Trip had been less than amicable Satsuki knew with absolute certainty that he was aware of the dangers her mother posed. Their methods on dealing with her mother may differ but Satsuki was confident Ichigo would see no other choice but to inform Nudist Beach of her true motives and thus allow the organization to assist her with little difficulty.

"Your sake is ready, Milady."

"Thank you, Soroi," Satsuki picked up one of the saucers on the sterling silver tray in Soroi's hand and allowed the sake's aroma to fill her mind. She was never one to imbibe in alcohol. It was the drink of those unable to control their minds and impulses, after all, but this was a special occasion. Tomorrow at the Great Culture and Sports Festival she would finally rid the world of the monster disguised as her mother. Forcing her mind to bury the memories of what only three people in the world were aware of Satsuki waited until Sanageyama picked up his sake before speaking.

"Tonight we stand on the precipice of change," Satsuki's voice was even and confident as she raised the saucer of sake above her head, "The failure to subjugate Karakura Town is indeed tragic but it shall help us herald in a new world. Let this be a toast to the success of the Great Culture and Sports Festival!"

As a collective shout of 'Ma'am' reached her ears Satsuki tilted her head back and drank the sake in a single swallow. Ignoring the burning sensation in her throat from the alcoholic liquid Satsuki's blue eyes stared at her hazy reflection in the ceramic saucer before tossing it to the ground where it shattered into myriads of shards and pieces. As the sound of ceramic shattering against the floor sounded several more times Satsuki steeled her expression, "Let me give you all one final parting message. It is highly likely that my mother is a Life Fiber Hybrid of equal or greater power to Nui Harime and Ichigo."

Satsuki ignored the mixture of surprise and astonishment as she turned on her heels and made her way towards the nearby wall. As she pressed her thumb against a junction in the mahogany paneling until she heard two consecutive beeps Satsuki could not dissuade herself from the notion that relying on what lay inside the safe was admitting she would fail. The plan that her five year old mind had concocted and was subsequently revised and edited over the last thirteen years had always ended the same way – her mother impaled with her head removed. Not once in all those years had that wavered or changed. She had wanted her victory over her mother to be absolute. Relying on something like this, even if it did lead to her mother's death, left a bitter taste in Satsuki's mouth.

Staring at the silver case in her hands, the metal still lustrous even after all this time, Satsuki turned around and carefully placed it on a table Soroi hastily set up. Undoing the two latches with barely any effort Satsuki opened the case and brought out a device that was nearly the same size as her hand. Holding the dark green object aloft in the air, both the physical and metaphorical weight of the object apparent to all those present, Satsuki lowered her eyes towards her Elite Four and said, "This is a specially modified M34 Grenade designed to burn at nearly 6,000 degrees Kelvin. If I have learned anything from Ichigo and Matoi it is that only fools assume guaranteed victory!"

After allowing her Elite Four and Iori to take one of the five grenades, including the one held in her hand, Satsuki slammed Bakuzan's scabbard against the floor with a reverberating echo and raised her voice, "If the worst comes to pass and I am unable to deal the finishing blow to my mother I am relying on you, my chosen few, to finish the job that I started! My mother may be a hybrid but not even she can survive the temperature of the surface of the sun!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko watched the moisture in her breath dissipate into the air as the last traces of sunlight disappeared from Karakura Town. As the unreasonably warm day quickly gave way to night, a brisk and crisp wind kicking up as the temperature dropped, Ryuko was thankful that Senketsu somehow managed to keep her warm. Ryuko didn't understand how it was possible but her Kamui prevented her from feeling the cold already seeping into the city. Subconsciously rubbing her hands together before crossing them across her chest, Ryuko tilted her head upwards and stared at the stars beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky, "Do you think they were lying to us?"<p>

Ichigo's hands curled into fists inside Mugetsu's pockets as he contemplated the Sternritter's message. The man who introduced himself as Bazz-B claimed they were there to help take down Ragyo Kiryuin but Ichigo had been hesitant to accept the Quincy's offer. He didn't get to where he was in life by blindly trusting people and Uryu's frozen reaction upon seeing the Sternritter told Ichigo there was a lot more going on than he could see, "I don't know. They may want to take down Ragyo Kiryuin but they were holding something back. Uryu seemed do know who they were but that bastard vanished hours ago."

Ryuko locked her fingers together against the nape of her neck and watched the florescent lamps lining the street flicker to life, "I don't trust those guys but if Ragyo Kiryuin is really as strong as everyone says we can use all the help we can get."

"I still want to know how Uryu knew them," Ichigo muttered deep in thought before stopping and looking around.

The damage to the city from Satsuki's attack was extensive but it took him only a second to recognize his location. Crossing the rubble-filled streets without saying a word, Ichigo ignored Ryuko's confused shouts as he saw the shattered flower vase scattered along the sidewalk next to a particular street light. Kneeling down and carefully pulling the intact flowers from the shards of jagged glass Ichigo reached over and gently placed the flowers back against the light. It wasn't the same as the vase but Ichigo knew the spirit of the young girl would appreciate it. As the memory of Quilge Opie's cryptic answer came to mind Ichigo glanced down the street but lowered his gaze when he saw nothing but the encroaching darkness of the night.

"_**Who are you looking for?"**_

"There was a young girl that died here a few years ago. I used to leave her flowers," Ichigo muttered to his Kamui as he stood back up and dusted Mugetsu off. As the flowers gently blew in the cold air, his gaze tightening as they quickly fell back onto the ground, Ichigo let out a defeated sigh before running a hand through his hair.

"_**Did you know her?"**_

Ichigo didn't miss the curious tone in Mugetsu's voice. As he heard the Ryuko crossing the street after him, her sneakers echoing loudly in the eerily quiet neighborhood, Ichigo placed his hands back in his pockets and waited for her to finish crossing before answering his Kamui's question, "A couple years ago there was a major accident. A lot of people were hurt but only one person, a young girl, actually died. I didn't really pay attention at the time but a few weeks later I noticed her soul wandering around the street. I didn't know anything about shinigami back then so I thought I could help her pass over if I talked to her and left her flowers."

Ryuko's eyes fell down onto the flowers scattering in the wind, "So these are your flowers?"

"No. Someone else must have continued leaving them for her after I left for Honnouji Academy," Ichigo shook his head and looked around one last time for the young girl's soul. When he couldn't see any trace of her Ichigo craned his head up and stared at the night sky, "I became pretty famous in town for being the orange haired punk that could see the dead. I can't remember the number of times I beat up inconsiderate assholes who disturbed memorials like this one."

"That's something I would pay to see," Ryuko said between chuckles of amusement.

Glancing up as the street light as it flickered briefly before resuming illuminating the street in a fierce yellow glow Ryuko realized that it was getting quite late. The Great Culture and Sports Festival was supposed to start at nine in the morning and while Karakura Town was less than an hour's drive from Honnouji Academy simply driving there would be too easy. Clapping her hands together, the Seki Tekko muffling the sound, Ryuko gently slapped Ichigo's arm to get his attention, "It's getting late. We should probably get back to your house."

Ichigo scowled as he thought of what awaited when they got back. Rubbing the bridge of his nose and letting out an aggravated sigh he said, "If my dad asks one more time if you're my girlfriend I swear I'm going to kill him."

Ryuko grinned as she listened to Ichigo complain about his dad's childish and idiotic behavior. Despite his more outlandish behavior she found Isshin Kurosaki very funny, "So what if he says I'm your girlfriend? As long as it's not true it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"You don't understand how my dad thinks," Ichigo stared at Ryuko with a haunted look in his eyes. This was not the first time his dad had tried something like this and if he didn't deal with it now there would be hell to pay in the near future, "If we don't stop him now he's going to tell everyone he knows we're dating."

"I still don't see a problem with it," Ryuko said as they walked past an overturned car, the metal chassis cracked and deformed from the earlier battle. Rolling her eyes at Ichigo's blank stare, pointedly ignoring the scathing look he was giving her, Ryuko began tapping her fingers against her forearm, "Hey Ichigo…do you think Nui Harime will be at the festival tomorrow?"

"Probably," Ichigo answered with a small shrug of his shoulders.

Ryuko looked away from Ichigo as she was reminded of the anger and despair she felt when Nui Harime plunged the purple Scissor Blade through Mako's heart. As she remembered the final moments of her father, blood pooling on the floor next to his dying body as he desperately tried to tell her something, Ryuko clenched a fist in anger. Nui Harime needed to pay for everyone she hurt but Ryuko doubted she could do it, "Am I strong enough to kill Nui Harime?"

Ichigo's face scrunched up in thought for a moment before answering, "That's a difficult question. Are you strong enough to hit Nui Harime? I would have to say yes but she'll probably just regenerate from the damage."

"Damn it! I forgot she was a Life Fiber Hybrid," Ryuko angrily folded her arms across her chest and kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. As she listened to the rock skip across the pavement several times before hitting a car accompanied by a reverberating echo Ryuko huffed in anger. Ururu had claimed that her father had been the one to tear out Nui's eye but Ryuko had no idea how he could have done that. Pulling the miniaturized Scissor Blade out of the pouch attached to Senketsu and expanding it back to its full size with a simple flick of her wrist Ryuko stopped walking and stared at her reflection on the permanently polished red metal, "Ichigo, why isn't Senketsu's strength enough?"

Two and half pairs of eyes looked at Ryuko but it was her Kamui that spoke, _**"Is something bothering you, Ryuko?"**_

As Senketsu attempted to calm her down Ryuko ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "It's just that…I've lost every major fight since I put you on, Senketsu. Ichigo had to save us from Satsuki when I was too embarrassed to wear you and a few weeks later I lost control of my anger at Nui Harime. I would have died if Orihime hadn't been there to save Mako." Ryuko's voice quieted into a whisper as she turned her back to Ichigo and looked at the ground, "I would have died today if Armstrong and Jakuzure hadn't distracted Junketsu. It just feels that nothing I ever do is good enough."

"_**Ryuko…"**_ Senketsu's voice quivered as the Kamui tried to think of something he could say to cheer her up.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck as he fumbled for the right words. He could relate, perhaps better than most people, to Ryuko's plight. As Ichigo recalled lying in a pool of his own blood while Byakuya and Renji took Rukia back to the Soul Society despite his best efforts to stop them he steeled himself and said, "Ryuko…sometimes you fail when it counts but that just means you get back up and keep on trying. You're not alone, Ryuko, you have Mako, Ururu and me to help you."

When Ichigo saw Ryuko's shoulders relax he thought his advice must have gotten to her. He had never been good with sappy advice like that. Usually when he had a problem he forced himself to work past it. That was why he was caught off guard when Ryuko turned around towards him, an annoyed scowl on her face, and jabbed her finger at his chest, "That was really stupid advice Ichigo."

Ichigo flinched back, shocked by Ryuko's response, before he quickly recovered. With his own angry scowl forming on his face Ichigo leaned forward and shouted, "What exactly was wrong with my advice?"

"It was really good advice but it's just really weird coming from you!" Ryuko huffed and turned away from an astonished Ichigo. As she began tapping her red Scissor Blade against the sidewalk out of annoyance Ryuko remembered that she needed to ask Ururu about the purple Scissor blade. Ryuko didn't know how Ururu managed to steal the other blade from Nui Harime but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As his eyebrow began twitching, a telltale sign that he was becoming increasingly annoyed with the entire situation, Ichigo growled, "What do you mean it was weird?"

"I expected you to say I needed to get stronger or something!" Ryuko bit out and leaned forward until she was almost in Ichigo's face. Jabbing her finger into his chest once more, this time with enough force that Mugetsu began complaining about stretching her Life Fibers, Ryuko narrowed her eyes and glared at Ichigo, "You should know that I'm not the kind of person that likes sappy advice, Ichigo! If you wanted to make me feel better, you should have tried to complain about how weak I was."

"Why the hell would something like that work on you?" Ichigo countered back angrily. He would never admit, least of all to Ryuko, that he only decided on the 'sappy advice' because it felt more personal. Usually Ichigo would use his normally heavy-handed advice when dealing with a situation like this but he hadn't thought it was appropriate for Ryuko. He had heard the pain in her voice and had figured a more delicate touch would be better. Ichigo wasn't about to make that mistake again.

"_**You're being inconsiderate, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu, unlike his wearer, thought that Ichigo's advice was most sound. In the days after he first forced her to wear him Ryuko had been embarrassed by his released configuration. He tried giving her advice, if advice could be called telling Ryuko to not be embarrassed to wear him, but she had required nearly dying to Satsuki Kiryuin and Junketsu for the advice to be beaten into her skull, _**"I tried giving you similar advice about wearing me. You ignored me then and look how that turned out…"**_

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Ryuko glared at Senketsu, who returned the accusatory stare with his single eye, before scoffing. Placing her hands on her hips, the red Scissor Blade safely jammed into the sidewalk next to her, Ryuko motioned with her head to Ichigo, "Besides, I thought after all this time Ichigo would know exactly how I felt about things!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but was beaten to the punch by Senketsu. Staring at his wearer with a knowing gaze in his eye Senketsu asked, _**"And just HOW was he supposed to know?"**_

"Well…I-I thought he would just know," Ichigo was shocked into silence as he saw Ryuko actually blushing. He stood with his mouth slightly agape as Ryuko shifted from angry and pissed off to blushing in embarrassment in less than a minute. At least it looked like she was blushing from what Senketsu said. When Ryuko blinked owlishly and noticed both Ichigo's flabbergasted expression and Mugetsu's extremely surprised look she quickly scowled and turned away, "T-The point is you should have known what I needed to hear, Ichigo. You're my friend so something like that should be simple to you!"

It took Ichigo's mind a moment to process Ryuko's answer. As the anger and frustration bled from his mind until he was simply feeling greatly confused Ichigo closed his eyes, mentally counted to five, and asked, "How does that make any sense? It's not like I can read your mind."

"You're still the best friend I have besides Mako!" Ryuko countered with frustration tinging her voice, "And she always knows what I'm thinking whether I want her to or not!"

Mako's apparent telepathy notwithstanding Ichigo begrudgingly admitted that Ryuko had a point. After two months of hanging out, talking and generally doing their best to piss off Satsuki Kiryuin he should have realized Ryuko wasn't someone that needed a soft touch. In hindsight he probably should have taken a page out of his dad's book and simply smacked Ryuko on the head until she was too annoyed at him to worry about her problems, "Ignoring Mako's ability to read your mind for the moment I still don't see how –"

Ichigo paused when the nearby box hedges started rustling. At first assuming it to be nothing more than the wind Ichigo strained his ears when he distinctively heard the sound of someone whispering from inside it. Closing his eyes as a familiar feeling of annoyance grew in his mind Ichigo turned to face the hedges, "I know you're in there, Kon. Get out here before I tear the stuffing from your body. You have until the count of three."

"Screw counting! That stuffed pervert is going to die!"

As much as she hated the modsoul Ryuko was secretly thankful that he showed up before things became even more awkward for her. It wasn't going to change what she would do to him though. Tearing the red Scissor Blade out of the sidewalk before sprinting across the street towards the hedges, a slightly psychotic grin adorning her face, Ryuko was just about to run in swinging when a high pitched and distinctive feminine voice shouted, "Wait!"

Skidding to a stop, nearly tripping over her feet in the process, Ryuko stared incredulously as a bird plushie around the same size as Kon wearing a hooded blue coat with a red bow tie hopped out of the hedges and landed on a nearby wall. Ryuko blinked slowly, her head cocked slightly to the side as her mind tried to understand what it was seeing, as the plushie brushed down her fake feathers before twisting around and pointing an accusing hand at her, "Just who do you think you are? Attacking a poor defenseless plushie is grounds for arrest, you know!"

Ryuko watched the bird plushie walk across the wall, her miniature blue boots squeaking with every step she took. As the plushie gave her what could only be a scathing look Ryuko rubbed one hand against the back of her neck, "Um…I'm sorry for attacking you?"

"_**Why are you apologizing?"**_ Senketsu gave a mental huff as he shifted his attention from the plushie to Ryuko, _**"That thing was hiding from us so it must be up to no good. Also, I can sense Life Fibers inside it."**_

Upon hearing Senketsu's voice the plushie immediately jumped back and nearly fell off the wall. After regaining her balance she pointed with one arm at Senketsu and shouted, "Did that uniform just talk?!"

"_**Yes. I did,"**_ Senketsu didn't appreciate being talked down to like that, _**"And I have a name – Senketsu. That was quite rude of you."**_

"Well, I'm not going to apologize for being scared!" The plushie gave an indignant scoff as she hopped off the wall and landed gracefully on the ground. Turning towards Ryuko and Ichigo, who had come over as soon as he saw what could only be another modsoul, she spun around before giving them a polite bow, "Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Ririn and I carry the title of Seiryu of the East!"

"You're a modsoul," Ichigo pointed out before closing and rubbing his eyes to stave off a headache. When that failed to work he groaned and asked, "Did my dad send you here?"

"How did you know – I mean yes," Ririn's feathers actually seemed ruffled. After taking a moment to straighten them while adjusting her blue hooded coat, Ririn turned and began walking away, "Mr. Kurosaki sent me here to come get you guys. He said it was getting late and was worried you two were up to no good and it was a good thing I showed up! Who knows what two young and impressionable teenagers could have done if I hadn't been following the entire time?"

"_**Ichigo, can we please kill her?"**_ Mugetsu's voice was full of venom as she glared at Ririn, who straightened with a start and began running away in the direction of his house.

"Well, I guess my dad is looking for us. This is why you have to knock sense into him before it's too late," Ichigo groaned tiredly to Ryuko as they began the relatively short trek back to his house.

With a mischievous grin on her face Ryuko chuckled and said, "I still don't see a problem with it."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Satsuki Kiryuin watched the residents of Honnou City eat their exquisitely prepared meals with a passive expression. With the sounds of the festivities drifting up from the ground below, the Marching Band Club working to bring the Great Culture and Sports Festival as close to perfection as possible, Satsuki briefly wondered where Ichigo and Matoi were before squashing such thoughts before they could devolve into unnecessary worry. She was more than confident they would show up. After all, Satsuki knew from personal experience that Ichigo would never allow her mother to succeed.<p>

When Inumuta gave her a curt nod, signaling it was time for the festival to truly begin, Satsuki felt a pang of guilt over what she was about to do. As Ichigo's words from before the School Raid Trip were brought to mind, causing her to look down into Junketsu's eyes, Satsuki began walking towards the podium, her heels clicking against the polished surface, while the sounds from the crowd died down until she could hear nary a sound apart from her own footsteps.

Taking one last step as she reached the podium, Satsuki slammed Bakuzan's hilt against the ground in front of her as a backdrop of white light tinged with blue shone throughout the stadium. As her eyes drifted across the crowd Satsuki took a deep breath and scowled, "Citizens of Honnou City! This is the moment you have been waiting all this time for! Now stand on your feet and respectfully welcome Honnouji Academy's founder and director of the school board – Ragyo Kiryuin!"

The moment Satsuki announced her mother's name every source of lighting and illumination in the stadium was overpowered and replaced by an even fiercer rainbow light as Ragyo Kiryuin threw open the doors leading from Honnouji Academy into the stadium. With Rei Hououmaru standing silently at her right, the wide aviator glasses she wore preventing her from being blinded from the rainbow light shining forth from Ragyo's silver hair currently styled into twin horns, Ragyo looked over the gathered crowd of humans eagerly clapping for her and smirked, "Shall we go greet them, Hououmaru?"

As her heels, hidden by her extremely form-fitting pure white dress that ended just about the ground, clicked across the runway Ragyo allowed a pleasant smile to adorn her face. She had originally intended to wear something more flamboyant and exotic for the festival. It was, after all, the day of Satsuki's coup and Ragyo wanted to make sure her daughter felt special one final time before all her plans went to ruins but remembering that Isshin would undoubtedly show up caused her to change her mind. She needed to look her best for Isshin and what better way was there to express her adoration than wearing the first dress Isshin ever gave her?

Walking past Satsuki's prostrating Elite Four, their faces pointed down to the ground with their right arm held diagonally across their chests, Ragyo glanced at Inumuta with a sly smirk on her face, "Tell me, are you still hacking into government servers?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Such petty indulgences are now far beneath me," Ragyo did not miss the slight hint of condescension in Inumuta's voice. He truly believed she was unaware of his forays into the Revocs mainframe over the last few years.

"Do I now?" Ragyo's stride didn't falter as she passed Inumuta. Turning her maroon eyes one final time to him she said, "That's quite the pity. I was looking forward to personally meeting the person who keeps hacking into Revocs."

Ragyo's smile widened imperceptibly as she sensed Inumuta's shocked and worried expression. It had been quite arrogant of the 'former' hacker to assume the CEO of the conglomerate he continuously broke into hadn't been able to trace the connection back to Honnouji Academy.

As she reached the podium, Satsuki bowing her head and stepping to the side, Ragyo subtly glanced upwards and sighed contently at what she saw. Sitting on the wall of the stadium, her legs kicking in the air and with a happy smile on her face, was Nui Harime. When they left for Honnouji Academy the Grand Couturier had professed a desire to stick to the shadows and wait for Ichigo and the others to come. At first Ragyo had been slightly disappointed that Nui didn't want to be by her side but the Kiryuin Matriarch could see the logic in the Grand Couturier's words. When Isshin brought help, and Ragyo knew the man would bring everything he could to stop her, she needed enough of a warning to allow the pieces to fall into place.

Offering a knowing smirk to Nui, who clapped her hands together and beamed happily, Ragyo shifted her gaze to the quiet crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen! Let me ask you a simple question – what is this world?"

Ragyo listened to the faint mumbling from the crowd of humans with derision. Stretching her arms out to the side, the rainbow light shining from her body growing brighter by the second, Ragyo grinned maliciously as she answered for them, "The answer is clothing! Life Fibers are the true rulers of the world and I, Ragyo Kiryuin, am one of the few who carry out their will! This academy was created to herald this day! The weak and worthless among you will serve as the foundation for everything to come!"

Rei Hououmaru perked up as a voice crackled over her earpiece. Turning her head slightly to the side in order to better hear them, Rei's eyes widened upon receiving the news. Turning her attention up to Nui Harime, who was staring at something outside of the stadium with an increasingly giddy look on her face, Rei whispered to Ragyo, "I've just received word that the nudists have entered the outskirts of the city. They shall be here in five minutes."

Ragyo's eyes widened mirthfully. Everything was starting to finally come together. If the nudists were here than that meant Isshin and Ichigo couldn't be far behind. Now that the final pieces were in place all she needed to do was sit back and wait. Stepping forward and holding her hand over the heart-shaped podium with a single button on it, Ragyo's grin widened at what she was about to do. Casting her gaze up at the crowd, unwilling to miss even a moment of their terror as they realized what their lives actually amounted do, Ragyo pressed her thumb down on the button after exclaiming, "Let the celebration commence!"

A cacophony of terror-filled screams and shouts reached Ragyo as the Life Fibers in every human's uniform heeded her call and began absorbing their wearer. As the throngs of vibrant colors in the stadium were replaced by cocoons of glowing red Life Fibers Ragyo stared up into the sky and closed her eyes. This silence, the wonderful lack of sounds that humanity spewed every waking minute of the day, was what Ragyo dreamt of ever since she and Isshin first made contact with the Original Life Fiber.

Taking a deep breath, memorizing the feeling of humanity's fate finally being realized, Ragyo opened her maroon eyes and sighed happily, "This is what I've been waiting for. The fate of humanity is at hand and nothing shall remain in this world but the tranquility possessed by Life Fibers."

"The experiment is a success, Lady Ragyo. No abnormalities have been detected," Rei Hououmaru pulled out her PDA and began going over the data from the various Revocs machines and sensors stationed around the stadium. She had the utmost confidence in the experiment but Rei knew Ragyo expected nothing but perfection. If a mistake or error was found Rei vowed to correct it before the rest of humanity was consumed by Life Fibers.

"Wonderful, Hououmaru," Ragyo turned around towards her daughter. Gazing into Satsuki's stoic expression, her stormy blue eyes betraying not a hint of her true emotions, Ragyo leaned her cheek against her hand as her hearing, enhanced leagues behind that of a human's, heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching them. It seemed like the guests of honor were finally arrived. Ignoring the barest twitch of Satsuki's hand towards Bakuzan, Ragyo took a single step forward and abruptly raised her hand before catching the spiritual energy bullet fired by Lille Barro.

"Impossible!"

Perched on the top of Honnouji Academy, the end of his spiritual rifle smoking from the bullet it just fired, Lille Barro began sweating nervously as his right eye widened in astonishment. The Sternritter could not believe what he was seeing. Ragyo hadn't even turned to look at him before stopping his bullet. After watching Isshin Kurosaki accomplish an identical feat yesterday he knew Ragyo Kiryuin would be tough to damage. He had assumed Ragyo's resistance to damage was dependent on seeing the attack coming. Therefore if he could snipe her from far enough away she wouldn't have a chance to block or dodge. The bullet of spiritual energy current crushed in Ragyo's hand disproved that theory entirely.

"Oh, what is this?"

Ragyo turned to face Lille Barro, the Sternritter pushing his body off the ground in preparation for anything to come. Noticing Satsuki and her Elite Four following her gaze, their attentions focused on the man that just tried to assassinate her, Ragyo recognized quite well the energy in the bullet. It was nearly identical to the arrows Masaki had tried to kill her with more than seventeen years ago. Chuckling menacingly and taking a step forward, her eyes widening in glee as Lille Barro flinched backwards, Ragyo said, "You must be a Quincy. How amusing. I was wondering when you people would stop scurrying around in the shadows."

Raising and pointing her hand at Lille Barro, a malevolent look on her face, Ragyo smirked when the Sternritter wisely decided to retreat using Hirenkyaku. Slightly interested in the familiar technique, Ragyo nevertheless saw that the Sternritter's usage of it was not nearly as effective as Masaki's. She watched Lille Barro flee across the stadium in agonizingly slow motion, his every step as clear as day to her, before turning away in boredom. If she truly wished to kill the Quincy it would be as simple as stabbing her hand into his chest. Looking with maroon eyes down at the stadium below, Ragyo watched Ichigo and Ryuko race into the stadium as one of the locked student entrances exploded in a cloud of dust and energy.

"Interesting…"

Ragyo folded her arms under her bosom and looked at Ichigo with what could pass for a motherly expression. Staring into his brown eyes, which betrayed his emotions and feelings as easily as reading a book, Ragyo realized her daughter must have confessed her past to Ichigo, which was a pity. Unlike Satsuki, who was an absolute failure, Ragyo saw Ichigo as a son. If Satsuki managed to corrupt Ichigo's opinion of her, Ragyo vowed to make sure her daughter saw the error of her ways. Cocking her head to the side Ragyo watched as Lille Barro appeared next to the group and smirked, "It's good to see you again, Ichigo. Have you enjoyed your time at Honnouji Academy?"

The tightening of Ichigo's glare was all the answer Ragyo needed. Mentally sighing upon realizing things were going to be a bit more difficult than she originally thought Ragyo took a moment to look at the rest of Ichigo's group. There were three other people dressed similarly to the Quincy that believed he was strong enough to hurt her. From the nervous expressions on their faces as she locked eyes with them Ragyo grinned as she saw realization hit their eyes. Shifting her gaze past Ryuken's son and Yasutora Sado, both of whom played a large part in defeating her daughter's assault on Karakura Town, Ragyo noticed Amu standing in the back of the group. What intrigued Ragyo, her hands clenching into fists as a mental attempt to hold in her excitement, was noticing Amu holding the purple Scissor Blade.

"_So Isshin gave Amu her sister's Scissor Blade. That is just like him."_

Ragyo smirked when she saw Ururu tense under her gaze. She didn't see anything wrong with her daughter keeping the purple Scissor Blade for the moment. Focusing her attention on the last of Ichigo's group, Ragyo rested her cheek upon one hand and cocked her head slightly to the side, "I suppose you must be Ryuko Matoi."

"I know who you are! Ragyo Kiryuin!" In one fluid motion Ryuko looped her finger around the red Scissor Blade in the pouch on her waist. Flicking her wrist, the Life Fiber blade expanding to its natural size in less than a second, Ryuko pointed it up at the Kiryuin Matriarch. She had seen the Life Fiber cocoons throughout the stadium and while she wanted nothing more than to attack and kill Ragyo Kiryuin for daring to harm Mako's family Ryuko needed to keep her calm. Ragyo was strong, she could feel it. Attacking without a plan would be the same as losing her cool against Nui Harime. Gnashing her teeth together, growling upon seeing Ragyo's condescending expression, Ryuko shouted, "Turn everyone back to normal!"

"Oh my," Ragyo quirked one silver eyebrow at Ryuko's rude and crass behavior, "Such rudeness is unbecoming of the daughter of Professor Matoi. Did your father ever teach you manners?"

Ryuko's blue eyes tightened in rage, "What the fuck did you just say?"

Ragyo ignored Ryuko's nearly palpable rage in order to focus her attention on Senketsu. As much as she loathed the mere thought, her late husband had managed to create a true Kamui. Trailing her eyes across Senketsu, every stitched and woven Life Fiber open for her to see, Ragyo was delighted when the Kamui began shivering under her gaze, "So this is Senketsu? I must confess that the beauty of it greatly exceeds my initial expectations. It possesses a natural beauty inherent to all Kamui."

"Can we stop talking about fucking clothes for a second?" Bazz-B asked as he stared at Ragyo Kiryuin. As confident as he was in his abilities he was in the presence of the primary threat to His Majesty's plans. He was not about to rush in headfirst and die like an idiotic shinigami. If they were to return to the Silbern with victory firm in their minds than Bazz-B needed to stick to the plan.

"You seem to be confident in your power, Quincy," Ragyo's tone carried the barest hint of malice as she addressed Bazz-B. Grinning as the Sternritter tensed under her gaze, some instinctual sense anticipating a possible attack, Ragyo simply shook her head and said, "Your strength is impressive for a naked pig but you're nothing but an ant attempting to fight an elephant."

As a vein become prominent on Bazz-B's temple, his anger boiling into the barest wisps of flames surrounding his body, Ragyo turned back to Ichigo, "I saw your fight against Junketsu, Ichigo. It was most impressive. Tell me, did you enjoy fighting against the true power of Junketsu?"

Ichigo scowled but didn't say anything as he glanced past Ragyo at Satsuki. The Student Council President was listening in rapt attention to everything her mother said. Barely noticing the subtle nodding of Satsuki's head, Ichigo narrowed his eyes and drew Tournesol from its scabbard. Holding the Life Fiber blade in front of his body, his stance solid, Ichigo took a second to gather his thoughts before shouting, "I don't care what you say or ask, Ragyo Kiryuin! I'm going to make sure you don't win!"

Ragyo was taken aback by Ichigo's refusal. She thought for sure that as a fellow hybrid he would understand her motives. It seemed she needed to have a long talk with Isshin when this was done. Upon sensing the Grand Couturier carefully making her way closer to the group, and watching Amu follow her sister with perfect precision, Ragyo decided to humor Isshin's son a bit longer. Going along with the charade of being unaware of Satsuki's plans Ragyo fully turned her back to her daughter, the slight twisting of her daughter's waist all but apparent to her, and said, "You truly are Isshin's son, after all. I wonder, however, if you can back up your threats…"

"You're damn right!" Ryuko shouted angrily, her sneakers slamming against the dirt and rock of the stadium's floor as she took a step forward. Pointing her red Scissor Blade up at Ragyo before shifting it to Hououmaru and finally Satsuki, a confident smirk spread across Ryuko's face, "Who cares if you're really strong? There are nine of us and only seven of you! We're more than strong enough to kick your glowing ass!"

"La vie est drôle."

Ragyo wasn't someone that usually took such bait but the determination on Ryuko's face was something she couldn't wait to see vanish. Raising one arm into the air, the rainbow light shining forth from her form-fitting sleeve doubling in intensity, Ragyo had a malicious grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear as she snapped her fingers, "Such tempting words shall not be ignored! Nine on seven isn't quite fair. Nine against twelve sounds fairer, wouldn't you agree?"

As she snapped her fingers, the reverberating sound echoing throughout the stadium, Ichigo tensed as five forms burst out of their disguises amongst the crowds of cocooned citizens and landed on the stadium floor in front of him. Staring down at the five members of Xcution, his gaze lingering on Riruka for a moment, Ichigo moved his hand to his left shoulder and prepared to transform Mugetsu when he heard Ragyo laugh.

"Welcome to your Xcution!"

Not a single person missed the smug tone in Ragyo's voice. As the rainbow light shining forth from her horns intensified Ragyo turned her attention to Ichigo and Ryuko, "It is unbefitting for Kamui to fight mere raiment. They shall not stop you from attempting to reach me so please activate your Kamui. I wish to see the true power of Mugetsu and Senketsu."

"Damn it!" Ichigo seethed in anger as he stared at the smug grin on Ragyo's face. He wasn't about to leave his friends to fight Xcution alone. The power he felt from Xcution dwarfed Satsuki's Elite Four from during the Sudden Runoff Elections. Gripping Tournesol tightly, his mind desperately trying to think of a third option, Ichigo paused when he felt a massive hand on his shoulder.

"Let us handle them, Ichigo," Chad stared at Xcution, his eyes drifting to the woman in front and, upon looking into her cold blue eyes, felt a bead of sweat trickle down his cheek. If Armstrong was right, and they were all more powerful than Ira Gamagori, than his work was cut out for him. Clenching a fist, memories of his abuelo bolstering his determination, Chad took his hand off Ichigo's shoulder and stepped forward, "It's time that I protected you."

"Like hell I'm going to let you fight these guys by yourselves!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Your worry is appreciated but I have to agree with Chad," Uryu locked eyes with the same blue haired woman Chad noticed, her icy blue eyes promising eternal suffering if she ever got a hold of him. With the effectiveness of his heilig pfeil diminished significantly against a Three-Star Goku Uniform Uryu knew the resistance of the Life Fibers in raiment would be even greater. Luckily he hadn't run off without making a plan or two for such a contingency, "Let us handle Xcution. Taking down Ragyo Kiryuin is far more important than our lives. If she wins…well, I don't think I need to tell you what will happen."

"Man, this is going to suck," Bazz-B grumbled as he ran a hand through his Mohawk.

"Just try not to die," Bambietta drew her dao as she locked gazes with Riruka. For some reason she instinctively felt a need to smash Riruka's face into the ground. Glancing over at Meninas, who has a content look on her face as she cracked her knuckles as she focused on Moe Shishigawara, Bambietta spat on the ground and muttered, "I don't want to drag Giselle all the way out here to heal you."

"I'd like to see you fucking try!" Bazz-B shouted back. Calming down slightly, his voice still a little tense, the Sternritter turned to Ichigo and said, "What the hell are you two waiting for – a fucking invitation? We can deal with these punks without even working up a sweat! Ragyo Kiryuin thinks we Quincy are weak, does she? I'm going to show her how weak we are after we fucking kill these guys!"

"Go with Ryuko, Ichigo. We'll be fine," Uryu ignored Bazz-B's wording as he formed his spiritual shortbow, enjoying the short looks of surprise on the faces of Xcution, before added, "Although I find your lack of faith in my skills insulting. Do you honestly think I will allow myself to be killed these people?"

Ichigo looked at Uryu in concern, "Did you hit your head yesterday? I seem to recall Junketsu kicking your ass pretty thoroughly…"

"That was different!" Uryu snapped back, his anger at Ichigo's stupidity reaching its boiling point, "I just fought Jakuzure and Inumuta back to back! I was tired!"

As much as he wanted to argue with Uryu a little more Ichigo had to trust his friend that he would win. His Quincy powers might not work so well against Life Fibers but Uryu had Chad, Ururu and the others to back him up. There was no way he could lose. If he did Ichigo would just go to the Soul Society and kick his ass for dying in the first place. Turning to Ryuko, who smirked at him as she reached for her Seki Tekko, Ichigo slammed his hand down on his spaulder. Engulfed in a burst of blue light alongside Ryuko's red energy and stars, Ichigo emerged fully clad in Mugetsu and with nary a sound launched himself up at Ragyo Kiryuin.

Landing on the runway between Ragyo and Satsuki, Ryuko's heels clicking down next to him a moment later, both Kamui wearers raised their Life Fiber weapons in preparation to fight the Kiryuin Matriarch. Holding up her hand as Rei prepared to activate her raiment, Ragyo stepped forward and gazed upon Mugetsu and Senketsu with lustful eyes, "Your Kamui are truly beautiful."

"I'm not here to listen to your weird nonsense, Ragyo Kiryuin!" Ryuko shouted angrily as she gripped the red Scissor Blade with both hands. She could feel the power subconsciously radiating from Ragyo and for some reason she instinctively knew it was far greater than Nui Harime's, "Ichigo and me are going to kick your ass and stop your plans of enslaving humanity to Life Fibers!"

"Are you now?" Ragyo sighed in a manner befitting that of a parent whose child was misbehaving. Amused at their continued defiance, Ragyo waved her arm through the air towards the throngs of Life Fiber cocoons lining the stadium and asked, "Tell me, do you know of the true origin of Life Fibers?"

"They came from the Original Life Fiber," Ichigo answered, remembering what Armstrong told them yesterday. Upon seeing the subtle, half-cocked smirk, on Ragyo's face he decided to add a bit more, "It arrived one hundred thousand years ago. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything!"

The rainbow light emanating from within Ragyo tripled in intensity as she held her arms out in front of her body. As her maroon eyes pierced into their souls, both Mugetsu and Senketsu literally shivering under the vehemence of Ragyo's gaze, she asked, "Isshin never spoke about our past, did he Ichigo? He and I are the only two people that know everything in this world!"

"Ahem…make that two and a half…"

Ragyo spun around, a rare look of complete surprise on her face, as the massive screens blared into life. Watching as a man she long considered dead appeared on the screen, a knowing and taunting smile on his face, her surprise turned into anger. Eyes narrowing, the rainbow light from her body appearing to grow darker with her emotions, Ragyo's voice was a measured clip as she spoke, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Well…" The man on the screen drawled out the word for several seconds before he chuckled nervousness, "You'd be amazed what you can live through."

Adjusting his green and white bucket hat, torn and faded from weeks of wear, Kisuke Urahara turned to Ichigo and gave a friendly wave, "Hello, Ichigo! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I see Mugetsu is doing well, which means you managed to get my note about the Kamui."

"_**That's the man who made me!"**_ There was no hiding the excitement in Mugetsu's voice as she behind the visage of a man long thought dead, _**"Say hi for me, Ichigo!"**_

He may be relieved and happy knowing that Kisuke was not dead but Ichigo decided to hold back on expressing it until he kicked the man's ass for worrying them for so long. Ignoring Mugetsu's excited request for the moment, Ichigo spat on the ground and shouted at the screen, "I got your damn note but did you have be so smug about it?"

"But Ichigo…it was the only way to make sure you listened to my instructions! As your former mentor I know the inner workings of your mind," Kisuke's image flickered as he snapped a paper fan in front of his mouth. When he spoke again, his tone measured and serious, his gaze lingered from Ragyo to Ryuko and finally to Satsuki, "I see that you managed to make friends with quite the interesting group. From your expression on your face I take it you know you're a Life Fiber Hybrid. Ah! Don't say anything! I'm a genius, remember? I knew about what you were the second I put the finishing touches on Mugetsu!"

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Ichigo shouted back in frustration, "You could have called or left a note saying you were alive!"

Kisuke gave a giggle unbefitting of a man his age before noticing Tournesol, "Oh good, I see Yoruichi managed to deliver Tournesol. It's a great name, isn't it? I was worried Nui Harime would discover it when she went back to my shop. I had just managed to trick her clones into thinking they killed me, you see, and it would be incredibly stupid to show myself!"

"You seem to be a very hard man to kill, Kisuke Urahara," Ragyo's anger had evaporated as she listened to Ichigo converse with the man Nui Harime had assured was dead. This was the man that not only created a Life Fiber blade rivaling Bakuzan and the Scissor Blades but also Kamui Mugetsu, a feat she had deemed all but impossible for those unfamiliar with the process. Sensing Nui's attention completely on the image of Kisuke, her fight against Amu forgotten for the moment as waves of hatred radiated from the Grand Couturier upon seeing her failure, Ragyo forced herself to smile, "Can you clarify something for me? Just how did you survive playing with my precious Nui?"

"Well…" Kisuke's eyes drifted off to the right and only those familiar with the man knew he was about to lie, "…I guess she just didn't try hard enough. The clones were interesting but quality trumps quantity. I'm sure your Grand Couturier would have defeated me if she stayed around to finish the job. Now, I have a question for you. Do you know where I am right now?"

As Kisuke moved away from the camera, allowing everyone to see where he was, Ragyo nearly lost herself in anger. The mere thought of a human entering that room was abhorrent! Grinning like a child as he looked through the camera at Ragyo's expression, Kisuke waved and said cheerfully, "That's right! I'm in the Fiber Palace – Forbidden Room! I stopped by to see if anyone was home and when I didn't get an answer I just let myself in. I hope you don't mind."

Kisuke's expression and voice changed swiftly at he spoke, the cheery and jovial tone that normally irritated Ichigo replaced by a cold and calculating clip. Pressing down on his bucket hat, shadowing his eyes in the process, Kisuke sighed and said, "I'm sure you're mighty curious why I'm here. Let me put it in a way something like you can understand, Ragyo Kiryuin. I know you can get to the Kiryuin Manor in less than five minutes but that's just not quick enough. By the time you get here I shall have already sealed away the Original Life Fiber. I believe this is checkmate."


	39. Chapter 39: Slipping Into Darkness

_Here is Chapter 39 and I'm pleased to announce we're reaching the end…of the first arc, which I have decided to call __**The Honnouji Academy Arc**__ that will end (seeing no problems) next chapter – Chapter 40. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and all the references/characters/plot working together nearly perfectly. I would like to point out the following Word of God (that's me) birthdays for the Kiryuin and Kurosaki families as well as some related characters. It's important so that the timeline makes sense. Ragyo's age is given as 45 at the end of KLK so I just extrapolated her birth year from the current story's year of 2002. As for Isshin I simply decided an appropriate forged age was 50 and worked from there._

_**Ragyo Kiryuin:**__ June 21st, 1957_

_**Satsuki Kiryuin**__: May 20th, 1984_

_**Ryuko Matoi:**__ April 5th, 1985_

_**Rei Hououmaru**__: August 3rd, 1963_

_**Ururu Tsumugiya: **__September 9th, 1985_

_**Nui Harime:**__ September 9th, 1985_

_**Isshin Kurosaki:**__ December 10th, 1952_

_**Ichigo Kurosaki:**__ July 15th, 1985_

_**Yuzu Kurosaki:**__ May 6th, 1989_

_**Karin Kurosaki:**__ May 6th, 1989_

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><p><strong>Chapter 39 – Slipping Into Darkness<strong>

Yukio Hans Vorarlberna's face tightened into a mild grimace, his hidden green eyes narrowing tensely behind limp bangs of blond hair, as he watched Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi jump up to the runway jutting out into the middle of the stadium. The burst of power that accompanied Senketsu and Mugetsu's activation was unlike anything Yukio ever felt.

Folding his gloved hands into the pockets of his coat-like raiment, mirth evident in his eyes as the corners of his mouth curled up in the faintest trace of a smile, Yukio turned to Riruka, who was staring up at Ichigo in restrained fury, and said, "You should be happy Lady Ragyo ordered us to not attack Ichigo Kurosaki or Ryuko Matoi. It would be pathetic if you were taken out twice in a row."

"Whose side are you on?!"

Riruka stomped her foot impotently against the ground, her thigh-high boot kicking up a small cloud of dust, and bit down on the tip of her thumb. Grumbling softly under her breath, every other whisper a rather impressive string of curses, Riruka scoffed and glared at the seven people still remaining. Lady Ragyo said they couldn't go after Ichigo, which is what she really wanted to do, but killing these people might make her feel better. Damn it! She wanted to beat the scowl off Ichigo's face for destroying her original Duveteux Raiment. Even if Lady Ragyo had been generous enough to weave a new one Riruka still missed her old raiment. She sorely missed the wondrous feeling of Ichigo's Life Fibers boosting her power.

"Why are you getting mad at me? I'm not the one that got taken out in a single attack," Yukio calmly chided in response, his politeness barely betraying a mocking undertone.

"Just who do you think you're talking to?" Riruka angrily snapped as she grabbed Yukio by his cravat.

The growling from her throat intensified when Yukio calmly stared at her, completely unbothered by her tone. Before she could snap at Yukio her attention was diverted when she heard Moe Shishigawara shout something incredibly foolish and stupid before rushing into battle. Squinting due to her myopia blurring out any details from further than twenty feet away Riruka gasped when she heard, rather than saw, Moe crash through the wall of the stadium as the supposedly vapid pink haired girl punched him square in the face.

"Well, I haven't seen that in a while," Yukio offhandedly commented as he pulled out of Riruka's loosened grip. Adjusting his cravat back into place Yukio reminisced back to the day Moe begged the Grand Couturier for a quick spar. Nui Harime had gladly agreed to do it only to end the fight after one light punch sent him flying through the wall. Watching Moe get punched clear across the building had been quite satisfying.

Riruka opened her mouth to speak but was violently cut off when Uryu Ishida appeared in the air above Esdeath, who simply stared at him with a bored and inquisitive expression in her eyes, and fired a barrage of arrows down upon her. Throwing her arms in front of her eyes, the cloud of dust exploding out from Esdeath's location reaching her a moment later, Riruka decided enough was enough. Magenta eyes narrowing in rage, teeth biting down on her lower lip, Riruka held her arms out as a rainbow aura surrounded her body. A split second later there was a brief explosion of energy as she was clad in her Duveteux Raiment once more. Flexing her armored fingers, a familiar battle staff appearing in a flash of light, Riruka grinned as she picked out her first target.

"Let's start with you…" she trailed off, magenta eyes focused maliciously on an unsuspecting Chad.

Holding her battle staff firmly in her hand, pink energy coalescing on the tip, Riruka didn't stop until she had enough energy to turn not only Chad but everything around him completely fluffy. As the last traces of energy gathered in her staff, a soft hum reverberating through the air as she kept tight control over it, Riruka aimed at Chad but just before the Addiction Shot fired there was a crackle of thunder before something slammed into the side of her head. Staggering several steps to the left, the Addiction Shot going wildly off balance up into the sky, Riruka rubbed her head and angrily shouted, "Who the fuck did that?"

Yukio turned, one eyebrow quirked in interest, as Riruka spotted Lille Barro kneeling in the stands, wisps of smoke rising from the muzzle of his spiritual rifle. Rolling his eyes as Riruka shouted at the Sternritter, her every other word a curse or threat, Yukio took several steps away from the magenta haired teenager. Riruka's temper was notoriously short and he really didn't want to accidentally get hit by an Addiction Shot. That was never a pretty sight.

With his hands in his pockets once more Yukio took a moment to look around. On one of the large screens wrapping around the stadium Yukio saw a man with messy blond hair not dissimilar to his own. He didn't know who the man was but he wasn't too worried. Lady Ragyo already knew her daughter was going to betray her. That was why she recalled Xcution to Honnouji Academy, after all. Even if that man was part of Satsuki's overly complicated plan Yukio knew there was no chance he could lose.

"Well, I suppose I should get started," Yukio quipped as he watched Giriko calmly avoid a stream of fire from one of the Sternritter. Raising his right hand above his head and flicking his wrist Yukio confidently smirked as dozens of Life Fibers emerged from his sleeve, "Création de Créature."

In the span of less than five seconds two golem-like creatures were spun into existence from the Life Fibers in Yukio's Fantaisie Raiment. Nearly twelve feet tall hunched over, red light glowing from the cracks in their stone-like skin and the empty hole where their faces should have been, the golems stood silently on either side of Yukio. With a sly smile on his face Yukio turned around, mild interest evident in his eyes, as Bambietta Basterbine appeared behind him using Hirenkyaku.

"Oh?" Yukio stared in amusement at Bambietta, "Are you the one that's going to fight me?"

Bambietta didn't say anything as the corners of her mouth twisted into a sadistic smirk, causing Yukio to quirk a blond eyebrow in curiosity. Watching Bambietta earnestly as she snapped her fingers, a subtle shift and distortion in the atmosphere the only indications that she had done anything, Yukio didn't flinch as one of his golems landed in front of him before it abruptly exploded. Leaning out from behind the smoldering remains of the Life Fiber golem, an expression of awe on his face, Yukio whistled and asked, "So you can make explosions? That's kind of cool actually."

Her face briefly falling at her explosion being blocked, Bambietta recovered moments later, a huff escaping her lips as she smirked. Pointing with a finger to Yukio's destroyed golem, spiritual energy already gathered for another explosion, Bambietta exclaimed, "It doesn't matter if you think it's cool or not, you idiot! If one explosion took out one of your golems than two more will be enough to kill you!"

Yukio's eyes narrowed at Bambietta's declaration before his shook his head. With a complete lack of concern in his voice he motioned with a lazy wave of his hand at his shattered golem. In the span of only a couple seconds the golem pulled itself back together before standing completely intact above Yukio once more, "That's interesting but you're wrong about one thing, Quincy. Your explosions are pretty neat but they're not nearly strong enough to defeat my golems."

Bambietta's eyes tightened in anger as Yukio offhandedly mocked her explosions. Drawing her dao, a faint blue-white aura enveloping the blade as she ran spiritual energy through it, Bambietta took a step forward before vanishing using Hirenkyaku. Yukio's golems could regenerate from a pile of rubble, which meant attacking them was pointless. Reappearing directly behind Yukio, her right arm holding the dao twisted behind her back and a manic smile on her face, Bambietta laughed triumphantly as her weapon cleaved through the surprised Xcution member. Landing with her back to Yukio, who barely had time to look at her before exploding violently, Bambietta grinned savagely, "That's what you get for being stupid!"

"I'm sorry. Was that supposed to kill me?"

Spinning around at familiar voice Bambietta was astonished when she saw Yukio standing intact behind one of his golems, which was impossible. She felt her blade cleave through his body, blood and visceral flying through the air in the moments before he exploded. He shouldn't be alive and yet he was standing in front of her. Glancing towards Yukio's burnt remains Bambietta sneered when instead of bone and blood she saw only a pile of Life Fibers disappearing into the wind.

"Did you really think you killed me?" Yukio folded his hands in his pockets as he stood between his golems, his back slouched slightly forward. Lips curled up into a knowing smile Yukio took a moment to enjoy the infuriated and disbelieving expression on Bambietta's face before continuing, "I made that clone the moment you blew up my golem. It couldn't attack or defend but it was rather useful to keep you distracted, wouldn't you say?"

Bambietta growled angrily at Yukio. She knew Life Fibers were resistant to Quincy spiritual energy but at this rate she would need to use Vollstandig just to hurt the blond haired bastard. Viciously shaking her head, dissuading that notion before it could take root, she vowed to kill him without using Vollstandig. Stalking forward at a slow pace, her white boots kicking up miniature clouds of dust with every step, she was suddenly thrown backwards as Ururu Tsumugiya crashed into the ground in front of her.

Bouncing along the ground before regaining her balance, Ururu's feet left twin furrows as she managed to skid to a stop. Clenching the purple Scissor Blade tightly, the shattered remains of her Powersoul Mark II gauntlets desperately clinging to her fingers and hands, she twisted her body to the side as Nui Harime came spiraling down through the air towards her. Tucking her arms in and spinning around Nui's new purple Needle Blade, the weapon's lethal jabs barely clipping her dress, Ururu let the Scissor Blade fall from her hands before leaning back and slamming her foot directly into her sister's stomach

Coughing violently, flakes of blood tinging her saliva a deep crimson, Nui's sapphire eyes narrowed as her arm shot out and the Needle Blade sliced across Ururu's left shoulder. Hopping back before leaping up into the stands, a smile on her face despite her bloody and ragged appearance, Nui leaned against the Needle Blade and stuck her tongue out childishly at Ururu. Pouting softly when Ururu didn't utter a word despite the red staining the left side of her dress Nui waved cheerfully at Yukio before turning around on her heel and fleeing with Ururu only feet behind her.

Watching the two Life Fiber Hybrids vanish into the catwalks lining the stadium, the telltale sound of metal screeching and breaking reaching his ears, Yukio perked up when he felt a massive gust of wind ruffle his raiment courtesy of the series of explosions going off behind him. Looking over his shoulder, a disinterested gaze in his green eyes, Yukio observed the currently half-destroyed state of his golems. Shaking his head, the golems already mostly regenerated, Yukio sighed wearily at Bambietta, "I said your explosions aren't strong enough. Unless you have something up your sleeves I'm going to have to get serious and kill you."

"Screw you, you stupid Life Fiber freak!"

Bambietta's dark blue eyes glared at Yukio, the intensity in the stare actually unnerving Yukio a little. His Majesty had forbidden the Sternritter from using Vollstandig but deep beneath the anger and rage clouding her mind, buried under the psychosis and pride of being a Sternritter, was a nagging voice telling her she couldn't win without it. Clenching her hands tightly, her gloves audibly crinkling, Bambietta noticed Meninas out of the corner of her eyes struggling to overpower Moe Shishigawara. Their hands were locked firmly together, cracks radiating outwards along the ground under their feet, before Moe reared his head back and slammed it against Meninas's forehead. The pink haired Sternritter staggered backwards before Moe slammed his fist against her nose, an explosion of energy ringing out upon impact, and sent her flying backwards into the wall of the stadium.

"There's no need for harsh language," Yukio quipped sardonically as he turned around, the two golems subconsciously moving to prevent Bambietta from getting a clear line of sight. Whistling softly, his mind preoccupied with other things for a moment, Yukio lightly chuckled, "Let me ask you something – do you think dragons are real?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? Everyone knows dragons aren't real!" Bambietta snapped. There was something about Yukio's seemingly random question that caused a cold feeling to pierce her heart. She heard a question like this before and if Yukio was anything like Gremmy then things were going to get a whole lot worse.

"That is completely true. Dragons do not exist on this planet," Yukio admitted. Holding an arm towards one of the golems he stared passively as it quickly dissolved back into the Life Fibers composing it. As the Life Fibers were rapidly absorbed back into his Fantaisie Raiment Yukio's green eyes looked mirthfully at Bambietta, "But still humanity knows all about dragons. If I were to ask one thousand people about dragons at least nine hundred and ninety would say they were familiar with the concept. How can dragons, which do not exist, be so pervasive in human culture? The answer is simple – imagination."

"That's crap! There's no way you can create anything simply by thinking about it!" Bambietta vehemently spat out at Yukio, her blue eyes simmering with rage. After that answer she was all but certain Yukio's raiment gave him nearly the same powers as Gremmy, which was just perfect. If Yukio was anything like that little freak then she needed to use Vollstandig in order to stand a chance.

Yukio stared blankly at Bambietta before shrugging nonchalantly. Looking around, mentally noting the size of the stadium, he decided it would probably not be a good idea to create a dragon. Lady Ragyo might get upset if the stadium Rei Hououmaru spent a lot of time building was destroyed. Clapping his hands together as a better idea came to mind Yukio allowed his second golem to dissolve back into its constitute Life Fibers.

Slouching forward, a faint rainbow aura surrounding his Fantaisie Raiment, Yukio smirked slyly at the increasingly cautious Bambietta before a massive explosion of light caused her to clench her eyes shut. When Bambietta could see once more, her vision temporarily filled with darkened spots, the Sternritter apprehensively noticed Yukio's raiment had transformed. His black coat and pants didn't appear to change that much, now resembling highly flexible armor with futuristic lines of rainbow light covering them. Taking a step forward, his new sabatons clinking metallically against the ground, Yukio adjusted a sleeve over his now bare hands, "So yeah, I can create pretty much anything from my imagination."

"I thought your raiment was already activated!"

"Why would I use my full powers from the start?" Yukio chided with a shake of his head. Unlike most of Xcution, with a few exceptions, he could use the majority of his Fantaisie Raiment's powers even in its inactivated state. It simply took more Life Fibers and time. Raising a hand into the air, hundreds of Life Fibers flying forth from inside his sleeve before twisting and weaving together in less than four seconds, Yukio dispassionately watched a massive wall of ice erupt across the other side of the stadium and sighed, "I suppose I should kill you now. I really don't need another lecture from Esdeath."

It was only her instinctive use of Hirenkyaku that saved Bambietta's life. The moment her body vanished, travelling several meters away at high speed, a massive zweihander crashed into the ground with a reverberating echo. Forced to squint from the massive cloud of dust that hit her in the face Bambietta's eyes widened when she saw what nearly killed her. Standing back up to its intimidating fifteen foot height, its face covered by a massive helm, the creature resembled a futuristic knight more than anything. Its armor, which seemed to accentuate its musculature, was bone white with lines of rainbow light shining forth from its joints.

"Damn it!" Bambietta seethed as she moved her hand towards her heart-shaped belt buckle. Clasping her fingers around it before dragging her hand across the air Bambietta pulled out her Quincy bow, resembling a compound bow with five strings of energy nocked to it, and shifted her right leg backwards while hooking her finger around the strings.

"Huh, I didn't know you could do that," Yukio watched Bambietta pull her bow out, interest evident in his eyes. Lady Ragyo may have given Xcution comprehensive data about what Quincy could do but this was a complete surprise. Green eyes noticing the smoking tips of her heilig pfeil, the ends of the arrows resembling miniature bombs more than anything, Yukio frowned, "I'm going to guess your arrows explode on contact."

The sadistic gleam in Bambietta's eyes was all Yukio needed to know. As the heilig pfiel shot towards him, dozens of arrows firing on his location with the sole intent of blasting him out of existence, he sighed wistfully, "Interesting but it's not going to work."

With nary a sound the knight appeared in front of its creator, its zweihander vanishing in a burst of rainbow light before a large shield appeared in its place. Tensing as it held the shield the knight was barely staggered as arrow after arrow detonated against the protective metal, clouds of flame and smoke curling around the shield before harmlessly drifting up into the sky. After the barrage ended, the only sounds heard coming from the fights continuing around Yukio and Bambietta, the knight raised its shield in the air and turned towards the flabbergasted Sternritter. Shifting the shield to its left arm, the metallic surface barely scorched by her explosions, it held out its right hand as a large broadsword was clasped in its fingers.

"What the fuck?" Bambietta felt fear as she stood under the long shadow of Yukio's knight. Each of her heilig pfiel packed the same amount of power as her normal explosions yet his knight seemed completely unaffected by them. As sweat trickled down her face Bambietta reached over and tore off her right glove, exposing the black Sanrei Glove hidden underneath. Vollstandig may have been forbidden by His Majesty but Bambietta knew without it she would die.

"Is that another trick up your sleeve?" Yukio's voice was full of condescension as he stood behind his knight, "It's not going to work, you know. My knight doesn't know fear, anger or any other emotion. Those explosions you like so much…useless. Goodbye Quincy. It's been fun."

Bambietta tightly gripped the Sanrei Glove as the knight stepped towards her, its massive steps causing the ground to subtly shake. Her mind was desperately trying to think of another way to kill Yukio without using Vollstandig but despite everything she continued to draw a blank. As her fingers began to take off the black glove Bambietta paused when the knight stopped and rushed back to Yukio in a blinding burst of speed, its broadsword a glint of light on metal as it parried the spiritual bullet up into the morning sky, the clouds visibly parting. Wordlessly raising the shield in front of its body, the broadsword held at ready at its side, the knight stared directly at Lille Barro as he leapt to the ground on the other side of Yukio.

"Were you intending to disobey His Majesty's orders?" Lille Barro's voice was calm and collected even while keeping his sole eye firmly locked on Yukio and his knight.

"I'll do whatever it takes to win," Bambietta countered, a cold sweat breaking out across her body. Clenching her hand tightly, her spiritual compound bow forming once more, Bambietta glared at Lille Barro and scoffed before turning towards Yukio, "It doesn't matter what you say. This bastard is tough so either you help me or I'll kill you myself when I'm done!"

Lille Barro looked at Bambietta in disbelief, his half-lidded eye staring at her with a mixture of weariness and annoyance, before he perked up and cocked his head to the right. Noticing a hint of magenta in the distance, his previous opponent obviously looking for him despite her rather bad myopia, Lille Barro shook his head and lowered his rifle. Resting the stock firmly against his shoulder he stared through the scope and calmly stated, "I observed your fight against Bambietta. While your creations are quite powerful and, dare I say, capable of killing one of His Majesty's soldiers, there is a fatal weakness that is quite easy for someone like me to exploit."

"It's quite presumptuous for you to say something like that, especially since you failed to kill Riruka," Yukio's scathing tone, the mockery quite apparent, caused Lille Barro's eye to narrow. Aiming his rifle directly at Yukio's heart, the four protrusions surrounding the barrel unfolding, he waited a few seconds, power building up in his weapon, before pulling back on the trigger.

In the brief moment between Lille Barro's finger squeezing down on the trigger and the spiritual bullet spiraling out of the chamber Bambietta sprang into action, her fingers pulling back on the bowstrings of her compound bow. As energy coursed through her body, kicking up a slight wind and making her skirt shift violently, Bambietta steadied her arms and aimed directly at Yukio's back. Letting go of the bowstrings, the five arrows quickly multiplying into nearly two dozen, Bambietta watched as the knight slid in front of her attack in a blink of an eye and raised its shield once more. Grinning viciously, a small bang and flash of light hinting at the bullet finally leaving Lille Barro's rifle, Bambietta memorized the look of surprise in Yukio's eyes upon realizing he had been outplayed.

"Nice try."

With surprisingly little effort Yukio swung his arm out and deflected the bullet, the spiritual attack shooting through one of the large screens circling the stadium before disappearing over the horizon. Rubbing his forearm, the force from the bullet denting his raiment slightly, Yukio smirked at the stunned Sternritter, "I bet you thought because I use creatures to fight that I was weak. What makes you think two on one will change anything? My Fantaisie Raiment is strong enough to kill you both."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Uryu watched Ichigo and Ryuko leave to confront Ragyo Kiryuin, his fingers twitching sporadically from nervousness, before turning his attention back upon the blue haired woman. The smile on her face, shadowed by an officer's cap with the Xcution symbol stitched on the front, was far too confident for his liking. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his free hand Uryu frowned as Moe Shishigawara started shouted boisterously before he pointed directly at him. Exhaling slowly, his heart rate lessening with every breath, Uryu shifted his left foot back. Waiting until Moe made the first move, the Xcution member sprinting along the ground towards him, Uryu sprang into action.<p>

Jumping into the air, using Hirenkyaku to bolster his speed, Uryu squinted when Moe activated his raiment in a burst of rainbow light. Grimacing when Chad tried to halt the Xcution member's advance only to be overwhelmed by Moe's strength Uryu scowled when he saw the woman staring up at him, a look of boredom in her eyes. Pulling back on his bow, his face lit up by a bright blue-white light, Uryu knew his best chance of winning was to attack before she could activate her raiment. Twisting his body around, the light from his bow growing stronger every second, Uryu shouted, "Stark Regen!"

Dozens of heilig pfiel, each more powerful than his normal arrows, rained down on the blue haired woman. Even as a massive cloud of dust was kicked up Uryu did not let up firing arrows. Wincing slightly as pain lanced up his arm, droplets of blood coating his fingers, Uryu grit his teeth and pushed through the pain. With the light from his heilig pfiel reflecting ominously off his glasses, the polished spiritual material protecting his eyes from the intense illumination, Uryu stopped firing and immediately moved away using Hirenkyaku.

Landing on the ground a few meters away from the rising cloud of dust and smoke, blood dripping off his left hand, Uryu hunched over and breathed heavily. Stark Regen was something he created after his battle against Nonon Jakuzure and her Symphony Regalia. Using stronger arrows to overcome the innate resistance of Life Fibers to his Quincy techniques appeared to work but it quickly drained him of energy. Sighing loudly and wiping his hand on his pants, streaks of crimson staining the white material, Uryu raised his hand to his bow and waited. He wouldn't let down his guard until he saw her body lying on the ground. Narrowing his eyes as the dust shifted sporadically Uryu frowned as he saw a silhouette, "I know that didn't kill you."

There was a few seconds of silence, only broken by the sounds of the fights beginning to take place around him, before a manicured hand appeared out of the dust. Uryu took a step back, his body tensing, as a calm voice said, "Flèches Grêle."

A quick use of Hirenkyaku saved Uryu from being skewered by a barrage of arrows. Skidding along his ground, his shoes kicking up trails of dust, Uryu spun and barely avoided having one of the arrows pierce through his head. Watching the projectile pass dangerously close to his cheek, the crystalline blue material hinting at its composition, Uryu twisted his body around and fired a salvo of his own, if only to keep the woman occupied long enough for him to put some distance between them.

Uryu perked up when he saw a figure walking towards him. Emerging from the dust, not a scratch on her uniform, the blue haired woman lightly brushed off her sleeves and stared at him with a bored gaze. Adjusting her officer's cap, the shadow falling over her cold blue eyes, the woman folded her arms over her chest, "Attempting to kill me before I could activate my raiment was impressive, Uryu Ishida."

"I'm not surprised you know my name. After all, Ragyo Kiryuin did try to murder my father," Uryu shifted his foot back, his bow raised defensively in front of his body, as the temperature around him began falling. Shivering slightly from the cold while slowly reaching with one hand towards his belt Uryu kept his eyes firmly locked on the woman as he spoke, "Those arrows you fired…and this drop in temperature…it doesn't take a genius to realize your raiment grants you power over ice."

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly at Uryu's deduction before leaning forward with her arm held out to the side. Clenching her hand into a fist, a rainbow aura surrounded her body as ice flowed like water out of her sleeve before coalescing into a rapier-like blade. Taking a single step forward, her white thigh-high boots leaving small patches of ice with every step, the woman held the glowing blue rapier in front of her face, "Rapière Grêle."

Only months of training enabled Uryu to twist out of the way of the woman's surprising fast attack. Watching the rapier pass dangerously close to his heart, the woman's eyes showing complete boredom, Uryu grimaced as he hooked a finger around one of the Seele Schneider. Pulling the spiritual weapon out of his belt, a glowing blade of blue spiritual energy appearing a moment later, Uryu swung his arm upwards at the same time the woman pivoted on her heel and slammed her weapon towards his neck.

Uryu grunted, his knees starting to buckle under the woman's immense strength as he fended off her attack. He knew her raiment would be leagues above Jakuzure's Symphony Regalia but he couldn't have expected such a massive increase in power. Gritting his teeth, beads of sweat trickling down his face as he used more and more of his spiritual energy to reinforce his body, Uryu looked into the woman's bored gaze. For a moment he saw nothing but disinterest but when he noticed the slight curling of her lips Uryu looked at his Seele Schneider in shock, "What the hell?"

His Seele Schneider, a weapon made of spiritual energy rotating at millions of times per second, was rapidly freezing over from the point of contact with the rapier. Quickly letting go of the weapon, the wave of ice reaching the handle a moment later, Uryu vanished using Hirenkyaku before reappearing kneeling on the edge of the stands. Examining his hand briefly, numbness coursing through his fingers, Uryu's eyes narrowed contemplatively. It should be impossible to freeze raw spiritual energy since it has no form or substance. Standing up, clenching and relaxing his hand to restore feeling, Uryu stared down at the woman as he drew another Seele Schneider, "I don't know if I should be happy I was correct about your raiment's abilities. Freezing whatever you touch is quite dangerous. Who are you?"

The woman pointed her rapier towards the ground as she glanced at the frozen Seele Schneider with a confident smirk. Stomping down on the ice-covered weapon, her heel crushing it into oblivion, the woman fixed the collar of her uniform before turning back to Uryu, "Your observational skills are rather impressive. Most people do not survive this long. You may call me Esdeath."

Without preamble Esdeath leapt after Uryu, her heels cratering the ground while her rapier gleaming maliciously in the early morning sunlight. Barely dodging Esdeath's series of rapid strikes Uryu grimaced when he saw a wave of ice explode out from the tip of her rapier over the stands. Jumping away Uryu's mind raced as he tried to analyze Esdeath's raiment for any weaknesses, _"Her control over ice is dangerous. She can not only create ice out of the air but her raiment is rapidly lowering the temperature around her body to below zero degrees Centigrade."_

"Your ability to survive so long interests me, Uryu Ishida," Esdeath complimented, her breath even and steady compared to Uryu's heaving panting, before launching herself across the stadium. Her legs were a blur, the concrete walls cracking and shattering beneath her heels, as she sprinted towards Uryu. Rapier held parallel to the ground, wisps of ice drifting into the air, Esdeath swung her weapon against Uryu's Seele Schneider only for the Quincy to let go as soon as she was dedicated to the attack. Frowning slightly at Uryu's cowardice Esdeath's blue eyes widened in mild interest when she saw a small silver canister leaking a glowing blue liquid in front of her eyes.

"Blesse!"

Landing in a crouch on the ground with his back turned to Esdeath, Uryu didn't flinch as the blue haired woman was enveloped in an explosion. Blesse, one of his more powerful Ginto techniques, was designed to hit an opponent with a blast comparable to a hollow's cero. Standing up, his Quincy uniform flapping chaotically in the wind, Uryu turned around and narrowed his eyes. While Esdeath's raiment granted her incredible resistance to his attacks Uryu was certain getting hit with a point-blank explosion would at least deafen her, Life Fibers or not.

When Esdeath did not immediately appear Uryu decided to chance a look around the stadium. It would be foolish to assume their fight would remain isolated. Glancing across the stadium, past Bazz-B's fight against Giriko, Uryu saw Chad running towards Moe Shishigawara. The Mexican teen had his left fist cocked back, blue spiritual energy wafting off his arm, as Meninas McAllon used her monstrous strength to temporarily place Moe in a chokehold long enough for Chad to hit him. Twisting his head around as a massive thud reverberated through the stadium Uryu noticed Ururu skidding along the ground past Bambietta Basterbine with Nui Harime quickly closing in.

"_At least Ururu seems to be keeping Nui Harime occupied for the moment," _Uryu thought before looking up at the massive screen next to the runway and scowling at the image of Kisuke Urahara. He should have known Kisuke would pull a stunt like this. Sensing moving nearby Uryu turned around and asked, "How long are you going to play dead, Esdeath? I know Blesse was not nearly enough to hurt you."

Emerging from the smoke Esdeath landed silently in front of Uryu with her raiment sporting just the faintest of scorch marks. Folding her arms across her chest, blue hair shifting in the breeze, she dusted off her raiment with an amused smile on her face, "That wasn't bad, Uryu Ishida, but let's see how long this lasts. Rempart grêle."

Uryu apprehensively watched as Esdeath clapped her hands together, a soft but sadistic smile on her face, and slammed them against the floor of the stadium. As a massive wall of ice erupted from the ground, jagged edges and spikes gleaming dangerously in the morning sun, Uryu mentally cursed before quickly using Hirenkyaku to leap into the air and avoid being frozen alive.

"_That was close. If I had reacted just one second slower…"_

Sighing in relief, his heart pounding in his chest, Uryu felt a wave of adrenaline course through his body as his feet cleared the wall of ice by less than an inch. After what happened to his Seele Schneider he had no intention of getting hit by one of that woman's attacks. As he stood in midair Uryu froze when he saw that Esdeath had vanished. Turning around, his eyes looking over the entire stadium for the ice-wielding woman, Uryu gasped in pain when an elbow was driven deep into his stomach.

Esdeath's lips curled upwards, a sadistic glint in her blue eyes, as she watched Uryu cough up blood. Taking a step forward, a circular disk of ice spinning into existence under her heel, Esdeath pulled her arm out before grabbing Uryu by the front of his shirt. Easily lifting the young Quincy with only a single arm she smirked hungrily at the defiant look in Uryu's eyes, "You still refuse to submit?"

"Do I look like an idiot?" Uryu ignored the coppery taste in his mouth as he stared defiantly at Esdeath. Subtly flicking his wrist, the handle of a hidden Seele Schneider falling out of his sleeve into his hand, Uryu activated the blade before quickly stabbing it into Esdeath's stomach. As her grip on his shirt relaxed Uryu coughed once before adding, "Letting someone like Ragyo Kiryuin win is not an option I –"

Uryu was cut off as Esdeath pivoted around and smashed her heel into his stomach. As a large cloud of dust was kicked up by the impact, a reverberating echo fading away into the distance, she took a moment to look at the Seele Schneider held in her hand, ice already starting to coat the blade. Clenching her hand, the Seele Schneider shattering into dust, Esdeath quirked an eyebrow in amused interest as Uryu staggered back onto his feet. Chuckling lightly while stepping forward, a small platform of ice instantly forming several inches under her foot, Esdeath slowly descended towards her injured adversary.

"Your tenacity is admirable but it seems you have reached your limit." Holding her arm out to the side, another rapier flowing forth from her raiment, Esdeath paused briefly as she reached Uryu. Raising the ice blade above her head, a sadistic grin appearing as she savored Uryu's determined expression, Esdeath quickly spun around as a narrow beam of fire spiraled through the air towards her. Deflecting the attack, her eyes momentarily widening when the flames actually began melting her weapon, Esdeath let go of her blade and jumped away as Bazz-B slammed his foot on the ground where she had just been standing.

"Fuck! I almost had her!"

Bazz-B's steady but annoyed voice was in stark contrast to his actual appearance. The sleeves and pants of his once immaculate Sternritter uniform was colored red from numerous cuts while a stream of blood oozed down from a long open wound on his forehead. Snorting angrily, the chain with the Wandenreich emblem visible through his partially destroyed trench coat, Bazz-B felt something wet dripping from his nose. Cursing as he became aware of the injury Bazz-B looked over his shoulder at Uryu, "You can't seriously be this weak! I was told you were something special but here you are, fucking waiting to die!"

Scowling at Bazz-B for a moment, a look of derision on his face, Uryu eventually sighed and forced his body to stand up. Momentarily staggering as he struggled to regain his sense of balance, a lance of pain shot up from his stomach, Uryu waited until the world stopped spinning before fixing his glasses, "Should you be saying something like that given your current state?"

"At least I'm not getting my ass kicked!" Bazz-B spat before noticing Giriko beginning to emerge from his flames. Grunting in annoyance at how hard it was to hurt these Xcution bastards Bazz-B clenched his fists, his black gloves crinkling in the process, and glowered at Esdeath. When he saw the curious look on Esdeath's face Bazz-B allowed an aura of fire to erupt from his body. Looking over his shoulder, a manic grin on his face, Bazz-B turned to Uryu, "Ishida! We're switching partners and I don't want to hear any bitching from you! You can deal with that old geezer while I take care of this ice bitch!"

Uryu felt his stomach lurch at the prospect of agreeing with the Sternritter. His father told him all about the Wandenreich. The only reason he was working with them was the danger to the planet posed by Ragyo Kiryuin. Glancing to his left and noticing Giriko keeping his distance from Esdeath, his raiment sporting only a few burn marks, Uryu mentally filed away that piece of information, "Fine, I'll leave her to you. So what powers does that man have?"

"This is your lucky day! He wouldn't stop talking about his abilities like a fucking moron," Bazz-B felt his blood boiling as Esdeath created another ice rapier. Slouching forward with his hands in his pockets, a wide smirk on his face at the prospect of fighting someone that didn't use cheap tricks, Bazz-B continued talking as he walked away from Uryu, "His raiment boosts his speed, reaction time and reflexes. Have fun fighting that cheap bastard and make sure to kick him the balls for me before killing him."

The hot-blooded Sternritter didn't bother waiting for Uryu's response as he approached Esdeath. When he heard Uryu finally leave Bazz-B stomped to a halt roughly twenty feet away from the blue haired woman. Grinning as wisps of flame-like spiritual energy wafted off his body Bazz-B chuckled at Esdeath, "No hard feelings but orders are orders. You're going to have to die."

Esdeath's blue eyes narrowed in slight annoyance not at him, as Bazz-B would have figured, but at Giriko. Fixing her officer's cap, which had been knocked slightly askew during Bazz-B's surprise attack, she stared at him and said, "Before we get started tell me something. Did Giriko truly give away his raiment's abilities?"

Bazz-B winced slightly but still managed to keep a cocky grin on his face as he pulled a hand out from his pockets, "Like a stupid asshole."

"I see I'm going to have to discipline Giriko after the festival about proper protocols," Esdeath's mouth spread in a sadistic smile as she shifted her stance, her rapier held at her waist. As the air began to grow colder, causing even Bazz-B to shiver before he intensified his flame aura, Esdeath chuckled maliciously, "Your confidence suggests your strength exceeds Uryu Ishida's. Let's test that, shall we? Cristaux de Glace!"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Bazz-B exclaimed and stomped his foot on the ground, a column of flame exploding into existence around him. Pointing his hand at the approaching Esdeath, a large spear of ice forming around her arm, Bazz-B laughed excitedly, "Let's find out what is stronger – your ice or my fire. Die ice bitch! Burner Finger Two!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"By the time you get here I shall have already sealed away the Original Life Fiber. I believe this is checkmate."<p>

Ragyo Kiryuin's maroon eyes narrowed in barely controlled rage, her teeth clenched in frustration, as Kisuke Urahara grinned cockily down at her. Out of all the humans on the planet Kisuke was one of the few that could pose a threat to her plans. He had managed to create a working Kamui, something she had deemed all but impossible for a normal human, as well as a Life Fiber blade on par with the Scissor Blades and Bakuzan. Ragyo did not know nor did she care how Kisuke Urahara managed to enter the Fiber Chamber. All that mattered was stopping him from touching a single fiber on the Original Life Fiber.

Taking a calming breath, her anger dissipating with every rise and fall of her chest, Ragyo narrowed her maroon eyes as a dark smile spread across her face. Noticing the subtle, but appreciable, shift in Kisuke's expression Ragyo wondered if he truly believed this was checkmate simply because he blindly stumbled upon the Original Life fiber. Chuckling coldly at the man that survived encountering her precious Nui, her laughter growing in tempo and more menacing with every passing second, Ragyo clapped her hands together mockingly, "This is quite impressive, Kisuke Urahara, but I'm sorely disappointed if this is the full extent of your plan! You claim to possess the ability to seal away the Original Life Fiber. So go ahead and seal it away. The only question is how many lives you're willing to sacrifice."

There was a tense silence after Ragyo spoke before an explosion, courtesy of Uryu's Stark Regen, reverberated through the stadium. Tipping his bucket hat forward Kisuke knew trying to pull the wool over Ragyo's eyes at this point would be incredibly stupid. Sighing sardonically as he subtly watched data scroll down a monitor below the camera he allowed a sly smirk to spread across his face, "Bluffing is unbecoming of you, Ragyo Kiryuin. The Life Fiber wards placed around this room prevents anyone from entering or leaving unless you accompany them. When your overly dedicated servant tried to stop me I was just barely able to stop the wards from eating him alive…"

"Kuroido was foolish for trying to stop you," Ragyo turned away from the screen, mirth clear in her maroon eyes, before gazing upon her daughter. The confused expression on her daughter's face suggested Kisuke's interruption had thrown off her meticulously crafted plan. Walking to the end of the runway without saying another word Ragyo stared at the battles raging below and was impressed, if only mildly, at the skills possessed by the Quincy.

Momentarily focusing on Yukio as the Xcution member summoned two golems Ragyo turned back to Kisuke and folded her arms under her bosom before smirking maliciously, "As amusing as this has been it's obvious you're stalling for time. A man of your intelligence wouldn't have dared show his face until after sealing the Original Life Fiber."

"That's an interesting idea," Kisuke's voice grew more serious as he placed a hand on his bucket hat. The sensors scattered throughout the Fiber Chamber were starting to behave erratically, which could only mean one thing. Pushing the hat down, shadows covering his eyes, Kisuke turned his attention to Ichigo and asked, "Can I count on you to deal with things on your end for a little while, Ichigo? The illustrious Kiryuin Manor is about to get a bit…chaotic. I'll catch up with you once I'm finished."

"La vie est drole," Ragyo closed her eyes as the rainbow light emanating from her silver hair intensified. Bathing in the cacophony of sounds from the battles raging below, her loyal Xcution fighting to kill those daring to stand in her way, Ragyo held a hand over her mouth and chuckled, "You are an amusing man, Kisuke Urahara but I have grown weary of this farce. Do you think you truly can defeat me?"

Kisuke scratched at the stubble on his chin before a childish grin spread across his face and the screen faded to black. Staring at the dead screen for several seconds, her maroon eyes narrowed in frustration, Ragyo's attitude perked up when she sensed someone rapidly running towards her. Calmly twisting her arm behind her body, her left pinky hooking through the hole in Ryuko's Scissor Blade, Ragyo chuckling derisively at Ryuko's astonished gasp, "Attacking while my back is turned? It seems your father truly did not teach you any manners."

"Shut up about my dad!" Ryuko shouted angrily as the vents on her back began blasting out steam.

Silver eyebrows momentarily quirking at the increase in power, maroon eyes growing more intrigued as her arm was bent backwards, Ragyo smirked as she abruptly stopped Ryuko's advance with the barest hints of power. Adjusting her grip on the Scissor Blade, her manicured fingers easily holding the hardened Life Fiber weapon without repercussion, Ragyo stared deep into Ryuko's gear-shaped pupils. Sighing nonchalantly, her free hand delicately caressing her cheek, Ragyo shook her head and asked, "Who are you, Ryuko Matoi? A normal human is unable to fully wear a Kamui without being devoured by the Life Fibers yet I can see you've fully synchronized with Senketsu. I wonder…"

As she tightly held onto the Scissor Blade, half-lidded eyes watching Ryuko struggle to free her blade, Ragyo couldn't help but feel there was something intimately familiar about the girl. It was unlikely that Souichiro, who had the audacity to take the name of the only man she would ever love, remarried and had another daughter after betraying her. Her constant assassination attempts made sure he couldn't settle down in one place for too long. Upon remembering how Ryuko could access Senketsu's advanced configurations without being devoured Ragyo's eyes widened as everything began to make sense.

"Yes, I know who you are now." Ragyo leaned forward, her face only inches from Ryuko's, as the rainbow light shining forth from her hair intensified. Gazing at Ryuko with a hungry expression in her eyes she whispered, "Your existence is truly a surprise, Ryuko Matoi! To think that –"

Ragyo was cut off when Ichigo appeared behind her, a deep scowl on his face, with Tournesol arcing downwards towards her head. Closing her eyes as Tournesol grew closer, the blue edge gleaming brightly in the morning light, Ragyo decided it was time to see how well Isshin had raised his son. As she released the Scissor Blade, Ryuko quickly pulling it back and gripping the handle with both hands, Ragyo huffed and raised her left hand. Curling the middle finger inwards under the thumb while the rest remained fully extended Ragyo smirked and flicked her finger at Ryuko.

Ryuko screamed in pain as the massive wave of air pressure hit her, the runway visibly bending and warping, before she was sent rocketing backwards through the air into the stands with a resounding crash. Staring in amusement at the rising cloud of dust while lowering her hand, a wisp of smoke rising off her finger, Ragyo's smirk widened into a sly grin as she quickly leaned backwards at her waist as Tournesol sliced through the air.

"Que c'est beau!"

Staring in adoration at Tournesol, the Life Fiber blade ringing with a beautiful tone, Ragyo smirked and sighed in satisfaction. She could feel the Banshi within the blade thrumming with power, and it angered her that a human, even a brilliant one, came up with such a remarkable idea. Once his foolish plan to seal away the Original Life Fiber failed, as Ragyo knew it would, she would take her time forcing Kisuke to tell her everything he knew.

Brought out her musings as she saw Tournesol arcing over her falling body Ragyo smirked as she spread her arms outwards. As her body came to quick and jarring halt, her head inches above the runway, Ragyo savored the shocked expression in Ichigo's eyes before reaching up and clasping her hand around his wrist, "You wear Mugetsu quite well, Ichigo…"

Ragyo's eyes shone with a malevolent light as she spun around, her limbs a blur of motion, and slammed Ichigo into the runway hard enough to crater it. Shaking her head sadly as she let go of Ichigo's wrist and watched him easily stand back on his feet, no doubt due to the Life Fibers in his body, Ragyo wondered if Isshin bothered to teach his son anything. His current level of strength, while impressive for a human, was utterly disappointing. Where was the strength Ichigo used to save her worthless daughter from Junketsu? Leaning her cheek onto her hand and sighing wistfully Ragyo continued from where she left off, "…but you should be stronger than this. Did that bumbling man teach you anything about what you truly are?"

"What is with you and my old man?" Ichigo groaned exasperatingly. He still didn't know how his dad knew Ragyo Kiryuin and he sure as hell didn't believe that heroic bullshit story about rescuing her from a burning building.

"Oh my…" An overly dramatic sigh escaped Ragyo's lip as she closed her eyes and shook her head. Turning away from Ichigo, her gaze on the battles below, Ragyo chuckled softly and added, "It is quite rude to ask a woman about such personal things."

Ichigo froze as his mind wrapped around the subtle implications of Ragyo's words. As his mind refused to do anything but visualize Ragyo and his dad together, their bodies pressed against each other, he was saved when a massive explosion lit up the stands behind him. Flying out of the explosion, crimson energy trailing off her Scissor Blade and clad in Senketsu Shippu, Ryuko hovered in the air for a moment before she spotted Ragyo. Roaring angrily as her body twisted around due to Senketsu's jets shifting directions Ryuko swung her Scissor Blade with all her might, the Kiryuin matriarch barely having time to turn around before she was enveloped in a massive burst of energy.

As she floated in midair, her legs curled under her body, Ryuko allowed a cocky grin to stretch across her face. It seems that waiting around for Ragyo to give her an opening paid off after all. Remembering to apologize to Senketsu after the festival for doubting him she spat on the ground and mockingly asked, "How is this for a surprise, Ragyo Kiryuin?"

"It seems I was right. Your father truly did not teach you any manners…"

As a bright rainbow pulse of light dissipated the dust kicked up from her attack Ryuko involuntarily gasped as she saw Ragyo holding the Scissor Blade inches above her head, her well-manicured fingers delicately gripping the hardened Life Fibers with ease. Drinking in the despair on Ryuko's face, her maroon eyes widening as the teen noticed her unblemished appearance, Ragyo's lips curled upwards into a psychotic smile. Tightening her grip on the Scissor Blade while slowly drawing her other arm back, her hand clenching into a fist, Ragyo stared directly into Ryuko's disbelieving eyes and chuckled, "Let me teach you what happens when you rudely interrupt a conversation…"

"Get away from her!"

Ichigo's shout distracted Ragyo just long enough for him to race towards her with his arm cocked back. Smashing his fist into Ragyo's face with a reverberating crack, causing the Kiryuin matriarch to involuntarily let go of Ryuko's Scissor Blade, Ichigo scowled as he landed on the runway. Glaring at Ragyo, who was leaning forward with her eyes cast in shadow, Ichigo raised Tournesol and turned to Ryuko, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but thanks for asking," Ryuko muttered, her eyes refusing to look at Ichigo, before turning her attention back to Ragyo Kiryuin.

"_**Ryuko…"**_ The seriousness in Senketsu's voice drew both Ryuko and Ichigo's attention. With his single multihued eye focused squarely on the supposedly injured Ragyo Senketsu shuddered as a feeling of dread coursed through his Life Fibers, _**"She's faking it…"**_

"_**Impossible!"**_ Mugetsu's tone was one of disbelief as she looked at her fellow Kamui, nervousness in her eyes, before swiveling around to look at Ragyo, _**"There's no way –"**_

"Ceci est merveilleux!"

Ragyo's eyes gleamed madly as she lowered her hand, exposing the perfect and flawless flesh of her cheek. Throwing her arms outwards, the rainbow light from her hair brightening, she began laughing melodiously as her gaze swept over the two teens. It pleased her tremendously to see Ichigo so readily accepting the Life Fibers in his body. It was cute to hear Ichigo constantly preach that he was human but Ragyo was no fool. That night seventeen years ago when she experimented on his body was the moment Ichigo stopped being a human and evolved into something far greater.

"Well, this has been fun…" Ragyo chuckled and cocked her head to the side, her cheek leaning on a closed fist. Closing her eyes, enjoying the grunts of frustration from Ryuko and the scathing look from Ichigo, Ragyo sighed gloomily. What was taking her worthless daughter so long to betray her? She didn't have all day to wait around and the COVERS invasion was scheduled to begin rather soon. Lips curling upwards into a smile as an idea came to mind Ragyo looked at Ryuko, "Isn't Senketsu a truly beautiful Kamui, Ryuko Matoi? Don't you just love the way he wears you? How every part of his being caresses your skin?"

Ryuko narrowed her eyes as a feeling of disgust coursed through her body, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ragyo's maroon eyes stared at Ryuko before a series of dry chuckles escaped her throat, "No, I suppose you wouldn't understand the wondrous feeling of being worn by a Kamui. It's quite disappointing your father didn't tell you anything before I had my darling Nui murder him…"

"T-That was you?" Ryuko's eyes were a storm of anger as her grip on the Scissor Blade tightened, "But I thought…"

"You thought my dear daughter was the one to give the order? That's an amusing idea but inaccurate," Ragyo answered nonchalantly as she turned away from Ichigo and Ryuko before walking back towards Satsuki and her Elite Four. Folding her arms under her chest, the tight dress helping to accentuate her figure, Ragyo smirked and looked over her shoulder, "Eleven years after your father escaped my grasp he created Anti-Life Fiber wards around his home designed to keep the Grand Couturier from finding him. Until seven months ago my precious Nui could not step within one hundred feet of your father's home. How happy I was that when he asked you, his only daughter, to visit and was forced to lower the Anti-Life Fiber wards for a single day…"

Ryuko's grip on the Scissor Blade slackened as the weight of Ragyo's revelation hit her. As the Life Fiber weapon fell to the runway, the sharp edge easily slicing through the steel, Ryuko's eyes quivered as her mind desperately tried to refute Ragyo's words, "N-No, that can't be true! You're lying!"

"Am I?" Ragyo asked as she shrugged nonchalantly at Ryuko's misery. Turning around as she reached Satsuki and her Elite Four, a rainbow aura shining through the seams of her pure white dress, she held one hand forward and scoffed, "That expression on your face…the crushing weight of the world…you fully understand what I'm saying, don't you Ryuko Matoi? The one who truly killed her father was not my precious Nui but –"

"Shut the hell up."

Pointing Tournesol towards the Kiryuin matriarch, the blue blade gleaming from her rainbow light, Ichigo scowled in annoyance and continued, "I'm so sick and tired of people like you talking about crap you make up on the spot. Everyone knows it was Nui Harime that killed Isshin Matoi. Besides, how the hell could you have known Ryuko was going to visit her dad if she didn't know until a few hours before?"

Anger passed through Ragyo's eyes at Ichigo's mentioning of Isshin Matoi but it disappeared too quickly for anyone to see. Ichigo just had to ruin her fun, didn't he? Turning to Ryuko through bored eyes, the tormented look in the girl's blue eyes as clear as day, Ragyo sighed wistfully at the lost opportunity. All that was needed was one more carefully worded half-truth and Ryuko would have been broken completely. Lips curling into a smile Ragyo began to mockingly clap at Ichigo, "Well spoken, Ichigo! That was quite the inspirational speech but I'm afraid our little confrontation must come to an end. Give me regards to Isshin when you see –"

Whatever Ragyo was going to suggest was harshly cut off as several dark green canisters rolled to a stop at her feet before detonating in an inferno of yellow flames as hot as the sun. As the Kiryuin matriarch screamed while desperately trying to put out the flames, which were hot enough that the runway was beginning to melt around her, Satsuki appeared right behind her with Junketsu already shifted into her activated configuration. Drawing Bakuzan, her face a mask of palpable rage as years of abuse came swimming to the surface, Satsuki did not hesitate to sever her mother's head.

"Honnouji Academy's rebellion against Life Fibers begins now!" Satsuki shouted as she slammed Bakuzan, her mother's blood dripping off the black blade, onto the runway. As she glared at the intense yellow flames still covering her mother's body Satsuki tilted her head slightly to the side, "Inumuta, do it."

"Right away," Inumuta gave a curt nod as he pulled a PDA out of his Probe Regalia. Pressing a single button, instantly hacking into the Revocs security grid and enslaved the system to his device, he smirked as hundreds of round machines appeared throughout the stadium and began peppering the Life Fiber cocoons with powerful Life Fiber jamming rounds.

"That technology…" Rei Hououmaru's amber eyes narrowed behind her aviator sunglasses as she watched Satsuki undo all of Lady Ragyo's hard work. Twisting her attention towards Inumuta, an arrogant smirk on the blue haired youth's face, Rei's voice held a hint of irritation as she noticed the needle he was absentmindedly playing with, "Those are Revocs Life Fiber Suppression and Hibernation Needles. How did you –"

She was cut off when Inumuta chuckled and pressed a button on his PDA. Scoffing as rolls of specialized fabric emerged from the runway, a new invention from the Sewing Club designed to seal Goku Uniforms, Rei didn't hesitate to leap away. Watching as the trap sealed upon itself, the rolls of fabric curling inwards in a mockery of a cocoon, Rei's brief elation was shattered when Sanageyama appeared behind her already clad in his Blade Regalia Mark III and smashed her headfirst into the runway.

"You're not going anywhere," Sanageyama warned as he slammed his shinai into the ground next to her head. Once he was sure Rei was completely immobilized, his free hand holding her head against the runway, he glanced in Inumuta's direction and smirked under his visor, "Looks like Plan B worked after all."

"Of course it did," Inumuta answered stoically as his Goku Uniform's collar automatically buttoned itself. Glancing at the Revocs secretary, unbothered by the smoldering anger in Hououmaru's eyes, Inumuta tucked his PDA away and added, "Lady Satsuki doesn't leave anything to chance."

Staring into the burning yellow flames enveloping her mother's body while just barely listening to her Elite Four's conversation Satsuki sighed in relief. Rei Hououmaru was currently incapacitated and it was only a matter of time before Tsumugiya managed to defeat Nui Harime. Closing her eyes and listening as the citizens of Honnou City regained their freedom, the Life Fiber cocoons shattering from the jamming rounds, Satsuki knew the battle was far from over even with the death of her mother, "Ichigo! Matoi! I wish to thank the both of you for your cooperation. Due to your defiance my mother lowered her guard long enough for me to land the finishing blow!"

"I don't know about that…I mean, wasn't she a Life Fiber Hybrid?" Ichigo muttered as he stared at Ragyo's burning form. Scratching the back of his neck, briefly apologizing to Mugetsu when he accidentally hit her eye with his elbow, he couldn't help but think that it shouldn't have been this easy.

"You make a valid point Ichigo, perhaps I should have used more explosives," Satsuki noted with a sly smirk before steeling her expression, "But I find it hard to believe Life Fibers can survive temperatures akin to the surface of the sun."

Ichigo couldn't find anything wrong with what Satsuki said but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling in the back of his head. Ragyo Kiryuin was a Life Fiber Hybrid like him and Nui so watching Satsuki kill her so easily bothered him tremendously. Frowning as he stared at Ragyo's corpse, his eyes looking for any sign of movement, Ichigo sighed and realized he was just overthinking things. Rubbing his nose, a relieved sigh escaping his lips, Ichigo perked up and looked around when he remembered something, "Hey, now that your mother's dead shouldn't we deal with Xcution?"

"Oh crap! I completely forgot about them!" Ryuko frantically looked around, her mood already back to normal, before running to the edge of the runway. Watching as an Xcution member summoned what looked like a large knight against one of the Sternritter she was about to go help when she heard Senketsu grumbling in displeasure. Looking at her left shoulder, the multihued eye of her Kamui narrowed for some reason, Ryuko blinked in confusion and asked, "Hey, what's wrong Senketsu?"

"_**It frays my fibers to see those raiment have special abilities,"**_ Senketsu's answered, his voice full of annoyance. As a Kamui his strength and power far eclipsed any raiment or regalia but watching those humans throw around ice and summon giant warriors ruffled his Life Fibers. Huffing, his body slightly squeezing around Ryuko in the process, Senketsu turned his gaze up to his wearer, _**"But we don't need any fancy tricks to win, Ryuko! Let's go down there and show those cheap knockoffs what a Kamui like me can do!"**_

"You're speaking my language, Senketsu!" Ryuko grinned eagerly. Now that Ragyo Kiryuin was dead, a bit more anticlimactically at that, all that was left was to take down Xcution. The thought that people would willingly work with someone as messed up as Satsuki's mother pissed her off but Ryuko was certain kicking their ass would help make her feel better. As she went to jump down, her first target already picked out, Ryuko stumbled when Satsuki's voice pierced through the air like a knife.

"Where do you think you're going, Matoi?" Satsuki's tone brokered no arguments. Smirking condescendingly at Ryuko, causing the teen to growl in return, Satsuki turned around and walked towards her Elite Four. Flicking Bakuzan to the side, droplets of Ragyo's blood splattering through the air, Satsuki's heel clicked loudly against the runway as an intense blue and white backdrop of light shone from behind her, "Honnouji Academy's forces will be more than enough to deal with Xcution!"

"That's one of the stupidest things I've heard you say, Satsuki Kiryuin!" Ryuko countered irritably, "My friends are down there fighting for their lives! Why the hell would I sit back and do nothing? Isn't that right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo didn't answer Ryuko's question right away, which caused her to growl in frustration, as he tried to ignore the increasingly loud voice in the back of his head. Looking around, his gaze shifting from Ragyo's corpse to Hououmaru's pinned form, he couldn't figure out what was bothering him. Deciding to err on the side of caution he walked towards Satsuki, careful to stay as far away from Ragyo as possible, and scowled, "Ryuko's right. Chad, Uryu and Ururu are fighting for their lives! I'm not about to just sit around and let them die! You know how strong Xcution is so why the hell are you asking us to do something so stupid?"

An airy smile appeared on Satsuki's face as she listened to Ichigo's argument. Tapping Bakuzan against the runway, the black metal chipping away at the steel floor, Satsuki took a deep breath before answering, "As contradictory as it sounds Xcution is not an invincible force, Ichigo. They are merely a collection of people held together by their loyalty and devotion to my mother. Now that she is dead and Hououmaru is incapacitated the only one able to keep them in line is the Grand Couturier. But as you know Nui Harime's full attention is currently focused on avoiding Tsumugiya's attacks. It is only a matter of time before Xcution shatters as their individual vices and weaknesses constructively interfere! I need you to trust me on this, Ichigo. It is my responsibility to correct the mistakes made by Ragyo Kiryuin!"

"As I said not even a minute ago that is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard!" Ryuko grumbled irritably as she listened to Satsuki. When she saw Ichigo seriously considering Satsuki's request she huffed loudly before stabbing her Scissor Blade into the runway and sitting with her back against it. Crossing her arms under her chest, Senketsu's eye matching her expression, Ryuko scoffed and growled, "What the hell am I going to do while your goons do all the fighting, Satsuki Kiryuin?"

"Do you seriously need to ask such a ridiculous question, Matoi?"

Appearing in front of her, his loud and boisterous voice whipping her red and black hair backwards, Ira Gamagori towered over Ryuko with his eyes glowing a malevolent yellow, "Has your Kamui's power made you daft? At this very moment Ururu Tsumugiya's battle against Nui Harime is destroying Honnouji Academy, which is private property! Such vagrant displays of vandalism and destruction is simply abhorrent! Since you are complaining about having nothing better to do why don't you make yourself useful and offer Tsumugiya assistance in stopping the Grand Couturier?"

"Tone it down, will ya?" Ryuko scoffed as she stuck a finger in her ear. Huffing as the ringing sound reverberating through her head quieted down she snorted and glared up at Gamagori's imposing form, "We're supposed to be allies now or something so get off your stupid high horse. Damn it, I don't know what Mako sees in you."

Gamagori's mouth opened halfway before he paused, a scowl forming on his face, and abruptly snapped it shut. Leaning back, his spike-covered forearms crossed in front of his chest, he glanced left and right before turning his attention back to Ryuko, "Where is Mankanshoku, Matoi?"

Ryuko's stare intensified for a moment, a huff of air escaping her lips, before she sighed and leaned back against the Scissor Blade. Folding her hands behind her head, careful to not hit Senketsu's eye, she yawned in boredom before speaking, "I told Mako to stay in Karakura Town with Ichigo's family. It was too dangerous to bring her along no matter how many snacks and souvenirs she bribed me with. Why do you even care?"

For a few seconds Gamagori seemed unable to speak but eventually he answered as a scowl formed on his face, "I care because as Disciplinary Committee Chair it is my duty to make sure each and every student is safe…even currently truant ones like Mankanshoku!"

Turning away from Ryuko before she could ask him anymore questions concerning his interest in Mankanshoku Gamagori clasped his hands behind his back and watched as a massive wave of fire clashed violently against a wall of ice. Grimacing as the stadium, and by proxy Honnouji Academy, was slowly but surely being destroyed, Gamagori's eyes shone with a bright yellow light as he activated his Shackle Regalia Mark II. Xcution's flagrant disregard of Honnouji Academy's rules would no longer be tolerated. Stomping towards the edge of the runway, green and purple bolts of electricity arcing around his body, Gamagori did not speak before leaping to join the fray below.

"I've always wanted to collect data about raiment," Inumuta quipped as he watched Gamagori leave. Shaking his head as the Disciplinary Committee Chair's laughter reached his ears, only stopping once Gamagori finally reached the ground, Inumuta pondered over what course of action he should take.

"_Going in covertly will enable to me to gather data about the basic functions of Xcution's raiment,"_ Inumuta thought as he crossed his arms, the three gold stars on his Goku Uniform's collar flaring brightly, before he was clad in his Probe Regalia Mark II. As he stood still, the blue polyhedron armor covering his body shimmering in the morning sun, Inumuta frowned as he thought over his second option, _"However direct combat will allow my sensors to collect valuable data surrounding the capabilities of raiment, which is information I can't obtain by standing back and observing from a safe distance…"_

Coming to a decision, his expression masked by his Probe Regalia, Inumuta's body began fading out as he activated his optical camouflage. As his body shimmered before disappearing he held off turning on his acoustical camouflage to ask Jakuzure, "Since information on raiment is so rare this is a perfect time for me to gather some. If it is possible could you allow yourself to get hit with a few attacks? Data about how your Symphony Regalia responds will be invaluable to Lady Satsuki's future plans."

Glaring at Inumuta Nonon's face darkened into a scowl, "One more clever word and you'll be pulling glass out of your face."

When Inumuta said nothing, his snobbish chuckling fading away as his Probe Regalia's acoustical camouflage kicked in, Nonon scoffed and stomped her foot against the runway. As much as she wanted to make good on her threats she knew that Lady Satsuki's orders came first. After all, she could always hunt Inumuta down after the festival. Touching a hand to her majorette hat, her fingers slowly trailing across the three gold stars, a snake-like grin spread across Nonon's face when she spotted the only person in the world she wanted to fight more than Strawberry.

Walking with a skip to her step, her Goku Uniform shining brightly before her body was surrounded by an explosion of blue stars and energy, Nonon reappeared a few seconds later hovering in the air over the runway clad in her Symphony Regalia Mark III. Spinning around and flying high above the stadium, her thrusters leaving thin contrails in her wake, Nonon held up her right arm as her subwoofers began charging with pink and violet energy. As she heard a gentle hum vibrate through the air, her subwoofers almost fully charged, Nonon looked down at the stadium and grinned viciously when she spotted Riruka Dokugamine.

With her battle staff firing indiscriminate Addiction Shots at Lille Barro, who was forced to break away every few seconds from his battle against Yukio in order to dodge the lethal bursts of energy, Riruka appeared to be in her own little world and completely ignorant of her presence. Smiling as she flipped backwards, a pink aura surrounding her body, Nonon twisted through the air before rocketed down towards the ground. Strafing to the side as Moe Shishigawara was sent flying into the stands from Meninas and Chad's combined attack Nonon shouted, "Let's see how fluffy you think this is, Dokugamine! Symphony Regalia: Prestissimo!"

Riruka's magenta eyes widened in surprise when she heard Nonon's voice pierce through the air. Turning around, her attention shifting from Lille Barro to the petite teenager, she gasped in shock when the pink heart-shaped concussive attacks tore right through her Dollhouse Zone, the microscopic circulating Life Fibers unable to account for the enormous amount of energy, before slamming into her body. Screaming in pain, her Duveteux Raiment's armor cracking slightly from the intense assault, Riruka was blasted through the stadium and out into Honnou City by the force of Nonon's attack.

Staring through the smoking hole she just made in the stadium, her armored lower arms folded across her chest while a smug grin adorned her face, Nonon moved to go after Riruka when she noticed Lille Barro standing nearby. Shouldering his rifle, his right eye quickly glancing at Bambietta's current status against Yukio he gave Nonon a small and courteous nod, "Your assistance is appreciated. Her constant attacks were starting to irritate me."

"There's no need to thank me, Quincy. Dokugamine has always been stubborn as a mule," Nonon answered as her thrusters shifted, sending her flying over the stadium's walls. As her pink eyes followed the trail of smoke and debris created by Riruka's less than graceful landing Nonon wasn't too worried about the gap between their powers. Riruka's raiment was definitely stronger than her Symphony Regalia but the magenta haired girl was as blind as a bat.

As she finally spotted Riruka, the Xcution member's trajectory having ended in the Two-Star Residential District, Nonon quickly spun around as an Addiction Shot pierced through the sky. Lips pulled up into a cocky grin, her speed in the air more than enough to avoid the badly aimed attacks, Nonon laughed as the sound of Riruka's frustration reached her ears.

"I should have known you would do something like this, Jakuzure!" Riruka spat out, her battle staff pointed in Nonon's general direction. Magenta eyes narrowed dangerously as a slight twitch developed over her right eye Riruka used her left hand to point at her Duveteux Raiment, "Look what you did to my new raiment! Lady Ragyo made this for me herself and you ruined it!"

"I'm so terribly sorry, Dokugamine," Nonon apologized sarcastically while giving Riruka an exaggerated and mocking bow, "But what can I say? Every time I see your ugly face I just get too pissed off to care."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Well, that went better than I expected…"<p>

A light and airy chuckle escaped Kisuke Urahara's mouth as he severed the connection between the Kiryuin Manor and Honnouji Academy. As a feeling of unease passed through his body, his coat ruffling as a stiff breeze coursed through the Life Fiber – Forbidden Room, Kisuke placed a hand on his bucket hat and let out a deep sigh. Turning around, his geta squishing against the Life Fibers covering the floor, the jovial smile adorning Kisuke's face vanished as he gazed up at the Original Life Fiber, "Now what I am going to do with you?"

Someone like Kisuke didn't live for as long as he did without developing a keen intuition. So as he stared at the Original Life Fiber, spirals and loops of Life Fibers emerging before disappearing, Kisuke couldn't shake the notion that something was wrong. Getting this far into the Kiryuin Manor should not have been nearly this straightforward. While passing through the wards surrounding the room had taken every piece of knowledge he knew concerning Life Fibers he shouldn't have been able to get this close to the Original Life Fiber without at least activating a trap.

"_I half expected it to attack as soon as I stepped in the room …"_ Kisuke mused, deep in thought, before examining the hibernating COVERS lining the circular walls. Seeing all the empty white suit-like creatures, tendrils of Life Fibers weaving through their collars, disturbingly reminded Kisuke of the suit Isshin had worn at his wedding, _"…or at least for the COVERS to activate. Either I sorely overestimated Ragyo Kiryuin's intelligence or she has a surprise in store for me…"_

As a soft shrilling ring interrupted his thoughts Kisuke reached into his pocket and brought out a device nearly the size of his hand. Staring at the radar-like screen, his mouth pulling into a grimace when he counted nearly thirty contacts, Kisuke knew he didn't have any more time. In less than two minutes he was going to be intercepted by what was most likely Ragyo Kiryuin's private security force. While he wasn't worried about fighting humans, even if they had automatic weapons, Kisuke did not want to wait around only to find Nui Harime leading them.

"I suppose there's no point in waiting any longer," Kisuke drawled, lightly tapping one of his geta against the Life Fibers on the floor, before turning away from the entrance to the room. Spreading his legs apart, his geta leaving small trails on the floor, Kisuke clenched his left wrist as the kanji for cloth appeared on the palm of his hand.

Motioning with his left arm towards the Original Life Fiber, his spiritual energy surging upwards, Kisuke took a deep breath as he shouted the incantation, "My left hand holds the shears to sever fate. My right fist clenches the needle to thread destiny. The falling stars in the heavens flicker and dim! Red fades to black which fades to nothingness! Deny the hand of destiny to obtain the key to freedom! Let the heavens weep and the earth erupt with fire! Life Fiber Seal Number Two – Kōgō Nuno Shīru!"

A pregnant silence filled the room as Kisuke finished the incantation. It had taken the better part of the last two months to invent Kōgō Nuno Shīru and while the technique wasn't yet perfected it seemed to do the trick. Sighing in relief, his breath coming out slightly heavy, Kisuke allowed his arm to fall towards his side when he saw the air around the Original Life Fiber beginning to shimmer with a faint green glow. Squinting slightly when a burst of light permeated the room, the shadows from the hundreds of COVERS lining the room temporarily vanishing, Kisuke allowed the adrenaline of battle to vanish when he saw the seal was working.

"And Yoruichi always warned me to test my inventions thoroughly…" Kisuke smirked, pride clearly seen on his face, as he witnessed the Kōgō Nuno Shīru surrounding the Original Life Fiber. Taking the form of a green translucent sphere composed of interlocking hexagonal plates, which served to increase its ability to withstand any attacks from the Life Fibers trapped within its confines, the Kōgō Nuno Shīru was designed to completely cut off the Original Life Fiber from the rest of world and prevent whatever Ragyo Kiryuin had planned from commencing.

When the sounds of boots running down the steps right outside the room reached his ears, the sensors reporting thirty three people, Kisuke sighed and scratched at his stubble. From what he could tell none of them were Life Fiber Hybrids like Nui Harime or Ichigo, which meant he'd have no trouble escaping. Gripping Benihime's hilt, his hand ready to unsheathe his zanpakuto at a moment's notice, Kisuke waited patiently as the intricate doors leading into the Life Fiber – Forbidden Room were forcibly slammed open. Humming softly as dozens of people clad in full-body white hazmat suits, their faces completely closed off from the world, Kisuke waved at the blond haired teen wearing a lab coat and a translucent orange facemask.

"Hello! It's quite a strange coincidence to meet you in a fancy place like this!" Kisuke cheerfully exclaimed, causing Iori Shiro to stammer in surprise, before pulling a small fan out of his coat and snapping it open with a flick of his wrist.

"W-Who are you?" Iori asked, the shock of seeing someone standing in the Life Fiber – Forbidden Room momentarily overwhelming him. When he arrived at the manor minutes ago, his uncle already waiting to let the Sewing Club inside, he had been fully prepared to disable the wards surrounding the chamber using the sample of Ragyo Kiryuin's hair Lady Satsuki managed to procure for them. Seeing this man standing so calmly in front of the most dangerous creature in the world with a sly glint in his eyes was unnerving.

"I'm just the owner of a small candy shop that happens to know a thing or two about Life Fibers," Kisuke answered before chuckling in amusement. It appeared he was wrong about who Iori worked for. From the equipment his men were carrying to the way he made sure to not breathe in microscopic Life Fibers it seemed Iori's intentions were similar to his own, "But a thank you would be nice. I am the one who dismantled the wards surrounding this room, after all."

Iori didn't even know how to respond to Kisuke's explanation. As his patience grew thin he raised his arm, the members of the Sewing Club quickly aiming their weapons at Kisuke, and demanded, "How did you manage to get through the wards?"

"That's an interesting question…" His mouth hidden behind his fan, his voice drawling in a lazy tone, Kisuke had a bemused grin as he pointed a finger in the air and continued, "It was difficult to bypass them without using Ragyo Kiryuin's Life Fibers but as you can see I was able to do it. Also, if you would so kindly look behind me, I managed to seal the Original Life Fiber."

Looking up at the Original Life Fiber for the first time since entering the room Iori was shocked to see a faint green sphere surrounding it. He couldn't believe how this man, a complete stranger in the world of Life Fibers, could have accomplished such a feat. Lady Satsuki had spent the last thirteen years plotting to overthrow and stop her mother and yet this man managed to do so without even raising a single alarm? Lowering his arm, his fellow club members relaxing their stances, Iori walked forward and shook Kisuke's hand, "I am Iori Shiro of Honnouji Academy's Sewing Club! We were sent here by Lady Satsuki to force the Original Life Fiber into hibernation and neutralize the COVERS. I, along with everyone at Honnouji Academy, thank you for your help."

Kisuke scratched at his chin, a blush of embarrassment on his face, and laughed, "Thank you for the compliment but let's not get too ahead of ourselves! The Kōgō Nuno Shīru was designed to seal away only the Original Life Fiber. All the COVERS surrounding us are still highly dangerous and could activate at any moment!"

Twisting around, his Goku Uniform ruffling in the air from the sudden movement, Iori faced his men and barked, "Spread out and use the Life Fiber freezing agent on every single one of the COVERS. We cannot afford to let any escape!"

As he watched the Sewing Club fan out across the room, their specialized weapons covering the Life Fiber creatures in a special mixture designed to prevent them from moving, Kisuke couldn't help but wonder how things were progressing at Honnouji Academy. It would be foolish to think that sealing away the Original Life Fiber would automatically lead to Ragyo Kiryuin's defeat. Taking her down, as well as Nui Harime, was going to take a lot of time and planning. Ichigo and Ryuko Matoi, along with their respective Kamui, would help dampen Ragyo's advantage but defeating her was going to take more than raw power.

"_That reminds me. I need to have a talk with Isshin about when he was going to tell me Ururu was the Grand Couturier's twin sister. I don't think Yoruichi will –"_

Torn out of his thoughts when the device in his pocket began acting up again, this time with a familiar ringtone, Kisuke fished it out of his coat and read the data streaming down the screen. Quickly interpreting what it meant, a small frown on his face as he realized what was about to happen, Kisuke adjusted his bucket hat and tapped Iori on the shoulder, "I highly advise we all flee the manor as quickly as possible…preferably within the next three or four minutes."

Iori's golden eyes widened at the serious tone in Kisuke's voice. Turning around, his breath fogging up the inside of his facemask, he asked, "What happened?"

"There's no time to explain so I'll give you the summary," Kisuke said as he walked over to his equipment and began packing up, "My sensors detected a brief ultra-high frequency, far out of the range of human hearing, which originated from Honnouji Academy. From what I can tell the signal is supposed to awaken the Original Life Fiber from its slumber. An activation signal if you will."

"Damn…" Iori seethed in frustration. If Ragyo Kiryuin was able to send out an activation signal than Lady Satsuki must have failed to kill her. Shaking his head, unwilling to dwell on the consequences of failure, Iori shouted at the Sewing Club to pull out before looking over his shoulder at Kisuke, "How this this possible? I thought you managed to seal away the Original Life Fiber. Did you not foresee something like this happening?"

Kisuke grimaced, his eyes focused on the minute cracks appearing across the spherical shell, before answering, "I'm afraid therein lies the problem. It took me most of the last two months to create the Kōgō Nuno Shīru, which wasn't nearly enough time to ensure it would work. Creating a technique of such complexity, especially when you're trying to not draw the attention of someone like Ragyo Kiryuin's little helper, is not a walk in the park. Judging from the current rate of degradation we have roughly six minutes until the seal fails completely."

Scowling Iori turned to the members of the Sewing Club, who had gathered in front of him, and shouted, "You heard the man so move out! The fact that the Original Life Fiber is waking up means Lady Satsuki's plan has failed! Head back to Honnouji Academy and –"

"That would not be a good idea…"

Iori's whipped around, a furious expression on his face, and argued, "I am not going to leave Lady Satsuki to fend against her mother alone!"

Kisuke waited patiently for Iori to finish speaking before he sighed wearily. Placing a hand on his bucket hat, the shadows covering his face making him appear far older, Kisuke mulled over his answer before explaining, "The fact Ragyo Kiryuin sent the activation signal means things at Honnouji Academy probably aren't going as smoothly as you hoped. Oh boy, I suspect Honnouji Academy is about to become the scene of something truly terrifying…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Standing on the edge of the runway, her long black hair blowing in the wind, Satsuki allowed her lips to curl into a smirk as she watched the progress of the battles raging below. Closing her eyes, her mind deep in thought, as a series of explosions from deep within the academy shattered most of the windows Satsuki could sense the climax of the Great Culture and Sports Festival rapidly approaching. With Ichigo's allies dealing with Xcution and Matoi assisting Tsumugiya in neutralizing the Grand Couturier it was merely a matter of time before victory was all but assured.<p>

Turning her head slightly when a burst of red light shone through the broken windows of Honnouji Academy, followed soon after by Matoi's cursing, Satsuki wondered what was taking her so long to deal with Nui Harime. When the Grand Couturier's battle against her twin sister brought her onto the runway Satsuki had been certain Nui was on the verge of defeat. The blonde haired Life Fiber Hybrid had been panting heavily while favoring her left leg, her right eye nearly forced shut by a trail of blood oozing down from her forehead, as her bloody hand tightly gripped her new Needle Blade. For a moment Satsuki weighed dealing the final blow, a form of repentance for the lives Nui ruined, but stopped when she was literally beaten to the punch by Matoi.

As soon as Matoi noticed Nui Harime she had leapt to her feet, pulled the red Scissor Blade out of the runway and smashed her fist against the preoccupied Grand Couturier's face with enough force to send her flying into the stands. Before she had gone after Nui, Senketsu steaming with power, Matoi had turned to Ichigo and shouted that they had a lot to talk about after she kicked Nui's ass and that he better not die before she got back.

A frown developed on Satsuki's face as a strange tightness spread across her chest. Quickly assuming the strain of wearing Junketsu was the cause Satsuki retracted her conclusion when she noticed the absence of malice in her Kamui's multihued eyes. Pursing her lips as she failed to determine the cause of the feeling Satsuki shook her head and mentally noted to figure it out once the festival was over.

"Is this your so-called freedom, Lady Satsuki?"

Pinning down beneath Sanageyama's Blade Regalia, her white suit scuffed and dirtied, Rei Hououmaru glared furiously at Satsuki as a small trickle of blood coursed down her face. Once Hououmaru saw she had the teenager's full attention she laughed and asked, "Can someone like you truly call this freedom?"

"I'm not surprised you are unable to see what is in front of your eyes, Hououmaru," Satsuki answered evenly as she stared down at the incapacitated Hououmaru before scoffing at the glare she received in return, "A willing slave to Life Fibers such as yourself does not possess the right to argue about freedom."

"You claim I don't know freedom but you yourself are completely ignorant of the concept," Hououmaru let her head rest against the runway for a second, her chest rising and falling as she laughed, before looking directly into Satsuki's eyes, "Were your exact words at the start of the school year not 'fear is freedom' and 'subjugation is liberation'? The foundations of your little academy are as far removed from freedom as Lady Ragyo was from humanity. The truth of the matter is you have no idea what freedom, true or otherwise, is!"

Satsuki stared at Hououmaru for several seconds, her gaze firm despite the storm of emotions in her blue eyes, before she turned and motioned with her arm towards the stadium surrounding them. As the battles against Xcution continued to shift in her favor, the additional power of her Elite Four's regalia helping to turn the tide, Satsuki slammed Bakuzan against the runway as she answered, "I beg to differ. You are basing your ideas of freedom off misguided concepts and false ideals. Does not the military tear down new recruits before building them back up? I took that concept, sharpened and tempered over thousands of years, and applied it to Honnouji Academy! There cannot be freedom if humanity is not willing to fight for it!"

"That's an interesting point of view, Lady Satsuki," Hououmaru sneered, her tone sarcastic and mocking, before wincing when Sanageyama adjusted his grip. Waiting a moment for the pain to subside, a temporarily scowl on her face, Hououmaru took a deep breath before continuing, "If that is the case answer me this – what do you intend to do once this day is over? Will you simply step aside and allow the chaos that will envelop humanity to unfold or will you take your mother's place as head of Revocs?

"Such absurdity is unbecoming of you, Hououmaru," Satsuki scathingly replied as she listened to the dark skinned woman's mocking tone. Tightening her grip around Bakuzan's hilt, the leather crackling under the pressure, Satsuki scoffed lightly before she continued, "Revocs shall not survive the death of my mother and the destruction of Xcution. Take a look around and tell me what you see. Your fellow slaves to Life Fibers are being systematically defeated, their raiment no match for the strength of humanity."

"That may be true…there are those who possess the necessary strength to oppose Life Fibers," Hououmaru chuckled as she once again allowed her head to rest on the runway. Lips curling upwards into an unseen smirk when she felt the Life Fibers in her uniform begin to quiver with power Hououmaru glowered at Satsuki and said, "…but the same does not apply to you, Lady Satsuki."

When Satsuki didn't speak, her full attention on the incapacitated woman, Hououmaru's smirk evolved into full blown laughter, "The power you claim is your own is nothing more than what you borrowed from Junketsu. Every battle your little academy won, every school conquered in the name of Lady Ragyo, every single one of your accomplishments is because you used Life Fibers! If it weren't for the generosity of Lady Ragyo you would be nothing more than a scared child. Face it…it is only because of Junketsu's power that you were able to stab your mother in the back like a pathetic little –"

"You shall not insult Lady Satsuki anymore!"

Hououmaru was cut off when Sanageyama grabbed her head, his Blade Regalia's gauntlet gripping her light purple hair like a vice, and painfully slammed it against the runway with a resounding thud. As he leaned over the coughing secretary, blindfolded eyes narrowing dangerously, Sanageyama slowly pulled Hououmaru out of the runway and held his shinai under her throat, "Say one more word and I shall make you regret it!"

"Stay your hand, Sanageyama," Satsuki ordered, the simple sound of her voice causing the blind youth to lower his shinai, as she slowly walked towards the incapacitated Hououmaru. Grimacing in disgust Satsuki raised Bakuzan, streaks of dark crimson coating the blade's surface, and placed it directly under Hououmaru's chin, "Your words do not move me, Hououmaru. Do you have anything else to say before I pass judgment?"

The dark skinned woman bit her lip as she coughed, flecks of blood coating the runway, before scoffing at Satsuki, "Tell me one thing, Lady Satsuki. When was it you decided to betray Lady Ragyo?"

"You seem to be under the delusion that I was ever loyal to my mother!" Satsuki exclaimed passionately as the backdrop of light reappeared behind her head. Staring down at Hououmaru, the dark skinned woman forced to squint slightly from the intense light, Satsuki's face twisted into an angry scowl as the list of every atrocity and crime the woman committed flitted across her mind. Flicking her wrist, sunlight reflecting brilliantly off Bakuzan's blade, Satsuki's presence seemed to double as she shouted, "Everything I have done over the past thirteen years has been to see this day come to pass! Ever since she had my father murdered and –"

Hououmaru spat a glob of blood on the ground as she was forced to listen to Satsuki's vapid excuses. Glowering as she ignored the backdrop of light that could only dream of matching the splendor of her mother's Hououmaru's lips curled up into a half-smirk as she interrupted her, "So this is all about revenge? That only makes you even more of a joke, Lady Satsuki. Did you not tell Ryuko Matoi that her goal of killing the Grand Couturier was pathetic and empty?"

"There is a difference between Matoi and myself," Satsuki bit back before turning her head to hide the slight paling of her face, "She wished for nothing more than simple vengeance against the Grand Couturier for murdering her father. I, on the hand, wished not for revenge but retribution against my mother for all the crimes and atrocities she's committed in the name of Life Fibers."

"You must think you sound so righteous right now, don't you Lady Satsuki?" Hououmaru's smirk widened when she saw a brief glimmer of uncertainty appear on Satsuki's face, "If this claim of retribution is the truth then why did you alienate every ally that could possibly help defeat Life Fibers? Lady Ragyo told you of Nudist Beach's strength and power yet you did everything you could to destroy them. Why?"

"It was necessary to keep Revocs and my mother in the dark," Satsuki explained calmly even as her voice developed a scathing undertone, "My mother was a shrewd and calculating woman who killed anyone that stood in her way however she made one. Fatal. Error. Before she had my father murdered he entrusted me with the truth and responsibility of destroying Life Fibers. That is why I stood in silence at her side and behaved like a good daughter! It did not matter what I had to do, whether it be attacking Nudist Beach or capturing traitors to Revocs. If it meant destroying my mother then I would harden my heart and commit atrocities without pause!"

A massive explosion lit up the stadium in shades of red and auburn as Satsuki finished speaking. Pulling Bakuzan away from Hououmaru's throat Satsuki sneered before stabbing the blade into the runway and shouting, "You dare to claim my methods pushed away my allies? By taking the title of villain I made sure Nudist Beach's full attention was on me at all times!"

Her brow creasing in confusion when Satsuki snapped her fingers Hououmaru felt Sanageyama's grip on her body shift before she was suddenly and violently lofted into the air. Held firmly in his Blade Regalia's grip, his Blade Regalia preventing her from moving her fingers more than inch, Hououmaru sneered but she could not hide the astonishment on her face at what she saw transpiring below – Xcution was losing.

Amber eyes wide in surprise Hououmaru watched as Giriko Kutsuzawa was slowly and systematically overwhelmed by the combined power of Uryu Ishida and Houka Inumuta. Hououmaru couldn't understand how that was even possible. Giriko's Époque Raiment should have been more than powerful enough to kill the two teenagers without much difficulty and yet she could see him struggling to keep up with Uryu's speed and Inumuta's digital clones and optical camouflage. Mouth slightly agape when she saw Uryu avoid Giriko's attack only for Inumuta to appear out of thin air and land a bone shattering kick Hououmaru turned towards Satsuki, her voice full of fury, and asked, "How is this possible! Xcution should be strong enough to deal with a few humans!"

"The true power of humanity is not dependent on Life Fibers!" Satsuki shouted, her voice reaching over the sound of explosions. Smirking victorious as she felt the endgame approaching Satsuki hoisted Bakuzan into the air and exclaimed, "Today marks the end of Revocs!"

"Au contraire, my foolish daughter, we have yet to truly start…"

Satsuki gasped, her blue eyes widening in astonishment, at the intimately familiar voice behind her. Turning around, disbelief racing through her mind, Satsuki saw her mother standing on the far end of the runway with her arms folded under her chest. While the pure white dress, which had been burnt to nothingness under the intense heat of the flames, was restored to pristine condition it was the fact that Ragyo's head was back on her shoulders that stunned her more than anything.

Clapping her hands sarcastically, a wide and mocking smile on her face, Ragyo Kiryuin stood tall as she stopped holding in her rainbow aura. As the multicolored light burst forth from her body, illuminating the stadium in its brilliance, Ragyo spread her arms out and laughed, "Your skill at monologue is quite impressive, Satsuki. That little speech was truly inspiring even if half of what you said was nothing but lies. Hmm…your fear and terror seems to have rendered you mute. Can you not comprehend what is in front of your eyes?"

"Impossible!" Satsuki finally stammered incredulously as her voice returned. Gnashing her teeth together as a bead of nervous sweat dripped down her face she glared harshly at her mother with cold blue eyes, Bakuzan gripped tightly in her hand, and growled, "How did you survive?"

"Did you truly believe something like that was hot enough to destroy Life Fibers?" Ragyo asked wistfully as she rested her cheek against the palm of her hand, "Quelle folie…"

Turning her attention to Ichigo, her interest in Satsuki faded momentarily, Ragyo quirked an eyebrow when she noticed he looked far less shocked at her miraculous survival than her daughter. Lips curling into a pleased smile while the rainbow light shining from her hair increased in brightness Ragyo could not help but shake her head and wished once more that Ichigo had been her child instead of Satsuki. Allowing a sigh to escape her lips Ragyo smirked in bemusement as she addressed Satsuki, "As long as a single Life Fiber remains of my body I can fully regenerate from any injury. Satsuki…the screams of pain you're convinced you heard was simply acting. However I'm afraid that is a lesson you'll learn far too late."

"Is that so?" Satsuki's fear bled away only to be replaced by anger and frustration. It had been foolish for her to assume that her mother, a Life Fiber Hybrid, would be killed so easily. Tightly clenching her hands around Bakuzan's hilt, sunlight glistening off the blade, Satsuki's brow creased into a scowl, "Your arrogance will be your downfall, Ragyo Kiryuin! If severing your head does not suffice than I shall grind your body into nothing but dust!"

"Hmm…" Ragyo chuckled and cocked her head back, manicured hands delicately folded on her hips, as she listened to Satsuki's declaration, "Is that anyway to speak to your mother? I know I taught you proper manners. And you had the gall to call me a monster. I'm –"

Ragyo cut herself off when her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her. Lips curling up in amusement as she waited, maroon eyes wide with mirth, Ragyo wasn't disappointed when Ichigo appeared in the air above her a moment later. Clad in Mugetsu's Zangetsu configuration, power thrumming through his Kamui as he held Tournesol aloft above his head, Ichigo gritted his teeth as he swung at Ragyo only for her to easily sidestep the attack without even looking.

"It is rude to interrupt someone else's conversation, Ichigo. Did your father teach you nothing?" Ragyo's voice was little more than a bemused whisper as she turned to face Ichigo. Dodging the sneak attack with enviable ease she turned to face Ichigo and stared into his shocked brown eyes before she reared her arm back and jabbed it directly into his stomach. Stoically watching Ichigo gag, his breath coming out harshly, Ragyo sighed wistfully as he was blown down the runway towards her daughter, "But then again this is Isshin we're talking about…"

Sliding to a stop in front of Satsuki's feet, his stomach feeling like Kenpachi tried to use it as his personal punching bag, Ichigo grunted in pain as he propped himself on his elbows. Staring down the runway at Ragyo, who had a bemused look on her face, Ichigo was getting sick and tired of people giving him vague as hell hints about things that happened in the past. As he pushed himself onto his knees and stood back up Ichigo made a mental note to remember to force his old man to explain everything about his relationship with Ragyo Kiryuin.

"That was incredibly foolish of you, Ichigo." Satsuki didn't even bother sparing Ichigo a disappointed aside glance as she spoke, "Did you really think something as simple as a sneak attack would work on my mother?"

"I wasn't about to just stand around. Her voice was starting to get on my nerves," Ichigo snapped back in annoyance. Usually he would spend the time his opponent talked about their powers or whatever to come up with a plan to take them down but Ragyo Kiryuin was different. Now that he had a moment to think about it she was a lot like Aizen – smug, smart and overbearingly powerful. In his brief battle against her alongside Ryuko he could sense that she wasn't even trying to fight back so attempting to come up with a plan to defeat her was going to take more than a few minutes. Tightening his grip on Tournesol, Mugetsu shifting back to her base configuration to conserve energy, Ichigo stood next to Satsuki and asked, "You have any ideas how to take her down?"

Ragyo strummed her fingers against her arm, her lips pursed in a disappointed frown, as Satsuki chastised Ichigo. After allowing them to argue for about a minute, her amusement growing by the second, Ragyo clapped her hands to get Ichigo and Satsuki's attention. Watching as their bodies tensed in preparation for an attack Ragyo folded her arms beneath her chest and looked at her daughter, "Oh my…it seems that preparing for this festival has caused me to completely forget. Satsuki, how goes your courtship with Ichigo?"

Despite Sanageyama's harsh coughing in the background, causing him to accidently push Hououmaru deeper into the runway, Satsuki heard her mother loud and clear. Narrowing her eyes while biting her lower lip she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I was just curious about how things were proceeding," Ragyo answered nonchalantly. Smirking as she noticed the faintest of blushes adorning her daughter's cheeks, something which Satsuki was desperately trying to hide, the Kiryuin matriarch paced back and forth across the runway as a series of light snickers escaped her mouth, "You cannot fool your own mother, Satsuki. Your words came across as clear as day despite your best attempts to hide them behind ambiguity. The night of the Parent Student Day, when I gave you permission to court Ichigo, your words were full of praise. Why, I'd even go as far to say you were enamored with him."

When Satsuki did not respond, her head hanging low as her hand clenched dangerously around Bakuzan's hilt, Ragyo's eyes widened in mock surprise, "Don't tell me you never made a move on Ichigo. That's such a shame…by the time I was your age I had dozens of men pining for my attention. Granted I didn't care at all about them but that's no excuse for you. As your mother I want only the best for you so let me tell you that asking is always the hardest part. Once you actually ask Ichigo out I'm sure that he'll be more than willing to accept, wouldn't you Ichigo?"

"What the hell kind of loaded question is that?" Ichigo shouted as he desperately tried to ignore the five pairs of eyes focused completely on him. He remembered clearly the last time his dad tried to give him advice about dating girls and Ichigo was adamant on preventing another debacle like that from ever happening.

"It's not a loaded question if the answer is either yes or no," Ragyo clarified as she propped her cheek against her fist, a sigh of contentment flowing from her lips.

"That is too a loaded question!" Ichigo argued as he took a step back from Ragyo. As a blush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks Ichigo vigorously pointed at Ragyo and shouted, "If I say no then you'll just ask what is wrong with Satsuki. Not only that her four goons will hunt me down and force me to say yes! So no matter what I say there is no correct answer!"

"Just like Isshin…" Ragyo shook in head in amusement, memories of her first encounter with Isshin forefront in her mind, before turning half-lidded maroon eyes to Satsuki, "You've been awfully silent, Satsuki. Don't tell me that you're too embarrassed by your mother's gossip that you've forgotten how to speak. If it's really that difficult for you I suppose I can offer you a helpful hand. If I remember correctly Isshin tried to make a self-help video nineteen years ago. I can go get it and –"

That was the last straw for Satsuki. Glaring at her mother, a blush visible on her face despite the rage simmering in her eyes, Satsuki gritted her teeth and shouted, "That's enough of this foolishness, Ragyo Kiryuin! We will not listen to any more of your lies!"

"Actually…she's not lying…"

Refusing to look at Satsuki, his gaze firmly on the stands to his left, Ichigo scratched at the nape of his neck, "The video actually exists. It's…worse than it sounds. I would rather fight Nui Harime without Mugetsu than be forced to watch that…that monstrosity again."

"It wasn't that bad," Ragyo smirked as she felt something prickling at the edges of her senses. Realizing it was time for things to reach a crescendo, the rainbow light emanating from her hair intensifying, Ragyo looked up into the sky and chuckled, "I do suppose Isshin tends to go overboard when he gets excited but that only makes me love him even more. Why, I remember one Valentine's Day when Isshin confused ounces with kilograms. It took months to go through sixteen kilograms of chocolate candies… "

Satsuki ignored the mutter of 'oh damn it' from Ichigo as she tried to pierce through the veil her mother was setting up. Staring at her mother while observing everything she did or said Satsuki decided to bait her. Lowering Bakuzan, Ragyo's eyebrows quirking in interest, Satsuki smirked and said, "You were right about one thing. I do harbor feelings for Ichigo but he already knows that. What we experienced in Karakura Town is not something that can be replicated."

A stiff wind blew through the stadium after Satsuki finished speaking. There was a momentary silence as everyone turned towards her before Ragyo gasped and covered her mouth, "Oh my…I was wrong about you, Satsuki. You managed to take things with Ichigo much further than I would have dared to dream…"

"WHAT!" Sanageyama's shout of disbelief reached far across the stadium, causing the various combatants fighting below to briefly look upwards in confusion for a moment. Shifting his weight so that Hououmaru was pinned down with his leg Sanageyama threateningly waved his shinai at Ichigo as he looked at Satsuki, "Tell me that didn't happen, Lady Satsuki!"

"It didn't happen!" Ichigo exclaimed instead, the sheer nonsense of the situation finally getting to him. Pointing a finger at Ragyo, who had a look of innocence on her face, he turned to Sanageyama and shouted, "She's screwing around with us! Nothing like that happened in Karakura Town!"

"Ichigo…"

As Ichigo was about to swear to Sanageyama under pain of death that did not, in fact, have sex with Lady Satsuki he froze upon hearing the aforementioned woman's cold voice. Turning slowly towards Satsuki, whose attention was firmly locked on her mother, Ichigo swallowed nervously, "Yes?"

"Did my mother…" Satsuki seemed to be repressing a vast amount of embarrassment as she spoke, her tone constantly shifting back and forth between tranquility and fury as she glared with hatred at Ragyo, "…just imply what I think she did?"

"Come now Satsuki, there's no shame in finding a man to love," Ragyo added, unperturbed about the furious gaze her daughter was giving her. When the prickling sensation at the back of her mind grew stronger, the state of Life Fibers nearly palpable, Ragyo pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "I suppose I am a tad jealous that your first time was with Ichigo. I truly wish Isshin Shiba was mine but unfortunately that claim belongs to Souichiro and we all know how well that turned out…"

Ignoring Ragyo referring to his dad as Shiba for the moment, which would only serve to open a can of worms that he wasn't prepared to deal with, Ichigo glanced at Satsuki and saw that she was on the verge of losing it. Turning to Satsuki's mother, shuddering slightly at the implications of her words, he asked, "Are you saying you and my old man –"

"It is not polite to ask a woman such intimate questions. If you are curious I suppose you can ask Isshin but, knowing that man, he will probably come up with a random excuse and run away," Ragyo rested a hand against her cheek and turned away from Ichigo and Satsuki with a faint blush on her face in order to hide the conniving grin threatening to spread across her face. Taking a moment to scan the stadium below Ragyo noted that Xcution was nearly on the verge of defeat and sighed. Good help was just so hard to find these days. Even after she spent time and money searching for people with exceptionally high resistance to Life Fibers they still couldn't compare to a Kamui or a hybrid like herself.

"Still…losing Isshin did have some benefits," Ragyo muttered quietly as she turned back to face Ichigo. Amusingly staring at Ichigo, her maroon eyes observing every twitch of his body, Ragyo shook her head, "I think we've gotten a bit off topic. You never did answer my question about whether you would agree to court Satsuki."

Biting her lip hard enough to nearly draw blood as she desperately tried to hide the blush spread across her cheeks Satsuki glared at Sanageyama when she heard him still arguing with Ichigo. As the blind kendo master wilted and quickly shut up under her furious gaze Satsuki turned back around to Ragyo and seethed, "No more stalling, Ragyo Kiryuin! There is nothing you can say to prevent your death!"

"I do suppose we've reached an impasse," Ragyo looked off the side, her eyes focused on something in the distance, before she sighed, "It seems Xcution is missing someone. It looks like I'm going to have to discuss the proper etiquette when taking a vacation with that coward when I return to Revocs."

"You are delusional if you believe you'll escape this fate, Ragyo Kiryuin!" Sliding her foot back, Bakuzan held perpendicular to the ground, Satsuki's eyes were cold as she glowered at her mother, "For all the crimes you committed, every atrocity you inflicted upon humanity, your life is now forfeit!"

"Oh, is that so?" Ragyo's tone was sarcastic, her eyes half-lidded out of boredom, as she chuckled in amusement. It was entertaining to listen to Satsuki but it looked like she was out of time, "Then by all means do you best to take my head a second time, Satsuki. It wasn't like Ichigo and Ryuko Matoi tried their hardest to land a single hit on me only to fail…"

"You continue to underestimate me, Ragyo Kiryuin!" Satsuki shouted passionately as she stepped towards her mother, Bakuzan held tightly in her grip, "You may be strong but –"

"Hold that thought for a moment, Satsuki." Turning around and exposing her back to Satsuki Ragyo walked down the runway, her steps slow and deliberate, before she came to a stop right near the end. Staring out over the stadium, her maroon eyes closed as her lips curled up into a smirk, Ragyo raised her hand into the air and snapped her fingers. As a pulse of power rippled outwards, causing Ichigo to involuntarily shudder, Ragyo looked over her shoulder as the sky turned blood red, "Now, what was it you were saying?"

Staring up into the sky, the crisscrossing familiar pattern of Life Fibers turning the clouds and sun an evil shade of crimson, Ichigo watched as thousands of Life Fibers began to slowly descend. Brown eyes widening as the dense balls of Life Fibers spun around before they each transformed into thin white suits, red energy shining out from their interiors, Ichigo took a nervous step back, "What the hell are those things?"

"Those are COVERS. Beings created from the Original Life Fibers," Ragyo exclaimed joyfully as she turned around. Holding her arms outwards, the rainbow aura shining from her body reaching unprecedented levels, Ragyo chuckled and asked, "Now then, just how long were you planning to lay around, Hououmaru?"

Almost as soon as Ragyo finished speaking Sanageyama was thrown through the air as a burst of energy exploded from Hououmaru's body. While the sounds of the Athletic Committee Chair came to an abrupt stop as he crashed into the stadium below Hououmaru stood up, her movements unaffected by her wounds, and slowly put on her aviator sunglasses, "My apologies, Lady Ragyo, I was simply waiting for your signal."

"That's quite alright, Hououmaru," Ragyo smirked at the stunned look on Satsuki's face, "Your acting was admirable. Satsuki could do to learn a few things from you. Now be a dear and keep Ichigo busy for a few minutes. Satsuki and I need to have a mother-daughter moment…"

Hououmaru nodded in affirmation as she turned to Ichigo. While Mugetsu was undoubtedly strong and could overpower her raiment she had one thing both Ichigo and Satsuki lacked – experience. Twenty years of working for Lady Ragyo, both as her secretary and leader of Xcution, would more than make up for whatever physical advantage the orange haired teenager held. Holding one hand towards Ichigo, her palm facing the sky, Hououmaru's eyes narrowed while a rainbow aura began surrounding her body, "You cannot be allowed to interfere any longer, Ichigo. Xcution Uniform: Écusson –"

Ichigo scowled and raised Tournesol in preparation for whatever strange techniques the woman's raiment possessed. As he watched a rainbow aura envelop the dark skinned woman's body, contrasting heavily with her pure white suit, Ichigo was caught completely off guard when something flew through the air and slammed into Hououmaru's face faster than he could track. Wincing as he watched Hououmaru's body get launched into the air before bouncing off one of the large screens, her body hitting several more objects before crashing indignantly into the stands, Ichigo turned back towards whatever hit her and was astonished at what he saw, "The hell…Kon?"

"Who were you expecting…the Easter Bunny?" Stumbling dizzily on the runway, barely able to keep on his feet, Kon shook his head once he noticed Ichigo and Satsuki staring at him. Quickly recovering his senses the mod soul pointed one stubby arm at Ichigo and shouted, "Your dad's insane, Ichigo! He said I was going to have a fun time before he threw me clear across this screwed up city! And what the heck's up with the sky? Are those flying suits?"

"Étonnante…a perfect COVERS…" Ragyo's maroon eyes widened in excitement, the little worry she had for Hououmaru vanishing, as she stared at Kon in amazement. She could not believe Isshin managed to create an independent COVERS that did not require a naked ape as a power source. Her precious Nui had mentioned meeting a COVERS called Kon in Honnou City but Ragyo never believed she would actually see it with her own eyes.

"What's going on, Ichigo? Does that woman have a rainbow trapped in her hair?" Kon asked, completely ignorant of the impending COVERS invasion. Huffing and walking up to Ichigo while making sure to sneak a perverted glance at Satsuki's skimpy attire Kon hummed thoughtfully as he stared at Ragyo before his beady eyes blinked, "Oh! I almost forgot. Your dad said I needed to give someone called Ragyo a message. Uh…let's see…I think it was 'raise your art for a surprise' or something. It was really hard to understand what he was saying at the time."

Ragyo's silver eyebrows rose in interest at Kon's rambling. She may not have cared about what the COVERS was saying but she was quite interested in how it could move. Despite his size Kon was composed entirely of Life Fibers but for the life of her she couldn't figure out how Isshin bypassed the need for a human power source. As she raised her arm, a rainbow Life Fiber emerging from her finger, Ragyo stopped when she found a familiar hand clamped around her wrist.

"First of all…Kon, it was 'raise your arm' not art," Isshin Kurosaki corrected as he appeared behind Ragyo while keeping a tight grip on her wrist. Sparing the Kiryuin matriarch a quick glance, her maroon eyes wide in true surprise, Isshin turned to his son and shouted, "Secondly… Ragyo has a point, Ichigo! Why have you not asked Satsuki out yet?"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #26 – The Home Video<strong>

"So…you made a video?"

Sitting behind her desk at Revocs, a silver eyebrow quirking upwards from both interest and apprehension, Ragyo Kiryuin stared at the VHS tape Isshin was holding in his hands. Watching as the man waved it back and forth in the air with pride evident on his face Ragyo blinked once before sighing, "Dare I ask what's on it?"

"It's just something I whipped up!" Isshin answered with a chuckle, "Since Masaki is expecting in five months I thought now was a good time to get started on some parenting videos!"

Ragyo suppressed a shudder as she thought about what Isshin could have put on that tape but as much as she wished to politely refuse she knew that was impossible. She could not afford for Isshin, as much as she loved the man, to become suspicious of her experiments. Her attempts to infuse Satsuki with Life Fibers had already failed miserably and as she rubbed her stomach Ragyo hoped her second child would be a much better candidate. If her second daughter failed, and knowing Souichiro's lousy genes that was a distinct possibility, she had just one more avenue to get the perfect child…

"As thrilled as I am about your…dedication to parenting, Isshin, this is a terrible idea," Ragyo shook her head and leaned forward, propping her chin on top of her hands. Staring into familiar maroon eyes, the rainbow light from her silver hair dimming slightly, Ragyo looked at Isshin with a hint of irritation and asked, "Do you recall what you tried to do after Satsuki was born?"

Isshin's face was a mask of innocence as he looked anywhere but into Ragyo's eyes. He knew exactly what she was talking about but he wasn't about to admit anything, "…no?"

Ragyo's eyes narrowed at Isshin's blatant lie before she raised her right hand and snapped her fingers, "Batou, if you will be so kind as to remind Isshin of the events of May 21st of last year?"

"Please don't remind me…" Batou rubbed his eyes as that nightmarish day when Isshin had the bright idea to barge into the hospital. As Head of Revocs General Security it was his job to keep people away from Ragyo Kiryuin but on that day it was like he was tracking a damn ghost, "…none of my men have any idea how he got into your room, Lady Ragyo. Olivier is still pissed to high heaven that Isshin managed to bypass every single precaution and defense she set up and don't get me started on Genesis. That bastard really needs to develop a sense of humor."

Batou remembered May 21st as if it happened yesterday. Lady Ragyo had just given birth to her daughter, Satsuki, so the entire hospital was full to the brim with Revocs security and personnel intent on making sure no one, even her close friends, got to her room. He had been on break in the hospital's coffee room when the report came in that someone was heading up to Ragyo's room. That would not have bothered him, apart from ordering security to intercept them, if the intruder hadn't suddenly vanished only to reappear walking out of the men's room on the third floor.

"Hey Isshin…" Batou close his words carefully as he stared at the man that so casually tore apart his security force, "…are you ever going to explain how the hell you jumped thirty feet into the air?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Isshin huffed childishly before laughing, "The stairs just happened to be next to the bathroom and I really had to go!"

Rolling his eyes at the apparent stupidity of Lady Ragyo's close friend Batou leaned his head back and groaned, "Damn, I'm never going to be drunk enough to understand how the hell you screwed with me."

"Isshin's lack of tact aside I do believe I speak for all of humanity in expressing horror at what could be on this tape," Ragyo gingerly took the tape from Isshin and contemplated crushing it. Deciding not to upon realizing Isshin probably made several copies Ragyo stared at the black tape and asked, "Before I even consider watching this I need to know one thing – what exactly is on it?"

A large smile appeared on Isshin face as he began making exaggerated motions with his arms, "I knew that once the doctors said Masaki was going to have a boy that it was inevitable that he would become close with your Satsuki! Therefore I took it upon myself, as a dedicated and eager young father, to make a video showing the rights and wrongs of a relationship! On that tape I have singlehandedly acted out several scenes that a budding young couple should know!"

As Batou began retching in the corner, his imagination betraying his mind's orders to not think about what Isshin could have done on that tape, Ragyo's eyebrow quirked up as her maroon eyes widened in interest. Looking down at the tape, her lips curling up into a smile, Ragyo chuckled and said, "Well…I do suppose I should watch it just in case I need to explain things to Satsuki when she's older."


	40. Chapter 40: Blumenkranz

_It's been a while but here is Chapter 40 and the finale for the Honnouji Academy Arc. I must say that it's been quite a ride coming here. I started the story on February 2__nd__ and less than a year later I'm almost 600.000 words and 40 chapters into this epic story! Every single review, alert and PM is appreciated and for those of you that PM'ed me and didn't receive a reply I apologize for that. As for the title, which I can hear some of you complaining about, the answer is very interesting. At first I wanted to keep the standard naming scheme and use a rock song but I soon realized as the finale of the arc it needed to have an impact. What better and strong name is there for a chapter where everything comes to a climax involving Ragyo Kiryuin than Blumenkranz?_

_So I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that this chapter does not do what Episode 13 did and almost ruin the holidays. And as I mention every chapter or two (sometimes three) I have a tvtropes page for this story. If you have the time you should head over and read it while perhaps adding a few things along the way. So don't forget to read and review and enjoy the chapter!_

_Unfortunately there is no omake this chapter. At 26.500 words this chapter is long enough._

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><p><strong>Chapter 40 – Blumenkranz<strong>

The silence on the runway was palpable as Isshin Kurosaki appeared behind Ragyo Kiryuin, his hand clasped tightly around her thin wrist. As Ragyo slowly turned around, an incredulous expression on her face, Isshin stubbornly kept his attention on Satsuki and Ichigo. Taking a single step to the side, his white doctor's coat fluttering gently in the breeze, Isshin adjusted his grip on Ragyo's wrist as he waited impatiently for what his son would say. When Ichigo instead scowled in annoyance Isshin frowned and raised his voice, "Are you deaf or something, Ichigo? It was a simple yes or no question!"

"I'm not going to tell you just because you asked me twice," Ichigo sarcastically answered, his scathing remark accompanied by an annoyed roll of his eyes. Resting Tournesol against his shoulder, his attention unaffected as an explosion disintegrated part of Honnouji Academy, Ichigo noticed the familiar look in his father's eyes and couldn't help but scoff, "If I didn't tell Satsuki's mom I'm sure as hell not going to tell you."

Isshin flinched at his son's adamant refusal to share any of the details with him, "Your emotions are leading you to a terrible fate, Ichigo! What will Ryuko think when she finds out you have feelings for Satsuki?"

"She will think you're insane just like everyone else," Ichigo retorted angrily while all too aware of the subtle narrowing of Satsuki's eyes. Taking a moment to calm down, years of experience reminding him that trying to argue with his dad was an effort in futility, Ichigo groaned loudly and asked, "What the hell are you even doing here?"

"Can't a father visit his troublemaking son without having an ulterior motive?" Isshin countered angrily before shaking his head in disappointment. Sometimes Ichigo was too smart for his own good. Visibly leaning away from Ragyo as she attempted to move closer into his arms Isshin's face scrunched up in irritation at his son's behavior, "Once I'm finished speaking with Ragyo you and I are going to have a long talk about proper manners, young man! Knowing that you had a girlfriend and didn't tell me is insulting on six different levels! I was starting to worry that perhaps you were turning out to be like Uryu…"

"Shut the hell up already…" Ichigo muttered in annoyance before his eyes widened as he remembered what Ragyo had mentioned just a few minutes ago. Turning back to his dad, a confused scowl on his face, Ichigo rubbed his neck as he tried to think of the best way to ask, "Clear something up for me. Did you and Satsuki's mom ever…"

Years as a father allowed Isshin to instinctively understand what Ichigo was trying to spit out. Whipping his head towards Ragyo, who had yet to even try and escape from his grasp, he groaned at the bemused look in her eyes, "Did you tell me son that we had relations? You know I would never cheat on my lovely Masaki!"

Ragyo's expression darkened, her maroon eyes losing any traces of mirth, as she heard Isshin speak the name of the one person she hated above all else. Clenching her free hand tightly in anger, the rainbow light from her hair brightening in conjunction with her emotions, Ragyo stared at Isshin before chuckling coldly, "Unlike what Ichigo may have assumed I never did say anything like that. I merely implied he should mind his own business. It's not my fault if his mind jumped to conclusions. Besides it was just too much fun to let such an opportunity pass on by. I'm sure someone like you understands."

Punctuating her words by pulling her wrist free, Isshin's grip tearing her dress in the process, Ragyo huffed as she stepped away from him before her lips curled upwards. It was always nice to see Isshin, especially when he was trying to be coy, but she couldn't standing around and talk all day. As the Life Fibers in her dress quickly repaired themselves Ragyo rubbed her wrist and shifted her gaze to Satsuki, or more specifically, Kon trying to hide behind her daughter's legs.

"You've been hiding things from me, Isshin," Ragyo's tone was accusatory as she folded her arms beneath her bosom. She could feel her heart beating faster in excitement at the thought of pulling apart Kon one Life Fiber at a time to see how Isshin managed to create an independent COVERS. As the unholy smile on her face widened Ragyo narrowed her eyes as she turned back to Isshin, "Didn't you say you no longer worked with Life Fibers? Can you explain how a COVERS is standing before me without a human as an energy source?"

"What can I say…a man has to have his secrets, you know," Isshin answered with a small shrug of his shoulders. Placing his hands into his coat, his fingers tracing over the single cigarette he always kept inside, Isshin ignored the harsh glare Ichigo was boring into the back of his head. He wished he could have sat down with Ichigo and explained everything he knew but with the Original Life Fiber's mental block his choices were quite limited. Huffing proudly, a hand scratching at his cheek, Isshin continued, "Besides…If I recall I told you nineteen years ago that nobody's perfect. You've been so focused on your fancy COVERS that you forgot to step back and look at the big picture. If you really want to know about Kon, the idea for a self-sustaining COVERS came to me early one morning while I was making a sandwich."

Ragyo quirked a silver eyebrow at Isshin's explanation, "The big picture, you say? You wouldn't happen to be lying to me, would you Isshin?"

"Who do you take me for?" Isshin asked in return, "As a man my word is pretty much all I have. Masaki understood that."

Her mood souring once more at the mention of Masaki's name Ragyo glanced at Ichigo and noticed he seemed completely surprised by his father's words. Filing that information away for later Ragyo turned back to Isshin, her cheek resting lightly against the palm of her hand, and shook her head, "You never seem to stop surprising me, Isshin, but I suppose that's why you will be the only man I will ever love."

"There are lots of fish in the sea," Isshin responded as he stared at the rows of COVERS hovering directly overhead. Narrowing his eyes as he felt Ragyo's will preventing them from descending down on Honnouji Academy, something that could change at any moment, Isshin rubbed the back of his neck and asked, "What about Souichiro? He was a hell of a man, you know. He could do things with Life Fibers that boggles my mind."

"Souichiro was a foolish human that tried to reach beyond his grasp," Ragyo retorted angrily, the rainbow light illuminating her hair dimming slightly, as she coldly stared at Isshin. Perking up when she heard Satsuki's grip on Bakuzan tighten, her daughter's teeth clenching furiously at her callous mentioning of Souichiro, Ragyo's chuckled as her lips curled into a psychotic grin, "He thought himself a genius and yet he had the audacity to believe he could hide his betrayal from me. I knew what he was planning from the very beginning but I patiently waited for four years, allowing his hopes and dreams to reach their zenith, before deciding to deal with him. You cannot believe the anger I felt when I realized Kuroido failed to finish the job."

Satsuki's grip on Bakuzan faltered, the black Life Fiber blade nearly slipping from her fingers, as she heard her mother admit failing to kill her father. Quickly regaining control of her emotions, an enraged scowl forming on her face, Satsuki slammed Bakuzan into the runway as her white and blue backdrop briefly reappeared, "Your lies will not dissuade me, Ragyo Kiryuin! The image of father's burnt corpse is as clear in my mind as the day I first saw it!"

Ragyo turned half-lidded eyes towards Satsuki as a bored look crept onto her face. Waving her hand in the air nonchalantly, Satsuki's backdrop shattering at the gesture, Ragyo sighed in disappointment, "You overthink your importance to me, Satsuki. What possible reason would I have to lie to you? No matter what you may think the truth is Kuroido failed to kill Souichiro when he tried fleeing Revocs thirteen years ago. I suppose the only consolation for Kuroido's failure is that my darling Nui managed to finish the job."

Satsuki's breath hitched as the full weight of her mother's words pierced through her mind. Clenching her hand tightly around Bakuzan, her fingers threatening to relax and drop the Life Fiber blade onto the runway, Satsuki felt her ironclad control on her emotions shattering. Part of her plan to rebel against Life Fibers had involved tracking the movements of the Grand Couturier, including where she went and who she killed. Inumuta had tracked Nui Harime's victims, cross-referencing them with known Nudist Beach supporters as well as couturiers belonging to the few companies not already owned by Revocs. Out of all the victims one name stuck out more than the rest but what her mother was inferring was impossible. If it was the truth, and the cold feeling spreading through her chest suggested it was, than that meant…

"Are you saying Satsuki and Ryuko are sisters?" Ichigo's direct question tore Satsuki from her thoughts. As she turned her attention towards him Ichigo stepped forward and swept his arm in front of his body, "That's impossible!"

"I'm sure you'll find that nothing in this world is impossible, Ichigo," Ragyo answered with a slight shake of her head. Turning around, her daughter's look of despair etched into her mind, Ragyo slowly and deliberately walked away. As her high heels echoed hollowly against the runway, the sounds from the remaining battles drifting upwards, Ragyo's lips curled into a playful smirk as she savored the utter hopelessness in her daughter's eyes, "Oh? Do you have something to add, Satsuki?"

"My sister died at your hands!" Satsuki's voice started barely above a whisper, her tone cold and harsh, but by the end she was nearly shouting. Pointing Bakuzan at Ragyo, who appeared amused at her daughter's reaction, Satsuki scowled before continuing, "She wasn't even a week old before you experimented on her with Life Fibers! You didn't even give her a name before killing her and throwing her body away like trash!"

"That is the correct sequence of events of what happened," Ragyo admitted before quirking a silver eyebrow when she saw the intensity in Isshin's gaze. More than twenty years of experience suggested Isshin would have tried to stop her by now but he was just standing with his hands tucked in his jacket. Pushing aside the mild curiosity about what he was thinking Ragyo shook her head and looked coldly at Satsuki, "But I'm surprised you're placing the blame entirely on my shoulders. Did you ever stop and consider that Souichiro was equally at fault?"

"Father was too afraid of you to speak up!" Satsuki retorted angrily, her face paling as traitorous thoughts circulated in her mind, "He saw how you brutally murdered anyone that disagreed with you and knew if he spoke up the same fate would befall him!"

"Oh, is that what you think? Allow me to shatter the idyllic image you have of your father." The rainbow light shining from Ragyo's hair burst into brilliance as she turned the full weight of her attention to her daughter, "Souichiro didn't betray me until I threw away your sister. Do you know how many human we went through to develop the first COVERS? I'm not going to tell you, of course, but Souichiro was at my side the entire time. The man you consider a hero, the same one that helped found Nudist Beach and survived Kuroido's assassination attempt, simply developed a guilty conscience. If you still don't believe me why not ask Isshin?"

Isshin mentally sighed as Ragyo shifted the focus of the conversation onto him. Rubbing the back of his neck, Ichigo and Satsuki's attention fully on him, he took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking, "As much as I hate to say it Ragyo is telling the truth. Satsuki…your father was dedicated to studying everything there is to know about Life Fibers. At first he was completely ethical – paid volunteers, animals, and tests on Life Fibers themselves but over time his obsession overwhelmed him. I didn't even know half of what he did until he told me. Once I did know…well…I decked him in the face and told him to never come to my house again. There are some things that just can't be forgiven."

"Yet you helped him develop the Anti-Life Fiber wards surrounding his home. Do not try to deny it, Isshin," Ragyo countered as she turned her head towards him, "Without them I would have tracked Souichiro down years ago."

"I might not have forgiven Souichiro but that didn't mean he deserved whatever you planned to do to him," Isshin answered, a small frown appearing on his face. He knew better than anyone, except perhaps Nui Harime, Ragyo's disposition when someone betrays her trust. Nobody, not even Souichiro, deserved the kind of torture Ragyo was more than capable of inflicting when she was truly enraged, "He was more than aware it was only a matter of time until you caught him. Knowing your temper I thought it was only fair that Souichiro got a head start."

For a brief moment Ragyo seemed like she was about to snap at Isshin but after a few seconds she closed her eyes and exhaled loudly. As her temper settled down, a faint pulse of rainbow light shining from beneath her silver hair, the Kiryuin matriarch shook her head and sighed, "You truly are testing my patience, Isshin. First you hide my guilty husband after he betrayed my trust and then you scare my precious Nui away from Karakura Town. Is there a limit to your rudeness?"

"Hang on a second. You fought Nui Harime? When the hell did that happen?" Ichigo couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. For the last few minutes he had been paying close attention to the conversation between Ragyo Kiryuin and his dad, The revelation that Satsuki and Ryuko were sisters was shocking but hearing that his dad not only met Nui Harime but forced her to retreat made him wonder how well he actually knew his dad.

"It was more than six years. You were in school at the time," Isshin shrugged his shoulders as he kept his attention focused firmly on Ragyo. Dredging up the memories from that day Isshin paused briefly before continuing, "Nui arrived in Karakura Town early in the morning and headed towards our house. Luckily I managed to persuade her to leave before she did anything stupid."

"Is that what you did?" Ragyo's smirk fell off her face as she recalled the terror on Nui's face when she returned to Revocs. Even with the fury coursing through the Grand Couturier's body at the humiliation she received at Isshin's hands there was no hiding the slight shaking of her body, "Your little 'persuasion' nearly scared Nui to death. How could you do something like that to an eleven year old girl?"

"Sometimes you have to be harsh to get the message across," Isshin corrected, the expression on his face tightening as he caught a glimpse of light reflecting off a mirror at the top of the stadium. Folding his arms across his chest, one hand scratching at the permanent stubble on his chin, Isshin scoffed smugly and turned his head to the side, "And there's no point in trying to convince me Nui is just some innocent little girl. I don't think that's ever been true."

"You wound me, Isshin," Ragyo faked a gasp as she mockingly held a hand over her heart.

Chuckling dryly at Isshin's remark, her laughter coming out cold and forced, Ragyo's lips curled upwards when she heard a sharp scream in the distance followed by a burst of purple light emanating from outside the stadium. Maroon eyes widening slowly when she realized Isshin had been stalling for time, something she should have realized from the very start, Ragyo held her hand up to summon the COVERS and flicked her wrist, "It's been fun reminiscing with you Isshin but I'm on a tight deadline, which is a concept that you never quite understood. I'll be more than willing to speak privately later if you want. Oh, that reminds me of something I need to do…"

A sharp gasp escaped Satsuki's lips as her mother vanished from her sight, her Junketsu-enhanced senses unable to follow her movements, before she reappeared only a few feet in front of her with a fist cocked back. Even as her blue eyes widened in surprise, her body already moving from years of training to intercept her mother's attack, Satsuki knew she would not be able to defend herself in time. Her mother was moving too fast, her attack too close, for Bakuzan to intercept or counter. Leaning backwards while shifting her weight in order to minimize the damage she would take Satsuki was bewildered when Ichigo's father appeared next to her, one hand already firmly clasping Junketsu's pauldron, and pulled her to the side.

"That was quite the close call. You should be more careful in the future, Satsuki," Isshin chided as he turned around before letting go of Junketsu. Watching as Ragyo gracefully took a single step before instantly coming to a stop, her white heels barely clicking against the metal runway, Isshin sighed as he realized he was out of options. He had come to Honnouji Academy hoping to stop Ragyo without resorting to fighting but it appeared that was never an option.

Pulling off his lab coat, carefully folding it before tossing it haphazardly over his shoulder, Isshin rubbed a crick in his neck as he weighed his options. Attacking Ragyo with Ichigo and Satsuki around could potentially get them caught in the crossfire but if he waited too long Ragyo would probably go on the offensive. Pursing his lips as several ideas coursed through his head Isshin noticed out of the corner of his eye Satsuki preparing to fight her mother. Lowering his arm away from his neck as he began unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves Isshin looked over his shoulder at Ichigo, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions on your mind, Ichigo."

Ichigo scowled as he shook his head. Resting Tournesol against Mugetsu he turned away from his dad and scoffed, "Why should I have any questions? It's just like what I said against Aizen, you must have your reasons for not telling me how you know Satsuki's mom. As long as you eventually tell me everything I'm alright with waiting."

"With that kind of attitude you're never going to find out anything," Isshin lazily complained as he finished unbuttoning his cuffs. Rolling up his sleeves, wishing more than ever that he still had Engetsu, Isshin blinked when he saw Satsuki beginning to walk towards her mother. Holding out an arm in front of her, completely unaffected by the angry scowl on her face, Isshin shook his head and said, "Hang on just a second, young lady. I don't think you should be fighting your own mother."

"I don't care what you think," Satsuki replied, her left arm already swinging outwards to remove Isshin from her path. Surprised when Isshin not only rebuffed her attempts but pushed her back with ease Satsuki's scowled intensified before she shifted the full intensity of her gaze at her mother, "It is my responsibility to destroy my mother. She has committed too many atrocities, killed too many people, to be allowed to live. Even if her words about my father carried a hint of truth it does not change the fact she needs to be killed."

Isshin didn't budge as he listened to Satsuki, his face a rare mask of stoicism, but inside he couldn't understand what Ragyo could have done to Satsuki to warrant such hatred. Even if Ragyo killed a lot of people, which he knew to be true, that didn't explain why Satsuki's words seemed much too personal for her actions to be simply justice. Ragyo must have said or done something to Satsuki to cause her to feel such animosity but Isshin just couldn't figure out what it could be.

Narrowing his eyes as he stepped in front of Satsuki, momentarily preventing Ragyo from attacking her daughter, Isshin looked over his shoulder at her and bluntly replied, "You don't have a chance of beating Ragyo, even with Junketsu's power. The same goes for you, Ichigo! I'm the only one here that can beat her and Ragyo damn well knows that."

"Oh Isshin…even after all these years you know exactly what to say," Ragyo shook her head as she interrupted Isshin. His constant interference was truly starting to test her patience. Gently closing her eyes and clasping her arms together under her bosom Ragyo sighed wistfully, "But it is surprising that you're acting so serious. You may be my equal in strength but you're out of practice. I'm afraid whatever advantages you might have held twenty years ago are no longer applicable."

"I'm not as out of practice as you think, Ragyo," Isshin answered with a slight hint of smugness in his voice before turning his gaze up at the COVERS still hovering in the air. Unlike Ichigo and Ryuko, who were artificially turned into Life Fiber Hybrids, he was made into one by the Original Life Fiber itself. That was what as he looked up at the COVERS, a faint shimmer of maroon piercing through his brown irises, Isshin could hear the inaudible growls from the Life Fiber beings. Judging from the way they were all directed at him Isshin figured the Original Life Fiber wasn't exactly happy with his life choices.

"Ichigo…take Satsuki and deal with Hououmaru," Isshin's tone lacked any of the usual mirth as his expression tightened, "Ragyo and I have some things to discuss."

There was a question on the tip of Ichigo's tongue but before he could ask his attention was stolen as a burst of power erupted from the stands behind him. Twisting around, Tournesol slowly falling off his shoulder, Ichigo watched with narrowed eyes as the rubble created by Hououmaru's crash landing disintegrated into dust. Scowling as the power from Hououmaru's raiment burst forth in a cacophony of rainbow light, shattering the nearby screens and causing millions of glass shards to rain downwards, Ichigo turned to Satsuki and asked, "So what can she do? Does her raiment have some sort of special power or what?"

"The true extent of Hououmaru's abilities eludes me," Satsuki answered with a cold clip to her voice. As she pushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes and over one of the wing-like protrusions jutting upwards from her head Satsuki felt a brief and strange feeling of emptiness in her chest. For years her goal was retribution against her monster of a mother. To find out that she wasn't strong enough, even with Junketsu's strength, bothered her but she was pragmatic more than anything else. If Isshin Kurosaki was truly strong enough to defeat her mother then she would be content with letting him fight her.

Clenching her hands tightly around Bakuzan's hilt, a slow and calming breath escaping her lips, Satsuki's brow creased into a scowl when she spotted Hououmaru. With Junketsu's power thrumming through her body, the blue lines covering the Kamui glowing with energy, her power would be more than enough to overwhelm Hououmaru's raiment. Shifting one heel backwards and kicking up a thin trail of dust Satsuki huffed and shouted, "Do not assume victory, Ichigo! Hououmaru is the leader of Xcution! Do not allow her to get in a single attack!"

"Just don't try to order me around like one of your goons," Ichigo muttered back at Satsuki with a roll of his eyes. Shaking his head, Mugetsu's power coursing through his body, Ichigo bents his knees in preparation to leap over to the stands and confront Hououmaru when a massive explosion, tinged red and purple, erupted from the main building of Honnouji Academy. As he twisted his head toward the rising column of smoke, a worried expression on his face, Ichigo was surprised when Satsuki spoke up.

"You don't need to worry about Matoi…Ryuko," Satsuki quickly corrected herself, a conflicted expression on her face, before she focused her gaze on Hououmaru, "Tsumugiya's strength should be more than enough to help her deal with Nui Harime. Now come, Ichigo, Hououmaru's patience is growing thin."

Without saying another word Satsuki pushed off the runway into the air, Bakuzan swinging downwards, with Ichigo in close pursuit. As they leapt towards Hououmaru, the leader of Xcution tensing her stance in preparation for the fight, Kon blinked worriedly as he realized he was left alone with Ichigo's dad and a rather hot lunatic. Staring up at Isshin, beads of sweat somehow dripping down his plushie face, Kon raised one stubby arm and shouted, "Alright smart guy, what the heck am I supposed to do now? Do you have any sort of plan to get me out of this inferno of evil clothing and women?"

"Of course I have a plan! I told you on the way over. Weren't you paying attention to anything I said?" The lack of an answer from Kon told Isshin all he needed to know. Huffing in annoyance at the mod soul Isshin didn't take his gaze off Ragyo as he repeated what he told Kon not an hour ago, "If Ragyo summons the COVERS I need you to use that thing I showed you to help Ririn, Kuroudo and Noba stop them from taking any people."

"Alright, I got it," Kon grumbled as he spun around on one foot and ran away. He was starting to get really tired of Ririn always trying to boss him around. He was the first mod soul, COVERS, whatever of the four and that automatically made him the leader. All he needed to do was kick the most COVERS ass and the others will fall in line without any problems.

Ragyo watched the perfect COVERS leave, a slightly disappointed expression on her face, before twin bursts of blue energy exploded out from the stands as Ichigo and her daughter engaged Hououmaru. As her silver hair was whipped through the air by the fierce wind, her form-fitting white dress accentuating her figure, Ragyo smirk seemed to become forced as she spoke, "I'm disappointed in you Isshin. The Original Life Fiber showed both of us its glorious power and yet you turned your back on me. I wish for nothing more than having you standing at my side as we usher humanity towards its destiny. Are you truly going to fight for the naked pigs in human clothing?"

Isshin shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "What can I say? I'm a pretty humble man. All those big plans with world-changing consequences never really interested me. I'd much rather relax and enjoy each passing day."

"C'est la vie…"

The French words drifted eloquently off Ragyo's tongue as the light shining forth from her hair intensified. Unlike Ichigo and her foolish daughters she could not afford to play around with Isshin unless she wanted to lose. Lips curling into a sly and knowing smirk, her maroon eyes glistening with concealed mirth, Ragyo brought up her right arm and held it in front of her body before snapping her fingers. Chuckling as a rainbow colored bolt of lightning slammed into the runway in front of her, the stadium briefly illuminated by the intensity of the light, Ragyo clasped her fingers around the rainbow Needle Blade and pulled it out of the ground.

"I do suppose we should get started, Isshin," Ragyo mused as she trailed one finger sensually along the Needle Blade. As the corners of her mouth curled upwards in amusement Ragyo stared at Isshin with a maniac expression and added, "The first thing I'm going to do is destroy that ridiculous disguise you're wearing. It's completely unbefitting for a man of your status to wear something so ugly."

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><p>"God damn it!"<p>

Ryuko cursed as she shifted the rubble off her body and stood up. Staggering momentarily on shaking legs, her breath ragged and her back in pain, Ryuko gritted her teeth in anger as she stared through the hole in the ceiling created by her descent. Eyes narrowing in contemplation as she heard Ururu fighting Nui Harime in the distance Ryuko reached over and tore her red Scissor Blade free from the ground. Spitting on the ground, a frown on her face, Ryuko let out a loud and tired huff before asking, "What the hell's going on? There's no way Nui Harime was this damn strong the last time we fought!"

It disturbed Ryuko greatly that Nui Harime was still so monstrously strong even after fighting Ururu. When she saw the Grand Couturier's ragged and bleeding state Ryuko had assumed it would be easy to take her down. That confidence had been bolstered when she managed to punch Nui Harime with enough force to launch her into Honnouji Academy's main building. It was when she leapt after Nui Harime that she realized her mistake. The Grand Couturier had been waiting for her and slammed her elbow into the small of her back the moment she stepped into the academy.

Senketsu's single eye blinked slowly, a strange feeling coursing through his Life Fibers as he listened to Ryuko express her anger. It annoyed him that even after recovered most of his missing memories, including the ones dating back to his creation, there were a few things that eluded his grasp. Letting out a huff, his armor around Ryuko's body shuddering slightly in the process, Senketsu looked stared at her and said, _**"I don't know why but I think it has something to do with her eye."**_

"What about her eye?" Ryuko remembered the purple eyepatch Nui Harime used to wear, as well as the empty socket underneath it, but she couldn't understand how that was important.

"_**I can't explain it but my Life Fibers are telling me Nui Harime wasn't at her best when we fought her,"**_ Senketsu explained as he shifted his gaze upwards at the ceiling. He could feel his Life Fibers resonating with the power Nui and Ururu were emitting. Multicolored eye narrowing deep in thought while a small amount of worry coursed through his Life Fibers Senketsu turned his attention back to Ryuko and continued _**"…it wasn't until a minute ago that I realized it but wouldn't you say the Nui Harime we're fighting is a completely different?"**_

"Come to think of it..." Ryuko trailed off and brought her left hand up to her face, her fingers curled into a fist, as she relived the painful memories of when she lost control of Senketsu due to her overwhelming anger. Pushing past the hazy memories, a phantom wince of pain hitting her as she saw Mako's body on the ground, Ryuko watched her berserk form fight Nui Harime before violently shaking her head. Tightly clenching her Scissor Blade, her Kamui's armor creaking from the pressure, Ryuko scowled as she understood what Senketsu was trying to tell her, "Are you saying she's back at full strength right now?"

"_**Yes."**_ The bluntness behind Senketsu's answer surprised Ryuko, _**"But that doesn't matter right now. I can feel it in my Life Fibers that Nui Harime is on the brink of exhaustion. Fighting Ururu has tired her out. If you were to work together…"**_

"Then we can win!" Ryuko shouted excitedly as a large smile broke out on her face. Kneeling against the ground, the red lines covering Senketsu glowing with power, Ryuko took a deep breath as the vents on her back burst into life, "Let's do this, Senketsu Senkou!"

The moment her Kamui shifted configurations, Senketsu's body morphing into his familiar armor, Ryuko leapt back through the hole she created in the ceiling. Her Scissor Blade thrumming with energy, a faint red glow covering the entire Life Fiber weapon, Ryuko readjusted her grip as she continued to pass floor after floor and frowned. Nui Harime may be weakened from fighting Ururu but that didn't mean she would be a pushover. If she made one wrong move she could lose an arm or even worse. Eyes narrowing as she approached the top of Honnouji Academy, Senketsu's power increasing even further, Ryuko reached out and gripped the edge of the floor with her free hand before flipping forward into the room.

As she fell through the air Ryuko's shoulders tensed upon spotting Nui and Ururu rapidly exchanging blows, their respective purple weapons emitting violent bursts of purple sparks. In the short time it took her to return to the fight both sisters had sustained further injuries with the largest difference being the gash staining the left side of Nui's pink dress red. Gritting her teeth as she tightened her grip on the Scissor Blade, Senketsu's power flowing through the Life Fiber blade, Ryuko locked onto Nui Harime and shouted, "Senkou – Ichiban Genkai!"

"Like that's going to work, Ryuko!"

Taking advantage of her sister's brief moment of inattentiveness to slam her foot into her stomach, sending Ururu flying backwards, Nui spun around and aimed her new purple Needle Blade at the incoming attack. Even though she couldn't see the true extent of the attack with her eyes it was laughably easy to sense where Ryuko was going to hit her. Sapphire eyes widening in manic glee as she pushed past the pain coursing throughout her body, the open wound on her stomach hurting the most, Nui swung her arm upwards and stopped the invisible Ichiban Genkai above her head.

"It's adorable that you're trying to fight me!" Nui gloated, a psychotic laugh escaping her lips, as she stared into Ryuko's fury-filled eyes, "But you're just a stupid human, Ryuko! And naked pigs like you can't beat me!"

"Shut the hell up!" Ryuko growled as she pushed forward while Senketsu's vents erupted with energy. As her synchronization rate with Senketsu increased to newfound heights, the red undertones in her hair glowing brilliantly, Ryuko shifted her grip on the Scissor Blade and shouted, "There's no way I'll lose to someone like you, Nui Harime! Senkou – Ichiban Genkai!"

As Ryuko slammed a second Ichiban Genkai against her Needle Blade, the windows on the entire floor shattering from the change in pressure, Nui gasped in astonishment as the ground beneath her feet immediately cratered. With her blonde pigtails whipping chaotically in the harsh wind kicked up by the attack Nui quickly raised her left hand and firmly braced it against her weapon. Knees bending under the strain of holding the attack back, her bloodied and injured arms quivering from exhaustion, Nui gnashed her teeth together and pushed back against the Ichiban Genkai. It would be a cold day in hell when she lost to a mere human wearing a fake Kamui, "This is impossible! How can a human like you have so much power? This isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair, Nui Harime!" Ryuko shouted as she pushed more power into her Ichiban Genkai in order to overwhelm the weakened and exhausted Grand Couturier.

"No! No! No!" Nui cried as she felt her arms struggling from exhaustion. With bloody fingers clenching tightly against the Needle Blade, her injured body on the verge of failing, Nui pushed whatever power she had left against Ryuko. As she managed to take a step forward, a sinister smirk spreading across her face, Nui snarled, "I refuse to lose to a stupid human like you!"

"Damn…it…." Ryuko growled, her arms shaking from pushing so much of Senketsu's power into Ichiban Genkai. Mentally apologizing to her Kamui for what she was about to do, promising to wash him just the way he liked after the festival, Ryuko gave all of her remaining power to her Scissor Blade. As the light from the Life Fiber blade illuminated the room Ryuko grinned when Nui's eyes widened in shock, "What was that, Nui Harime? I swear you said I was going to lose!"

"This…can't be happening…!"

With the increased power of Ryuko's Ichiban Genkai pressing down against her Needle Blade Nui found herself back on the defensive. Gritting her teeth as she desperately held back the attack, wisps of red energy passing in the air around her, Nui growled at the humans for what they did to Amu. None of this would be happening if the naked apes hadn't brainwashed her sister into fighting against her own family. It was bad enough that Ichigo thought she was evil but to know her own sister was willing to kill her filled Nui with a mixture of sorrow and anger. Letting out a gasp when her bloody fingers slipped against the polished surface of her weapon, the digits weakened and cramped from battle, Nui desperately tried to fix her grip before it was too late.

Ryuko noticed the fear and worry in Nui's eyes the moment her fingers began to slip. Sliding her feet along the ground, Senketsu's armor thrumming from his remaining power, her blue eyes glared at the Grand Couturier as she swung her Scissor Blade. As her weapon easily broke through the Grand Couturier's guard, Nui's sapphire eyes wide in surprise, the energy in the Ichiban Genkai detonated with the force of a small explosion. Screaming in pain, her weakened state due to Twin Life Fiber Entanglement causing her to feel the entirety of the attack, Nui was launched backwards through the air before slamming violently against the wall.

Collapsing to her knees as Senketsu transformed back to his normal form Ryuko leaned against her Scissor Blade and took a shaky breath. She knew defeating Nui Harime would be difficult but she didn't expect it to require so much of Senketsu's power. Breathing heavily as she stared at the unmoving form of the Grand Couturier slumped against the far wall, her Needle Blade lying some distance away from her hands, Ryuko allowed a victorious smile to grace her face, "The…first one…was for my dad. The second…was for what you did…to Mako…"

"_**Ryuko!"**_ Senketsu's voice was panicky as he looked at his wearer, _**"Are you alright?"**_

"Yeah…I'm just really tired…Senketsu…"

Leaning back, her hands braced behind her back against the ground, Ryuko stared at the ceiling and let out a tired sigh. It had taken her more than seven months, nearly losing herself and her best friend in the process, but she finally managed to make Nui Harime pay for killing her dad. Closing her eyes, Senketsu transforming back to his normal uniform appearance in a flash of light, Ryuko allowed her body to fall backwards. Spread out on the ground, ignoring the sounds coming from the battles raging in the stadium for just a moment, Ryuko turned her head when she heard someone sit down next to her. Opening her eyes and seeing Ururu collapsed on the ground next to her Ryuko worriedly asked, "Hey, are you ok, Ururu?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you for asking, Ryuko," Ururu timidly answered, her voice quiet, as she held one hand against the wound on her shoulder. With sapphire eyes staring at the unconscious form of her sister, several conflicting thoughts racing through her mind, Ururu pulled her hand away from her shoulder as she felt the pain in her body abating. Staring passively at her hand as the blood covering it was slowly absorbed into her skin as her Life Fiber regeneration kicked back in Ururu's eyes drooped as she turned to Ryuko, "Nui is beginning to regenerate."

"Are you serious?" Ryuko looked incredulously at Ururu but the seriousness in the normally emotionless girl's eyes told her everything she needed to know. Grunting in pain as she forced her body to stand back up, her legs burning from the effort, Ryuko stumbled forward as she gripped the red Scissor Blade tightly for support. Briefly pausing to take a ragged breath, her exhaustion beginning to catch up to her, Ryuko grimaced as she slowly walked towards the downed Grand Couturier, "Then I guess we should finish her off. It's going to be really annoying if she gets up good as new."

"_**Ryuko…are you really going to kill Nui Harime?"**_ Senketsu was well aware of the danger posed by the Grand Couturier when she regained consciousness. Blinking slowly as he turned his gaze away from Nui Harime, his multicolored eye narrowing contemplatively when he noticed Ryuko's hand shaking, Senketsu looked into his wearer's eyes and asked, _**"I know how dangerous she is but can you actually do it?"**_

"I…Senketsu…shit, I don't know!" Ryuko yelled as she held the red Scissor Blade in the air over Nui. For the last seven months her sole purpose had been to enact revenge against Nui for killing her dad. Watching the Grand Couturier kill Mako and tear Ichigo's heart out of his chest, all the while with a wide and happy smile on her face, only worked to harden her resolve to kill Nui Harime. But now that she stood over the unconscious blond haired teenager Ryuko found she couldn't go through with it. Biting her lower lip hard enough to draw blood Ryuko squeezed her hand into a fist and seethed, "I can't do it…I fucking can't kill Nui Harime even after all she did to me…"

"_**Ryuko…"**_

"No. I'm fine, Senketsu," Ryuko gave Nui one last glare as she turned aware from the fallen teenager. Ichigo's dad had been right all along. Killing Nui Harime wouldn't bring her dad back no matter how much she wished for it to be true. Stumbling back towards Ururu, whose wounds seemed to be vanishing before her eyes, Ryuko sat back down accompanied by an audible groan. Turning towards Ururu, her eyes catching the way the quiet girl's fingers clenched the purple Scissor Blade's grip, Ryuko blinked owlishly and asked, "Hey Ururu, can I ask you a question? Were you going to just let me kill her?"

Ururu's eyes briefly misted over as she stared at her twin sister. It would only be a few minutes, maybe five at the most, before Nui regained consciousness with the majority of her wounds healed. Shaking her head, the gash in her shoulder already completely regenerated alongside her uniform, Ururu answered, "Nui is my twin sister. Despite everything she's done, including killing Mako, I don't think I can actually kill her. She's…family…and you don't kill family. I would have stopped you."

Ryuko listened to Ururu before sighing again and looked at the stadium through the hole in the wall to her left. She could still hear the sounds of battle, which meant Ichigo and Satsuki haven't won yet, but as much as she wished to help she was too exhausted. Rubbing a hand against her face as she propped her back against her Scissor Blade, her entire body hurting, Ryuko groaned, "I hope Ichigo and the others are kicking Xcution's ass."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Giriko Kutsuzawa grumbled lightly, a perturbed look on his aged face, as he pulled his body free from the rubble encasing it. Easily pushing away a half-ton piece of concrete, his strength bolstered by his Èpoche Raiment, the oldest member of Xcution clapped his hands together to rid them of dust before noticing something on the ground nearby. Reaching down, his fingers carefully gripping the largest piece of his former trench knife, Giriko sighed once more from mild annoyance. Uryu Ishida and Houka Inumuta were turning out to be much more difficult to kill than he initially anticipated.<p>

Reaching into the waistcoat of his raiment, a new trench knife spinning into existence out of Life Fibers, Giriko clasped his fingers around the dark purple weapon and pulled it out with practiced flourish. His trench knives might not be as durable as Bakuzan or the Scissor Blades but they were still strong enough to easily cleave through almost anything. At least that was what he originally thought. Fingers tightly gripping the purple trench knife, brown eyes briefly puzzled at the burst of rainbow light emanating from within the stadium, Giriko took a moment to gather his thoughts.

As the oldest member of Xcution, but certainly not the longest employed, Gikiro tended to see many things from a slightly different perspective compared to the newer and younger employees. The newer members, like Yukio and Riruka, tended to rush into battle confident their raiment's power was more than enough to kill anyone standing in their way. Such haste only led to inevitable defeat, as demonstrated by Riruka's loss to Kugo Ginjo and Ichigo Kurosaki in Karakura Town. He preferred to take the necessary amount of time to consider all the available options.

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, after all," Giriko quieted quoted from memory as he sensed his opponents quickly approaching. Staring across Honnou City while looping his fingers through the trench knife, the familiar weapon sitting comfortably against his knuckles, Giriko glanced at the watch on his wrist and scoffed, "I find myself disappointed at your lack of timing. You weren't supposed to arrive for another fifteen seconds. Do you truly wish to die so quickly?"

"Sorry to disappoint you but I don't plan on dying today."

Landing softly on the ground nearby, his uniform torn and blood caking his left hand, Uryu grimaced and raised his bow at Giriko. Ignoring the twitch of pain in his shoulder, his fingers bleeding and nearly numb, Uryu didn't know how much longer he could keep up this level of combat. His opponent's power was no laughing matter and while Giriko did not possess the overwhelming strength of Esdeath his raiment was still extremely dangerous. Forming a heilig pfeil in his bow, the spiritual arrow glowing a fierce blue-white from the amount of energy composing it, Uryu slid his foot backwards along the ground as he added, "You shouldn't assume victory until the battle is over. Your power may be greater than mine but one slip up is all we need to defeat you."

Humming thoughtfully as he noticed Inumuta shimmering into existence behind him, the blue haired youth releasing his optical and acoustic camouflage at the same time, Giriko mulled over his options. He could easily kill Inumuta or Uryu on their own but the fact they were working together against him made things a tad more difficult. Clasping his hands behind his back, a hard glint in his eyes as he came to a decision, Giriko turned his back to Inumuta as he addressed Uryu, "You seem to understand the value of time and effort, Uryu Ishida, which is something I cannot say about many of today's youths. However Lady Ragyo's orders are quite clear."

"Your confidence is misplaced, Giriko Kutsuzawa. I already know how your Èpoche Raiment works," Inumuta retorted calmly, one hand adjusting his glasses One of the many upgrades Iori managed to weave into his Probe Regalia Mark II was a vastly improved data collection rate. He already had enough data about Giriko's raiment to extrapolate out anything else he might be capable of doing. Noticing the doubting expression on the man's face Inumuta continued, "Your Èpoche Raiment improves your reflexes, overall speed and reaction time by at least a factor of five. A remarkable improvement but unlike other raiment you don't possess any actual techniques. Am I wrong?"

Giriko pursed his lips at Inumuta, an annoyed glint in his eyes, before he sighed and turned to face the blue haired teenager, "You hit the nail on the head but is there anything else you wish to know about? Are you interested in my birthday or favorite food? Perhaps you wish to collect data on what movies I prefer watching or where I would like to go on vacation."

"Oh, I have all that information already," Inumuta gloated with a smug chuckle.

"Well aren't you quite the rude little brat…" Giriko scoffed as his raiment began glowing with a faint rainbow light. As much as he preferred waiting until the opportune moment his patience did have its limits. Clenching his fingers tightly around his trench knife, the purple blade gleaming dangerously from the light his raiment was emitting, Giriko brought his arms up into a stance, "…but you are too reliant on your data. You may understand my Èpoche Raiment and all of its abilities but that does not necessitate you can fight it. How, I ask you, can you counter pure speed and agility? My raiment may not be as fancy or extravagant as some of the others but its abilities are far above anything your Goku Uniform can achieve."

Giriko was already in motion before he even finished speaking. Rushing towards Inumuta, his Èpoche Raiment boosting his speed to nearly the same level as Uryu's Hirenkyaku, Giriko took in the blue haired youth's shocked expression as his trench knife passed cleanly through his Probe Regalia and severed his carotid artery. His face stoic as he watched blood spurt out of the gash in Inumuta's Goku Uniform, his cries getting quieter by the second, Giriko could not suppress a murmur of disappointment when Inumuta vanished in a burst of light, "A holographic clone…my, you are quite the clever child."

"Clever is an insult to my intelligence," Inumuta shimmered into existence next to Uryu, a smug look on his face, as Giriko turned around to face him. Smirking at the expression on Giriko's face he added, "That was an advanced holographic clone designed to imitate a physical body for a short period of time. Using the latest advances in optics it can replicate the look and feel of an actual body for several seconds. Judging from your expression you were completely convinced it was the real me, weren't you?"

"That was quite the trick. I suppose you intended for your clone to confuse and disorient me," Giriko patted down his raiment, a small cloud of dust rising off his pants, as he turned completely towards the two teenagers. It was just his luck he ended up fighting two children that refused to rush into battle without a second thought. If Jackie were still alive she would be cursing up a storm but Giriko would not allow himself to lose control of his temper, "It was an extremely well thought out plan that required patience and timing. Remarkable for someone of your age to come up with but not enough to –"

Giriko was cut off when the starch mine covertly placed by Inumuta under his clone's feet abruptly detonated in an explosion of purple and blue without warning. Staring out over the devastation, his Probe Regalia working to limit the effects of the change in brightness on his eyes, Inumuta could not help but smirk at a job well done. Turning towards Uryu, who allowed the heilig pfeil in his bow to dissipate back into its composite spiritual energy, he said, "It appears our plan was quite successful, wouldn't you say?"

Uryu curtly nodded as he kept his eyes firmly locked on the rising cloud of smoke enveloping Giriko, "Don't let your guard down. His raiment may be deactivated but he is still very dangerous."

The plan they devised to deal with Giriko and his Èpoche Raiment was both simple and elegant. The Xcution member's speed and reaction time were his two most dangerous qualities, but he had a singular weakness – he couldn't avoid attacks he didn't know were coming. That is where the starch mine, provided to Uryu by Tsumugu Kinagase, came into the picture. When the Nudist Beach operative handed Uryu the device, which was about the same width of his hand, he made sure to carefully explain to the Quincy how it did not have a timer in the conventional sense. While it could be set with a timer once activated at the slightly pressure it would immediately go off with enough force to revert a Kamui back to its normal state at point blank range.

"Guh…"

Stumbling out of the smoke, his body covered in burns and other injuries, Giriko collapsed onto his hands and knees gasping for air. Coughing harshly from the pain coursing through his body, blood pooling on the ground beneath him, he wheezed painfully as he forced himself to glare at Inumuta. Whatever it was that the blue haired teenager hit him with was the most painful thing he ever experienced, the Grand Couturier's training notwithstanding. Arms struggling as he pushed himself back onto his feet, the lack of strength a clear sign his raiment was no longer activated, Giriko held a hand against a bloody gash in his side and panted, "…that…what the heck…was that…?"

"There is no reason to explain anything to you," Uryu answered as he held his left hand in front of his face. As a normal heilig pfeil appeared within his fingers, his face glowing blue-white from the spiritual arrow, Uryu nocked it within his bow and aimed directly at Giriko's heart. With his raiment forcibly deactivated and his resistance to Quincy attacks shattered it would take only a single heilig pfeil to end his life. Narrowing his eyes at the defiant expression on the Xcution member's face Uryu's fingers twitched in anticipation, "Your raiment is destroyed. There is no way for you to win."

"You expect me to…surrender to the likes of you…naked apes in clothing?" Giriko spat sarcastically, his voice rising in volume with every word, until he was nearly yelling by the end. Adrenaline flooding his veins as he pushed his body forward, blood dripping onto the ground from his many wounds, Giriko seethed with all the hate he could muster at the two teenagers in front of him. With his normally calm and collected demeanor shattered by the humiliation he suffered at the hands of mere children Giriko pointed a bloody finger at Uryu and shouted, "You may defeat me but Lady Ragyo will kill –"

Giriko gurgled thickly, trails of blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, as a sharp blade was stabbed through his back and out of his chest. Leaning forward, a series of wracking coughs causing blood to splattering across the ground, Giriko looked with quivering eyes at the blade covered in his blood. Weakly reaching forward, his strength failing just before his fingers could touch the blade, Giriko gasped as a foot was pressed against his back and the blade was violently removed from his body. Collapsing to his knees and then to the ground, his disbelieving eyes wide in shock, Giriko looked up and caught a glimpse of a man wearing a grey cassock before darkness enveloped his vision forever.

"May you forever rot in the bowels of hell."

Alexander Anderson scoffed as he stepped past the dying Giriko. As the Nudist Beach Commander of Life Fiber Pacification and Elimination it was his sacred duty to destroy any member of Xcution that he came across. The General might have ordered him to bring a member of Xcution back to Osaka for interrogation, specifically because she killed the last one, but Anderson had no intention of following that order. It would be a cold day in hell when he allowed someone like Giriko Kutsuzawa, whose body count was nearly two hundred, to continue living for even another minute.

Swinging his Tailor Bayonet through the air, the blood coating the blade splattering randomly across the ground, Anderson grimaced at the sight of Inumuta's Probe Regalia. Armstrong had beaten into his head that Satsuki Kiryuin was amassing power to overthrow her mother. Until the moment Ragyo Kiryuin was confirmed dead he would move relieving the Elite Four of their Goku Uniforms to the bottom of the list.

Flicking his wrist, a second bayonet sliding out of his sleeve and into his left hand, Anderson's glasses gleamed sinisterly as he turned to Uryu, "Care to explain why ye were fighting Xcution?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Rei Hououmaru knew her chance of victory over two Kamui was slim if not impossible. Avoiding Ichigo's straightforward attack with experienced ease, her body twisting to the side as Tournesol passed dangerously close to her stomach, Hououmaru grit her teeth as she picked up the clatter of Satsuki's heels rushing towards her. Leaning backwards while planting her hands firmly on the ground, her slightly clawed fingers easily digging into the steel floor for support, Hououmaru waited for Bakuzan to pass overhead before picking her knee up and slamming it against Satsuki's wrist. As Satsuki's arm spun to the side, her grip and stance momentarily broken, Hououmaru vaulted over Lady Ragyo's daughter and immediately leapt higher into the stands.<p>

"You are running on borrowed time, Hououmaru," Satsuki's words were cold as she turned around, her wrist flexing back and forth, and stared at her mother's secretary. Satsuki knew from the moment Hououmaru activated her raiment that the fight would be difficult. It took someone with both a strong will and great power to keep people like Tsukishima and Esdeath in line. Raising Bakuzan into the air, light gleaming off the hardened Life Fiber blade, Satsuki's brow creased into a scowl as she glared at the dark-skinned woman, "Your Excussion Raiment is reaching its limit. Mere raiment can never match the power and strength of a Kamui. It is only a matter of time before your raiment fails and shatters, Hououmaru."

Kneeling against the stands, her chest rising and falling in time with her breathing, Hououmaru's amber eyes narrowed angrily at Satsuki. Contrary to what Lady Ragyo's treacherous daughter may think she had no delusions about the probable outcome of the fight. The longer the battle dragged on the greater the likelihood her Écusson Raiment would overheat and fall apart. Clenching a fist, the metallic purple armor creaking lightly as her slightly clawed fingers brushed against the palm of her hand, Hououmaru realized she needed to stall long enough for Lady Ragyo to finish dealing with Isshin Shiba.

"It would be wise to not assume victory so quickly, Lady Satsuki," Hououmaru warned as she stood back up and reached around to the small of her back. As she slowly unsheathed a large black military-style knife, the blade resting familiarly in her grip as years of practice flowing through her nerves and muscles, there was a flash of rainbow light as a purple visor appeared over her eyes. Spitting on the ground as she held the knife in front of her body, her left hand curled over her wrist, Hououmaru growled, "For until one of us is dead there is no true winner."

Satsuki tightened her grip around Bakuzan, the aged leather wrapped around the hilt crackling softly, as she listened to Hououmaru's veiled threat. Even with Junketsu's full power coursing through her body she was not arrogant enough to assume Hououmaru would easily concede defeat. Sparing Ichigo a quick glance, the expression on his face one of resignation for what needed to be done, Satsuki pursed her lips and scowled, "If you truly wish to die, Hououmaru, than I am more than happy to oblige! This ends –"

Hououmaru's body blurred into motion before Satsuki even finished speaking. Racing down the stadium, sparks of purple lightning wrapping around her body as she reached speeds comparable with Giriko's raiment, the leader of Xcution's unseen eyes narrowed as she saw Ichigo moving to stop her. Reversing the grip on her knife, the blade flowing between her fingers with uncanny dexterity, Hououmaru shifted her arm upwards and parried Tournesol with enough force that Ichigo was sent stumbling back. One foot planted firmly on the ground as she watched Satsuki swing Bakuzan, the trajectory of the blade aimed at her neck, Hououmaru waited until the last moment before quickly crouching down.

"You have grown conceited with Junketsu's power, Lady Satsuki," Hououmaru chided as several strands of her purple hair drifted across her vision. Spinning the knife around in her fingers, the black metal gleaming maliciously in the sunlight, Hououmaru clenched her fingers around the handle before thrusting it towards Satsuki's bare stomach.

With the sole exception of Mugetsu all Kamui covered as little skin as possible to limit the mental influence, passive or otherwise, from the Life Fibers on the wearer. That was common knowledge. What most people didn't know, Lady Satsuki included, was that the vaunted protection of the Kamui's armor didn't fully extend to the exposed skin. While it was certainly strong enough to withstand all but the most devastating of attacks to an experienced fighter like Hououmaru Satsuki's stomach was nothing more than an easy target.

Satsuki's heels clicked harshly against the ground as she backpedalled away from Hououmaru. Teeth gritting in mild anger as she narrowly avoided the black knife, the wind following the razor sharp blade brushing against her stomach, Satsuki narrowed her blue eyes upon noticing the smug smirk adorning Hououmaru's face. Quickly pirouetting on her left foot Satsuki spun around and smashed her knee directly into Hououmaru's chin.

"I am not arrogant enough to think you don't pose a threat, Hououmaru," Satsuki retorted as she watched the dark-skinned woman stumble away. Pressing her advantage by jabbing the point of her elbow into Hououmaru's chest, a soft gasp escaping the smaller woman's mouth, Satsuki stared angrily at her injured opponent and shouted, "But that does not mean I will hold back! You say your Écusson Raiment is strong enough to stand up to Kamui like Junketsu and Mugetsu? If that is the case I shall come at you with everything Junketsu possesses!"

Hououmaru wiped her forearm against her chin before spitting on the ground. She never expected Junketsu to actually give Satsuki its full power. The reports from the battle for Karakura Town suggested Satsuki nearly died as a result of Junketsu taking over her body yet the Kamui seemed to be working in tandem with Lady Ragyo's daughter. Grunting as she pushed her body back up, the pain in her chin abating in the process, Hououmaru cocked her head as she sensed Ichigo moving into position behind her. As a pillar of fire lit up the stadium, ice both melting and solidifying around it, Hououmaru brought her arms back up and gripped the knife tightly in her hands. Without Lady Ragyo around Xcution was actually losing the battle against the nudists and their allies.

"Your speeches are as grandiose as ever, Lady Satsuki. Unfortunately a fight is no place for talking…" Rushing towards Satsuki, her feet kicking up a cloud of dust, Hououmaru's body appeared to crackle with purple energy as she swung her arm out and expertly deflected Bakuzan. Acutely aware that Ichigo was currently sprinting towards her, the power thrumming through Mugetsu hard to ignore, Hououmaru didn't waste any time as she pressed her body against Satsuki and smashed a fist into her stomach, "Électrocution Valse."

Satsuki's mouth opened in a silent scream, her muscles convulsing sporadically, as purple bolts of electricity arced through her body. A moment later there was a resounding bang, arcs of electricity wrapping around her body, before Satsuki was sent crashing backwards through the air. Letting out an exhausted sigh as she slid her foot back, an expressionless look on her face, Hououmaru was aware Électrocution Valse would not work on Satsuki a second time. She only managed to land a hit on Lady Ragyo's daughter because she was unaware of her Écusson Raiment's abilities.

"Satsuki!"

Ichigo sprinted forward as he saw Hououmaru send Satsuki crashing through the air after only a single punch. Gripping Tournesol's hilt with both hands, the blue blade thrumming with power, the orange haired youth realized if Hououmaru could fight Satsuki without much trouble then he couldn't afford to hold back Mugetsu's power. His fight against Ragyo Kiryuin, if he could even call it that, demonstrated quite clearly that the woman was not fooling around and would easily kill his friends if she felt like it. Gritting his teeth while telepathically shifting Mugetsu into her Zangetsu configuration, a burst of blue light and stars covering his body as the Kamui's armor shifted and morphed, Ichigo leaned to the side as Hououmaru abruptly spun around and sliced her knife at his face.

"_She can follow me even in Zangetsu?"_

As he avoided Hououmaru's counterattack, his eyes tracking the midnight black knife held tightly in her fingers, Ichigo leapt backwards and readjusted his grip on Tournesol. Even though Zangetsu may increase his speed to nearly the same level as his old bankai Ichigo knew it was not infallible. Sanageyama did manage to counter his speed during the Sudden Death Runoff Election due to the combined power from his Blade Regalia and Shingantsu. Instead of relying entirely on his speed to overwhelm Hououmaru he needed to first figure out what other techniques her Écusson Raiment could do. Shifting his left foot back, a bead of sweat dripping down his face, Ichigo was about to attack Hououmaru when he spotted Satsuki in the distance.

"Why the hell are you working for Satsuki's mother?" Ichigo shouted angrily while trying to stall for time until Satsuki returned. Refusing to look away from Hououmaru as a bright burst of rainbow light illuminated the stadium, no doubt coming from his dad's fight against Ragyo Kiryuin, Ichigo's brown eyes narrowed as he growled, "She wants to kill everyone on the planet!"

"I know what you are trying to accomplish, Ichigo Kurosaki," Hououmaru's voice was flat, her tone full of disappointment, as she answered. Standing up straight, her clawed fingers clenched tightly around the knife in her hand, Hououmaru's lips curled downwards into a frown. She had perhaps five minutes until the strain of battle caused her Écusson Raiment to overheat and deactivate. Spitting on the ground, a trace of crimson in the saliva, Hououmaru shifted her right foot back and scoffed, "I shall finish this before Lady Satsuki returns."

As Hououmaru raced towards Ichigo, increasing levels of power coursing through her dark purple armor even as minute cracks appeared on it, her mind was having trouble understanding how he managed to become so skilled at such a young age. Dancing around Ichigo's accurate counterattack, her hidden eyes expertly tracking the blade's path, Hououmaru mentally scowled when Ichigo adjusted his stance and blocked her attack. It had taken Lady Satsuki years of rigorous training, supervised by her mother of course, to wield Bakuzan with a level of precision and lethality few on Earth could match. Yet as she dodged around Tournesol, her black knife changing the trajectory of the blade just enough so that it passed harmlessly to her right accompanied by a shower of sparks, Hououmaru couldn't figure out who trained Ichigo to such an extent.

Raising the knife above her head and blocking Ichigo's attack by placing it at the juncture of Tournesol's blade and hilt, her arms quivering as she prevented the blade from cleaving through her raiment. Hououmaru felt beads of sweat drip down her face. As her raiment's electricity flowing through her arms, the knife in her hand glowing with a faint purple light, Hououmaru asked, "You are far too skilled to have simply picked up a sword after transferring to Honnouji Academy. Did Isshin train you?"

Ichigo's eyes tightened in anger as Hououmaru mentioned his father. Increasing the pressure he was placing on his opponent, the ground beneath Hououmaru's armored feet cracking and then cratering downwards, Ichigo felt a burst of steam burst out of the three exhaust vents on his back and scoffed, "My dad's strong but he's a complete idiot. He couldn't train his way out of a wet paper bag."

Hououmaru grunted in exertion as she listened to Ichigo. Gnashing her teeth together as the strain of holding back Tournesol caused increasingly more cracks to cover her Écusson Raiment, the dark purple armor beginning to overheat, Hououmaru pushed forward and twisted her wrists to the right. As Tournesol fell heavily against the ground next to her, Ichigo's strength causing the Life Fiber blade to shatter the steel with ease, purple lightning covered Hououmaru's legs as she pushed her raiment to its limit. Pivoting around, her arms drawn inwards to increase her momentum, Hououmaru kicked up towards the bottom of Ichigo's chin, "Électrocution Marche."

Quickly tilting his head backwards and allowing Hououmaru's foot to barely miss hitting his chin Ichigo's eyes widened when a blast of electricity exploded out past his face. As he felt his hair standing on end from the amount of electricity coursing through the air, Mugetsu's voice complaining about the effect it was having on her Life Fibers, Ichigo nearly missed Hououmaru's subsequent attack. Pushing off the ground away from the woman, his eyes tracking the knife while it arced through the air, Ichigo skidded nearly to a stop before he raced back towards her. He couldn't afford to give someone like Hououmaru even a moment to rest.

Twisting past Hououmaru's knife, the edge of the blade coming precariously close to one of Mugetsu's eyes, Ichigo grit his teeth as he spun around. Eyes tracking the movement of her blade, Tournesol held close to his chest, Ichigo dug his feet into the stands before slamming his blade against Hououmaru's guard. With a resounding crackle accompanied by an outpouring of blue-tinged energy the dark-skinned woman was sent careening high into the stands. Panting lightly as he watched Hououmaru crash back to the ground, his breath slightly heavy, Ichigo grunted as he relaxed his stance, "Give up, Hououmaru. You can't win."

"Do not…underestimate me…Ichigo Kurosaki…"

Pulling herself out of the rubble, arcs of electricity crackling around her damaged Écusson Raiment, Hououmaru panted deeply as she tightly gripped her knife. Hunched forward, beads of sweat dripping off her face as her visor cracked and fell to the ground before disappearing in a flash of rainbow light, Hououmaru's amber eyes glared angrily at Ichigo. She knew her raiment wouldn't be able to last long against a Kamui, let alone two, but Ichigo's skill with Tournesol was concerning. If his fighting ability had been at Lady Satsuki's level than she could have extended the battle another few minutes but at the current rate she had less than a minute before her raiment overheated and shattered.

"I have been Lady Ragyo's secretary for over twenty years," Hououmaru bent her knees as she spoke, her voice loud and clear over the sounds of the remaining battles. Staring at the cracks covering her Écusson Raiment, the familiar glow of Life Fibers shining forth, she winced in pain before continuing, "For all those years I have followed every single order and demand from Lady Ragyo. Do you think she would have allowed me to stay at her side, allow me access to the most beautiful secrets concerning Life Fibers, if she did not believe I possessed the power and will to get the job done?"

"She's trying to destroy the world, damn it!" Ichigo angrily retorted, ignoring Hououmaru's question. He couldn't understand what the hell Satsuki's mother did to have Hououmaru's loyalty. It wasn't like what happened to Byakuya, who stupidly allowed Rukia's execution to proceed out of a conflict between duty and family. Hououmaru appeared to truly want to destroy humanity for no other reason than because that was Ragyo's goal. Swinging his arm in front of his body, a scowl forming on his face, he shouted, "There's no reason you should be helping her!"

"There is no point in explaining my motives," Hououmaru grit her teeth as the strain of battle began catching up to her body. As she took a single step forward, the armor around her leg cracking in the process, Hououmaru clenched her fists and drew out the last vestiges of her Écusson Raiment's powers. If she was going to fall today than she would do so with pride and dignity. Slamming her foot into the ground as an aura of lightning, tinged with the colors of the rainbow, surrounded her body Hououmaru held her knife in front of her face and declared, "Lady Ragyo's orders are sacrosanct. There is nothing you can say to dissuade me from following her orders."

"Then allow me to speak for Ichigo, Hououmaru!" A regal voice shouted as a shadow descended on Hououmaru. As a piercing blue light shone in the sky, contrasting heavily with the red background coming from the hovering COVERS, Satsuki spun around as Bakuzan glowed brightly from Junketsu's power, "Zenkan – Tenrai Kagai!"

Hououmaru managed to avoid the first strike by rapidly twisting her body to the side. As she watched the blue energy surrounding Bakuzan easily sever the stands in two, a line of destruction racing forth from the point of contact, the dark-skinned leader of Xcution shifted her stance and attempted to immediately counterattack before Ichigo could assist Satsuki. Caught off guard when the energy surrounding Bakuzan did not disappear as she expected, her amber eyes widening in realization of what that meant, Hououmaru desperately tried to jump away but was caught off guard when Satsuki quickly pivoted on one heel to face her. With a cold look in her blue eyes, armored hands holding firmly onto Bakuzan's hilt while twin bursts of steam burst from Junketsu's pauldrons, Satsuki's heels cratered the ground as she sprinted forward and unleashed the full force of Tenrai Kagai on her mother's secretary.

"Farewell, Hououmaru. Seni-Soshitsu."

Sliding slowly to a stop, dust rising from her heels, Satsuki closed her eyes and swung Bakuzan through the air. As the last vestiges of Junketsu's energy dissipated into the air, a light pant of exhaustion escaping her lips, Satsuki turned around and loudly slammed her sword onto the ground. Almost in time with the display of authority Hououmaru's armor abruptly cracked and shattered, rainbow light emanating from the remnants of her Écusson Raiment still clinging to her lithe body, before the leader of Xcution collapsed limply to the ground. Turning towards Ichigo, her face set into a grim scowl, Satsuki managed to take several steps before she gasped and collapsed onto a knee.

"Stop, Ichigo!"

Satsuki's voice was firm and demanding as she gripped one of Junketsu's pauldrons tightly. Biting her lip, her long black hair hanging limply in front of her face, Satsuki's body was covered by blue light and stars as Junketsu shifted back into her normal configuration. Breathing heavily as the strain of wearing Junketsu Zenkan vanished, her arms slightly shaking from the exertion, Satsuki slowly stood back up and sighed, "Do not be worried! Junketsu shifted into Zenkan of her own accord after Hououmaru's attack. This pain is merely a side effect of my body not being used to the power."

"_**She's right, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu chimed in as she felt her wearer's suspicion. Focusing her multicolored eyes on the other Kamui, Junketsu staring back at her, Mugetsu huffed and blinked. After the events in Karakura Town she was now able to mentally communicate with Junketsu much like she could with Senketsu. The only problem was Junketsu didn't like shutting up now that she could talk, _**"Junketsu told me she changed into Zenkan on her own. Satsuki's pain was because her body was not used to the strain of the new configuration. Her body's not as durable as yours, after all."**_

"What about Ryuko?" Ichigo sarcastically asked his Kamui, "If that's true than why doesn't Senketsu hurt her every time he switches forms?"

Mugetsu seemed to bristle indignantly around his body as she answered, _**"Why are you asking me? If you're so curious about Ryuko go ask her yourself."**_

Ichigo grumbled at his Kamui's attitude as he turned towards the unconscious Hououmaru. Staring at the woman laying facedown to protect her modesty after Satsuki's finishing move, the remains of her Écusson Raiment scattered around her body slowly dissolving into rainbow Life Fibers, Ichigo tried to understand what could drive someone to want to destroy humanity. Ragyo Kiryuin needed to be stopped, that he was certain of, but he had a strange feeling there was something in her past that would help explain her current motivations. Resting Tournesol on his shoulder as he looked up into the sky, bursts of rainbow light briefly disrupting the red glow coming from the COVERS, Ichigo wondered how much of his dad's past was still being kept a secret from him.

"You don't seem to be surprised by your father's strength, Ichigo," Satsuki said as she slowly slid Bakuzan into its scabbard and stared at the floor of the stadium. It was pleasing to see her Elite Four not only still alive, especially since Xcution wasn't known for being merciful, but actually winning. Half of the battles were already finished, the members of Xcution either unconscious or on the verge of defeat, with Esdeath being the only prominent member still fighting strong. Narrowing her eyes when the second strongest member of Xcution raised her arms up and slammed a massive amount of ice against the ground, the entire stadium shaking from the impact, Satsuki turned to Ichigo and added, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, one hand rubbing the bridge of his nose, Ichigo answered, "My dad isn't exactly the most normal man in the world."

"Ichigo, my mother is a Life Fiber Hybrid determined to feed humanity to the Original Life Fiber," Ichigo didn't miss the bitter and sarcastic tone in Satsuki's voice. Folding her arms under her chest, hands clasped around opposing wrists, Satsuki shook her head and gazed at the battle raging in the sky about Honnouji Academy. As her face was cast in a rainbow light, courtesy of her mother clashing with Ichigo's dad, she turned to him and added, "There is nothing you can say about your father that can surprise me."

"…this…isn't…over…"

Hououmaru gasped, a ragged cough escaping her lips, as she pushed her body of the ground. Planting one fist against the stands as her peripheral vision started to darken Hououmaru desperately kept her mind focused on the task at hand lest she fall into unconsciousness. The pain flowing through her body due to Satsuki's Tenrai Kagai was brutal but it was nothing compared to what the Grand Couturier or Lady Ragyo would do to her if she failed. Coughing harshly, flecks of blood coating the ground underneath her, Hououmaru stared up at the two Kamui wearers with a small smirk on her face. With every word more difficult than the last she asked, "You…really think…you've won… don't you…Lady Satsuki?"

Satsuki pursed her lips in annoyance as she listened to Hououmaru's defiance. Strutting forward, one hand placed on Bakuzan's hilt in case of a trap, she walked forward until she was standing directly above Hououmaru. Staring angrily at the fallen leader of Xcution, focused completely on Hououmaru's unsteady amber eyes, Satsuki threw her arm out and shouted, "There is a fine line between defiance and stupidity, Hououmaru! Look around you and tell me what you see! Xcution is finished! The Grand Couturier has most likely fallen at the hands of Tsumugiya and Ryuko! Even my mother will perish at the hands of Isshin Kurosaki!"

"Lady Ragyo knew…" Hououmaru gasped as she struggled to get the words out. Biting her lower lip, the pain helping to clear her mind from the fog of unconsciousness threatening to overwhelm her, Hououmaru shivered as she felt the last piece of her Écusson Raiment fall off her body. Lady Ragyo wouldn't be pleased to find that her raiment was destroyed, "…she knew I might…fall. So she…made contingencies…"

"Contingencies?" Ichigo felt something amiss as Hououmaru spoke. Looking around, his mind telling him something strange was about to happen, he was brought back to attention when a series of pained chuckles escaped Hououmaru's lips.

"You can…sense it, can't…you Ichigo?" Hououmaru's chuckles were cut off as her arms collapsed, sending her face crashing down to the ground. As the blackness began overwhelming her vision, her mind growing foggier by the second, Hououmaru managed to stare up into Satsuki's disbelieving eyes, "Your mother…tied my raiment…to the COVERS…activation signal. If I fell…they…would…activate…"

Falling into unconsciousness as the last vestiges of her energy were spent Hououmaru failed to witness a pulse of rainbow light pierce through each and every COVER floating in the air over the city. Even as Isshin continued fighting against Ragyo, the two hybrids purposefully ignored by the COVERS floating aimlessly down to the ground, Ichigo and Satsuki stared in horror as the Life Fiber beings began spreading around Honnou City.

Ichigo tightened his grip on Tournesol as he stared at the falling COVERS. He didn't know whether it was from Mugetsu or the Life Fibers in his body but he instinctively knew what the COVERS intended to do. As he saw several dozen COVERS drift towards the stadium floor and his friends Ichigo moved to help only to find Satsuki's hand clamped firmly around his shoulder.

"Stay calm and do not lose focus, Ichigo," Satsuki pulled out Bakuzan as she stared coldly at the COVERS that dared to enter Honnouji Academy. While she wished nothing more than to destroy them all she had to prioritize her fellow students. Only once the stadium and academy were both secured would she direct her forces to free the rest of the city, "Your friends are strong enough to fight off the COVERS. The battle for humanity's freedom is not yet finished. There is still one more thing we need to do."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Yo! This isn't over yet!"<p>

Moe Shishigawara scoffed in annoyance and spat on the ground. Rubbing a hand against his nose when he felt something wet, a familiar coppery taste lingering in his mouth, his eye began twitching when he saw the red liquid coating his raiment. How the hell was this happening? Everyone in Xcution was granted raiment by Lady Ragyo and the Grand Couturier to fight Revocs's enemies and make sure everything went off without a hitch yet Shishigawara couldn't shake the feeling that he could actually lose this fight. Clenching a bandaged fist tightly in anger, a pulse of rainbow-tinted energy coursing through his hand, Shishigawara took his foot off the fallen form of Meninas McAllon and pointed a finger at Chad, "Hey! You payin' attention, Chad? This is where round three starts! You may be strong but the power of my Loterie Raiment is out of this world!"

Chad grunted in pain, his broken ribs beginning to irritate him, but refused to speak to Shishigawara. Turning his gaze towards the sky, the blood-red glow from the Life Fibers permeating the atmosphere bathing the surrounding city in eerie colors, Chad's eyes widened in surprise when the COVERS began floating down towards the ground. Remembering Armstrong's words about Ragyo Kiryuin's plans for humanity, spiritual energy crackling around his left hand as he tightened it into a fist, Chad's shaggy brown hair covered his eyes as he answered, "…I've fought stronger."

"What the hell was that?"

Shishigawara seethed at the dismissive tone in Chad's voice. Motioning towards Meninas, who was struggling to get back up, the member of Xcution turned around and let loose a kick that sent her flying away into the nearby wall. As hot as the pink haired Quincy looked in that white uniform and skirt Shishigawara was not about to let her get another chance to punch him. His face was still stinging from the last time he fell for her supposedly meek appearance. Pointing towards the newly formed crater, a look of irritation in his grey eyes, Shishigawara shouted, "I literally just kicked superwoman's ass! You've got nothin' on her strength!"

"Ichigo is counting on me to win…," Chad's voice was stoic even as pain wracked his body. Bravado aside defeating Shishigawara was much easier said than done. Despite his small and lanky appearance his raiment gave him enough strength to not only fight against him but utterly decimate Meninas. Wincing as his ribs acted up again, his massive endurance helping to numb the pain, Chad wondered why she went down after only a couple of solid hits.

"_Shishigawara hit me at least twice as much yet she's the one that's unconscious…"_

Sighing deeply, his ribs protesting against the motion, Chad allowed the shield on his right arm to dissolve back into his Brazo Derecho de Gigante. Against Shishigawara defense would be pointless. Grimacing as his armor shifted back into its second form, the fin on his shoulder reappearing, Chad brought his arms up into the standard boxing stance and continued, "…he's giving everything he has to defeat Ragyo Kiryuin so as his friend I should do the same."

"Fighting for your friend, huh?" Shishigawara knew who Ichigo was the second Chad mentioned him by name. Lady Ragyo gave Xcution explicit instructions to leave him alone unless they wanted a long discussion with the Grand Couturier. He may be a member of Xcution but Nui Harime just rubbed him the wrong way. Cracking his knuckles as he confidently strutted towards Chad with a cocky grin on his face Shishigawara crouched down as a burst of rainbow energy exploded from his body, "You know what? All this talk is making me feel like I can hit the jackpot, Chad!"

Tensing as the air surrounding Shishigawara began to ripple and contort, his hair pushed back by a newly formed breeze, Chad somehow knew he wouldn't be able to dodge the attack. The only way he was going to get out of this alive was to immediately go on the offense and hope he could hit Shishigawara before he finished charging his attack. Curling the fingers on his left hand into his palm, electricity seeming to spark between the digits before enveloping the entire hand in spiritual energy, Chad grimaced as he pushed off the ground and sprinted towards Shishigawara. Leaping into the air before reaching the Xcution member Chad roared as he swung his left arm, "La Muerte!"

"Like hell I'm going to let that hit me!" Shishigawara shouted as a nervous sweat began trickling down the back of his neck. While Meninas's strength was nightmarishly deceptive she was nowhere nearly as resilient as Chad. While it only took a few hits, mostly to the face, to bring her down Chad managed to not only stay on his feet but get in a few punches of his own. Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, his Loterie Raiment's power extruding a rainbow aura around his body, Shishigawara shifted his stance and threw his arm forward, "My luck is always rising! Météore –"

Before Shishigawara could finish calling his attack, the energy gathered around his fists already rushing forth towards Chad, he was blown backwards as someone crashed heavily into the ground in front of him. Bouncing harshly against the floor of the stadium, cursing profusely when his face slid along the ground for a few seconds, Shishigawara didn't know who decided to interrupt his fight but he was going to make them pay. Rolling onto his back, his raiment protecting him from getting injured, Shishigawara dug his fingers into the ground as he finally managed to arrest his movements.

"Hey! Why the hell are…you…?" As the smoke and dust cleared, exposing the figure sitting on her hands and knees, Shishigawara froze in mid-sentence and sputtered, "L-Lady Ragyo?"

Ragyo Kiryuin didn't bother answering Shishigawara as she slowly picked herself off the ground, her once pristine white dress sullied and torn, and winced at the unfamiliar feeling of pain permeating her body. The last time she felt pain, and didn't simply fake it out of amusement, was more than seventeen years ago and the events of that night were still freshly ingrained in her memories. Her fight against Isshin wasn't going at all like she imagined. Even though Isshin was as strong as her, courtesy of the Original Life Fiber's splendid gift, she couldn't land a single hit on him. Every time she managed to get close enough to strike Isshin with her Needle Blade he would dodge out of the way while throwing out a rather flattering compliment.

Standing back onto her feet, her arms quivering from exhaustion, Ragyo sighed deeply as her pulsed quickened from excitement. As the rainbow undertone in her silver hair brightened, illuminating the surrounding area in a backdrop of light, Ragyo turned her attention to Isshin hovering in the air above her. Summoning her Needle Blade, a brief burst of light appearing as her fingers gripped the weapon, Ragyo's gaze softened slightly as she stared at the blade in Isshin's hand, "You've been hiding things from me. Is that a Life Fiber blade?"

As he landed softly on the ground, his shirt torn up slightly but his appearance otherwise immaculate, Isshin allowed the Life Fiber blade in the form of a tachi to rest against his shoulder as he locked gazes with Ragyo. He may have lost Engetsu due to what the Original Life Fiber did to him but Isshin would never allow his hands to hold any other blade. While the blade in his hands was but an empty facsimile of his zanpakuto, a mockery of his old weapon, Isshin viewed it as a tribute to everything he lost.

"Are you talking about this thing?" Isshin motioned with his head towards the blade, a faint rainbow light emanating from the Life Fiber weapon, before continuing, "It must have been a week after Nui's first visit. Having her drop in unexpected like that made me think that I needed a way to dissuade her from coming back."

Chuckling at Isshin's explanation as her wounds regenerated, the dirt and grime covering her dress vanishing in seconds, Ragyo tilted her head and sighed once more. It was frustrating that every time she begins to understand Isshin he goes and pulls something like this. Lips curling up as Isshin's wounds refused to heal, no doubt due to his stupid excuse of wishing to look human in front of Ichigo, Ragyo's maroon eyes closed as she pondered her next move, "A blade of such quality deserves a name, don't you think? Have you thought of a suitable name or shall I have the honors?"

"I'll have you know I can come up with a name all on my own. It just takes me a bit longer to do so," Isshin defensive argued as he lowered the blade from his shoulder. He wouldn't admit it but even after more than six years he still hadn't come up with a name for it. Pointing at her Needle Blade Isshin scoffed and said, "I'm surprised you're so skilled with that thing. I didn't think running Revocs gave you time to practice."

Ragyo's eyes narrowed at Isshin, "Are you calling me lazy?"

Isshin stabbed his sword into the ground, the edge easily piercing through the metal, and folded his arms across his chest. Sparing a quick glance at Chad, the Mexican youth carefully watching their conversation through tired eyes, Isshin reared his head back and laughed, "Not at all! It takes a lot of time and effort to make a company successful! Why, I remember back when Revocs was just starting to branch out from Japan. Hououmaru was all nervous and exhausted from getting everything sorted out and must have passed out three or four times. Doing all that doesn't really leave much time for training."

The rainbow light shining from Ragyo's hair dimmed subtly as she continued to listen to Isshin. Tightening her grip on the Needle Blade for a moment Ragyo felt more than watched as the constitute Life Fibers dissolved into the air before flowing back into her body through her dress. Sighing deeply as the rainbow Life Fibers merged with her body Ragyo's brow imperceptibly creased into a frown as she felt the apprehension from the COVERS. While they were Life Fiber beings subservient to her will they were rightfully fearful of getting too close to Isshin. As long as he remained within the stadium the COVERS could not assimilate the students of Honnouji Academy she dealt with even before Satsuki began her little rebellion.

Caressing the side of her face, her fingers trailing down her cheek as she tilted her head to the side, Ragyo's gaze hardened as she shook her head, "You're still as stubborn as the day I met you, Isshin, but I suppose that's one of your most endearing qualities. If you continue to refuse to let me through then I suppose I have no choice in the matter…I give up."

Isshin flinched backwards in surprise at Ragyo's words and judging by Shishigawara's sputtering it seemed the Xcution member was just as shocked. Once he managed to regain his composure he asked, "You're just giving up? I've known you for over twenty years. You don't give up on anything once you set your mind on it."

"Perhaps I should clarify this apparent misunderstanding, Isshin," Ragyo chuckled as she reached into her dress, the Life Fibers woven within parting out of the way of her hand, and pulled out a cell phone. Tapping her fingers against the phone's screen, her lips curled upwards in amusement at Isshin's bewildered expression, Ragyo's expression shifted dangerously as she continued, "I was not conceding victory, as you seem to think, but that I was giving up fighting you. It was obvious from the very beginning that defeating you in combat would be very difficult. As long as you're here the COVERS cannot enter Honnouji Academy. While I wished I had more time to deal with you it seems like my precious Nui has already fallen at the hands of my other daughters…"

"So you already know about Ryuko, huh?" Isshin ignored the sudden chill running down his spine, courtesy of Ragyo's intense glare, and shrugged, "Why are you getting angry at me? I offered to watch Ryuko for Souichiro but he refused because he said it was too dangerous."

"I'm not angry with you. Now if you can excuse me for just a minute I have to make a business call," Ragyo trailed off as she placed the phone next to her ear and turned away from Isshin. Strumming her fingers of her free hand against her wrist Ragyo's eyes widened as the call finally connected, "This is Ragyo Kiryuin. I'm forwarding another ten million to your account if you can push it up to twenty minutes from right now. You can? Ce est merveilleux. Please let me know when the job is done."

Pulling the phone away from her ear as the call ended, an unnerving smile on her face, Ragyo turned back to Isshin and asked, "How is your family, Isshin? You never did allow me to see those lovely twins of yours. Yuzu and Karin were their names, right? It's quite a shame what's about to happen to them…"

The color in Isshin's hair began to bleed away to silver as he stared incredulously at Ragyo. Pulling his sword out of the ground, the veins on his arm prominent as he tightly gripped the hilt, Isshin's tone was little more than a growl as he stepped towards Ragyo, "If you hurt a single hair on their heads I'll –"

"I would never dare to hurt your family, Isshin," Ragyo held her hand against her heart as a look of stunned shock spread across her face, "I'm insulted by your accusation. I know fully well what you're capable of doing if your family is put in danger. The assassin I hired, on the other hand, is more than willing to accomplish the deed. He is one of the best in the world and doesn't even wear any Life Fibers. That means the Anti-Life Fiber shield you erected around Karakura Town is all but useless. In twenty minutes your precious daughters are going to be –"

Ragyo was cut off when Isshin clamped his hand firmly around her throat, his fingers squeezing her neck like a vice, as he traversed the nearly twenty foot distance in less than a second. Placing the tip of his blade under Ragyo's chin, the faint rainbow sheen growing brighter by the second, Isshin didn't notice as the brown coloring in his eyes flaked away to familiar maroon, "Call him off, Ragyo!"

If she was bothered by the threatening tone in Isshin's voice Ragyo didn't show it. As her lips curled higher, a manic grin adorning her face as she watched Isshin's true appearance begin to subconsciously reveal itself, Ragyo lightly placed her hands on his wrist and chuckled, "As much as I appreciate how close we've gotten the matter is entirely out of my hands. He's already been paid to kill Yuzu and Karin. In less than twenty minutes your daughters are going to be dead even with all those nudists you have guarding them. There is, however, a way that _you_ can stop him…"

Pulling free from Isshin's hand in a burst of rainbow light, the bruises on her neck healing nearly instantaneously, Ragyo leaned forward slightly as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. Folding her arms under her bosom, the white dress helping to accentuate her figure, Ragyo's silver hair seemed to brighten as she continued to speak, "If you leave Honnouji Academy right now you can make it to Karakura Town in less than ten minutes. That is more than enough time to save your daughters."

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Isshin's tone deepened as he glared at Ragyo. He could feel his disguise failing, exposing his actual appearance for everyone to see, but Isshin didn't care at this point. All that mattered was keeping his family safe, "I may not have gotten the best grades but even I can tell this is a trap. The moment I leave the COVERS will begin to devour innocent people. Nobody, not even Ichigo, will be able to stop you once I'm gone."

"All too true but flattery will get you nowhere," Ragyo answered nonchalantly with a small shrug of her head, "We both know you're the only one capable of defeating me but I wouldn't try anything if I were you. If you decide to continue fighting I'll make sure it takes you at least ten minutes to beat me, which sadly leaves you with not enough time to save your daughters. The choice is up to you – your daughters or the world. Eighteen minutes…"

Isshin hated what he was about to do but Ragyo left with him no other choices. If he wanted to save Yuzu and Karin he would need to leave Honnouji Academy immediately but the moment he did Ragyo would be able to continue her plans completely unopposed. The only glimmer of light was the certainty in his mind that Ragyo was allowing him to rescues his daughters. If she truly wished to kill Yuzu and Karin she would not have given him twenty minutes to stop the assassin. Grimacing at the probably consequences of his decision Isshin apprehensively realized that in order to make it back to Karakura Town in time he needed to completely drop his disguise. It might draw a few stares, most likely from Ichigo and Anderson, but he was prepared to deal with the eventual fallout whenever it happened.

"You give yourself far too much credit. In a couple of years Ichigo and Ryuko should be able to give us a run for our money."

Not allowing Ragyo the necessary time to respond Isshin crouched before leaping into the sky, a vibrant trail of colors following his ascent, and spun around. Pushing off an invisible platform in the air with his feet, his now maroon eyes noticing Ichigo's perplexed gaze locked squarely on him, Isshin allowed his disguise to peel away as he flew west accompanied by a sonic boom. As the Life Fibers holding his disguise fell away, revealing a man nearly twenty years younger in appearance, Isshin bit his lip when he passed over the outskirts of Honnou City. Hopefully Nudist Beach would be able to salvage something before the battle turning into a complete massacre.

"Perhaps in another lifetime I would have been arrogant enough to assume myself invincible but I do appreciate the comment," Ragyo muttered, a sly smirk on her face, as she watched Isshin retreat into the distance. It was interesting how her life turned out after he stole her heart. So many things could have changed if Isshin never came into her life but Ragyo didn't regret a single thing. Turning around as Isshin faded away, her heart pounding from both excitement and lust, Ragyo cocked her head to the side as she closed her eyes, "Mr. Shishigawara, I need you to take note of something for me."

Standing up tall as Ragyo addressed him, his hands absentmindedly dusting off his Loterie Raiment, Shishigawara hurried towards his boss while ignoring his injuries. Usually Hououmaru was always nearby to write this kind of stuff down but he wasn't complaining. Fumbling for the notepad he kept in the pocket of his raiment, nearly dropping it in the process, Shishigawara turned to the first blank page and asked, "What do you want me to write down, Lady Ragyo?"

Ragyo looked around the stadium, which suddenly seemed full of opportunities, before responding to Shishigawara's question. When she noticed two of the Quincy fighting Yukio, his Fantasie Raiment more than a match for them, Ragyo's tone turned sadistic, "Hiring an assassin to kill Isshin's children has left a bad taste in my mouth. Can you please remind me to personally kill him once the festival is over? I wouldn't want Isshin to get the wrong impression of me, after all."

"Uh, sure," Shishigawara muttered as he quickly jotted the message down, "Is there anything else?"

"That will be all, Mr. Shishigawara. Please continue killing Mr. Yasutora at your leisure," Ragyo replied as she began walking away. Without Isshin around the COVERS could finally begin absorbing the student body and reach their full power, untethered from the Original Life Fiber. Tilting her head when she saw four bursts of reddish-white light appear around the stadium, her senses prickling from the intimately familiar power welling up around her, Ragyo could not suppress the psychotic grin spreading across her face. Isshin's perfect COVERS were truly a work of art. Already her maroon eyes could easily pick out a transformed Kon racing horizontally along the walls of the stadium, the blades jutting out from his body and tail cutting through her own COVERS with ease.

Pausing in mid-step as a series of explosions lit up the sky above her, her heel clicking loudly against the ground as she came to a stop, Ragyo watched as a COVERS with a distinctly feminine shape flew over the academy. Maroon eyes memorizing how Ririn danced through her own COVERS, enormous gusts of winds roaring from her wings as she unleashed salvos of missiles, Ragyo made a mental note to capture out of them before the festival ended. The information Isshin's COVERS contained was priceless and her mind was already visualizing what she could do with it.

"Well now…" Ragyo spread her arms outwards as the COVERS landed around her, "…what shall I do first?"

As she strummed her fingers against her wrist, several interesting ideas coming to mind about what to do first, Ragyo smirked and tilted her head to the left as a spiritual bullet rocketed past her body. Silver hair rustling from the force of the bullet tearing through the stadium's wall before continuing out into Honnou City, a trail of destruction and devastation in its wake, Ragyo knew just what she should do to help pass the time. Focusing her attention on Lille Barro, her fingers blurring as she caught the second bullet with laughable ease, Ragyo chuckled, "C'est ça…I think I will start with you, Quincy."

Lille Barro's single eye widened as Ragyo Kiryuin stepped towards him before abruptly vanishing. Standing up as he expanded his senses, his body alert as he tried to hone in on the repugnant feeling of the Life Fibers in Ragyo's body, Lille Barro froze when a burst of excruciating pain tore through his chest.

"W-What…?"

As his arms fell weakly to his sides, the spiritual rifle clasping in his hand clattering against the ground before vanishing into energy, Lille Barro coughed up blood as he tried to comprehend what was happening to him. Gasping in pain as he stared at Ragyo standing before him, her left hand buried deep in his chest, he coughed harshly and sputtered, "…I-Impossible…"

"Impossible, you say?" Ragyo's smirked as he clenched her hand tighter around Lille Barro's heart, eliciting a choked gasp from the Sternritter. It seemed that even the so-called Quincy were mortal, if the look of terror and excruciating pain on the dark skinned man meant anything. As Lille Barro's blood slid like oil off her dress, the Life Fibers woven within refusing to be sullied by the blood of a mere human, Ragyo began gathering energy in her arm and laughed, "I'm sure you'll find that nothing in life is impossible, my dear Quincy. Please give me regards to your leader when I send him to you!"

Releasing the energy in her hand, the light around her body dimming for a second, Ragyo's face was ecstatic as a brilliant beam of rainbow light tore straight through Lille Barro's body and up into the sky. As her lips curled upwards into a manic smile as she watched the Quincy turning to ash, his body lasting only a few seconds before disappearing into the wind, Ragyo realized she now had the attention of everyone still alive in the stadium. Completely uncaring of the attention Ragyo stared into Bambietta's horror-stricken eyes and quipped as she closed her eyes, "Well, that's one nuisance out of the picture."

As she slowly walked away from what was left of Lille Barro, her heels echoing loudly with every step, Ragyo reached out and trailed her fingers across one of the COVERS in her path. Ignoring the shriveled up face of the student the COVERS managed to absorbed, her lips curled upwards in a pleased grin, Ragyo looked around the stadium with a discerning eye and sighed. It seemed that Xcution was doing a rather miserable job of killing Ichigo's allies. She could sense Giriko was already dead and that Ririko was close to having her Duveteux Raiment destroyed for a second time.

"Oh dear…it seems Hououmaru has fallen," Ragyo's regal voice echoed as she stepped off the stands and into the air. Ignoring the efforts of Isshin's COVERS to destroy her own, the four Life Fiber beings too few to stop tens of thousands of COVERS from descending on the academy and city, Ragyo closed her eyes and smirked when she felt Ichigo and Satsuki shift their full attention towards her. Turning in midair to face them, the rainbow undertone in her hair glowing brightly as a multicolored backdrop of light appeared behind her, Ragyo chuckled as she felt their Kamui tense in anticipation.

"La vie est drôle."

Ragyo's tone lost whatever amusement it contained as she spun around and backhanded the pulse of spiritual energy Bambietta fired at her. Silver hair blowing wildly in the wind as Bambietta's attack collided with the stadium and immediately detonated, sending Yukio unfortunately crashing into the wall, Ragyo's maroon eyes were cold as she stared at the Quincy floating in the air behind her.

"It's been than seventeen years since I last fought a Quincy. I nearly forgot you people could fly," Ragyo's grin turned predatory as she drew the Needle Blade back out of her body. Running a finger down the blade, the rainbow coloring intensifying as a result, Ragyo clenched her hand tightly around the hilt, "It is rather unfortunate you're not nearly as much of a bother as she was."

"Damn it!" Bambietta's stance was nervous and tense, sweat dripping down her face, as she pointed her bow at Ragyo. His Majesty's daten about the Kiryuin matriarch's power and strength was grossly inaccurate compared to what she was witnessing. Lille Barro, one of His Majesty's strongest Sternritter, had fallen after only a single brutal attack with his blut completely useless. Gnashing her teeth angrily, the commissioner's cap rest on her head falling forward over her eyes, Bambietta's body was enveloped in spiritual energy as she fired dozens of heilig pfeil at Ragyo, "Die! Die! Die you ugly bitch!"

"Oh my, aren't you quite the rude one?" Ragyo quipped as her arm blurred into motion, blocking and deflecting each heilig pfeil with laughable ease.

Watching as the Sternritter's anger bled away, replaced by frustration and then fear as her attacks were continuously halted, Ragyo stiffened when she remembered Ryuko Matoi. It seemed all the excitement revolving around Isshin's arrival and their subsequent argument nearly caused her long lost daughter to slip her mind. That just wouldn't do. Turning maroon eyes up towards the academy as she felt three sets of Life Fibers still lingering within the halls Ragyo blocked one last salvo of heilig pfeil from Bambietta as she snapped her fingers, "Please excuse me, my dear Quincy, but something rather important has just been brought to my attention. Mr. Vorarlberna shall be more than happy to kill you in my absence."

Turning her back to Bambietta as Yukio's knight appeared in the air above the Sternritter, Life Fiber armor glowing in the sunlight as its broadsword crashed down on the Quincy's head, Ragyo decided to take one last look around the stadium before introducing herself to Ryuko. Satsuki's Elite Four were putting up more of a fight than she could have anticipated. Two of them, Ira Gamagori and Uzu Sanageyama, had joined forces with the Quincy fighting Esdeath and were actually causing her to slowly retreat under the powerful assault. As a silver eyebrow quirked upwards in amusement as Sanageyama managed to break through Esdeath's guard only for the blue haired woman to retaliate with a powerful kick Ragyo tilted her head when a burst of blue light exploded from the stands.

"Children just don't know when to give up," Ragyo sighed wistfully, her voice full of disappointment, as she watched Ichigo fly towards her clad in Mugetsu Gufū. As inspiring as it was to see him constantly trying to stop her even she had her limits. Taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling dramatically, Ragyo exhaled loudly before her lips curled up into a smirk, "Nice try but you're going to have to do better than this to surprise me, Satsuki."

Twisting her body as Satsuki descended through the air towards her, Junketsu shifting into Zenkan in a burst of light and stars, Ragyo kicked her leg out and caught Bakuzan on the inside of her heel. Smirking sadistically as she watched her daughter's arms quivering, her good mood ruined slightly upon seeing Junketsu actually helping Satsuki, Ragyo quickly leaned backwards as Ichigo finally arriving. Closing her eyes as Tournesol passed overhead, the Life Fiber weapon attempting to sever her head, Ragyo let out a soft chuckle at Ichigo's continuous defiance before she vanished right before their eyes.

"What the hell?" Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise as Ragyo disappeared from right in front of him. Spinning around, the jets on Mugetsu's armor arresting his momentum, Ichigo held Tournesol's hilt in a tight grip as he searched for Satsuki's mother, "Where did she go?"

"Do not let your guard down, Ichigo," Satsuki answered as she landed on the stands in a soft crouch and immediately shifted Junketsu out of her Zenkan configuration. Wincing in pain from the strain wearing Zenkan put on her body Satsuki exhaled deeply and firmly clenched her fingers around Bakuzan as she looked to her right, "My mother is still here."

"If you two wish to continue this fight I certainly won't dampen your enthusiasm," Ragyo shook her head as she descended down the stands towards her daughter and Ichigo. As she willed the COVERS surrounding her to other parts of the stadium, not wishing to have the Life Fiber beings unnecessarily cut down, Ragyo shrugged as she raised the Needle Blade in front of her body. As rainbow energy began wafting off the weapon, illuminating her face in a cacophony of colors, Ragyo's lips curled upwards in glee, "But you'll find defeating me to be an insurmountable goal."

"You are wrong, Ragyo Kiryuin!" Satsuki declared passionately as Junketsu began glowing with power. Shifting her right leg backwards as she brought Bakuzan up, the Life Fiber blade held horizontally near her shoulder, Satsuki's blue eyes narrowed as she shouted, "The tyranny of Life Fibers will end with your death!"

"Oh, is that so?" Ragyo pursed her lips at her daughter's declaration before taking a single step forward. The moment her heel touched down a massive amount of energy erupted from her body in the form of a brilliant rainbow aura. Smirking manically as Ichigo and Satsuki stared in awe at her power Ragyo leaned forward and laughed, "You seem rather confident about Junketsu's power, Satsuki. I can only assume you must possess the strength necessary to slay me. Well then…it would be rude not to reciprocate the gesture. If you are going to use your full power then I shall do the same. Au revoir…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Alexander Anderson's heavy footsteps echoed hollowly in the empty halls of Honnouji Academy. As he ran through rubble and debris strewn about the academy, boots crushing shards of glass littering the floor, his green eyes squinted in disgust when a brilliant rainbow light illuminated the stadium. Gnashing his teeth together angrily, his lips pulled back, Anderson knew attacking Ragyo would be tantamount to committing suicide. He didn't have nearly enough bayonets or Anti-Life Fiber weapons to hope to take someone like her down. If he even tried she would slaughter him without a shred of mercy just like the monster she truly was.<p>

Turning around a corner, his boots sliding against the floor for traction, Anderson's eyes narrowed in fury when he saw more than a dozen COVERS blocking his path. Flexing his wrists outwards, identical Tailor Bayonets flashing out of his sleeves and into his hands, Anderson bolted forward and shouted, "Out of me way!"

As the COVERS became aware of his presence, the Life Fibers extruding from their collars and sleeves twisting chaotically through the air, Anderson pushed off the ground and leapt up into the air. Roaring as he swung his bayonets through the Life Fiber beings, his specialized blades leaving blue-white trails of light in their wake, Anderson growled when one of the only COVERS to survive his rampage wrapped a sleeve around his arm and tried to absorb him. Grimacing in disgust at touching Life Fibers Anderson reversed his grip on the bayonet in his free hand before vertically bisecting the COVERS.

"Rot in the deepest pits of hell ye unholy monstrosities."

Stomping on the COVERS as it convulsed, its body falling limply to the floor before dissolving into Life Fibers, Anderson cocked his head to the side and sneered when he heard voices echoing from down the hallway. He could barely make out what was being said but that didn't matter. Taking several quick steps before breaking out into a sprint, his bayonets held tightly in his gloved hands, Anderson spun around as he approached his target and smashed his foot against the metal door, buckling it before sending it crashing wide open.

"Huh?" Ryuko blinked owlishly and looked over her shoulder as the door was slammed open. When she saw Anderson standing in the frame, his shoulders hunched forward with his bayonets gleaming dangerously in the light, she gripped the red Scissor Blade and staggered back onto her feet. Gritting her teeth she panted from exhaustion and shouted, "You! What the hell are you doing here?"

Anderson gave Ryuko a discerning look before focusing his attention on the fallen form of the Grand Couturier. Green eyes narrowing in hatred as her wounds regenerated, the blood pooled around her body flowing back into her cuts and gashes, the Nudist Beach commander clenched his hands as he slowly shambled towards Nui Harime. This was a golden opportunity and orders or not he wasn't about to let the Grand Couturier leave Honnouji Academy alive. Flipping one of his bayonets around in his hand, the tip pointing downwards in order to pierce through Nui Harime's blackened and diseased heart, Anderson was forced to stop when he felt a sharp blade placed delicately just under the base of his chin.

"I asked you why the hell you're here!" Ryuko growled as she pushed the Scissor Blade harder against Anderson's neck, "So start talking!"

"Ye aren't trying to protect this unholy abomination, are ye Ryuko?" Anderson's tone was gravelly as he looked over his shoulder and stared into Ryuko's eyes, "I would have thought someone like ye would allow me to finish this righteous task."

Ryuko didn't flinch under the intensity of Anderson's gaze even as a burst of rainbow light illuminated the room. As the red highlight in her hair appeared to glow with a cacophony of colors, her unique blue eyes locked firmly with the former priest's, she slowly and deliberately pulled the Scissor Blade away from his neck. Eyes narrowing as she glared at the fallen form of Nui Harime, the Grand Couturier's arms limply resting on the ground, Ryuko spat on the ground and huffed, "Don't get me wrong. I want Nui Harime to pay for killing my dad but I won't allow you to kill her in cold blood. It just doesn't feel right."

"This monstrosity has killed more innocent people in the last four years than ye can possibly imagine. It would be an affront against nature to allow her to continue living another minute," Anderson stated as he turned back towards Nui Harime. Clenching his bayonets tightly in his hands as he stalked towards the fallen hybrid, his mind trying to figure out the most efficient way to end her life, Anderson was forced to stop when Ururu slid in existence directly in front of him.

"I won't let you kill her," Ururu's soft and emotionless voice unnerved Anderson more than he dared admit. Pointing the purple Scissor Blade at his chest, the familiar weapon gleaming brightly in the light, Ururu tilted her head to the side and quietly added, "I don't want to have to kill you so please surrender."

"You heard Ururu! We're not going to let you murder Nui Harime!" Ryuko growled as she wrapped her fingers around the Seki Tekko's pin. She didn't know how long she could make Senketsu to remain in his transformed state at her current level of exhaustion but Ryuko wasn't about to let Anderson murder the Grand Couturier in cold blood before she got her answers.

Turning around, his boots stomping against the ground, Anderson's sneer slowly fell off his face as he recalled the infant Masaki left at his orphanage seventeen years ago. Allowing the tension in his arms to vanish, his bayonets hanging limply at his sides, Anderson found it disheartening that a child he watched grow up would be getting in the way of his righteous task. She had no idea of the carnage Nui Harime was capable of given the proper motivation. More than a thousand innocent men and women were dead because Ragyo Kiryuin ordered that abomination to go out and have 'fun.' Gnashing his teeth together, his mind refusing to allow the Grand Couturier another chance to kill, Anderson slid his foot back and prepared to force his way through Ryuko and Ururu.

"May God forgive me for what I'm about to do," Anderson grimaced as he slowly crossed his arms in front of his body. Flexing his wrists dramatically, the bayonets brightly reflecting the ambient light shining in through the shattered windows, the Nudist Beach commander's glasses shone malevolently as Ryuko's defiant scowl deepened, "…but the Grand Couturier must die. If that means I must go through ye two children then so –"

Anderson was cut off as something crashed through the room behind Ryuko, dust and debris spraying against his cassock, and slammed into the far wall with a dull thump. Pushing his way past Ryuko, his body automatically moving in front of her, Anderson nearly froze in disbelief at what he saw.

"What in God's name…"

Pinned against the wall through her sternum by Bakuzan, cracks radiating outwards due to the force from her impact, was Satsuki Kiryuin. Gasping in pain, her every breath a struggle, the former heir of the Kiryuin family seemed to be using her immense will to ward off unconsciousness and death. As a flash of blue light lit up the room, Junketsu shifting back to her normal appearance, Satsuki gurgled and coughed up a large amount of blood as she raised weak arms towards the blade piercing her body.

"Oh my, if it isn't Alexander Anderson…"

Ragyo's regal voice contained a hint of amusement as she appeared in the room flanked by several fully powered COVERS. Slowly strutting forward, her visage unmarred apart from a slight cut on her arm, Ragyo quirked an eyebrow upon seeing her dear Nui slumped unconscious against the wall. It was odd seeing the Grand Couturier defeated but if anything else Ragyo was an optimist. Nui's failure to defeat her sisters would only serve to motivate her to improve her skills, which was sadly something the Grand Couturier refused to do unless ordered. Turning her attention back to the Nudist Beach commander, a hand held up as she ordered the COVERS to stay back, Ragyo smirked upon seeing his rage-filled eyes, "It's been quite a few years, hasn't it? I hope you aren't still upset about Rome. It wasn't anything personal, just business."

"Just business, ye say?" Anderson growled, his voice accompanied by a soft hiss. Tightly gripping his bayonets, his knuckles bleeding white, he scoffed derisively and spat, "Yer a liar, Ragyo Kiryuin. It was personal and ye know it. Why else would ye travel to Rome and use Mental Refitting on the entire holy conclave?"

"It was a simple misunderstanding. The College of Cardinals for some reason believed I was an 'unholy abomination destined to scour the earth barren.' Those were your exact words, were they not?" Ragyo quipped as she lazily blocked Anderson's bayonets with her Needle Blade. Smirking as the former priest pushed down with all his might, her arm not budging an inch, the Kiryuin Matriarch stared into his piercing gaze as she added, "It was a shame what happened that day. You weren't supposed to survive, Alexander Anderson."

Anderson barely had time to react as Ragyo's leg snapped up, her knee hitting him in the chin with the force of a small explosion. As he staggered backwards, blood leaking out of his nose and mouth, Anderson quickly ducked as Ragyo's Needle Blade attempted to pierce his throat. Growling when the blade cut a large gash on his cheek, large droplets of blood splattering across the floor, Anderson seethed and ignored the coppery taste building up in his mouth. Panting as he raised his bayonets in front of his body, his shoulders lurching forward, Anderson vowed to protect Ryuko and Ururu Tsumugiya from Ragyo Kiryuin if it was the last thing he did.

"Ye shall not touch them, Ragyo Kiryuin!" Anderson hissed while flexing his wrists. As several more Tailor Bayonets appeared out of his sleeves, the blades sliding between his fingers with practiced ease, Anderson snarled and was about to charge Ragyo when she vanished from right in front of his eyes.

"I really don't think you have much of a say in the matter, Mr. Anderson."

Smashing her fist into Anderson's stomach, the ground beneath his feet cratering from the force behind the blow, Ragyo's lips curled in amusement as the Nudist Beach commander was sent careening backwards through the wall. Picking up one of his Tailor Bayonets, the black and green metal a testament to her former husband's expertise on Life Fibers, Ragyo squeezed her fingers together and easily crushed the blade. Souichiro may have been a genius but he was a hack when it came to innovation. Most of his so-called inventions were merely applications of what Isshin and she already created. Even these tailor weapons, designed to cut Life Fibers, were born from Isshin's idea of Life Fiber containment devices.

"Now, where was I before that rude interruption?"

Confident that Anderson wouldn't be bothering her anytime soon Ragyo turned her attention to Satsuki. Snapping her fingers as she walked over to her daughter, the COVERS immediately jumping out of the academy at her mental command, the elder Kiryuin shook her head as she watched Satsuki feebly trying to pull Bakuzan out of her body. Gently clasping her fingers around the hilt of the Life Fiber blade, her maroon eyes widening briefly as she prevented her Life Fibers from connecting with the ones in Bakuzan, Ragyo stroked Satsuki's blood-stained chin and sighed, "It seems as if you've reached your limits, Satsuki. Even poor Junketsu is unable to continue fighting. I suppose all that talk about defeating me was simply bluster."

"Ragyo Kiryuin!"

Bursting out of a column of red stars and light as she activated Senketsu, the Kamui's power helping to alleviate the exhaustion in her muscles, Ryuko leapt into the air with the red Scissor Blade held over her head. Roaring angrily as she descended on the Kiryuin matriarch, her eyes noticing Ururu approaching from the other side with the purple Scissor Blade already swinging, Ryuko was caught off guard when Ragyo coldly laughed. As her eyes began to narrow in worry at what Satsuki's mother was planning Ryuko emitted a choked gasp as Ragyo reached up and clasped her hand firmly around her neck.

"I'm glad you've finally decided to introduce yourself, Ryuko Matoi," Ragyo laughed as she tightened her grip around Ryuko's throat, causing the teenager to cough in response. Letting go of Bakuzan and turning around towards the approaching Ururu, her pinky finger hooking around the hole in the purple Scissor Blade, a deep sigh of pleasure escaped Ragyo's lips as she continued, "It just wouldn't be a proper family reunion without you."

"What…what the hell are you talking about?" Ryuko gasped as her hands futilely tried to pry Ragyo's fingers from around her throat. Ignoring Senketsu's worry, a harsh cough escaping her throat as she desperately tried to breathe, she glared at Ragyo with all the hated she could muster and growled, "As if you're my mom! That's a load of crap! My mom died right after I was born!"

"Is that what the illustrious 'Professor Matoi' told you? I suppose my former husband thought he was rather clever taking on the name of the only man I will ever love," Ragyo frowned in annoyance as she caressed Ryuko's throat, her fingers marveling at the feel and texture of Senketsu, before remembering about Amu. Turning towards Nui's twin sister, bemused by the defiant glare in her sapphire eyes, Ragyo smirked as she twisted her hand. As the purple Scissor Blade was yanked harshly to the left, the abrupt change in momentum causing Ururu's feet to leave the ground, Ragyo reared her arm back and smashed her hand against Ururu's cheek.

"But I suppose you won't accept my word," Ragyo continued unperturbed as she watched her daughter go flying through the wall. Tilting her head down as she focused her attention back on Ryuko, lips curled upwards in a manic grin, Ragyo clenched her fingers as the Needle Blade appeared once more in her hand. Releasing Ryuko from her grip, the teenager stumbling to her feet as she gasped for air, Ragyo strummed her fingers and sighed, "So allow me to demonstrate instead, ma chère fille..."

Ryuko didn't register the pain as Ragyo swung the Needle Blade through the air and severed her left arm. One second she was preparing for whatever Satsuki's mother would try and the next her body suddenly felt a lot lighter. Eyes widening in disbelief as she saw her arm, still clad in Senketsu's armor fall twitching to the floor, Ryuko gurgled as she collapsed to her knees and shouted, "FUCK! MY ARM!"

Pursing her lips as she watched her daughter desperately try to staunch the flow of blood with her remaining hand, the red liquid seeping between her fingers, Ragyo allowed Ryuko a few seconds to continue with the childish display. Her precious Nui had acted the same way when she severed her legs during training. After allowing Ryuko a moment to cry over the loss of her arm Ragyo rolled her eyes and asked, "Is there any reason you're still screaming, Ryuko? Surely you must have realized by now that you don't feel any pain. That is not to mention your arm is already regenerating…"

Gasping for breath as she glared at Ragyo, sweat dripping down her face, Ryuko was about to curse at Satsuki's mother when her shoulder began to shine with a fierce red light. Pulling her hand away in shock when she noticed dozens of Life Fibers emerging from her shoulder, the light causing her face to glow an eerie shade of red, Ryuko choked back a scream when she noticed she could actually still move her severed arm. Lips trembling as her arm was forcibly brought back against her shoulder, the light shining from within her body disappearing as her wound sealed shut, Ryuko stammered, "W-What the hell? I-I'm not a…"

Ragyo chuckled at Ryuko's spiraling emotions, her lost daughter's eyes betraying the terror and fear she felt, as she turned her attention back to the dying Satsuki. Gripping Bakuzan's hilt once again, her fingers flexing comfortably around the blade, Ragyo leaned in and whispered, "In the end you exceeded my expectations, Satsuki. I never expected you to put up this much of a fight. When I saw you wearing Junketsu Zenkan without dying I even felt a twinge of pride in my heart. It was all very impressive so allow me to impart unto you some final motherly advice."

Shifting her wrist ever so slightly downwards, the motion accompanied by the sound of metal groaning, Ragyo smirked as she snapped Bakuzan in half without much effort, "Much like Junketsu you never truly mastered Bakuzan. Weapons created from hardened Life Fibers require a true child of COVERS to reach their full potential. Haven't you ever wondered while the Scissor Blades or Tournesol seemed so much more powerful than your Bakuzan? Both Ichigo and Ryuko are Life Fiber Hybrids and can draw out the full power of their blades. You may be my daughter but you are still nothing more than a human; Bakuzan brittle and frail. Au revoir, Satsuki…"

"I-Ichigo…"

Impressed that her daughter was still conscious Ragyo shrugged her shoulders as she turned around. Allowing the hilt of Bakuzan to clatter against the floor, the broken blade echoing loudly as it bounced, Ragyo closed her eyes as she answered, "Ichigo will be fine once his Life Fibers regenerate his wounds. His tenacity was admirable almost to the point of annoyance. No matter how many wounds he received he wouldn't stop attacking me. In the end I was forced to sever his legs so that I had enough time to deal with you."

"You bitch!"

"Now, is that anyway to talk to your mother?" Ragyo chuckled coldly as she slowly walked towards Ryuko. As threads of multicolored Life Fibers emerged from her fingers, her footsteps echoing loudly in the sudden silence, the Kiryuin matriarch added, "It seems like I'm going to need to weave some lessons into you when we –"

Whatever Ragyo was about to say was cut off when the floor abruptly collapsed beneath her feet. Maroon eyes narrowing in mild annoyance at the nerve of the nudists to think she would fall for such an obvious trap Ragyo allowed her body to land lightly on the ground only to notice the dozens of starch bombs and pin cushion grenades lining the walls. As the beeping grew more rapid, the sounds blurring together into almost a shrill, Ragyo narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "Merde eux…"

As a massive explosion rocked Honnouji Academy, the entire building shuddering as if it would collapse at any second, Ryuko clenched a trembling hand and growled. Like hell she was going to let something like this stop her! She may be a Life Fiber Hybrid but she wasn't about to let Ragyo Kiryuin break her. Taking advantage of the Kiryuin matriarch's momentary absence Ryuko ran forward, easily leaping across the hole in the floor, and skidded to a stop in front of Satsuki. Gripping her fingers around the broken edge of Bakuzan, the blade turning slightly red at her touch, Ryuko bit her lip as she steeled her nerves, "Don't worry, Satsuki. I'm going to save you…"

Gasping as she fought off unconsciousness with the last remnants of her energy, blood leaking from her lips, Satsuki opened her eyes and whispered, "R-Ryuko?"

"Did you just call me Ryuko? Are you sure Junketsu hasn't taken control again?" A dry chuckle left Ryuko's mouth as she braced her arm against Satsuki's body. Mentally counting to three, a cold sweat breaking out over her body at the possibility of something going wrong, Ryuko closed her eyes as she tightened her grip and pulled Bakuzan out of her sister's chest accompanied by a small spray of blood. Wrapping Satsuki's limp arm around her shoulder Ryuko frowned as she slowly walked towards the massive hole in the wall, "Just last a little longer, Satsuki. Once we're out of here I'll shift into Senketsu Shippu and get you to a doctor."

"Damn it! Please tell me I'm not too late!"

Rolling through the doorway that Anderson destroyed, his gray hair tied back into a ponytail, was a man wearing the same type of body armor Tsumugu wore when he came to Honnouji Academy. Carefully peering into the hole, his finger tapping against the trigger of the M-15 Anti-Life Fiber assault rifle in his hands, the man's grey eyes narrowed when he sensed the Kiryuin matriarch was still very much alive, "You're kidding me! I laced enough Anti-Life Fiber explosives into those grenades to blow the Grand Couturier to the freakin' moon! What the hell kind of Life Fibers are in her body anyway?"

Ryuko's eyes narrowed at the man casually ignoring her but she was forced to turn her attention to Satsuki when her sister started coughing harshly. Realizing that her sister didn't have much time left Ryuko clenched her fist and scowled at the man, "Hey! Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"The name's Batou. I'm a commander of Nudist Beach," the newly named man answered briefly as he grimaced and looked outside. Nodding his head once he felt the room was secured he pulled a flare gun out from his belt and carefully aimed it up into the sky. Closing one grey eye as Noba and Kurodo cut a swath through the floating COVERS, Isshin's Life Fiber beings more than a match for the still weakened COVERS, Batou waited until just the right moment before squeezing the trigger and sending the bright orange flare rocketing up into the sky. Shoulders relaxing as the flare pierced through the cloud of COVERS before erupting in a burst of light, bathing the stadium in shades of orange and red, Batou turned back to Ryuko and smirked, "I came to save you."

"Save me?" Ryuko blinked owlishly as she subconsciously shifted Satsuki further onto her shoulders. If Batou really was a member of Nudist Beach like Armstrong and Anderson then he had to have some sort of plan. Ignoring the wet sensation running down her arm Ryuko narrowed her eyes suspiciously and scoffed, "Just how are you –"

Ryuko's question trailed off into a whisper when she saw more than a dozen military helicopters appear over the walls of Honnouji Academy. Staring in awe as the helicopters, each bearing the Nudist Beach symbol alongside the Takarada Conglomerate logo, opened fire on the members of Xcution with salvos of starch-tipped missiles Ryuko could not help but wonder why the hell Nudist Beach hadn't helped from the very beginning. If they had this much firepower defeating Revocs should have been simple even if Nui Harime and Ragyo Kiryuin were both Life Fiber Hybrids.

When one of the helicopters appeared in front of them, the aircraft hovering several feet away from the hole in the wall as its rotors kicked up a veritable storm in the dust-filled room, Batou grimaced and looked at his watch. Judging by the way Ragyo Kiryuin was recovering from his trap they had less than a minute before she returned and kicked all of their asses six ways to Sunday. Reaching out and gripping the handle on the side of the helicopter, his thumb pressing in the latch as he pulled it open, Batou glanced over his shoulder at the still confused Ryuko and shouted, "Do you need help carrying Miss Kiryuin, Ryuko? Ragyo Kiryuin will be back any second and I sure as hell don't want to be here when she does!"

"Ye don't need to worry about the wee lass," Alexander Anderson walked out of the adjoining room Ragyo's punch had sent him into, his cassock scuffed and torn, and spat on the ground, "I'll take care of her."

With trails of blood flowing down his left cheek onto the floor, the red liquid splattering against the ground from Ragyo's attack, Anderson stayed true to his word as he took Satsuki from Ryuko's grasp. Gingerly shifting her into a better hold while ignoring the blood beginning to coat his clothing Anderson turned around and sneered as the entire academy shook, "Ye really pissed off Ragyo Kiryuin, didn't ye?"

"I don't think she appreciates my retirement gift," Batou responded with a small shrug while hopping into the helicopter. Landing inside the aircraft with a soft thud, his boots echoing faintly on the metal floor, the Nudist Beach commander couldn't help but think that things were going too smoothly. Grimacing deep in thought as Anderson jumped in next to him, Satsuki held firmly in his arms, Batou's grey eyes narrowed as he felt something seriously wrong in the air. There was no way Ragyo Kiryuin should be taking this long to recover. If she was planning something he didn't want to stick around to find out. Leaning out of the helicopter, one hand waving to Ryuko, Batou shouted, "Get in so we can go! We need to get out of here before Ragyo Kiryuin decides to stop messing around!"

"You guys go without me! Bring Satsuki to Orihime!" Ryuko yelled back over the noise of the helicopter as she turned and looked around, "Ururu is still around here somewhere. I'm not going anywhere without her.

"The Grand Couturier's sister is still here?"

There was no hiding the shock in Batou's voice as he leaned out of the helicopter. This was very bad. All Nudist Beach commanders were aware of the connection between Ururu Tsumugiya and Nui Harime. It was why their plan had hinged on Ururu immediately going after her sister. If Ragyo Kiryuin managed to kidnap Ururu then humanity could kiss its collective ass goodbye. Grimacing as his face creased with worry, several scenarios racing through his mind, Batou pressed a finger against the earpiece in his right ear, "All Nudist Beach forces, this is Commander Batou. As of now I am ordering a full scale retreat to Karakura Town. Unless the General countermands my orders you are to pull out of Honnou City the second everyone is on board. I don't want anyone else dying today, is that understood?"

Ryuko couldn't believe what she was hearing. Were they seriously just going to leave Ururu behind? Gritting her teeth together angrily as Batou jumped out of the helicopter, her gear-shaped blue eyes glaring harshly at the older man, Ryuko raised her Scissor Blade and pointed it directly at his face. As droplets of blood dripped off the weapon, splattering softly against the floor, Ryuko clenched her fingers as she watched Batou walk past her without care, "Like hell we're going to leave Ururu behind! She's my friend and I'm not going to let someone like Ragyo Kiryuin kidnap her!"

Batou didn't speak as he knelt down and picked up the purple Scissor Blade. Flipping the Life Fiber weapon over in his hand, the heavy blade somehow feeling both awkward to hold and unnerving to look at, the nudist knew he couldn't allow it to fall back into Ragyo's hands. The amount of devastation Nui Harime caused with the Scissor Blade in the last seven months was beyond words. Looking around for any sign of Ururu, a small sliver of hope in his chest that he would be able to find her before Ragyo, Batou mentally cursed when his grey eyes didn't pick up anything, "I'm sorry, Ryuko, but we can't wait any longer."

"Bullshit!" Ryuko argued, "If you won't look for Ururu than I –"

There was a shimmer of red light as Senketsu was forcibly reverted back into his normal form as a school uniform. As Ryuko fell backwards, her consciousness leaving her as a result of the needle jabbed into the back of her neck, Aikuro Mikisugi quickly caught her before she could hit the ground. The undercover nudist knew he was fortunate Ryuko's exhaustion, both physical and mental, had been great enough for the sedative to work. Carrying the unconscious Ryuko into the helicopter, making sure to gently place her on the ground next to a heavily bandaged Satsuki, Aikuro didn't turn around as Batou jumped in and slammed the door shut.

As the helicopter flew higher into the sky, Ririn's raven-like COVERS form providing an escape route through the remaining COVERS, Aikuro sighed and ran a hand down his face. Leaning back against the side of the aircraft, his shaggy blue hair cushioning the impact slightly, the nudist spy couldn't believe how bad things looked. Although Nudist Beach was still at full strength, thanks to Satsuki Kiryuin changing the target of her raid trip to Karakura Town, that didn't mean much against the power possessed by Ragyo and her daughters. Tilting his head forward, his eyes downcast, Aikuro grimaced, "We need to consider the likelihood Ragyo Kiryuin will soon have control of Ururu Tsumugiya."

"One Grand Couturier was bad enough but two is just overkill. The General is not going to like this," Batou said as he slammed a fist against the side of the helicopter. Most of Nudist Beach's defense spending went to repulsing Nui Harime. Batou didn't want to think what would happen if Ururu were to join her sister. Looking out the nearby window, the aircraft still shuddering slightly from the impact, Batou blinked as he caught a faint glimpse of rainbow light before spinning around, "Well that answers one question…Ragyo Kiryuin is completely and utterly immune to our most powerful weapons."

"Ragyo Kiryuin is a monster in human form," Anderson growled as the rainbow light in the distance reflected ominously off his glasses, "Her only purpose is the complete genocide of humanity. She cannot be allowed to live."

"That's much easier said than done, Anderson," Batou sighed as he turned away from the window and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. Glancing down at the unconscious Ryuko, her breathing slow and steady, Batou was about to light the cigarette when Anderson grabbed it out of his fingers and crushed it. Giving the former priest a frustrated look Batou sighed dramatically and grumbled, "Ragyo took everything we had and complained that it was a waste of our time. Damn, this sucks. We're going to be screwed if she sends two Grand Couturiers after us."

"What about Ichigo and the others?" Aikuro asked softly, his voice hitching for a second when the helicopter hit a patch of turbulence, "Ururu Tsumugiya falling into her hands is bad enough but if Ragyo managed to take Ichigo as well…"

"Ichigo and his friends are fine but the little bastard had to be dragged away from the battlefield as soon as he regenerated," Batou quipped as he shoved the packet of cigarettes back into his pocket. As long as Anderson was around Batou knew he wouldn't be able to properly smoke. Rubbing a hand against the bridge of his nose, the stress of the operation beginning to affect him, Batou groaned as he sat down, "Those Quincy sustained the only two casualties – Lille Barro and Meninas McAllon. Screwy names if you ask me. Anyway, it seems Ragyo personally killed the first while the girl bled out internally after fighting Moe Shishigawara."

"Good riddance to unholy rubbish," Anderson growled venomously as he spat on the floor, "Those Quincy are hiding something. When I eavesdropped on them last night they kept referring to someone called 'His Majesty.' I swear on God's name they will stab us in the back the moment Ragyo Kiryuin lies dead at our feet."

Batou frowned at Anderson's warning but he knew it was better to be safe than sorry. The Quincy might have been helpful but people possessing supernatural powers not dependent on Life Fibers didn't just appear out of the shadows. If they had an ulterior motive than it would be prudent to make preparations, "I saw some of what they did and, quite frankly, it scared the shit out of me. Someone as unstable as Bambietta, or whatever her name was, shouldn't be able to create localized explosions with a snap of her fingers. Those Quincy are part of an army. The only question is…"

"…what purpose that army has, right?" Aikuro finished.

"Exactly…this entire festival has left a bad taste in my mouth," Batou grumbled as he picked the purple Scissor Blade off the floor.

As his arm struggled to hold the surprising heavy weapon, his fingers curling awkwardly around the handle, Batou spun towards the window as the entire helicopter shook. Perched on the side of the aircraft, her white claws easily digging on the metal for support, was Ririn in her COVERS form. Grimacing at the thought of a COVERS actually helping to protect humanity Batou looked at Anderson and nodded, "I'll let the General know of your suspicions about the Quincy once we get back to Karakura Town. In the meantime, while Ragyo Kiryuin might have Ururu Tsumugiya this battle wasn't a total loss. We still have both Scissor Blades as well as Junketsu. As long as Satsuki survives her wounds Nudist Beach will have four Kamui against Ragyo and Revocs. Still… I can't shake the feeling these next few weeks are going to be nothing but bad news…"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"The Sternritter have failed."<p>

"I see…" Yhwach closed his eyes in contemplation as he listened to Jugram Haschwalth's report on the Great Culture and Sports Festival. In most instances the loss of a Sternritter would not draw such worry from the Father of the Quincy but those that die at the hands of Life Fibers do not return to his side upon death. Every one of his children that falls to Ragyo Kiryuin are forever lost to him, their souls caught in an endless vortex of pain and suffering. Folding his hands in front of his mouth, his eyes opening slightly as his mind rapidly processed the collected Daten, Yhwach continued, "…while their deaths are a tragedy we must look forward to the future instead of dwelling on the past. Have the preparations been completed?"

Haschwalth inclined his head slightly as Yhwach rose from his throne and walked past him. Stepping into line behind His Majesty, his long blonde hair falling flat against the back of his neck, the Sternritter Grandmaster paused for a moment as he carefully constructed his answer, "Everything is as you requested, Your Majesty."

Yhwach's stride didn't falter as he pushed open the heavy doors leading from his throne room. Boots echoing hollowly against the empty halls of the Silbern, the Sternritter knowing better than to disturb him at this delicate time, he clasped his hands behind his back as his cape billowed outwards. Despite the most valiant efforts of Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies Yhwach had already predicted Ragyo Kiryuin would most likely survive the events of the day. While her death would have removed the largest obstacle from his path, enabling the rest of his plans to proceed, the Daten suggested the Kiryuin matriarch would not perish easily.

"Let us not allow the death of our allies to hinder us any longer. Ragyo Kiryuin still lives and thus we must plan accordingly," Yhwach's tone was cold as he casually brushed aside the deaths of Lille Barro and Meninas McAllon with unsurprising and characteristic swiftness. The deaths of two Sternritter had no meaning if they failed to accomplish even the most basic of orders. That none of the Sternritter sent to Honnouji Academy managed to kill anyone bothered Yhwach more than their actual deaths. Knowing that Lille Barro, one of the four elite Sternritter destined to fight against the Royal Division, fell so easily suggested he was never fit for such a prestigious position.

Haschwalth raised a hand to his chin as he recalled Bazz-B's report on the battle. The survival of Ragyo Kiryuin and the continuation of the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet were disconcerting to say the least. Pursing his lips as he thought about the likely outcomes of this scenario, his eyes half-lidded in thought, Haschwalth asked, "Shall I order the Sternritter to reinforce Karakura Town's defenses?"

"Such a gesture would be pointless against someone of Ragyo Kiryuin's power," Yhwach replied briskly as he entered the chamber containing the Gate of the Sun. Ignoring the soldats standing at attention, their arms raised in a salute as he walked past them, Yhwach's lips curled downwards as a minor stab of annoyance course through his body. The survival of the Kiryuin matriarch jeopardized his plans concerning the Seireitei for the foreseeable future. Unlike Genryusai, who was content with leaving him for dead over one thousand years ago, Ragyo Kiryuin would not be so complacent after a simple victory against his Sternritter.

"Her death shall be left in the capable hands of Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies. As Life Fiber Hybrids they possess the only means in which to permanently kill Ragyo Kiryuin," Yhwach added after a moment of quiet contemplation. As he ascended the stairs leading to the Gate of the Sun, his cloak lightly billowing behind him, the Father of the Quincy had a grim expression in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder at Haschwalth, "Any Daten that could accelerate her death is to be given to Kisuke Urahara. Shinigami or not, his intellect is more than enough to devise counters against Life Fibers."

"I will inform the Sternritter of your decision," Haschwalth already knew some of the Sternritter would be…vocal about the decision. Bazz-B's search the other day for volunteers to take down Ragyo Kiryuin had stirred up resentment amongst the Sternritter concerning working alongside shinigami. He did not wish to see any of them foolishly throw their lives away by arguing with His Majesty, "…if I may ask, what are we to do about Uryu Ishida?"

Yhwach's face pulled into a slight frown as he recalled Bazz-B's missive, "Isshin Kurosaki has made it abundantly clear that Uryu Ishida is not to be approached. Attempting to recruit my wayward son will force us into a confrontation against a powerful adversary. No, Ryuken's son is to be left alone until the matter surrounding Ragyo Kiryuin is settled. In the meantime I am ordering the Schatten Ausrufung moved to the next phase."

The Sternritter Grandmaster's eyes widened briefly at Yhwach's announcement before closing in approving resignation, "As you wish, Your Majesty. I shall inform the Jahrtausendarmee they have your blessing."

"Such platitude will not be necessary, Jugram. I heard every word articulated by His Majesty."

Slowly crossing through the Gate of the Sun as it activated, the shadows composing the Quincy portal briefly sticking to his uniform before pulling back, was a short and stocky man dressed in a pure white suit with a matching overcoat. Adjusting his tie as he finished passing through the shadow gate, the Wandenreich emblem easily visible on the back of his gloves, the man's yellow eyes briefly widened in joy as he gave Yhwach a polite bow, "His Majesty needn't worry about the possibility of failure. The Schatten Ausrufung has been slowly building to a crescendo over the last jahrhundert, the indolent shinigami ignorant of our work. By the New Year, when bells throughout the World of the Living are ringing in joy and jubilation, the shadows barring His Majesty's ascendance to the heavens shall be completely and utterly destroyed!"


	41. Chapter 41: Something About England

_Happy New Year (late) to all my loyal and faithful readers! I am pleased to give to you Chapter 41 of To My Death I Fight. It might be a little later than I wished but I wanted this chapter to be as perfect as possible. Several parts of the chapter just didn't want to come out correctly, which forced me to go back and revise it several times. On a separate note we are fast approaching a rather important date for this story. On February 2nd this story will be exactly one year old. In the last 365 days I have written what is perhaps the best received Kill la Kill crossover on fanfiction but you didn't come to hear about that, did you? So once again read and review and I hope you like the beginning of the second major arc of the story!_

_**P.S.** I do apologize for the lack of omakes lately but I am currently brainstorming several different ones that I'm sure you'll all enjoy. So normal omakes should resume starting in chapter 42._

_**P.P.S.** This chapter is only around 17.500 words (compared to Chapter 40's 27.000 words) because, whether I like it or not, this is an interlude between two consecutive major arcs. You can be sure that Chapter 42 will be back up to the normal 20.000-ish word count._

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><p><em>...<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 41 – Something About England<strong>

_October 30th, 2002_

_[9 days after the Great Culture and Sports Festival]_

"Ugh…I hate the cold…"

Groaning as she collapsed onto Ichigo's couch, her fingers slightly numb from walking outside for so long, Ryuko Matoi cursed under her breath at the awful weather outside. It wasn't even November yet and it felt like the middle of winter. Rubbing her hands together to warm them up Ryuko looked up when she noticed Ichigo walking back from the kitchen, "I can regenerate my arm after my…mother…cuts it off without feeling any pain but walking outside in the cold for five minutes is enough to make my fingers go numb. Being a Life Fiber Hybrid doesn't make any sense."

"Tell me about it. When I asked the old goat about it the other day he just laughed idiotically before walking away," Ichigo replied with a small scowl as he sat down across from Ryuko. He was still getting used to his dad being a Life Fiber Hybrid just like Ragyo Kiryuin, right down to the silver hair with the rainbow undertone, and was content with punching his old man in the face for hiding something like that from. As he looked at Ryuko and noticed the exhausted appearance of her Kamui, Senketsu's eye shaking subtly, Ichigo grimaced and asked, "So I take it you've been to Kisuke's place?"

Ryuko involuntarily shuddered as she remembered her encounter with the former captain of the Twelfth Division. Rubbing Senketsu's skirt in an attempt to calm the Kamui down, the memories of what he faced in that building still vivid in his mind, Ryuko glared at Ichigo and spat, "I don't ever want to be left alone with that man again! He's not a pervert like our teacher but he poked and prodded me with needles. Ugh, I hate needles. I swear I heard him cackling in the backroom as he did who knows what to Senketsu!"

"_**I don't want to remember what that man did to me!"**_ Senketsu's entire uniform began to shake in fear as he recalled whatever it was Kisuke did to him, _**"I can still feel his needles digging into my Life Fibers over and over again! Kisuke Urahara is a monster ten times worse than Nui Harime! Please don't leave me with him again, Ryuko!"**_

Ignoring the pleading look from Senketsu, her eyes firmly locked on the far side of the room, Ryuko scoffed, "Kisuke is the guy that made Mugetsu so he can't be as bad as you say."

"_**How could you say something so cruel, Ryuko?"**_ Senketsu's eye began watering at Ryuko's supposedly uncaring attitude towards his safety. Didn't she know of the various tortures Kisuke Urahara inflicted upon him? Staring at his wearer, who stubbornly refused to show even the smallest glimmer of sympathy for his plight, Senketsu cried, _**"I thought we were partners, Ryuko? How can you so callously toss me away like yesterday's trends? What reason could you have for ignoring your Sunday best?" **_

"Do you have any idea how freaking cold it gets in the winter?"

Walking over to the window, a light layer of frost covering the glass from the year's early cold snap, Ryuko pointed a finger outside as she roughly grabbed Senketsu's lapels, "I know I promised to always wear you, Senketsu, but that doesn't mean I'm going to walk around in a short skirt all winter long. I miss wearing pants, damn it!"

"_**As a Kamui I do not possess the ability to feel hot or cold. My Life Fibers are more than capable of living in extreme temperature variations,"**_ Senketsu explained proudly as his mind was momentarily taken off Ryuko's traitorous actions. Huffing loudly, his gaze momentarily shifting upwards as he felt something strange in the air, Senketsu's entire body shook at the nerve of Ryuko's excuse. She was a Life Fiber Hybrid so something as trivial as a bitter autumn day shouldn't even bother her, _**"Furthermore I have no problem with you wearing pants. Fashion trends come and go but your health and safety takes priority, Ryuko. If allowing you to wear…other clothing…keeps your health up than allow it. I'm just insulted you didn't consult me before making such a life altering decision."**_

"Are you really going to start this again?" Ryuko was starting to get annoyed by Senketsu's constant whining. The entire last week she told her Kamui she was taking him to see Kisuke yet Senketsu seemed completely baffled when they actually went there. Grabbing a handful of Senketsu's neckerchief Ryuko leaned down and harshly whispered, "I told you at least a dozen times I wanted Kisuke to take a look at you! It's not my fault if you never listened to me! What, did you think I was kidding around or something?"

Senketsu blinked as he looked straight into Ryuko's eyes, _**"Yes."**_

"Why you…"

Ryuko paused in midsentence, her hands already clenching part of Senketsu, when she realized something was amiss. Relaxing her grip on her Kamui, Senketsu shaking himself free with a huff of annoyance, Ryuko turned around as she looked for what was bothering her. As she scanned the room, her mind trying to figure out what didn't belong, her eyes settled on Ichigo but more specifically what he was wearing, "Hey, where's Mugetsu?"

"I locked her upstairs," Ichigo scowled as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. Leaning back in the chair, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips, the orange haired teenager pointed towards the ceiling before explaining, "She tried tearing apart some of my favorite shirts this morning. I told her I'm not going to wear her again until she apologizes and promises not to do it again."

Blue eyes narrowing as a resounding crash echoed through the house, courtesy of Mugetsu attempting to free herself from Ichigo's closet, Ryuko asked, "How long has she been locked up?"

"Almost three hours now," Ichigo answered with a small sigh as he rubbed a hand across his face.

As a second loud thump reverberated from upstairs, which was quickly followed by the muffled but still quite recognizable feminine growl of Mugetsu, Senketsu shot Ichigo a scathing glare, _**"You should be ashamed of yourself, Ichigo! Wearing another set of clothing with Mugetsu's consent is the same as cheating on her. How could you break the sacred bond between Kamui and wearer like this?"**_

"Don't start with me on that nonsense. Mugetsu might have been made with my Life Fibers but that doesn't mean I'm just going to throw out all my other clothes," Ichigo scoffed as he stared right back into Senketsu's eye. Sighing loudly when he heard his closet door slam open as Mugetsu finally broke out, the impact causing dust to fall from the ceiling, Ichigo was glad his sisters weren't home right now. He really didn't want to explain to Yuzu and Karin why he was fighting his school uniform.

As he listened to Mugetsu fumbling to escape his room, her sleeves having trouble turning the doorknob, Ichigo scowled at Senketsu, "Which brings up something that's been bothering me. If you get so jealous when Ryuko wears other clothes why are you letting her wear that jacket?"

Senketsu's eye widened in surprise before he quickly answered, _**"I already said if Ryuko's health is in jeopardy I will gladly allow her to wear other clothes."**_

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ryuko interrupted before Ichigo could even start to contradict him. Pulling on her jacket, which Senketsu was trying his best to subtly dislodge, she angrily growled, "That's a load of crap! You fought me every step of the way when I tried to put this damn thing on! It took me ten minutes just to convince you that I wasn't going to toss you away!"

As Kamui and wearer both growled, each refusing to give an inch in the argument, they were forced to stop when a loud crash erupted from the second floor. Looking up the stairs as Mugetsu finally figured out how to use her sleeves to open Ichigo's bedroom door Ryuko was nearly bowled over when the Kamui flew down the steps and landed on her face. Careening backwards, her arms instinctively reaching for the Kamui wrapped around her head, Ryuko was shoved to the floor when Mugetsu spotted Ichigo in the living room and vaulted off her face towards him.

Twisting sideways as his Kamui flew towards him, her outstretched sleeves reaching through the air in a desperate attempt to wrap around his arm, Ichigo quickly reached out and grabbed Mugetsu by the back of her collar. Hoisting his Kamui at arm's length, her multicolored eyes swirling dizzily, Ichigo scowled and asked, "What the hell are you doing, Mugetsu? I told you to stay upstairs until you apologized for trying to eat my clothes."

"_**This isn't fair, Ichigo!"**_ Mugetsu whined as she leaned forward, her eyes watering at Ichigo's refusal to wear her, _**"Why do you refuse to wear me?"**_

"What did I just tell you?" Punctuating each word with a shake of his arm as he attempted to dislodge Mugetsu's sleeves, the dizzy Kamui adamantly refusing to let go, Ichigo added, "I'm not going to wear you until you apologize and promise to not destroy any more of my clothes."

Mugetsu stared at Ichigo as she weighed her options. On the one hand she couldn't allow him to wear any other clothing. She was custom made for Ichigo and thus she was the only outfit he would ever need. Even knowing that he had other shirts and pants caused an involuntary growl to reverberate from her throat but on the other hand he was threatening to never wear her again. Eyes darting back and forth as she considered whether it was worth destroying the rest of Ichigo's wardrobe Mugetsu quickly when limp in his arms as she came to a decision, _**"…fine. I'm sorry for eating your clothes, they were disgusting by the way, and I promise not to destroy any more of your clothes as long as your vow to never wear them. Now will you put me back on?"**_

"Fine," Ichigo sighed exasperatedly as he grabbed Mugetsu and started walking towards the kitchen. As he unbuttoned his shirt, Mugetsu sitting on the kitchen table with her sleeves folded angrily across her body, Ichigo turned over his shoulder and asked, "Hey Ryuko, why did you come over anyway?"

Already recovered from Mugetsu's impromptu assault, a pissed off look in her blue eyes, Ryuko shook her head before replying, "I was looking for Satsuki. Is she around?"

One of the many things that caused Ichigo to punch out his old man after retreating from Honnouji Academy was the fact Satsuki was now living with them. While Yuzu and Karin got along with her just fine, most likely because Rukia did the same thing last year, he didn't appreciate how his dad kept trying to show Satsuki his childhood photos. If his dad tried one more time to tell Satsuki about all his embarrassing childhood moments Ichigo was going to take the Scissor Blades and kill him.

As Mugetsu's sleeves finally slid into place on his arms, the Kamui giving a small triumphant grunt at winning out over his other clothes, Ichigo walked out of the kitchen with his hands folded in his pockets, "She said she was going to train. She'll be back before dinner."

"_**Ichigo brings up a good point, Ryuko. We should be training as well,"**_ Senketsu paused briefly, his eye narrowing as he contemplated whether he should continue speaking. After a nearly ten second interval, the Kamui's multicolored eyes focused on one corner of the room, Senketsu looked up at Ryuko and sighed, _**"When we fought Nui Harime it took everything we had to beat her and that was only after Ururu wore her down. If you wish to defeat her a second time, without Ururu's help, than we need to train and get stronger. Unlike what some people think a Kamui's power doesn't magically keep increasing over time."**_

"You don't need to tell me that, Senketsu," Ryuko argued, a sour taste in her mouth at the mention of Ururu's name, as she folded her arms across her chest. After she woke up from Aikuro knocking her out Ryuko had tried to return to Honnouji Academy and rescue Ururu only for Ichigo's dad to intervene and stop her. Glancing down into Senketsu's eye, their gazes locking as both wearer and Kamui came to the same conclusion, Ryuko allowed her lips to curl upwards into a confident smirk, "Of course I want to get stronger! The faster we get stronger the sooner we can blast a hole through that stupid barrier around Honnouji Academy and rescue Ururu! The only question is –"

"Good afternoon, Ryuko!"

Ryuko barely had time to blink and look up before Mako flew across the room, wrapped her arms around her waist, and tackled her to the ground. As she futilely struggled to pull herself free from her best friend's embrace, her vision beginning to dim from a lack of air, Ryuko noticed someone else standing in the doorway. Leveraging her arm against Mako's face and slowly pushing her away, precious oxygen already entering her lungs, Ryuko smirked and muttered, "Why if it isn't the great Maxwell Bradley Armstrong."

"My name is Ira Gamagori!" The former Disciplinary Committee Chair's voice rose towards a shout as his size doubled. Very few things existed in the world that could truly rile him up. The mere mention of his birth name was number one on his list yet Ryuko Matoi continued to call him that whenever she saw him. Folding his arms dramatically behind his back, his Goku Uniform shining brightly, Gamagori growled, "Matoi, if you continued to refer to me by that atrocious name I shall be forced to punish you for insubordination."

"Calm down, why don't you? This isn't Honnouji Academy. You can't lay a finger on me," Ryuko scoffed with a quick and obvious roll of her eyes. As she peeled Mako off her body, the peppy girl refusing to let go, Ryuko narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the much larger teenager, "I still don't know what the hell the big deal is about your name. Armstrong sounds a lot more intimidating than Gamagori."

"I've already explained the reasons why I kept my maiden name, Matoi," Gamagori growled, one eyebrow twitching, as Ryuko began to ignore him in favor of something Mankanshoku was saying. Suppressing the urge to yell at her, which would be immensely impolite as a guest in someone else's home, the large teen spared a glance around the living room before turning his attention to Ichigo, "Ichigo Kurosaki, where is Lady Satsuki? As the only member of her Elite Four within the city it is my solemn duty to make sure she is safe and sound."

Sitting back down in the chair, a light sigh escaping his lips as he felt a massive headache coming, Ichigo frowned at Gamagori's suspicious glare, "She's out training somewhere and, no, I don't know where she goes. She'll be back in a few hours if you want to wait around."

"I see…thank you for the cooperation," Gamagori's presence deflated slightly as he lowered his massive frame onto Ichigo's couch. As the piece of furniture creaked loudly from the teen's weight Gamagori frowned while he contemplated his next choice of words. His sole purpose for coming to Kurosaki's home was in search of Lady Satsuki but since she was absent there was no purpose in staying any longer, "It is a relief to hear that she's continuing to train valiantly in order to bring an end to the tyranny of Life Fibers. Now please excuse me while I continue my search for Lady Satsuki."

"You can't go out!"

Sliding in front of Gamagori before he could so much as get up from Ichigo's couch, her hand clenched into a fist in front of her face, Mako puffed her cheeks out and pointed to Ryuko, "Ryuko and Lady Satsuki share a special sibling bond! Since they grew up never knowing each other they've developed a special connection! If Lady Satsuki was in trouble Ryuko would surely know and go help her! It's something only a true sister could understand!"

"That…that's not what I was talking about, Mankanshoku," Gamagori replied, his tone confused by the hyperactive girl's speech, "I was merely suggesting I update Lady Satsuki on the current situation."

"I understood perfectly what you meant!" Mako exclaimed enthusiastically as she grabbed Ryuko and pulled her into a tight hug, "Since I am a sister I know all about this special bond! After Ryuko came to school and started fighting Lady Satsuki for Ichigo's love I knew something strange was going on! It was as obvious as the sunrise at the North Pole in the middle of winter!"

"Hey!" Ryuko's voice was tense as she struggled to pry Mako's arms from around her chest, "What was that last part about Ichigo? I was fighting Satsuki because I thought she had something to do with who killed my dad. It had nothing to do with love!"

"But isn't that how you feel, Ryuko?" Mako raised a finger to her lips and tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't figure out why Ryuko would be so much in denial about what she told her just the other night. Completely unaware of the deepening blush spreading across her best friend's face Mako turned entirely towards Ryuko, missing Gamagori's shocked expression, and continued speaking without pause, "Remember the other night when we were gossiping about things? You were telling me all about how Ichigo had the best –"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Mako!" Clamping her hand firmly against Mako's mouth, her palm growing wetter as her best friend continued to talk in a highly muffled tone, Ryuko grit her teeth as she felt her embarrassment reach new levels, "I told you that was a secret!"

"Oh yeah…" Mako blinked owlishly as Ryuko slowly pulled her hand away, "I guess I just forgot, Ryuko! I mean, that was some really juicy stuff about how you wanted him to –"

As Ryuko rushed forward to stop Mako from saying anything else, both girls ignorant of the way Gamagori had one ear listening, Ichigo was pulled away from the increasingly violent fight as his pocket started vibrating. Pulling out his cell phone, his brow creasing into a frown as he failed to recognize the number, Ichigo nevertheless flipped it open and raised it to his ear, "Hello?"

Finally pinning Mako against the couch, the cushions working to stop her best friend from exposing any of her embarrassing secrets, Ryuko stiffened as heard Ichigo speaking on the phone. Turning around, one hand keeping Mako's mouth in firm contact with the couch, she quirked an eyebrow and waited until he hung up before asking, "Who was that?"

"It was Kinue…" Ichigo answered slowly, his hand absentmindedly tossing the cell phone into the air, as the processed everything Kinue Kinagase just explained to him. Scowling as he caught his phone one last time Ichigo ran a hand through his orange hair as he spoke, "Apparently Kisuke managed to figure out what Ragyo Kiryuin's planning. He wants us to come down to his shop."

"_**B-Back to that shop of horrors?"**_ Senketsu entire body began to visibly shake around Ryuko as beads of sweat covered the Kamui, _**"No! I'm never going into that place as long as my fibers are stitched!"**_

"_**Oh, suck it up,"**_ Mugetsu growled at Senketsu, completely disappointed in her fellow Kamui's behavior, and huffed derisively, _**"Why are you so scared anyway? Kisuke Urahara created me and I turned out fine."**_

There was a slight pause in Senketsu's shaking as he considered Mugetsu's words before his eye widened in terror, _**"Run away as far as you can, Ryuko! That man's a monster!"**_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Are those idiots seriously considering ending the embargo?"<p>

Olivier Mira Armstrong's boots stomped heavily as she briskly strolled down the streets of Karakura Town. Ignorant of both the bitter air settled over the city as well as the retainer of nudists marching behind her, each of whom held an M-15 Anti-Life Fiber assault rifle, the General of Nudist Beach adjusted the collar of her overcoat as she contemplated the sheer stupidity of politicians. It had taken nearly every political connection she forged over the years, as well as the intercession of Convention of Twelve, but the British government passed the five year embargo on Revocs products.

"Stimulate the economy? What a load of bull," Olivier growled into the phone as her gloved fingers clenched tightly around it. As her face adapted a look of perpetual annoyance, her short blonde hair already beginning to grow back to its former beauty, the elder Armstrong sibling waited until the line grew quiet before speaking, "All politicians ever care about is lining their own pockets. If any of them begins complaining about the embargo I want you to put a bullet in their heads."

As she turned the corner, the cold arctic wind mercilessly beating against her face, Olivier felt her irritation at politicians growing by the second. Bureaucrats and politicians with no military experience and the backbone of a jellyfish always sweated in her presence while threating to cut her budget unless she followed their personal agendas. The only time she would allow a sniveling politician any say in Nudist Beach's operations against Life Fibers would be if she lost her mind, which why Olivier was tolerant of Kaneo Takarada's annoying behavior. Despite all his money and political power the heir of the Takarada Conglomerate was content with simply being one of the two chief financial backers of Nudist Beach and nothing more.

Glancing upwards when the Anti-Life Fiber shield surrounding Karakura Town flickered into brilliance before fading away into the background once more Olivier quirked an eyebrow, the scowl on her face deepening more than usual, as she listened to her associate give another worthless excuse, "Whatever military operations you have in place to deal with Ragyo Kiryuin will not be enough. Bullets and missiles are worthless against the type of power that woman at her fingertips."

Olivier did not appreciate it when people lied directly to her face. As the General of Nudist Beach, leader since Nui Harime brutally murdered Professor Matoi in cold blood, it was her solemn duty to defeat Life Fibers. She did not have the time or the patience to deal with her associates claims that England possessed the necessary power to repel someone like Ragyo Kiryuin. Sparing a moment to give Batou a scathing look, the gray haired man shrugging his shoulders in response, Olivier growled into the phone, "I don't care for excuses. Do whatever needs to be done on your end to keep the embargo in place. Revocs must not be allowed back in Great Britain."

Snapping the phone shut before the woman on the other end could reply, an annoyed scowl spreading across her face, Olivier felt the need to once more express her hatred of politicians. Tossing the phone over her shoulder to Batou, the older man fumbling to catch it, Olivier clasped her hands behind her back and frowned at the situation at hand. She did not doubt the military prowess possessed by the Convention of Twelve but they were merely men and women. Even if they had an entire army, backed by the most sophisticated and advanced weaponry in the world, they would fall before Ragyo Kiryuin.

"The situation in Europe is growing more annoying by the hour," Olivier scoffed as she turned her gaze to Batou, "Ragyo Kiryuin is attempting to reestablish a foothold in Western Europe after Kinue destroyed the Paris Distribution Facility. It is only a matter of time before she moves against Great Britain."

The Nudist Beach commander scratched his chin and frowned, "I don't know if it has anything to do with Ragyo Kiryuin's recent movements but…"

Olivier's blue eyes darkened as she glared at Batou, "What do you know?"

"An old buddy of mine runs a mercenary group based in France. Black ops, assassinations, protection duty, as long as you have the money he'll take the job," Batou grumbled and folded his arms. Pursing his lips, gray eyes narrowing in thought, the older man paused before continuing, "Four days ago he took his entire group and relocated to London for a very lucrative bodyguard contract. I'm talking top level, seven figure payments. That's not the kind of money someone spends if they're looking for some extra security around the house."

The elder Armstrong sibling found the timing far too coincidental for her liking. Raising her arm when the rustic frame of the Urahara Shop came into focus, the dozen nudists around her stomping to a halt, Olivier frowned and curtly responded, "You have twenty-four hours to find out who hired your associate. Will that be a problem?"

Batou shivered slightly as the wind kicked up before shaking his head, "I'll need to make a few calls and pull some strings but it won't be easy. He might be a French bastard but he takes his job very seriously."

"I expect to have the information by tomorrow afternoon," Olivier's tone was cold as she stepped towards the front door of the Urahara Shop. Fingers gripping the wooden handle, the old wood creaking under the strain, the General scoffed and turned around, "What do you make of these shinigami?"

Batou scratched the back of his neck as he mulled over the question. He had never been a religious man but given everything he learned over the past week about the afterlife he was beginning to reconsider, "Well, after finding out the afterlife is not only someplace I can visit on the weekends but actively watches over the planet I really don't know what to think. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Hell actually exists. That being said I think we should err on the side of caution. Shinigami might have their so-called zanpakuto but Life Fiber weapons are the only things we know that can actually hurt Ragyo Kiryuin."

Grunting as she slammed the door open, the thin wooden frame cracking and buckling under her enormous strength, Olivier marched into the store and glanced around. Examining the various foodstuff and consumables lining the shelves, the interior lighting bathing the small store in a harsh fluorescent glow, the General was disappointed with what she saw. Kisuke Urahara was the man that not only created the Kamui Mugetsu but managed to break into the Kiryuin Manor under Ragyo Kiryuin's nose and nearly seal away the Original Life Fiber. Olivier had thought her brother was exaggerating about the humble conditions the Life Fiber genius lived in but apparently she was mistaken in that regard.

Running a finger along one of the shelves, a snort of disdain escaping her lips upon seeing the trail of dust, Olivier scowled and turned to Batou, "I came all the way to Karakura Town because Kisuke Urahara informed me he had vital information about Ragyo Kiryuin. I do not like being kept waiting. Where is he?"

"There's no need to get all upset, Miss Armstrong, I'm right here."

Pushing aside the curtain separating the back of the building from the rest of the store, one hand pressing his bucket hat down over his face as his lips curled up into a familiar smile, Kisuke Urahara carefully took in the General of Nudist Beach's appearance. From just the barest of glances Kisuke could already tell she was a strong-willed woman much like Satsuki Kiryuin, which meant he would need to tread cautiously. He never really got along with women like Olivier Armstrong. Filing away his normally goofy introduction for later Kisuke stepped to the side and smirked, "Everyone's already downstairs. I think you'll appreciate the recently installed elevator."

The slow descent into the recently modified Secret Training Ground was surprisingly uneventful. Standing at the forefront of the elevator, his cane tapping lightly against the floor, Kisuke barely winced when the artificial sunlight of the massive room assaulted his eyes. As they stepped forth into the Nudist Beach Underground Advanced Base, most of the rocks and natural landscape already cleared out for military equipment, Batou whistled at the sheer size of the room, "The Major General said you had an entire stadium under your shop but damn…how did you fit everything down here anyway?"

"I'm afraid that is a secret, my nudist friends," Kisuke had a mischievously glint in his eyes as he turned away from the two humans. Geta echoing loudly on the newly installed metal floor, nudist operatives momentarily pausing as they examined state of the art Anti-Life Fiber weapons and equipment to snap a salute, the former captain raised a hand to his chin, "Before I bring you up to speed I need to know the situation outside Karakura Town."

"Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures fell to the COVERS yesterday evening with massive casualties," Olivier replied coldly to the exiled shinigami while absentmindedly reaching to her shoulder. As the injury sustained many years ago began acting up, phantom pain shooting up her arm, the blond haired general scowled in irritation, "Since we managed to wrest control of Giku prefecture the number of COVERS killing nudists instead of absorbing them has increased dramatically. It seems Ragyo Kiryuin has decided to stop taking prisoners."

"I see…."

Kisuke's lips twisted into a frown as he pushed the bucket hat further down his forehead, "We all knew defeating Ragyo Kiryuin would not be an easy task. If I had more time Kōgō Nuno Shīru would have worked as intended. Two months just wasn't long enough."

"What about the Seireitei?" Batou asked in confusion. Placing a hand in his jacket as he turned to Olivier, the strict woman returning his gaze with a slight sneer, the gray haired man continued, "You shinigami are supposed to keep the balance of souls, right? Ragyo Kiryuin trying to feed over a billion people to Life Fibers sounds like something they would try and stop."

"You raise a valid point. The Seireitei should have gotten involved in this mess over a decade ago," Kisuke replied, his voice dropping to a low whisper, as he turned and looked over his shoulder, "In a logical world Ragyo Kiryuin's intentions would have forced the Head Captain to personally intervene. Killing a few thousand people to prevent the genocide of humanity would be a small price to pay. But then again in a logical world Life Fibers wouldn't exist, now would they?"

Batou and Olivier didn't have long to think over Kisuke's cryptic comments as they finally arrived at one of the newly built prefabricated rooms the shopkeeper had appropriated for his own personal use. Walking in through the open door while quite mindful of the three sets of eyes immediately turning towards him Kisuke didn't break his stride as he headed over to his newly replaced computer, a generous donation from Ryuken Ishida after Nui Harime's visit, and began rapidly typing in commands on the keyboard. As data streamed down the monitor, figures and charts passing in less than a second, Kisuke waited until he heard the door close before speaking, "I'm not going to mince words. At the current pace we have maybe two months before Ragyo Kiryuin can begin the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet."

"That doesn't give us a lot of time."

Clad in nothing but Danketsu, the Kamui refusing to allow any other clothing to touch her body unless absolutely necessary, Kinue Kinagase folded purple and blue armored arms across her bosom and frowned slightly as she leaned against a large crate. For the last week the elder Kinagase sibling had been on the front lines against Revocs and the COVERS, Danketsu providing more than enough power to turn the tides against the Life Fibers, but she was only one woman. Against Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime she had no delusions about who would win, "Based on the number of COVERS floating around Honnou City one would think Ragyo Kiryuin was ready to move in a matter of days."

"I suppose we're quite fortunate COVERS are completely separate from Ragyo's final plan," Kisuke's face broke into a smug grin as he pressed a button and brought up a large holographic image of Honnou City. Thanks to real-time satellite imagery, donated by Nudist Beach and the Ishida Conglomerate, Kisuke was able to create a nearly perfect representation of the formerly rebellious city. Nearly every district, ranging from the Three-Star luxury homes to the No-Star slums, was visible in striking detail with the tens of thousands of COVERS littering the city the only thing missing from the map.

Strolling towards the holographic representation of the city, a hand reaching into his coat for a pointer stick, Kisuke coughed to clear his throat before continuing, "As we already know Ragyo Kiryuin constructed the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier within hours of the Great Culture and Sports Festival but unlike Karakura Town this particular barrier stops everything, Life Fibers or not, from passing through. Upon first glance it looked similar to the Life Fiber wards she set up around the Original Life Fiber but unfortunately this isn't a movie. Ragyo learned her lesson from my unexpected visit quite well. By using Kon and the others I've determined it now takes Ragyo Kiryuin's conscious permission to enter or leave Honnou City."

"You said you already tore through Ragyo Kiryuin's wards once before," Olivier Armstrong's stoic voice drew everybody's attention as the strong-willed woman interjected her presence into Kisuke's lecture. Clasping her hands firmly against the small of her back, cold blue eyes firmly locked on the image of Honnou City, the General of Nudist Beach pursed her lips in thought before turning her attention to Kisuke, "How much protection would you need to do it a second time?"

"That all depends…" Kisuke had a grim look on his face as his mood shifted, "With my current knowledge about the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier it should take me no less than a week of constant work to allow us passage."

"So nothing can get through that damn thing without her approval?" Ryuko growled, her chin resting on the palm of her, while shooting a harsh glare at the shopkeeper, "It's almost like Ragyo Kiryuin is scared of leaving Honnouji Academy!"

"You are more correct than you realize, Ryuko Matoi."

Slowly walking towards the image of Honnou City, her purple heels clicking softly against the floor, Kinue pointed a finger at the main courtyard of Honnouji Academy before continuing, "The field reports from the Great Culture and Sports Festival suggests Ragyo Kiryuin went out of her way to remove Isshin Kurosaki from the battle. The fact she went to such extreme lengths such as hiring an assassin suggests she feared Ichigo's father could stop him. It's reasonable to assume Ragyo Kiryuin created the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier specifically to keep Isshin from pursuing her."

"Getting through that barrier is going to be rather difficult…" Kisuke trailed off as he scratched the stubble on his chin. Subtly aware of the scowl on Ichigo's face upon Kinue mentioning the assassin Kisuke made of show of humming thoughtfully before continuing, "…I don't doubt Ragyo Kiryuin increased the Life Fiber protocols for the barrier. It would be extremely surprising if she didn't randomize the Life Fiber velocity and density of the barrier. That is not to mention all the nasty surprises Ragyo Kiryuin has most likely woven into the barrier. Conservatively…if everything goes perfectly it should take four weeks or so before I can begin building the bypass. Is there anything you wish to add, Miss Satsuki?"

Wearing clothes borrowed from Orihime's wardrobe, her body bruised from hours of training, Satsuki Kiryuin did not stumble once despite the exhaustion wracking her body as she slowly walked forward. Clenching the Scissor Blade tightly in her right hand, the once purple weapon now a deep auburn, Satsuki scowled lightly as she saw the holographic representation of Honnouji Academy. It was only in hindsight that Satsuki saw the predicable conclusion for her actions over the last several years.

"My mother is not one to take unnecessary risks even with her immense power," Satsuki's tone was scornful, her eyes cold and focused, as she remembered all the students lost to the COVERS, "Call it cowardice or fear but my mother considers all possible options before making a move. The Raid Trip to Karakura Town was no exception."

"I thought that was your decision," Ichigo interrupted.

"It was…at least on the surface," Satsuki carefully corrected as she turned away from the hologram of Honnou City, "…but given the knowledge my mother demonstrated at the festival I have reason to believe she wanted me to invade Karakura Town all along."

Kisuke's eyes were cast in shadow as he lightly pressed the bucket hat further down over his face, "I'm guessing you know something, don't you Miss Satsuki?"

"Indeed I do," Satsuki admitted without hesitation as she closed her eyes, "After the Raid Trip my mother summoned me for a report on the battle. While such a request is not unusual what struck me as peculiar was her insistence at seeing Inumuta's data on the Anti-Life Fiber shield. I assumed my mother was simply interested in the technology but now I know she needed that information to create the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier currently impeding our progress."

"That's quite useful," Kisuke muttered as he turned back to his computer and began rapidly typing on the keyboard. As various models of the barrier surrounding Honnou City appeared on the screen Kisuke raised a hand to his chin and hummed softly, "If Ragyo Kiryuin did, in fact, base the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier upon Isshin's shield than it should have the same basic design. Now then…I have a question for you, Miss Satsuki. Can you describe your mother's overall disposition after she heard about Kinue Kinagase's little excursion to Paris?"

Satsuki closed her eyes as she thought back to the events of Parent Student Day, "Approximately one hour after I announced Ichigo as the new vice president my mother received a call. She was visibly bothered by Kinue Kinagase's actions in Paris and demanded several large shipments of Life Fibers be sent immediately to Europe from the Moscow Distribution Center."

Listening attentively to Satsuki's response while his eyes remained focused on the screen in front of him, one hand covering his mouth, Kisuke scratched his chin as everything slowly began making sense, "Miss Kinagase, during your brother's interrogation of Jackie Tristan did you notice a shift in her demeanor when he informed her of the decrease in the number of people wearing Revocs clothing?"

"There was a hint of subtle fear in her eyes when my brother mentioned Revoc's loss in the European market. That one moment was the closest we ever were to breaking her," Kinue tapped a finger against the inside of her wrists as she calmly answered the shopkeeper. For nearly four days straight Tsumugu had used every technique he knew apart from torture to make Jackie Tristan talk but to no avail. The Xcution member had been far too loyal to Ragyo Kiryuin and Life Fibers to even think about turning traitor.

"What exactly are you trying to imply?" Batou asked, his tone slightly suspicious, as he stared at the image of Honnou City.

"I found it odd Ragyo Kiryuin would lose her temper over something trivial," Kisuke explained as the model of Honnou City was replaced by an image of the planet. Looking over his shoulder at the holographic projection of the Earth, various numbers hovering over each individual continent, Kisuke took a second to adjust his bucket hat before continuing, "Such unusual behavior forced me to ponder why she was so worried about what was an, at the most, temporary drop in the Revocs market share. The answer is quite simple – the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet requires a specific percentage of the human population wearing Life Fibers."

"Then what are we sitting around for?" Ryuko shouted as she jumped to her feet and pulled out the Scissor Blade, "If blowing up a few factories is all it takes to stop Ragyo Kiryuin you can count me in!"

"It's not that simple," Batou interjected with a small shake of his head as he deflated Ryuko's enthusiasm, "After Kinue destroyed the Paris facility Ragyo Kiryuin moved fast to make sure it didn't happen again – increased manpower, military grade anti-tank weaponry, tighter surveillance and even scaled down versions of the wards Kisuke discovered in her home. We would take far too many casualties taking down even one of the smaller distribution facilities. And I'm willing to bet Ragyo snuck a few COVERS around the world just in case we were stupid enough to try."

"What about us?" Ryuko glared angrily at Batou while gently patting Senketsu's eye. For the last nine days she'd been stuck within Karakura Town, fully aware of what was happening around the country and unable to do anything about it. If Nudist Beach thought she would sit back and watch as innocent people died fighting her mother Ryuko was prepared to teach them a lesson, "You know we're strong enough to take out anyone in Xcution! Even if that guy Kinue and Danketsu fought shows up…I'm sure two of us will be enough to beat the crap out of him!"

"Do you remember your first encounter with my brother?" Kinue's tone was nearly emotionless, the slight tightening of her blue eyes the only sign of her anger, as she addressed Ryuko, "Do you recall how easily Tsumugu was able to lure you into his traps? The man I fought in Seattle is a league above my brother in that department. He would be able to trap you long before you were even aware he was there."

"That is why your brother is working alongside Yoruichi Shihoin in hunting that coward down," Olivier said curtly before her pocket began vibrating. Only a select few people in the world had her number and none of them would dare call her unless it was a dire emergency. The last person to call without such a reason had been her brother but he quickly learned his lesson. Frowning in contempt when she saw who it was, her mind unable to figure out why they would be calling her, Olivier turned to Batou while she walked away, "When I return I expect you to bring me up to speed on what I missed."

As Batou nodded to Olivier, the blond woman content with his response before leaving, Ichigo frowned at Kisuke, "It can't be that simple to stop her. If Ragyo Kiryuin's entire plan hinged on people wearing Life Fibers why the hell would she push Satsuki's festival forward by a couple of weeks?"

"That's because she needed Ururu."

Kisuke's usually serious or jovial tone was subdued as he mentioned his adoptive daughter's name. Staring silently at the monitor for several tense seconds, his eyes unblinking as he collected his thoughts, the shopkeeper sighed before turning around, "Using the information Batou took from Ragyo Kiryuin's personal computer I discovered she needs two things for the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet. The first is having at least ninety percent of humanity wearing clothing infused with trace amounts of Life Fibers. Without this the signal from the Original Life Fiber won't be able to propagate far enough for the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet to begin."

"That explains Jackie Tristan's shock at my brother's words. I had already destroyed several of Revocs's smaller facilities in Eastern Europe before heading to Paris. She must have known how important the Paris Distribution Facility was to Ragyo Kiryuin's plans," Kinue muttered as she closed her eyes and sighed gently.

"Everything's starting to make sense," Batou frowned as he leaned against a stack of crates, each labeled with the logo for Ishida Pharmaceuticals, and thought back on the dark skinned Frenchwoman's last moments, "When Jackie Tristan escaped her restraints she immediately rushed the General. No forethought or planning. It was like she had no intention of making it out alive."

Ryuko gnashed her teeth angrily as she pieced together what Batou was trying to imply. She couldn't understand why anyone, even someone working for Ragyo Kiryuin, would kill themselves just because they lost against a Kamui. The fury in her eyes dimming slightly as she remembered Gamagori's actions after she defeated him during the Sudden Death Runoff Elections, Nui Harime's untimely appearance stopping him before he could try, Ryuko sighed loudly to calm down before turning back to Kisuke, "You said Ururu was involved. How does she have anything to do with all this?"

"From what I could ascertain Ururu is an integral part of Ragyo Kiryuin's plans," Kisuke explained as he gave Ryuko, and by proxy Senketsu, a piercing look. The shopkeeper and former captain found it quite intriguing all four Kamui, created by at least three different groups, not only shared similar weave patterns but the propensity to evolve into a stronger configuration. It was almost enough for him to ask Kinue and Ryuko to run a few tests on Senketsu and Danketsu respectively.

"Upon my mother's arrival during Parent Student Day she consistently referred to Ururu Tsumugiya as Amu Harime," Satsuki interjected as the holographic projection of the planet quickly shifted into a high resolution model of Honnouji Academy accompanied by a brief burst of static. Folding her arms behind her back, her lips curling into a small scowl, Satsuki paused to gather her thoughts before finishing, "Amu means knitting and Nui means sewing. My mother is a romanticist and thus would not have named them as such without good reason."

Kisuke looked at Satsuki, mildly impressed by her deductive skills, before reaching into his coat. Pulling out a small device, a faint glow emanating from the center, he began fiddling with it before responding, "To be perfectly honest it only took me two days to figure out the first requirement for the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet. That was the easy part. The second prerequisite for Ragyo Kiryuin's plan is, quite unfortunately for all of us, something far more serious than anything I could have anticipated."

Ichigo stared at the image of Honnouji Academy, his eyes focusing on what Ragyo Kiryuin was building in the formerly empty courtyard, before frowning, "I'm guessing Ragyo Kiryuin somehow needs Ururu for that, right?"

"More than you think, Ichigo…" Kisuke trailed off as he finished working on the small device held delicately in his hand. Glancing over his shoulder at his computer, newly obtained data streaming down the screen, the exiled shinigami hummed as he pulled the brim of his bucket hat down over his face, "After using one of my very handy portable gigai to survive Nui Harime's impromptu visit I began researching everything I could about Life Fibers. Two months later, when I was dismantling the wards in the Kiryuin Manor, I discovered a peculiar strand of Life Fibers leading upstairs into Ragyo Kiryuin's private study. After avoiding a variety of traps I discovered her personal journal cleverly concealed in the wall next to the desk."

"Hold on a second," Batou scoffed before incredulously asking, "Ragyo had a journal?"

"The contents were fairly mundane. I expected to find pages of insane rants about the glory of Life Fibers. The most disturbing thing I did find was several rather…graphic paragraphs about what Ragyo Kiryuin would do to your father if she ever managed to get him alone, Ichigo." A sly smirk spread across Kisuke's face as he watched Ichigo's reel backwards in a mixture of disgust and horror. Laughing lightly at his former student's reaction to Ragyo Kiryuin's imagination Kisuke sighed as his expression shifted, "That being said there was one particular phrase that Ragyo Kiryuin repeatedly referenced in her entries – Shinra Koketsu."

"Why the hell would she need a Kamui?"

Batou's gruff and direct question helped to break the nearly palpable silence that directly followed Kisuke's declaration. Even though the Nudist Beach commander might not have actually seen Ragyo Kiryuin fighting during the Great Culture and Sports Festival he witnessed enough of the aftermath to know how strong she truly was. Briefly looking over his shoulder towards the door, the faint sounds of the General's conversation reaching his ears, Batou grumbled and shared a glance with Kinue before turning to Kisuke, "This doesn't make any sense. Why would Ragyo need to create something like Shinra Koketsu?"

"_**That name sounds fucking pretentious,"**_ Danketsu's multicolored eyes narrowed as she listened to Batou's concern about Ragyo Kiryuin. Ignoring the twin glares originating from Senketsu and Mugetsu, the two Kamui obviously finding her annoying, Danketsu scoffed in response before turning her attention to Kinue, _**"I don't like that Ragyo Kiryuin is saying Shinra Koketsu is better than me. Please tell me we're going to kill that bitch as soon as possible."**_

"Danketsu brings up a valid point," Kinue's eyes narrowed imperceptibly at her Kamui's choice of language. Taking note of the way Mugetsu and Senketsu were staring at her Kamui, Danketsu's own anger starting to bleed through their mental connection, Kinue closed her eyes and calmly exhaled, "There must be a reason Ragyo Kiryuin would go through the effort of creating a Kamui like Shinra Koketsu. Anderson and Batou's field reports indicated she was already powerful enough to defeat three Kamui without receiving more than a superficial wound to her shoulder. If Ragyo Kiryuin is creating a Kamui it can't be for the power."

"I do not believe Shinra Koketsu is a Kamui," Satsuki closed her eyes, her face expressionless, before finishing, "Ryuko, if I were to refer to Senketsu by his full name it would be Kamui Senketsu. The same naming principle applies to Junketsu, Mugetsu and Danketsu. If my mother constantly refers to Shinra Koketsu by its full name it must belong to an entirely different class of Life Fiber clothing."

"An entirely different class of clothing…that's quite the quandary, Miss Satsuki," Kisuke complimented before inspiration struck. Quickly jotting down the idea about alternating Life Fiber rotations, his genius mind already figuring out methods to use it, the shopkeeper turned back to the computer and resumed typing, "If you are correct than Shinra Koketsu is likely different from any of your Kamui. What this means in terms of possible abilities and configurations puzzles me but I have a theory. Ichigo, do you still have the journal Yoruichi gave you?"

Ichigo's eyes widened at the mention of the old journal before shaking his head. He had tried reading it several times after Parent Student Day but it was too complicated for him to even begin to understand, "It's still in my room at Honnouji Academy. Don't tell me you need it for whatever plan's going through your head."

"Why would I need something I already memorized?" Kisuke gave a smug chuckle as Ichigo scoffed in annoyance, "I was simply going to tell you to ignore everything Souichiro wrote in it. His theories and postulates were brilliant for the time but they are over fifteen years old. Although he was a genius Souichiro lacked a key piece of information needed to bring everything together."

"You had my father's journal?" Satsuki took a step towards the shopkeeper, her blue eyes cold and focused, and turned to Ichigo while her gaze softened, "I was under the belief my mother burned all of my father's possessions after Kuroido failed to kill him thirteen years ago. After his betrayal she went out of her way to destroy all traces of his existence from Revocs. If I had my father's journal Iori could have used the information to more effectively counter the COVERS invasion. Where did you get it?"

"Isshin gave it to me a month after the Winter War," Kisuke replied matter-of-factly as he examined the recently acquired data appearing on his computer. Humming approvingly at what he saw the shopkeeper typed in a few commands before continuing, "If I had known of its importance to you, Miss Satsuki, I would have made a copy. Now then, as I was saying Souichiro was on the right track but he was missing one important detail."

Ryuko looked over at Ichigo before asking, "Which you have, right?"

"No, but I'm really close," Kisuke paused in mid-sentence and raised a hand to his chin. As the shadows from his bucket hat covered his eyes, clashing with the harsh glow emanating from the computer, he leaned back and let out a loud huff, "In his notes Souichiro referred to something he called 'Absolute Domination' that would grant someone control over all other Life Fibers."

"Let me take a guess where you're going with this. Ragyo Kiryuin needs Shinra Koketsu in order to use this so-called Absolute Domination," Batou sarcastically muttered before slamming his fist against the wall, "This day just keeps getting better and better. The General is not going to like this."

"There is something else," Kisuke's voice dropped to a low timber as he looked over his shoulder at Batou, "When I tried to seal the Original Life Fibers I took a few samples for study. Even if Shinra Koketsu was woven from the most powerful Life Fibers in the world it would not possess even the smallest fraction of Absolute Domination. It appears a catalyst of some sort is needed for Shinra Koketsu to reach its full power. What this catalyst might be, I'm afraid, eludes me."

"So how does this have to do with Ururu?" Ryuko demanded as she glared at the shopkeeper, "We already know Nui Harime is her sister!"

Kisuke pursed his lips as he mulled over Ryuko's question, "I'm not one hundred percent sure why Ragyo Kiryuin risked capturing Ururu but it leads back to Shinra Koketsu. Despite her young age Nui Harime is the Grand Couturier of Revocs, which is a fairly prestigious position. I'm more than sure her skills originate from the Original Life Fiber."

"You are suggesting Ururu Tsumugiya has the same skill with Life Fibers as Nui Harime," Satsuki frowned as she mentally recalled everything Inumuta captured with the hundreds of cameras hidden throughout Honnou City, "During her time at Honnouji Academy I did not witness any abilities pertaining to Life Fibers. Tsumugiya certainly possessed the Grand Couturier's strength, speed and natural regeneration but she lacked her sister's more potent Life Fiber techniques."

"If Ragyo Kiryuin needs both Ururu Tsumugiya and Nui Harime than a second option available to us," Kinue explained while raising two fingers on her right hand, "Taking either sister out of the equation will permanently prevent the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet from coming to fruition."

A loud echo reverberated through the room as Ryuko slammed her foot against the ground and glowered at Kinue, "There's not a chance in hell I'm going to let you kill Ururu!"

"I did not say that, Matoi," Kinue calmly shook her head, her black and red hair subtly shifting, and lowered her hand, "Although killing either of them would be the most expedient method to ensure Ragyo Kiryuin cannot succeed I refuse to murder an innocent girl, even if she is a Life Fiber Hybrid of the same weave as Nui Harime. The last time we met I acted rashly and without forethought and for that I apologize."

"The only problem is how to do it," Ichigo mentioned as a frown appeared on his face, "If Ururu's important to Ragyo Kiryuin there's no way she'll let us get anywhere close to her."

"That can wait!"

Slamming open the door as she stormed back into the room, her normally beautiful face scrunched into a scowl, Olivier narrowed her eyes in irritation and whipped her head toward Batou, "We have more pressing matters at the moment than the unlikely recovery of a Life Fiber Hybrid. Approximately thirty five minutes ago a member of Xcution was seen arriving at London Heathrow Airport before abruptly vanishing into thin air. I want you to call that friend of yours and find out who the hell Ragyo Kiryuin sent to England!"

"I'll go give him a call. If he tries screwing with me I have enough dirt on the guy to make him talk even if he uses the 'client confidentiality' card," Batou answered with a slight nod as he turned to leave.

Snapping her attention over to Kinue as Batou left the room, his hand already reaching for his phone, Olivier spared Kisuke a brief glance, "You will inform me of everything I missed once I am finished here. What is Aikuro's latest report on the Brazil situation?"

"There have been several large shipments recently delivered to the Rio de Janeiro Distribution Facility," Kinue answered as she walked over to Kisuke's computer, the shopkeeper politely moving out of the way, and started rapidly typing on the keyboard. As several satellite images appeared on the monitor, courtesy of Houka Inumuta being granted access to the Ishida Pharmaceutical servers, the elder Kinagase sibling folded her arms and explained, "Over the last three days nearly one hundred identical air-tight crates were sent to the facility yet not a single one was delivered to local stores. Based on the timing of the shipments and the increased security we can assume Ragyo Kiryuin is planning to unleash the COVERS on Brazil during Rio Fashion Week."

The General of Nudist Beach grimaced at the latest update. Even with the assistance of Kisuke Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki it was taking everything Nudist Beach possessed just to keep Life Fibers contained in the northern part of the country. Ragyo Kiryuin might be an inhuman monster hell-bent on feeding all of humanity to the Original Life Fiber but there was no denying her tactical brilliance. If the COVERS were to appear during Rio Fashion Week, when the city was packed full of idiots wishing to see the latest trends from Revocs, Nudist Beach would be helpless to stop tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of people from being absorbed.

"I find it difficult to believe Ragyo Kiryuin would stop at sending just one member of Xcution to London," Olivier scowled at the high resolution images, her eyes narrowing at the dozens of military trucks parked within, before leaned back and adjusting her gloves. Turning around to leave, her overcoat billowing behind her, she turned to Kinue and added with a grimace, "With Alex somewhere on the front lines and Batou needed back in Osaka the only commander available for this mission is Anderson. That's going to be a pleasant conversation."

"That lunatic has a problem with England?" Ryuko folded her arms across Senketsu, a faint growl from the Kamui reaching her ears, and glared at the older blonde woman, "Why the hell would you send him if he'll go nuts as soon as he gets there?"

"He won't dare step out of line if he wants to keep breathing," Olivier replied with a dangerous hint to her voice as her hand subtly moved towards her sword. When Anderson had joined Nudist Beach his hatred of England, and Protestants, had been nearly as prevalent as his loathing of Life Fibers. In most cases Olivier wouldn't have cared what Anderson said so long as he completed his missions but eventually his constant rhetoric started getting on her nerves. After proceeding to beat Anderson to within an inch of his life Olivier had stood over the gravely injured man and gave him two choices. Either he could shut up about Protestants and continue working for Nudist Beach or she would come back and finish the job.

"Sending Anderson is risky. If the Vatican finds out he's still alive they might try to apprehend or kill him. It might be better to send someone else," Kinue informed in a stoic tone causing Olivier to momentarily stiffen.

"Unfortunately we don't have a choice. Anderson is the only commander available at the moment. If my brother was good for anything besides fighting I would send him but he's too thick-headed to stay out of trouble. Sending Alex to London would be the same thing as allowing Ragyo Kiryuin to win," Olivier scoffed derisively before her mood abruptly worsened. Twisting around as her blue eyes narrowed the nudist General took a deep and calming breath before raising her voice and shouting, "Kurosaki! Matoi! Gather what little belongings you have and be at the airfield near Ishida Manor tomorrow at noon! Do not make me come looking for you."

"You want us to go to London?" Ryuko didn't bother hiding the sarcasm in her voice. Cocking her head to the side and rolling her eyes Ryuko scoffed, "There's not a chance in hell you're going to make me –"

"Are you questioning my orders, Ryuko Matoi?"

Olivier Armstrong's presence permeated the room as she slowly stalked towards Ryuko. Eyes gleaming with an unholy yellow light that caused Senketsu to begin visibly shaking around Ryuko's body the General stomped to a halt directly in front of her and growled, "I gave you an order and unlike my pathetic excuse of a nephew I'm not content with simple threats. You will go to London and protect those senile old men until they vote on the embargo. Is that clear, Matoi?"

For several long seconds Ryuko stared daggers at Olivier, her gear-shaped eyes glaring harshly into the older woman's cold blue, as she refused to cow to the woman despite the overwhelming presence filling the room. Folding her arms across her chest in an attempt to calm Senketsu down Ryuko snorted and turned her head to the side when it became clear Olivier wasn't going to back down anytime soon, "Alright fine, I'll go to London! Just stop staring at me like that."

Lips curling downwards in annoyance at Ryuko's rude behavior, her eyes narrowing slightly at the delinquent teenager, Olivier didn't bother giving Ryuko a second glance as she marched towards the door with Kinue quickly falling into line behind her. Tightly clenching the handle of the door, the brass actually creaking under her Armstrong strength, Olivier momentarily paused before looking over her shoulder, "I will be returning to Osaka within the hour. Anderson will have your orders when you arrive tomorrow. Do not screw this up!"

Eyes reflexively flinching as Olivier slammed the door against the frame, her heavy footsteps fading slowly into the distance, Ryuko waited until the General was out of earshot before snorting, "Like hell I'm going to London!"

"_**It might be nice to go,"**_ Senketsu commented as he took several calming breaths. As the fear of imminent death at the hands of Olivier left the Kamui, the quivering in his Life Fibers fading by the second, he pausing thoughtfully before adding, _**"I remember reading about London in your world history class. I want to see Big Ben."**_

"Wait a second!" Ryuko scoffed as she pulled at her Kamui, "Since when can you read?"

Senketsu looked up at Ryuko with his one good eye before stoically replying, _**"As a school uniform I could always read. If I had hands I could write too."**_

Sitting down in a chair, his fan whipped back out in front of his face, Kisuke's lips curled into a bemused grin as he watched Ryuko bicker back and forth with Senketsu. It was mildly annoying to the scientist that despite creating Mugetsu he was unable to hear her voice, which was apparently something only Kamui and Life Fiber Hybrids possessed. After patiently listening to the argument for more than a minute Kisuke clapped his hands loudly and smirked, "While this little act has been fairly amusing I believe some congratulations are in order! It's not every day you win a free flight to dreary old England!"

"This is just great," Ichigo sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, "What the hell am I going to tell the old goat?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about Isshin although he might get a little jealous. Apparently he really wanted to go to Europe for the honeymoon but your mother shot him down" Kisuke answered before snapping the small fan shut, "Ichigo…you probably expect me to give you some cryptic advice about what dangers you might face in London. In any normal circumstance that would be correct but my expertise outside of Japan is dangerously inadequate. Quincy aren't the only humans with significant spiritual energy. Many myths and legends were founded on reality after all…"

As the shopkeeper turned around to let his words sink in, his fingers already gliding across the keyboard, Satsuki looked at her clothing and frowned softly, "Kisuke Urahara, have you finished working on Junketsu?"

"That's quite the tricky question, Miss Satsuki," Kisuke commented with a heavy sigh. Typing in several commands into the computer, a three-dimension model of Junketsu appearing on the screen, the shopkeeper adjusted his bucket hat as he stared at the image, "Your initial treatment of Junketsu damaged her stitching rather badly. Her Life Fibers were considerably frayed while her Banshi were almost ten percent weaker than normal. That is not to mention the trace amounts of Ichigo's Life Fibers still woven within her stitching. I've managed to repair most of the damage but it's hard to say when she'll wake up."

"I am content with waiting as long as Junketsu is fully restored," Satsuki calmly stated as she looked away from Kisuke, her voice empty of the guilt she felt at Junketsu's condition, and turned to her sister, "Ryuko, you should return home and inform Mankanshoku of your departure."

Ryuko blinked owlishly, her mind requiring a moment to process Satsuki's orders, before she slapped her face, "I completely forgot about Mako! It's going to be impossible to convince her to stay here!"

"Just promise Mako you'll bring back snacks or something," Ichigo helpfully offered with a small shrug before his mood soured. He still had no idea how he was going to break the news to his family about leaving for London. Yuzu and Karin would be devastated he was leaving Karakura Town but the issue was telling his old man, "Now I have to track down the old goat and tell him I'm leaving. That's just great…it's going to take me all day to find where he's hiding. He's probably going to shout at me for leaving."

"_**If you're worried about what your dad will say I can always tell him for you,"**_ Mugetsu helpfully pointed out, _**"Since he is a Life Fiber Hybrid he can hear my voice just fine."**_

Ichigo scowled as he stared down at his Kamui, "If you say one word about this to my old man I'm going to throw you in the washer and set the spin to high."

"_**Y-You wouldn't dare!"**_ Mugetsu's multicolored eyes quivered in fear as memories of the machine washer filled her mind with dread, _**"Don't do that! I won't say a word to your dad! I promise!"**_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Iori Shiro shivered as the wind whipped across the nearly vacant runway, dull blue skies falsely bathing Karakura Town in an eerie twilight, and pulled the pure white parka further up his neck. Nearly unrecognizable without the clear orange air filter he wore at Honnouji Academy, the lack of particulate-sized strands of Life Fibers negating the need for such precautions, the former President of the Sewing Club tightened his grip on the metal briefcase in his right hand when he spotted Ichigo Kurosaki's distinctive orange hair near the small private jet owned by Ishida Pharmaceuticals.<p>

"I've been looking for you, Ichigo Kurosaki," Iori's tone was firm and polite as he approached the former substitute shinigami. Waiting patiently in the cold as Ichigo tried extracting himself from Yuzu's surprising tight hug, the younger sister apparently afraid of letting her brother leave for London, Iori sighed and adjusted his oval-shaped glasses. In the aftermath of the Great Culture and Sports Festival nearly half of the Sewing Club had been lost before reaching Karakura Town, devoured by the outpouring of COVERS, and it was only thanks to Kisuke Urahara's supernatural abilities that the rest of them weren't absorbed as well.

"What are you doing here Iori?" Ichigo folded his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he looked around, "Did Satsuki send you?"

"Lady Satsuki did not send me," Iori replied as he knelt and carefully placed the briefcase on the ground. Pausing momentarily before entering the seven-digit passcode, the three thick latches unlocking with a barely audible hiss, the former club captain reached inside and pulled out a small silver watch-like device, "I'm actually here to give you this."

Taking the small device from Iori and flipping it over in his hand, the Honnouji Academy symbol etched on the back, Ichigo frowned as he tried to figure out what it was, "So…what exactly is this thing?"

"Think of as a rudimentary form of GPS," Iori explained as he pulled a PDA from his pocket. Amber eyes twitching at the data streaming down the screen, courtesy of Inumuta's new-found access to the Ishida Pharmaceuticals system of satellites, Iori snapped the briefcase shut and pointed to the device in Ichigo's hand before continuing, "During the festival Ryuko Matoi was able to land a blow against the Grand Couturier. By extracting the trace amount of Life Fibers from the Scissor Blade I was able to get a rough estimate of her energy signature. The device in your hand should be able to detect Nui Harime if she comes within five kilometers of you."

As impressed as he was with Iori's invention Ichigo could sense a 'however' in his explanation. Something like this didn't come without drawbacks, "So this thing can track down Nui Harime if she gets that close to me? That seems a little too convenient."

Iori sighed, his breath coming out in a cloud of fine mist, and shook his head, "Despite years of study and experimentation there is still much about Life Fibers that I do not know. Even with Kisuke Urahara offering his expertise on Life Fibers I wasn't able to increase the sensitivity of the device. While it cannot pinpoint her exact location it should give you enough time to prepare when she appears. I'm sorry but this was the best I could do in such a short amount of time."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo scoffed and waved off the teenager's concern. Watching as Yuzu looked in awe at the device wrapped around his wrist, Karin shivering nearby with her arms folded in embarrassment at her twin's excitement, Ichigo added in an annoyed tone, "Nui's little surprise visits at Honnouji Academy were really starting to piss me off. If this thing can detect her than it's perfect."

"_**What about Ururu?"**_ Mugetsu blinked before looking up at Ichigo, _**"She is Nui's twin after all."**_

"You have a point," Ichigo muttered quietly. If Iori could make something that can pinpoint Nui Harime before she pops out of the woodwork it stands to reason he can do the same for Ururu. Aware of Yuzu staring in amazement at Mugetsu's eyes, his Kamui blinking nervously at his sister's close contact, Ichigo turned back to Iori and asked, "Hey, can your invention track down Ururu?"

Iori's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered Ichigo's question. Raising a hand to his lips, his mind racing as he considered the possibilities, the blond haired teenager thought over his answer for nearly half a minute before answering, "Theoretically it should since both Ururu and Nui Harime have identical Life Fibers. However it might be more complicated than that. Even though most people believe twins have identical DNA they actually have slight variations in their genetic structure. This small difference might limit the effectiveness of my invention or it might just make it useless. I won't know for certain without extensive testing."

"Damn it," Ichigo growled before sighing. Running a hand down his face, memories of what he saw in Satsuki's mind returning to him, Ichigo's scowl softened at the worried look on Yuzu's face, "Just let me know the moment you figure something out. I don't want to think about what Ragyo could be doing to Ururu…"

"I'll inform you once I have a working prototype," Iori nodded, slightly perplexed by Ichigo's wording, before turning around to leave. Adjusting his parka while picking up the briefcase, his blond hair blowing erratically as the wind temporarily picked up, the club captain looked at his watch and frowned. If he hurried he could assist Kisuke Urahara on modifying theoretical Life Fiber stitch patterns for practical applications.

As the three Kurosaki siblings watched Iori walk down the runway towards an idling jeep, the nudist driver managing to snap off a quick salute before leaving, Karin turned around and stared at the enormously expensive private jet. Folding her arms, both out of annoyance and to keep warm, she rolled her eyes and commented, "At least you're traveling in style."

"Don't be so rude, Karin!" Yuzu complained worriedly, "Ichigo is going across the world to fight Life Fibers. What if he doesn't come back?"

Karin quirked an eyebrow at her sister's overly worrying attitude, "I'm sure Ichigo will be fine. What's the worst that could happen to him? His Kamui can already kick ass so don't worry about it. Hey, where's the old goat anyway? Shouldn't he be here to say goodbye?"

Mugetsu hummed, her eyes blinking owlishly, before shifting her gaze from Karin to Ichigo, _**"Didn't you tell your dad the flight was at two?"**_

"I didn't want to deal with any of his nonsense before we left," Ichigo grumbled and took a deep breath. Even after being exposed as a Life Fiber Hybrid of comparable strength to Ragyo Kiryuin his old man still acted like a child half the time. Shrugging his shoulders as he walked towards the jet Ichigo added, "With any luck I'll be long gone before –"

"Did you seriously think you could just leave without saying goodbye to your old man, my foolish son?"

Body already in motion the second he heard the voice, one hand already drifting towards Tournesol's scabbard strapped to his back, Ichigo was caught completely off guard when his father appeared in a burst of rainbow light. Momentarily taken aback by brightness of the attack, both his and Mugetsu's eyes nearly forced shut by the intensity of the light, Ichigo found his back slamming against the asphalt as Isshin tackled him. Sitting on top of Ichigo, one arm hooked around his son's neck while the other pinned his arms to the ground, Isshin grunted in disappointment, "It was quite savvy of you to try and trick your old man with a false departure time but I'm not that stupid! You can't fool Isshin Kurosaki with the same trick twice!"

"Give me a damn break!" Ichigo didn't hesitate before smashing his head against Isshin's nose hard enough to break it. Watching as his dad dramatically clutched his nose, Isshin's immense Life Fiber regeneration healing the damage within seconds, Ichigo scowled irritably and dusted Mugetsu off, "How the hell did you find out we were leaving?"

"You made quite a few blunders, my overconfident son," Isshin answered unabashedly, completely ignorant of the tick-mark developing above Ichigo's eye, and smugly scratched at his chin. With the perpetual stubble gone along with his disguise, leaving nothing but smooth skin, Isshin turned around and chuckling sagely, "The first was Satsuki leaving at the same time as Yuzu and Karin. If you truly wanted to avoid my suspicion you should have told Satsuki to leave a bit earlier. Your second mistake was not informing your girlfriend about your little plan! Ryuko told me everything, Ichigo, and I must congratulate you! She's a fine catch. There aren't that many woman in the world that willingly put up with your nonsense so don't screw it up or –"

Luckily for Ichigo his dad's advice was cut off when a silver guitar case, dented and scratched from months of wear and tear, smashed into the side of Isshin's face with enough force to send him soaring through the air. Watching as Ichigo's dad crashed to the ground before sliding to a halt, small wisps of smoking lazily rising from his head, Ryuko let her old guitar case loudly hit the runway and spat, "Give it a rest, will ya? I could hear your idiotic shouting from over a mile away."

"Oh, hey Ryuko," Ichigo gave Ryuko a curt wave as he turned away from his dad's trembling body. Noticing the black and dark red pants Ryuko was wearing under Senketsu's skirt, the newly added clothing matching the Kamui's coloring perfection, Ichigo quirked an eyebrow, "So Kisuke finished your pants?"

"I take back everything I said about Kisuke," Ryuko grinned smugly as Ichigo finally noticed her new pants. Running a hand down the newly woven fabric, Senketsu bristling irritably around her body, Ryuko stopped when her fingers brushed her Kamui's skirt. Although Kisuke had been able to weave the pants using Senketsu's Life Fibers, enabling them to transform when she transformed, the shopkeeper had refused to modify his original uniform. Attempting to do so, Kisuke had warned her, would most likely result in severe damage to Senketsu's Banshi.

Gently placing her hand against Senketsu's eye, his trembling slowing down from the comforting gesture, Ryuko stared at Isshin's prone body, "Is your dad going to be alright? I didn't hit him too hard."

"You and I both know he's faking it," Ichigo scornfully replied as he shot his dad another glare. Noticing the slight growling coming from Senketsu, the Kamui's form rippling around Ryuko's body, he asked, "What's wrong with Senketsu?"

"_**I'm upset Ryuko threw me to the wolves!"**_ Senketsu's entire uniform shivered over Ryuko's body as he angrily stared into her eyes, _**"My Life Fibers are more than sufficient to keep Ryuko warm but she betrayed my trust by having that monster create other clothing! Who knows what that man did to me when I was asleep?"**_

Ryuko grumbled at her Kamui's constant whining before folding her arms across her chest and rolling her eyes, "I told you already Kisuke didn't do anything 'vile or unholy' while you were sleeping! I was standing next to him the entire time. All he took was a few of your Life Fibers to make these pants. If he tried to do anything else to you I would have killed him. Do you want another apology?"

Senketsu's eye narrowed as his entire body, save for Ryuko's new pants, bristled in indignation, _**"Your new pants may have been made with my Life Fibers but they aren't a part of my body. I can't feel a thing below my skirt and it ruffles my stitching to know you don't trust me to keep you warm in the winter."**_

"Of course I trust you, Senketsu! If Kisuke wanted to change anything about you I would have said 'screw you' and left!" Ryuko immediately responded in a shocked tone. Biting her lip as she felt Senketsu's sense of betrayal creep into her mind Ryuko added in a slightly softer voice, "You said as a Kamui you can't feel the cold, right? I might be part Life Fiber but I'm still human. I'm tired of freezing my ass off whenever we're not synchronized."

His anger abating slightly at Ryuko's explanation Senketsu waited a moment before bluntly stating, _**"The solution to this problem is quite simple, Ryuko. Simply stay synchronized with me all winter. You won't be cold and I won't have to deal with you wearing other clothes."**_

"It's great to see you again, Ryuko!"

Appearing next to Ryuko in the blink of an eye before she could respond to Senketsu's ridiculous request, both Kamui and wearer flinching back in surprise, Isshin folded his arms across his chest and laughed heartily, "You should come over our house more often! Yuzu is always complaining how none of us appreciate her cooking! Now then…as the only parent within earshot, and since I don't trust my son around any beautiful women, it is my responsibility to lay down a few ground rules for your trip to England!"

"Ground rules?" Ryuko muttered before tilting her head in confusion. Frowning as she tried to figure out what Ichigo's dad was suggesting, Senketsu equally perplexed by the situation, several tense seconds passed before Ryuko growled and tried to smash her guitar case against Isshin's face a second time, "What the hell does that mean, you damn pervert?"

Nimbly dodging around the improvised weapon, one hand reaching out to push the guitar case away from his body, the rainbow glow from Isshin's silver hair briefly intensified as he raised a finger, "Rule number one – there will be no drinking during your trip! The drinking age might be seventeen in England but it's still twenty here! Anderson's promised to scold you two severely if you try to sway from the path of sobriety! Do either of you know what rule number two is?"

Rolling his eyes in annoyance at his dad's behavior Ichigo scoffed, "Alright, I'll bite. What's rule number two?"

"I'm very happy that you asked, my wayward son!" Isshin exclaimed before pulling Ichigo into a tight one-armed hug. Looking suspiciously around the runway, his maroon eyes narrowing slightly, Isshin leaned in close and whispered, "I know that you have feelings for Ryuko but don't forget about Satsuki. It's not every day you have sisters pining for your attention but if anything happens with Ryuko don't forget to wear –"

Surprisingly enough it wasn't just Ichigo that turned and belted his dad in the face. Ryuko, who managed to hear every single word Isshin whispered with her enhanced hearing, clenched her fist tightly and smashed it into his dad's face at the exact same time. Huffing loudly as Isshin soared through the air, a steady stream of blood leaving his face before crashing violently against the runway, Ryuko had a visible blush on her face as she shouted, "S-Shut the fuck up about something so goddamn embarrassing!"

"_**Your blood pressure and heart rate just spiked, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu informed stoically while slightly confused about the situation, _**"Are you alright?"**_

"I'm fine, Senketsu," Ryuko scoffed, her head tilted towards the ground to further hide her embarrassment.

Staring at Isshin's seemingly unconscious form, her multicolored eyes intrigued by the wisps of smoke rising from the back of the man's head, Mugetsu blinked in confusion as she asked Ichigo, _**"What did your dad mean about wearing something?"**_

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo hastily answered, his eyebrows twitching in annoyance, before shooting his dad a scathing glare, "Did you actually have something to say or are you going to lie there like an idiot all afternoon?"

"Be careful in London, Ichigo," Isshin warned as he sat up and ran a hand through his silver hair. The amount of strength Ichigo and Ryuko possessed without activating their Kamui was actually quite impressive and could only mean they were coming into maturity as Life Fiber Hybrids. Waving off Yuzu's attempts to examine his injuries, her cheeks puffed out at his supposed rudeness, Isshin rubbed the spot where Ryuko decked him and added, "Ragyo is quite the intelligent woman. She'll probably realize you're gone within three days."

"Like there's anything to worry about," Ryuko snorted as she turned her back to Isshin and spat on the ground. As phantom bouts of pain coursed through her shoulder, memories of her mother severing her arm vivid in her mind, Ryuko scoffed derisively while placing a hand on Senketsu's lapels, "If she tries to send Nui Harime I won't go easy on that blonde psycho a second time! Ragyo Kiryuin needs her to complete Shinra Koketsu, right? If that's true then I'm going to use all of Senketsu's power to put her down once and for all!"

Isshin grunted as he stood up and scratched the back of his neck, "You're certainly stronger than when you fought Junketsu but you shouldn't underestimate Nui just because you beat her once. Do you remember what Satsuki said about Nui and Ururu?"

"Yeah…" Ryuko looked away from Ichigo's dad as she remembered everything Satsuki said about the Grand Couturier. The Seki Tekko on her left hand crinkling as she clenched her fist, Senketsu's curious worry filtering through her frustration, Ryuko growled and nearly shouted, "Twin Life Fiber Entanglement, right? Are you saying we can't even hurt Nui Harime without Ururu's help?"

"I'm just saying Nui might be a little stronger now that she doesn't have to worry about Ururu but there are other ways to hurt a Life Fiber Hybrid," Isshin answered mysteriously while brushing dirt off his leather jacket and fixed his collar. It was moments like this that Isshin wished he could tell Ichigo and Ryuko everything they needed to know. Lamenting his situation once more, mentally cursing as the hold the Original Life Fiber had on his mind, Isshin turned and began walking back towards his car, which was conveniently parked on the other side of the runway.

"We're leaving?" Yuzu whined as she looked back and forth between her dad and Ichigo, "But Karin hasn't even said goodbye to Ichigo yet!"

"I said goodbye on the way over," Karin rolled her eyes at her twin sister's behavior. They were both twelve, practically teenagers given everything they've gone through, yet Yuzu was still too soft-spoken to survive their father's increasingly childish antics. Pointing over her shoulder at Ryuko with a detached expression on her face Karin added, "I was kind of hoping Ryuko would change her mind about going. Since she moved in with Mako down the street the old goat hasn't been bothering us as much."

"That's not very nice, Karin!" Yuzu complained loudly.

"There's no need to worry about Karin's scathing and hurtful remarks! I'm tough enough to weather whatever she tries to throw at me!" Isshin chuckled loudly while continuing to walk away. As Yuzu hurried to catch up to her father, one hand frantically waving goodbye to Ichigo and Ryuko, with Karin slowly following at her own pace Isshin spun around and pointed a finger at Ichigo, "London is a really nice place to visit, my son. Make sure to take some time off from your mission and visit a few of the sights! I expect you to come back with a few dozen pictures!"

Ichigo frowned at his dad's final words but refrained from saying anything. After years of dealing with Isshin's childish and idiotic behavior, more than one morning completely ruined by an impromptu assault, Ichigo could sense the worry in his old man's words. Folding his hands in his pockets, the frown on his face briefly reappearing when he remembered his dad's stupid rules, Ichigo shivered as a burst of wind tore down the empty runway, "Hey Mugetsu, during the festival could you hear Junketsu's voice at all?"

"_**She wouldn't shut up,"**_ Mugetsu scathingly replied before closing her eyes and scoffing. One would think being the first Kamui created would grant Junketsu some measure of maturity but the Kamui acted like a child. As Ryuko slung the guitar case over her shoulder and made her way towards the private jet, faint curses muttered under her breath at Ichigo's dad, Mugetsu paused thoughtfully, _**"Why do you want to know?"**_

"Could you tell if she was upset with Satsuki?"

Mugetsu looked up at Ichigo, her multicolored eye closed, before answering, _**"Unlike our first encounter I didn't sense Satsuki struggling against Junketsu for control. The fact that Satsuki could use Zenkan means Junketsu was willingly working with her. An advanced configuration can only be used correctly if both Kamui and wearer have full trust in each other."**_

Ichigo sighed in relief as he turned and followed Ryuko into the private jet. Walking up the bare metal steps, his single bag of luggage slung over his shoulder, Ichigo stopped as he stood inside the luxurious aircraft and looked around the spacious interior. Aside from the eight plush leather seats, each of which had a built-in massage feature and could fully recline, there was a small bar in the back stocked with at least a dozen different brands of liquor.

"Don't even think about it," Alexander Anderson's thickly accented voice warned as he appeared behind Ichigo, the large scar on his left cheek making him appear even more intimidating than normal, before walking past him. Cassock fluttering behind him as he sat down in the nearest chair, Tailor Bayonet flashing out of his right sleeve, Anderson's glasses reflected the ambient light from inside the aircraft as he began polishing the Anti-Life Fiber blade, "It's about time ye two got inside. I just spoke with the pilot. Unless ye two have any other unfinished business we're taking off immediately."

Deliberately walking as far away from Anderson as she possibly could, the silver guitar case interposed as a makeshift shield, Ryuko quirked an eyebrow and asked, "You're not going to go nuts or start ranting about us for being Life Fiber Hybrids, are you? Because if you try anything funny…"

"I have no intention of piercing my bayonets through yer bodies," Anderson growled as he flicked his wrist and drew the bayonet back into his sleeve before adjusting his gloves. Eyes glancing across the sealing matrix recently etched onto his gloves the former priest found himself impressed with Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi's ability to create a pocket dimension using their so-called kido. Where he once could carry no more than thirty bayonets before the additional weight began affecting his speed Anderson now had a potentially unlimited number of blades at his disposal, "For the moment I will not move against ye. The real threat is that abomination of a monster in human flesh – Ragyo Kiryuin. Until she is buried six feet under, the ground thoroughly salted while her soul is forever tormented in the pits of hell, ye are safe from my righteous weapons."

Ryuko snorted at Anderson as she unstrapped the guitar case from her back, the silver metal slamming into the floor of the plane with a loud bang. Folding her arms as she plopped into the seat directly across from the former priest Ryuko crossed her feet over the guitar case and narrowed her blue eyes in suspicion, "Something's been bugging me since the festival. You've been acting like you know me but I sure as hell don't remember you. What's your deal?"

Anderson didn't utter a word as the plane lurched forward, the twin jet engines revving into life as the pilots finished the last preflight checks and gained clearance to leave. Leaning forward, his gloved hands folded tightly in front of his face, Anderson's mouth twisted into a grimace as he stared out the window, "For a few years yer father couldn't afford to watch over ye. It was much too dangerous with that abomination against God and nature hunting him down. That is why until ye were four ye lived at my orphanage with all the other children. It's a shame ye were dragged into this mess. Ye were always one of the best behaved children."

"I grew up in an orphanage?" Ryuko's mouth hung open in shock before she angrily gnashed her teeth, "Like hell I did! I think I would remember spending four years of my life living with the bastard who tried to kill Ichigo and me!"

"Whether ye believe me or not doesn't matter. There are more important matters to worry about at the moment," Anderson snorted as the plane shuddered when it impacted the Anti-Life Fiber shield, the hundreds of COVERS floating just outside the barrier reacting far too slowly to notice the aircraft, and quickly ascended higher into the sky. Reaching into his cassock, his fingers tightly gripping a thick manila folder, Anderson's glasses gleamed brightly from reflected light as he turned his focus to Ichigo, "Get over here and sit down because I don't like to repeat myself. The moment we arrive in England that abomination of a woman will turn her corruptive gaze upon us with all the evil and darkness she can muster. We will need to move swiftly, our speed bolstered by the divine power of God, if we are to eradicate those that sold their souls to Life Fibers."

Ichigo grabbed the folder from Anderson and began leafing through the stapled pages, "It's going to be hard trying to find one person in London. There has to be more than three million people in the city."

Anderson leaned forward, his mouth twisting into a slightly psychotic grin, and coldly chuckled, "This is not the first Life Fiber hunt I've participated in. If ye two do not deviate from my instructions we shall not only prevent that Life Fiber monstrosity from setting foot in England but kill one of her unholy followers as well…"

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><p>Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing frowned softly as she lowered the phone away from her ear. Slowly collapsing into her plush leather chair, the moonlight streaming through the spacious windows casting a pale white light over the darkened office, she clasped her hands in front of contemplative blue eyes before turning her attention to the only other occupant in the room, "It would seem a new problem has emerged, Walter."<p>

Leaning forward and allowing the moonlight to reflect brightly off the monocle covering his left eye Walter C. Dornez, retired vampire hunter and Hellsing butler, paused briefly before addressing his master, "I assume Ms. Armstrong finally deigned to explain her rather rough and uncouth behavior?"

The only surviving member of the Hellsing family was silent as she reached for the box of Hendri Winzerman cigars on her desk. Biting down on the cigar, the familiar taste of tobacco spreading through her mouth, Integra pulled a lighter from her coat and leaned back against the chair. Taking a long drag from the cigar, the nicotine-filled smoke permeating her lungs, Integra exhaled slowly and muttered, "In a manner of speaking although I find her claims surrounding Ragyo Kiryuin quite farfetched."

Walter's entire body momentarily tensed at the mention of the Kiryuin matriarch before turning towards the windows overlooking the London skyline. As a twinge of apprehension flooded his veins, the memory of his brief encounter with the CEO of Revocs nearly five years ago fresh in his mind, the aged butler quickly became aware that his abrupt shift in behavior had caught his master's eye, "Oh, please forgive my rudeness, Miss Integra. I was simply recalling my rather…illuminating encounter with the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin."

The reaction from her butler puzzled Integra, "What are you not telling me Walter?"

"Let's just say I would rather not meet Ragyo Kiryuin alone at night," Walter replied curtly as he absentmindedly adjusted his gloves. Frowning thoughtfully as he regained his composure, years of servitude and loyalty to the Hellsing family helping to put a clamp on his emotions, he turned back to Integra and added, "Perhaps it would be best if I started at the beginning. As you already know five years ago the English government passed an embargo on all Revocs products…with some subtle prodding from your associates, of course."

"Sir Irons filled me in on the details," Integra commented, her fingers pulling the cigar out of her mouth, before adding, "From his report it appears the Convention of Twelve didn't need to resort to the usual tactics."

The case against Revocs had been weak even from the very start, substantiated solely by Olivier and her organization's vague warnings about Ragyo Kiryuin, and would never have obtained the Convention of Twelve's assistance if not for the international outrage. Within hours of the first stories about a possible embargo hitting the presses dozens of countries, both friendly and antagonistic, spoke against the embargo and the unjust prosecution of Revocs. It was the sheer amount of international resentment, coupled with the reactions from Her Majesty's American allies, which caused Sir Irons to use all available assets in order to make sure the embargo passed.

"Sir Irons and myself were in attendance that day, as a sign of support from your family, when Ragyo Kiryuin strolled into the chambers of Parliament," Walter folded his hands behind his back as he fully turned towards Integra, "She was there to plead her case, as was her right, but the moment she began speaking I realized something was amiss."

Integra's eyes narrowed slightly as she placed the cigar back in her mouth, "What did you detect?"

Walter raised a hand to his mouth as he struggled to look for the proper words, "I've been fighting vampires and other supernatural creatures for more than sixty years, Miss Integra, and if I've learned anything from countless near-death encounters it is to trust my instincts. When I briefly met eye contact with Ragyo Kiryuin, and her maroon eyes somehow stared back at me despite the improbability of the situation as well as the distance separating the two of us, my instincts told me in a rather loud and crisp voice that she was not to be underestimated."

Folding her hands once more in front of her face, the cigar in her mouth crumpling as she bit down on it, Integra scowled as she compared Walter's experience with Olivier's description of the CEO of Revocs. Inhaling sharply as she stood up and walked to the row of windows behind her desk, one hand pulling the cigar from her mouth, Integra stared out over the city of London for more than a minute as her mind pieced everything together, "Walter, answer me this. If I were to describe someone with superhuman strength and speed, nearly instantaneous regeneration and the ability to levitate who would be your first guess?"

The aged butler frowned at the question, "I would, of course, suggest Alucard but I'm quite positive you are referring to someone else."

Integra tightly clenched her fist, her teeth nearly biting the cigar in two, as she turned to Walter, "Those are the exact words Olivier used to describe Ragyo Kiryuin. If she spoke the truth we may be dealing with a vampire that not only has considerable power but has set her sights on this country…how absolutely troublesome."

"She is not just a mere vampire…"

Phasing through the walls of Integra's office, his red frock overcoat shimmering malevolently in the moonlight while his boots barely echoed against the floor, Alucard chucked as he walked towards his master, "…within Ragyo Kiryuin's body beats a living heart but she is neither human nor vampire. She is something far more ancient than even me."

"It does not matter whether Ragyo Kiryuin is a vampire or not. She has proven herself a threat to this country and it our sacred duty to exterminate our enemies," Integra crushed the cigar between her fingers before twisting around, "If I ordered you to go to Japan and kill her could you accomplish such a task?"

"Kill her, you say…that is an interesting question," Alucard's grin widened, his sharp fangs visible in the pale light permeating the dark office, before pulling the Jackal forth from his overcoat. Staring reverently at the black weapon, created specifically to counter regenerators like that priest from Iscariot, the king of vampires smirked as he continued, "My usual weapons probably won't work on something like her. I've met quite a few supernatural creatures throughout my existence but nothing quite like Ragyo Kiryuin. Her presence five years ago filled my black soul with both anticipation and trepidation."

Integra scowled as the beginning of a plan came to mind, "Am I to assume you can sense Ragyo Kiryuin's presence?"

"But of course," Alucard's red eyes briefly shone through his orange sunglasses, "I will never forget such an ugly feeling for as long as my cold, rotten heart rests within my body."

A long silence followed the vampire's response, the shadows in the room twisting and turning around themselves, as Integra mulled over the events of the past nine days. The mercenaries she hired after the Valentine Brother's decimated Hellsing's forces weren't yet up to speed with her expectations. Anger coursing through her body when she remembered the upcoming meeting with Enrico Maxwell, the head of Iscariot, Integra hardened her expression before addressing Alucard, "Olivier Mira Armstrong believes Ragyo Kiryuin will attempt to disrupt the upcoming extension on the Revocs embargo. Therefore your orders are as follows. Upon sensing the presence of Ragyo Kiryuin or anyone like her you are to immediately execute them with extreme prejudice. Do you understand, Alucard?"

The king of vampires grinned savagely as he removed his fedora and bowed deeply, "I shall do as you command, my master."


	42. Chapter 42: The Guns of Brixton

_Chapter 42 of To My Death I Fight is rather interesting because it signifies a major departure from the Honnouji Academy Arc. One of the main premises of Kill la Kill was that nearly all of the combat and screen time took place inside and around Honnouji Academy. Even the one month time skip was treated as nothing more than a 5-10 minute scene in the anime. The Hellsing Arc is a departure from that. It takes places in a variety of locations including Great Britain, Karakura Town, Osaka and Brazil. Ragyo Kiryuin's war against humanity is in full swing and Nudist Beach, under the leadership of Olivier Mira Armstrong, is at full power to push her back._

_Don't forget to read and review this chapter and once you've done that you should go back and reread Chapter 5. I spent a few days revised, editing and rewriting most of it in order to fix many grammatical errors, plot holes and internal inconsistencies. Even if you don't review Chapter 5 you should all at least go back and take another read through of the chapter just to see the difference in the quality of writing from nearly a year of work._

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><p><strong>Chapter 42 – The Guns of Brixton<strong>

Alexander Anderson's fingers tightened instinctively around the thick metal suitcase in his right hand as he marched past the rows of closed shops and restaurants lining either side of London Heathrow Airport. His glasses shining malevolently as an arc of blue-white lightning tore across the sky, the raging thunderstorm appearing to grow in intensity, the former priest's lips pulled upwards into a slight sneer as he gazed through the rain-soaked windows out to the city beyond. While his feelings for Protestants had decayed over the years from outright hatred to mild annoyance Anderson found the notion of willingly walking into the heart of Protestant England to be laughable.

"It doesn't matter whether someone is Protestant or Catholic. Against abominations like Life Fibers all of humanity is a blade, sharpened and honed to absolute perfection," Anderson muttered quietly before perking up and looking over his shoulder. Watching with narrowed green eyes as Ryuko and Ichigo tried to catch up to him, their shoulders slumped in exhaustion, a growl escaped Anderson's lips as he pivoted around and continued to walk away, "Quit dragging yer feet and get a move on. This is not the time to be dawdling."

Yawning loudly as she readjusted the silver guitar case strapped against her back, her unique blue eyes drooping from exhaustion, Ryuko glared at Anderson with annoyance, "How the hell is he still awake?"

"I have no idea," Ichigo replied tiredly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, and turned his weary eyes to the deluge of rain battering the windows. Glancing down at Mugetsu's eyes, the Kamui fast asleep, he sighed as he added, "I didn't see him sleep on the plane, that's for sure."

"He spent half the flight staring out the window and the other half glaring at us," Ryuko drawled irritably, her sneakers squeaking lightly against the polished floor. Yawning again, Senketsu having long since lost the battle against unconsciousness and fallen asleep, she tilted her head up towards the ceiling and huffed, "And like hell I believe his story about the orphanage! My dad would never have left me with an asshole like him. It just doesn't –"

"Commander Anderson!"

Marching down the terminal towards them, twin pairs of military boots echoing loudly against the ground, were two men clad in full military fatigues reminiscent of what Tsumugu wore during his first assault on Honnouji Academy. Similar in stature to the former priest, the kanji for 'naked' stitched onto the left sleeves of their jackets, the two men stomped to a halt several feet from Anderson before snapping their arms into a salute, "The General informed us of your arrival. Echo November Two is at your command."

"This is no time for pleasantries," Anderson's voice came out as little more than a growl as he observed the two nudists standing at attention. Nearly every country in the world contained at least two, sometimes three, small groups of undercover nudists that constantly relayed information about Revocs back to Osaka headquarters. Echo November Two might be stationed in the only country nearly free of Life Fibers but they were amongst the best in Nudist Beach.

Lips pulled into a grimace as he walked between the two nudists, the men lowering their arms and falling into step on either side of him, Anderson waited several seconds before asking, "Have ye managed to pinpoint the unholy bastard's location?"

"Our Life Fiber sensors haven't been able to detect anything since his arrival," the nudist on the left answered, his eyes hidden behind black sunglasses, before continuing, "It's likely he's removed his raiment to evade our efforts to track him…"

"…which is why we've randomly shifted the sensory net over the last few hours," the second nudist finished as he reached into his military vest and pulled out a PDA. Handing it to Anderson, the screen flashing to life as it displayed a map of the city, he pointed towards one of the red dots and explained, "After Agent Kinagase informed the General about what happened in Seattle we began randomizing our sweeps. Unfortunately we haven't been able to find any sign of this man."

"Well now…it seems that abomination of a woman thinks she's quite clever," Anderson's free hand clenched tightly into a fist as a huff of air escaped his lips, "Luckily we have a few tricks of our own. Inform headquarters to spread photographs of the Xcution members who appeared at Honnouji Academy throughout the city. We'll need to move swiftly if we want to deal with this bastard before he strikes. Is there anything else I should know about?"

The first nudist's mouth pulled into a grimace as he marched alongside Anderson. Sparing a glance over his shoulder at Ryuko and Ichigo, the two Life Fiber Hybrids trying to pay attention to the conversation despite their exhaustion, he turned his attention back to the commander, "As the General suspected our covert movements and operations throughout London have been compromised for the immediate future. Seven days ago a group of terrorists unaffiliated with any known organization stormed the Hellsing Manor."

Anderson's gait momentarily staggered as distant memories came to the forefront of his mind, "…their purpose?"

"From the military chatter we've been able to intercept their goal was the military and political figures convening somewhere within Hellsing Manor," the first nudist explained, his face briefly illuminated by a crackle of lightning, before adding, "From what we could gather none of these people were killed or even injured by the terrorists. Both Interpol and Scotland Yard have yet to ascertain possible motivation."

"Their goal was the Convention of Twelve," Anderson answered without hesitation. As a commander of Nudist Beach he was well acquainted with all of their allies, both domestic and foreign. The moment the nudist mentioned Hellsing Manor Anderson had already begun piecing things together, "It appears Ragyo Kiryuin will not stop until all of humanity is devoured by Life Fibers. Did you search the scene for trace Life Fibers similar to the Marionette Threads that abomination of a woman uses for her Mental Refitting?"

The group of five passed through a set of automatic doors leading towards the exit of London Heathrow Airport before the second nudist answered, "Our contacts in Scotland Yard forward their report three days ago. The Hellsing Organization listed eighty-eight causalities, not counting the terrorists. The patterns of the wounds and injuries match the Grand Couturier's modus operandi yet none of the remains contained even a trace of Life Fibers."

Anderson didn't care what the forensics report said. Only a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin could have profited from the slaughter of so many innocent men and women, Protestants or not. Folding his free hand into the pocket of his cassock, his fingers twitching angrily at the senseless loss of life, Anderson cursed as his glasses shone menacingly, "It may seem cruel and crass but it is fortunate the Convention of Twelve survived. If they had perished there would be nothing standing in Ragyo Kiryuin's path of death and destruction."

"Wait just a damn second!"

Ryuko found the exhaustion plaguing her body momentarily forgotten as she angrily raised her voice. Folding her arms across her chest, an annoyed expression visible in her blue eyes, her glare intensified when the two men flanking Anderson turned around to face her. Ignoring the two nudists, her attention focused exclusively on Anderson's back, Ryuko sneered irritably and spat, "Like hell I'm going to be kept out of the loop again! What the hell is the Convention of Twelve?"

"They are a group of Protestants that controls Great Britain from the shadows," Anderson answered as he stepped out into the raging storm. Flinching as a cold wind assaulted her face, Senketsu briefly shivering around her body, Ryuko continued to stare at the former priest when he continued, "…politics, the economy, military actions and even the press. Everything England does is controlled by the whims of those twelve people."

A scoff escaped Ryuko's lips as she folded her hands into the pockets of her jacket, "They sound shady as hell."

"Do not concern yerself with those Protestants." Rivers of water ran down Anderson's cassock as he walked through the rain. Shoulders slumped forward as his glasses briefly fogged up from the change in humidity, the two nudists running towards the truck parked in the distance, Anderson's face lit up as lightning flashed across the sky, "They have done their part to keep Ragyo Kiryuin out of the country. Our purpose is to make sure that monster of a woman never comes back no matter the cost."

"No matter the cost?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed at Anderson. As he stood in the rain, his orange hair matted against his head while Mugetsu's Life Fibers easily repelled the droplets of water, the former substitute shinigami's lips pulled into a grimace as he scowled, "I'm not going to kill people just because this is a war. The only ones that need to be stopped are Ragyo Kiryuin and Nui Harime."

"This is not Honnouji Academy!"

Anderson pivoted around, his boots kicked up streams of water, as his lips pulled back into a sneer. Rivers of rain streaming down his face, green eyes narrowed dangerously, the former priest scoffed loudly before cocking his head to the side and growling, "There are no regalia or raiment to fight. Our adversaries are humans, people Ragyo Kiryuin enthralled to throw away their humanity for power. They will attack us with bullets and blades, weapons that won't even leave a scratch against creatures like yer Kamui. Do not show pity or remorse for them for they will not hesitate to throw themselves in our path even while yer blades cleave through their flesh and armor."

"I kicked a lot of ass at Honnouji Academy without killing anyone!" Ryuko spat angrily, her entire body shaking in frustration. Pulling the Scissor Blade out of her pocket, the hardened Life Fiber blade quickly expanding into its full glory, she pointed it at Anderson and snapped, "Even before Senketsu and I fully synchronized I never killed anyone with this Scissor Blade! I'm not a murderer! I've never killed anyone! Not even…Nui Harime…"

The former priest's expression softened momentarily at Ryuko's outburst before he scoffed once more and turned around. As the sound of engines flared into life, the headlights of the truck piercing through the pouring rain, Anderson took several steps away before speaking, "I've slaughtered dozens of people, men and women who sold their souls to Life Fibers for the barest taste of power. No matter how righteous the cause or mission the sin of murder is something that never fully washes off the soul. Seireitei or not, we must all answer for our crimes in the afterlife. It is not a burden I wish for ye to bear."

A pensive look appeared in Ichigo's eyes as he contemplated Anderson's words, "I get what you're saying but I've fought a lot of people. I'm not going to start killing people."

"Do ye know how sharp yer blades truly are?"

Anderson's question caused Ryuko's eyes to widen and stare at the rain-soaked blade held tightly in her grip. Flipping the red Scissor Blade over in her hand, blue eyes scanning over every inch of the specialized weapon, she opened her mouth to answer but was forced to stop when she found Anderson standing in front of her. Tearing the Scissor Blade out of her grasp, his strength more than enough to wield the normally heavy weapon, the former priest's mouth twisted into a sneer as he held Ryuko's blade over her heart, "One lapse in judgment or errant swing is all that's need for ye to take a life. Compared to creatures like ye, who can regenerate from nearly everything, a human being is but dust in the wind. When that time comes, when ye find yerself standing over the bloody corpse of a human being with blood dripping down yer blade, will ye let the guilt transform ye into a monster that will need to be put down once and for all?

"Like hell that's going to happen!" Ryuko, starting to get pissed off by Anderson, reached out and tore the Scissor Blade out of his hand. Dexterously flipping the red blade around her wrist, a slight whistling noise accompanying the motion, she slid her foot back and held the tip of the Scissor Blade under Anderson's chin, "I'm never going to hurt Senketsu like that ever again!"

Heedless of the weapon in Ryuko's hands, his lips pulled back into a derisively grimace, Anderson scoffed as his eyes narrowed into a glare, "Believe whatever ye wish but ask yerself how many innocent men, women and children will perish if ye go berserk again. If ye lose control a second time there is no telling what may happen before Ichigo can bring ye back to your senses."

Ryuko's eyes widened as memories of Mako lying dead with Nui Harime laughing in her face assaulted her mind. Fingers clenching around the red Scissor Blade's handle, her knuckles bleeding white, Ryuko's gaze shifted to the ground as her throat suddenly dried up, "I…"

Stepping in front of Ryuko, his hand tightly clenching the front of Anderson's cassock, Ichigo scowled as he stared directly into the former priest's eyes, "She only lost control because Nui Harime tried to kill Mako! It would have been wrong if Ryuko didn't get pissed off at her!"

"It won't take much to set her off a second time," Anderson's face was emotionless as he reached up and pulled Ichigo's hand off his cassock. Turning around as the trucks came to a stop behind him, the sprays of water kicked up miraculously managing to miss him, Anderson placed one hand on the door before looking over his shoulder at Ichigo, "What's to stop Ragyo Kiryuin from trying the same thing again? It's already worked once, hasn't it? The less time ye spend in yer Kamui the better. So unless that witch's unholy follower deigns to knock on our front door ye two are forbidden from activating yer Kamui."

Standing silent as Anderson opened the car door, the resulting blast of warm air causing the windows to quickly fog up, Ichigo frowned and turned to Ryuko, "Don't listen to him. He's just being an ass."

"Yeah. I know," Ryuko answered with a small sigh. Placing a hand over Senketsu's lapel, the slumbering Kamui oblivious to the conversation that just transpired, she propped the Scissor Blade against her shoulder and looked at Ichigo, "But he's right. The only reason Senketsu got hurt was because I couldn't control my anger when Nui Harime killed Mako. What's to stop her from trying to pull the same crap a second time?"

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders before an odd feeling suddenly appeared on the peripheral of his senses. Looking off into the distance, his sight hampered by the downpour from the storm, he gave up when the feeling abruptly vanished, "You already kicked her ass once, right? Nui Harime probably won't want to fight you again, especially if I'm around to back you up. And if she tries to get Mako she'll have to go through my dad. He may be a complete idiot but there's no way she could win against him."

"I suppose you got a point," Ryuko mumbled before her mouth suddenly opened into a yawn. Stretching her arms outwards, the red Scissor Blade collapsing down into its miniature form with but a thought, Ryuko sighed as she picked up her silver guitar case. Strapping it around her back, one hand running through her black hair, she rolled her eyes upon noticing Anderson staring at them, "We should probably get moving before he tries to slay us or something. Huh, what's wrong Ichigo?"

"Nothing," Ichigo muttered as the feeling came back a second time, weaker than the first, but still out there, "Damn it, I hate the rain."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"One of them managed to sense my presence…"<p>

Standing on the edge of the roof, his red overcoat billowing outwards as the raging storm momentarily intensified, Alucard chuckled in amusement. Hands folded neatly in his pockets, the brim of his fedora pulled over his hidden eyes, the vampire king felt anticipation course through his body. It had been so long since he found someone that could potentially put up more than the barest traces of a fight. Euphoric at finding someone worthy to fight, lips curling upwards and exposing sharpened white fangs glistening in the ambient light, Alucard's blood red eyes widened as he focused upon the two beings in the distance. As his senses wrapped around the airport, the shadows themselves bending to his unholy power, Alucard's smile slowly fell off his face.

They were too weak.

Although the two creatures were certainly quite powerful, stronger at least than the pitiful and worthless vampires he'd been killing lately, they _paled _in comparison to Ragyo Kiryuin's power. That brief glimpse of eldritch power five years ago, that incomprehensible void of alien and aberrant energy dwelling just beneath Ragyo's skin, had been unlike anything Alucard felt in his more than five hundred years of undeath. She was a woman who willingly threw away her humanity for power, making her a true monster in every sense of the word. The two beings below might possess that same aura of eldritch power and energy but Alucard could not sense the overwhelming malice towards humanity that had permeated every fiber of Ragyo Kiryuin's being.

"Police Girl!"

Seras Victoria had been standing behind her master, the yellow raincoat pulled tightly over her body despite being unable to feel the cold, when Alucard's annoyed voice cut like a blade through the raging wind. Immediately straightening her back, one hand patting the raincoat flat over her chest, Seras turned towards her master, "Yes, Master?"

"Tell me, Police Girl," Alucard growled as he asked, "Can you sense anything in this storm?"

Seras blinked in mild confusion before she understood what her master was asking of her. Turning her attention towards London Heathrow Airport, the rain coloring the landscape in various shades of dark blue and black, the recently turned vampire's eyes bled red as she focused her gaze upon the two teenagers in the distance. As her vampiric senses pierced the stormy veil Seras couldn't figure out what she was supposed to be looking for. Aside from the unique orange colored hair of one of the teenagers as far as she could tell they were three normal people standing in the rain. Eyes narrowing as she quickly squashed that train of thought, the knowledge that her master would never have her do something pointless, Seras pushed her senses just a little bit more and immediately felt it.

"They feel…different," Seras muttered as she shifted her attention from Ichigo to Ryuko. Slightly bewildered by the single lock of blood red hair hanging limply over Ryuko's rain-soaked face, her eyes momentarily focusing on the uniform she was wearing, Seras blinked before turning to her master, "…like there's something inhuman about them."

Alucard's lips pulled into a grin at his fledgling's astute observations, "Well done. These creatures are rather unique, aren't they? Even those shinigami four hundred years ago didn't possess such strange and exhilarating power."

"Uh…shinigami?" Seras asked while wracking her brain for the meaning of the obviously foreign term.

"A group of supernatural creatures that thought they had the power to kill me," Alucard replied in amusement while turning away from the edge of the building, the surprised expression on the Police Girl's face all too apparent. Boots stomping through the puddles of water collecting on the roof, streams of water falling off the brim of his fedora, Alucard's lips curled into a smile as he reminisced on that battle four centuries ago. Three shinigami, captains they had called themselves, had appeared from the ether outside the gates of his castle in Wallachia. Upon greeting them, their power at the time comparable to his own, the shinigami did not hesitate to draw their blades while professing that their mission was to slay him.

The battle that followed, which lasted for more than fifteen hours and left much of his once pristine domain in ruin, still brought a manic grin to Alucard's face.

For hours he clashed blades with the three captains, their so-called zanpakuto equal in strength and durability to his own sword. As the battle dragged out of the early dawn into midday, the landscape scoured by the many spells the captains had used against him, Alucard felt a rush of adrenaline in his undead body. The feeling of battle, fighting against beings that could actually kill him, was something he hadn't experienced again until that fateful battle more than one hundred years ago. Grunting as one of the captain's magical spells tore into his chest, destroying several of his organs in a burst of blood, Alucard retaliated before his wounds even began healing by stabbing his hand through the chest of the shinigami calling himself Kenpachi.

"It was quite the…exhilarating battle," Alucard chuckled coldly as he remembered the towering monstrosity the last remaining captain had summoned from her sword, a being composed of fire and shadow woven with a construct of bone. He had been greatly exhausted by that point, the majority of the forty thousand souls resting inside his body already consumed to regenerate his injuries, but it was still enough to deal with the gravely injured captain and what she referred to as her bankai.

"Come, Police Girl!"

Seras perked up at her master's voice as she snapped to attention. Reaching down and wrapping her fingers around the grip of the Harkonnen, her vampiric strength easily lifting the massive Anti-Tank rifle, Seras quickly fell into line behind Alucard. Using her free hand to pull the raincoat further over her head, an arc of lightning briefly illuminating the darkened skies, Seras glanced back at the airport before asking, "Where are we going, master?"

"Do you really need to ask such a ridiculous question?" Alucard derisively asked. Reaching inside his overcoat and drawing the Jackal, black gunmetal glistening in the rain, the vampire king's annoyed expression twisted into a predatory smirk, "We are going to kill them, of course. You've already sensed it. Underneath their skin lies something that has never been human. I am going to enjoy finding out how powerful these creatures truly are."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>When Olivier Armstrong ordered her to go to London, whether she wanted to or not, Ryuko assumed she would be staying in a Nudist Beach safe house or even a secret underground base like the one underneath Osaka. Since Ragyo Kiryuin's plans involved taking over England it made logical sense to stick below the radar and not draw too much attention. So as she stood in the entrance of the extravagantly opulent hotel suite, the far wall covered in windows overlooking the city, Ryuko spun around on one foot and scoffed, "<em>This<em> is where we're staying? It looks like Satsuki's room!"

"Not really. Satsuki's room wasn't this gaudy," Ichigo answered as he stumbled past Ryuko, a yawn escaping his mouth, and dropped his bags on the floor.

Glancing around the expensive suite, his eyes noticing the wine cabinet full of century old brands near the kitchen, the orange haired teenager found it hard to imagine Nudist Beach would spring for a place like this. Olivier Armstrong didn't come across as the type of woman who would spend money on something as frivolous as a hotel room. Rubbing the back of his neck Ichigo shook his head, "Damn, I feel like I'm wasting money just standing here. How the hell could Nudist Beach afford a place like this?"

"As if I know," Ryuko's voice softened slightly as everything in the suite, from the crystalline chandelier in the middle of the room to the marble floor, reminded her of her old home. Although she lived year-round at Ox Elementary School, her dad paying the school to keep her over the summer, Ryuko looked back on the time she spent with her dad with nothing by fondness. When he wasn't busy with his work or speaking to strangers in his office he was dotting on her, showering her with presents or toys, and spending as much time as possible with her.

Calming down when she felt Senketsu twitching around her body, the bright lights of the suite beginning to disturb his slumber, Ryuko crossed her arms and took a deep breath. Sighing loudly as she walked further into the suite, her sneakers squeaking against the marble tiles, Ryuko clicked the latch on her guitar case and allowed it to smash into the ground with a loud and reverberating crash. Rubbing the nape of her neck, the muscles sore from carrying the case for so long, Ryuko folded her hands inside the pockets of her jacket as her lips curled into a mischievous grin. Looking over her shoulder at Ichigo she asked, "So how much of Satsuki's room did you see?"

"Don't you start that again," Ichigo grumbled frustratingly, the slight hint of embarrassment on his face expertly hidden as he collapsed onto the couch. The two weeks he spent living with Satsuki as the newly inducted Vice President of the Student Council ranked amongst the most awkward periods of his life. Every single day involved another attempt by Satsuki to sway him to her cause. Ichigo would rather spend a month locked in a room with his dad, embarrassing and childish behavior included, than repeat those fourteen days.

"I don't see what the big deal is. It's not like something really embarrassing happened in Satsuki's room…" Ryuko trailed off with a nonchalant shrug.

Ichigo sighed exasperatedly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was at least the tenth time Ryuko asked about what happened in Satsuki's quarters and Ichigo was beginning to get annoyed. Sitting up on the couch, the smile on Ryuko's face growing larger, he turned around and scoffed, "I'll tell you all about my time living with Satsuki if you explain why you were so angry when you couldn't move into my house."

Ryuko sputtered indignantly at Ichigo's comment, her cheeks flushing to a faint shade of pink, before she stomped her foot against the ground and turned away. Glowering as she looked out the windows, London vibrantly lit despite the early hour, Ryuko huffed loudly and glowered, "I-I'll just ask Satsuki when we get back to Karakura Town. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to tell me everything that went on."

"You do that," Ichigo replied sarcastically, too tired to notice the expression on Ryuko's face. Grunting as he pushed himself off the couch, his muscles protesting the motion, Ichigo yawned as gave Ryuko a curt wave before heading to what he hoped was his bedroom, "In the meantime I'm going to get some sleep. I feel like I'm going to pass out any second."

"Do not leave just yet."

Anderson's voice was little more than a deep growl as he marched into the suite, his boots echoing softly against the marble floor with every step. Tightening his fingers around the handle of the silver suitcase, his glove crinkling from the grip, the former priest knew it was only a matter of time before Ragyo Kiryuin realized they were in London. Taking a private jet, one belonging to the only man richer than the CEO of Revocs, was inherently risky. If the Xcution member hiding like a coward somewhere in the city was even half as intelligent as his abomination of a boss they might already be aware of their arrival. While the changes Echo November Two made to the Life Fiber sensor network might flush him out Anderson knew that would not be enough to actually put them down.

Dropping the suitcase on the nearest table, a small cloud of dust rippling outwards upon contact, Anderson's glasses shone with a reflective shimmer as he inputted the correct thirteen-digit code and the two latches unlocked with an audible snap. As he opened the suitcase, the starch plastic explosives and spool grenades causing Ryuko's eyes to narrow as she remembered Tsumugu's visit to Honnouji Academy, Anderson pulled out several photographs and turned to Ichigo, "Sleep can wait. We have two, perhaps three, days before that monster of a woman realizes ye two aren't in Karakura Town. When she finds out ye can be certain all hell will break loose."

"You think Ragyo Kiryuin will send Nui Harime?" Ichigo didn't miss the Ryuko's shoulders stiffening at the mention of the Grand Couturier. Fishing around in his pocket for the watch-like device Iori Shiro gave him just before they left Karakura Town, the invention silent and dead in his hand, Ichigo was silent for a few more seconds before adding, "Even if she does come Iori's invention should buy us enough time to come up with a plan to stop her."

"If the Grand Couturier does deign to show herself yer orders are to kill her," Anderson growled as he thought of all the innocent men and women Nui Harime murdered over the last five years. A creature like the Grand Couturier, a monster that thrived on misery and death, did not deserve mercy or life. Examining one of the Anti-Life Fiber weapons inside the suitcase, the power and potency enough to seriously damage a Three-Star Goku Uniform if hit point blank, Anderson continued, "The moment either of ye see that demon ye are to activation yer Kamui and wipe her existence from the face of the earth."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Ryuko irritably commented while slamming a fist into her open palm, "I already kicked Nui Harime's ass once."

Anderson decided to ignore Ryuko's exact choice of words for the moment. Giving the photographs in his hand one final look before tossing them back into the suitcase the former priest leaned over the table as his face pulled into a grimace, "Tomorrow afternoon I will be rendezvousing with our liaison from the Convention of Twelve. Before we arrived she graciously decided to allow one of her men, one Walter C. Dornez, to hand over files on which members of Parliament are most likely being bribed or blackmailed by Revocs, which leads to yer –"

_"…me? I repeat, do you read me, Commander Anderson?"_

The cut-off voice of the nudist coming across the connection quickly drew Anderson's full attention. Turning around, Ichigo and Ryuko curious about the former priest's sudden shift in behavior, Anderson pressed a finger against the receiver in his ear and growled, "What's going on down there?"

For nearly ten seconds nothing could be heard through the receiver apart from the sound of sporadic gunfire. As the Nudist Beach commander's attitude grew darker, lips pulled back exposing white teeth while his glasses gleamed malevolently, the connection blared back to life in a burst of static, _"…the grenade on my mark! Don't let him get too close! Commander, something's coming up to you!"_

Anderson's green eyes widened as his mind quickly pieced together what Echo November Two was telling him. Storming towards the suite's exit, his left wrist flexing outwards as a tailor bayonet slid out of his sleeve, the former priest's shoulders hunched forward as he assessed the situation, "The Grand Couturier's here? Why haven't we heard from Olivier?"

"_This man isn't the Grand Couturier,"_ The nudist replied, his heavily breathing audible, before his voice was temporarily drowned in a sea of static when an explosion detonated in the background. A dull drone reverberated through the walls of the hotel, the chandelier above them swinging slightly, before the nudist continued, _"All of our Anti-Life Fiber rounds are completely ineffective against him! He just regenerates from the damage after a few seconds! We were forced to fall back and regroup."_

"By the grace of God," Anderson gnashed his teeth as he tried to understand what sort of monster was making its way towards them. The only abominations that could regenerate from Anti-Life Fiber rounds were creatures like Nui Harime. If Kisuke Urahara's words were to be taken at face value shinigami and Quincy possessed no enhanced regenerative abilities. Even the demonic hollows only had enhanced healing or mild regeneration. Nothing like what the monster down in the lobby possessed. Sparing a quick glance at Ichigo and Ryuko, the look in his green eyes telling the two Life Fiber Hybrids all that they needed to know about the situation, the former priest kicked open the door to the suite and glanced into the hallway, "Richards, what does this monster look like?"

"_He's at least six and half feet tall wearing a full red overcoat and fedora,"_ Richards replied before his voice was cut off by a loud thump. As static blared through the receiver in Anderson's ear, the commander's lips pulling upwards into a snarl at the most likely scenario, the connection to the nudist was quickly reestablished in a burst of noise, _"…to the lobby! Don't let him reach the elevators! Commander, his regeneration's a nightmare but his pistols pack enough of a punch to destroy solid concrete! He almost…fuck! He just vanished into the stairwell! We're going to try and cut him off!"_

Anderson stood silently in the door of the suite for barely a second before pivoting around towards Ichigo and Ryuko. Flicking his other wrist, a second bayonet sliding into reality, the former priest's glasses reflected the intense light of the suite as the emotion bled from his voice, "It seems Ragyo Kiryuin has decided to send us a welcoming present. Activate yer Kamui and – "

Years of fighting against Life Fibers afforded Anderson the awareness to notice the brief flash of light in the distance the moment it burst into existence. As his mind rapidly calculated the height of the light source, green eyes widening in astonishment, the nudist commander burst into motion. Pushing off the ground as a barely visible cloud of smoke drifted upwards into the night sky Anderson sprinted towards Ichigo and Ryuko, who still had their backs to the windows, while reaching for their Kamui. Entwining his fingers within the two Life Fiber uniforms, Ryuko's face rapidly blushing from the contact, Anderson dove towards the ground as the suite erupted in fire and acrid smoke.

The Harkonnen Arms Anti-Tank Rifle, designed and built by Walter C. Dornez, had one singular purpose – the complete eradication of heavily armored supernatural targets. Each of the Harkonnen's 33 mm depleted uranium shells, coated in blessed Macedonian silver, contained enough penetrative power to easily pierce half a foot of solid military-grade armor. The round fired by Seras Victoria from a rooftop more than a kilometer away, the thunderstorm helping to conceal her position, rocketed above the London cityscape and slammed into the suite occupied by Nudist Beach with enough force to shatter every window for several floors.

"God…damn it!"

Ignoring the persistent ringing in his ears, the minuscule cuts and abrasions covering both his body and Mugetsu quickly regenerating. Ichigo groaned softly as he pushed himself back to his feet. For once he was actually thankful for the Life Fibers woven within his body. If they hadn't regenerated the internal damage from being so close to the explosion's epicenter he would probably still be unconscious. Shaking his head to dislodge a piece of stubborn rubble, the acrid smoke permeating the formerly extravagant suite stinging his eyes, Ichigo coughed and raised a hand to his mouth, "Ryuko! Anderson!"

"_**What's going on?"**_

The drowsiness in Mugetsu's multicolored eyes vanished the moment she noticed the roaring flames surrounding them. While she wasn't worried about her uniform being burnt by the flames, both her and Ichigo's composing Life Fibers more than able to survive heat several orders of magnitude greater, the Kamui was still very much concerned about what was happening. Shifting her gaze upwards towards Ichigo, the trepidation pumping through his veins easily coming across their mental connection, Mugetsu's voice was tinged with worried as she asked, _**"What happened? Where are Ryuko and Senketsu?"**_

"Somebody just tried to kill us," Ichigo's lips tight into a grim expression before he pivoted around when an outpouring of crimson energy and stars repulsed the smoke filling the suite. Orange hair whipping backwards as Ryuko emerged fully clad in Senketsu, her uniquely shaped blue eyes promising pain to whoever attempted to kill her, Ichigo mentally sighed in relief, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ryuko growled as she stomped over to the newly formed hole in the wall. Leaning out the shattered windows, Senketsu's armor easily protecting her from the jagged shards of glass, Ryuko stabbed the red Scissor Blade into the floor and spat, "But when I find the bastard that did this I'm going to introduce him to a world of pain! How the hell did Ragyo Kiryuin find us so damn fast?"

"_**Ryuko…my stitching is quivering,"**_ Senketsu's eye narrowed as the first droplets of rain impacted his activated form. The Kamui couldn't explain the bad feeling permeating his Life Fibers and involuntarily shivered around Ryuko's body, _**"Whatever hit us didn't have any Life Fibers but it still packed enough of a punch to damage a Three-Star Goku Uniform. I have a bad feeling about this."**_

Ryuko blew a strand of rain-soaked hair off her face before she reached over and yanked the Scissor Blade free from the floor. Resting the hardened Life Fiber weapon against her shoulder, droplets of water cascading down the surface of the red blade, Ryuko narrowed her eyes as she looked for the bastard that tried to kill them. Aware of the police sirens growing louder by the second, her eyes catching shades of red and blue lights in the distance, Ryuko scoffed and turned to Senketsu, "Damn, I can't see anything in all this rain. Can you sense anything, Senketsu?"

The Kamui hummed for a moment, his eye closing deep in thought, before answering, _**"I'm sorry Ryuko but I cannot sense anything out there. As far as I can tell we –"**_

"I'm glad to see ye two are perfectly fine."

Stepping forth from the smoldering remains of the once blazing inferno, his gray cassock singed and burnt, Anderson looked barely worse for wear as he stalked towards the two Life Fiber Hybrids. Hands clenched into shaking fists as he took in the destruction and devastation surrounding them, a thick trail of blood oozing down from his blonde hair and over his left eye, the former priest snarled when he saw Ryuko's current state of attire. Wiping the blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth out the back of his sleeve Anderson stomped to a halt in front of Ryuko and sneered, "Why have ye activated yer blasted Kamui?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Ryuko nearly dropped the Scissor Blade out of sheer shock at the ridiculousness of Anderson's question. Pointing towards the gaping hole in the suite, the rain beginning to form puddles on the once immaculate marble tiles, she shouted, "You can't be that blind! Some asshole took a potshot at us and you're asking me why I'm wearing Senketsu? We were lucky not to be killed!"

"It will take more than a simple explosion to kill the likes of ye," Anderson responded, his glasses gleaming with a malevolent shimmer, before turning his attention to the storm raging outside. Despite the pouring rain hampering visibly to nearly zero he managed to ascertain the probable origin of their assailant in the brief instant before the missile slammed into the room. Rubbing his left shoulder, the joint flaring in pain from the contact, Anderson grunted before flicking his wrists and summoning a new pair of bayonets. Gripping the blades tightly the nudist commander looked over his shoulder at Ichigo, "Activate yer Kamui and hunt down the bloody bastard that did this to us. Ryuko and myself will stay here and…greet the monster coming for us."

"Come on!" Ryuko growled irritably at Anderson as she tightened her grip around the Scissor Blade, "Why can't I –"

"He actually has a point," Ichigo rubbed his temple, a slight headache beginning to form, and stared out into the stormy night. As much as he hated agreeing with the former priest Ichigo could see the logic in Anderson's argument. Reaching towards the spaulder on his left shoulder and pressing down on it, the two needles within instantly puncturing his skin, Ichigo's body was enveloped in sapphire light as Mugetsu transformed into her active configuration. Stepping out of the light, one hand pulled Tournesol from its scabbard, Ichigo grimaced before scoffing, "One of us has to stop whoever's out there before they fire another missile at us. I'll try to come back as soon as possible but be careful, Ryuko."

"Don't worry about me." A smug smirk broke out across Ryuko's face as her anger devolved into mild irritation. Tapping a hand against Senketsu's eye, the Kamui beaming under the attention, Ryuko chuckled and raised her Scissor Blade, "We both know Senketsu's strength is greater than Mugetsu's. I'll have this bastard knocked out cold in under five minutes."

Mugetsu bristled around Ichigo's body at the unintentional slight from Ryuko, _**"Who are you calling weak?"**_

"_**I'll admit you are faster but when Ryuko wears me she's stronger than Ichigo," **_Senketsu gloated proudly while purposely ignoring the growl emanating from his fellow Kamui, _**"That makes me the better Kamui."**_

"_**Say that again and I'll pull your threads out one by one,"**_ Mugetsu was not about to let Senketsu get away with such slander. While his strength was certainly greater than hers, not that she would ever admit such a thing, it meant nothing if Ryuko couldn't hit her opponent. Speed was much more important that raw strength when fighting people like Nui Harime and Ragyo Kiryuin.

"Don't encourage him, Mugetsu," Ichigo lightly chided, causing his Kamui to look at him in betrayal, before focusing his attention back on Anderson. Gripping Tournesol tightly when he saw the stern expression on the former priest's face, the wailing sound of the police sirens in the background continuously growing louder, Ichigo turned to the shattered windows with his objective clear in mind. As he felt Mugetsu's power coursing through his body, his feet crunching upon the broken glass littering the floor, Ichigo looked at Ryuko and gave her a confident grin, "Don't worry about me. I'll be back before you know it."

Ryuko's lips curled upwards into a smirk before she playfully scoffed and motioned at Anderson. Propping the Scissor Blade behind her neck, her left hand carefully holding onto the sharpened blade, she took a few steps away from Ichigo before answering, "Like I'm actually worried about you. You're not the one that's going to fight an 'unholy monster' or something equally stupid –"

The thunderous echo of gunshots piercing through and shattering the mahogany door of the suite, the blasts punctuated by a reverberating clap of thunder from the storm raging outside, harshly cut off Ryuko before she could finish her snide comment. Pirouetting on her left heel when she noticed four bullets spiraling through the air directly to her left, blue eyes barely catching sight of the 13 mm rounds, Ryuko spun the Scissor Blade around her wrist as she prepared to engage the shooter but before she could so much as take a single step towards the door she froze when her ears picked up a strangled gasp from Ichigo.

"ICHIGO!"

Stumbling backwards, his hand covering one of the gaping wounds in his body, Ichigo's face was pulled into a grimace as he stared at the holes in his body with disbelieving eyes. As crimson blood pooled on the ground around his feet, his left arm hanging up by a few pieces of glowing flesh, the orange haired teenager couldn't figure out what the hell actually hit him. Even with Mugetsu screaming in his ear, the Kamui perturbed that a weapon not containing Life Fibers was able to penetrate her armor, Ichigo was still fully conscious of his surroundings. Brown eyes widening when he noticed a glint of metal in the shadows Ichigo ignored the normally lethal wounds covering his body and pushed Ryuko out of the way as a fifth round screamed through the air and carved a hole through his right lung, sending him stumbling out of the hotel and into the dark storm raging outside.

"Damn it!"

Ryuko rushed forward as she watched Ichigo fall into the darkness outside, her fingers barely missing his wrist. Hyperventilating as she lost track of Ichigo, the anger and fury coursing through her body tempered by both Senketsu's comforting words and the knowledge that Ichigo couldn't have been killed so easily, Ryuko gnashed her teeth and spun around towards the door. As her body glowed with a faint red aura, Anderson at her side with his bayonets raised in front of his face, Ryuko took a ragged breath and shouted, "Get out here you stupid fucker so I can kill you!"

"If you insist…"

His footsteps slow and methodical as he walked out of the shadows, wisps of blackness holding tightly onto his form as smoke lightly wafted up from the muzzles of the Jackal and Casull, Alucard's lips were pulled upwards into a psychotic grin as he felt the power rolling off the creature standing before him. It was much greater than what he felt at the airport, perhaps even enough to entertain him. Chuckling as he noticed Anderson's exposed teeth, the human's eyes betraying the desire to kill him, Alucard held his arms out to the side and grinned, "You are an interesting creature. I've been around for a very long time and I've never met anything quite like you."

Opening her mouth to retort to the vampire, fingers clenching the Scissor Blade tightly, Ryuko was interrupted when Anderson spat, "Do not waste yer breath on this creature. He is an abomination. It is our sacred duty to send him to the pits of hell!"

Alucard's red eyes widened momentarily at the sudden influx of power wafting off Anderson, his thoughts drifting back to the Judas Priest he encountered in Ireland, before another chuckle escaped his lips. Grinning maliciously, his sharpened teeth gleaming in the ambient light, Alucard raised his pistols at Ryuko and laughed, "Very well then! Let us see what you can do, you pathetic excuse for a monster."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A saccharine smile graced Nui Harime's face as she yanked the purple Needle Blade out of the unfortunate member of the Sewing Club.<p>

As blood sprayed from the dying teenager's back, the crimson liquid falling like rain on the ground, the Grand Couturier's mind had already moved onto new and better things. Pirouetting around and strolling past rows of mentally refitted members of the Sewing Club, the Marionette Threads visibly glowing within their brains, Nui tucked the blood-soaked Needle Blade back inside her dress before raising her arm and snapping her fingers. As a large COVERS descended from the shadows, its white body illuminated by a faint red light, Nui's sapphire eyes widened with mirth before pointing to the cooling corpse, "I'm really busy so please take out the trash."

Pink boots tapping lightly against the metal floor as she turned away from the COVERS, sickening squelches betraying what the Life Fiber being was doing, Nui hummed while reaching inside her dress for a pair of normal-sized pink scissors. Reprimanding that idiotic naked pig for his atrocious work had taken too much of her valuable time. Any more delays and she would get behind schedule, which would be really bad. Sitting back down at her station, a cute huff escaping her lips, Nui's legs playfully kicked through the air as she leaned over the massive sheet of pure Life Fiber fabric stretching before her and began cutting.

"Killing the help again, are we?"

Ragyo Kiryuin stepped carefully around the pool of blood on the floor, a COVERS instantly obeying her mental command to clean it up, as she slowly strutted towards the Grand Couturier. Maroon eyes glancing over at the bare outline of Shinra Koketsu, the glowing red fabric the precursor to the end of humanity, the Kiryuin matriarch found herself surprised when Nui didn't answer. A silver eyebrow arching as she walked closer to the Grand Couturier, Nui's fingers deftly weaving and cutting the Life Fiber fabric with masterful grace, Ragyo grinned as she saw the glazed look in Nui's sapphire eyes.

"Oh, how I wish I could see what's going on through your mind," Ragyo sighed wistfully, jealous of the knowledge coursing through Nui's mind.

For reasons she did not question the Original Life Fiber hadn't implanted the knowledge of weaving Shinra Koketsu into her mind that fateful night twenty years ago. Something that precious, which would lead humanity to its destiny, was reserved for the true Daughters of the Original Life Fiber. Stroking her fingers across Nui's shoulders, the Grand Couturier not flinching as she continued to work, Ragyo leaned downwards until her mouth was against her daughter's ear, "Your work is as magnifique as always…my precious Nui."

Nearly two minutes passed before Nui's body stiffened as she came out of her trance and looked around. Sapphire eyes regaining a hint of life when she noticed Ragyo hovering over her, the Kiryuin matriarch's delicate fingers pressing against her shoulders as she stared at her work, the Grand Couturier's lips curled upwards into a wide smile, "Thanks a bunch, Lady Ragyo, but these stupid humans are really dragging me down. Gosh, I thought Satsuki knew how to pick out talent but I suppose I was wrong."

"No human could ever equal your prodigious skill," Ragyo replied with a light smirk before standing up and turning away from Nui. Running a single finger against the massive sheet of Life Fibers, the threading responding to her will and desires, the Kiryuin matriarch's eye twitched when she noticed a spot of blood only a few feet away from Shinra Koketsu. Stomping her heel against the drying liquid with enough force to dent the metal floor Ragyo folded her arms under her bosom and leaned her head back, "That was the fifth one you've killed in the past two days. Any more and we risk falling behind schedule."

"Something like that will never happen!"

There was a hint of anger and derision permeating Nui's every word despite the childish and saccharine tone. Craning her head towards Ragyo while leaning forward, her chin propped cutely on top of her hands, the Grand Couturier cutely stuck her tongue out of her mouth and smiled, "Allowing a stupid human to mess up even one stitch on our masterpiece would ruin everything. Shinra Koketsu is supposed to be the ultimate dress so we can't have any imperfections, now can we?"

Ragyo smiled at Nui's question before the rainbow light emanating from her hair intensified. Heels clicking against the ground as she walked back towards the Grand Couturier, maroon eyes full of mirth and amusement, Ragyo let out a wistful sigh and shook her head, "Of course not, my dear Nui. As an artiste you have free reign to satisfy whatever whims you possess. These naked apes are barely worthy of assisting with the initial cutting before their usefulness comes to a tragic end."

Beaming at the praise, her feet playfully kicking through the air beneath her, Nui clapped her hands together and listening to the background hum of the mentally refitted students silently working, "Gee, I really expected more from Satsuki's Sewing Club. Years of planning and it all came tumbling down in less than an hour! It's so cliché and disappointing that I wouldn't even feed her to Shinra Koketsu. Gosh, I wonder what Satsuki blabbed to those naked pigs?"

"Nothing we've not predicted."

The mirth on the Kiryuin matriarch's face didn't so much as falter at the mention of her eldest daughter. Despite leaving her treacherous daughter bleeding to death, impaled ironically upon her own blade, Ragyo knew Satsuki would survive the Great Culture and Sports Festival. Her daughter was too stubborn and prideful to let the cold embrace of death envelope her soul. Ragyo knew the moment Satsuki recovered from her wounds she would tell Nudist Beach everything she knew, which meant the Kiryuin matriarch would need to adjust her strategies accordingly.

Even after Ginjo's betrayal Kisuke Urahara posed the greatest threat to the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet. That insufferable genius of a man far outstripped Souichiro in terms of knowledge about Life Fibers. While he was still beneath Isshin and herself, the knowledge imparted unto them by the Original Life Fiber something humans could never hope to comprehend, Ragyo refused to underestimate the shopkeeper a second time. Given enough time and resources a genius like Kisuke would figure out a way through the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier, which would allow Isshin to come straight for her.

"Whatever my foolish daughter says doesn't matter. Our number one concern remains Kisuke Urahara," Ragyo's maroon eyes narrowed as her face tightened into a scowl. Strumming manicured fingers against the top of her breast, Nui's own expression darkening at the mention of the shopkeeper that tricked her so many months ago, the Kiryuin matriarch waved a hand through the air before continuing, "Ignoring that man will most likely lead to trouble in the future and the possibility he'll figure out a way to bypass the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier."

"That's why you had us build a super special surprise into the barrier, right?" Nui added helpful while tucking her knees against her chest and spinning around in her seat. Tilting her head backwards, blonde pigtails nearly touching the ground, the Grand Couturier smirked childishly, "If anyone tries to go through without your permission they'll blow up but I know what you're about to say, Lady Ragyo! I was careful to make sure Isshin, Ichigo and Ryuko wouldn't be too hurt by my special something!"

Ragyo's lips curled upwards into a sly smirk at the mention of the two Life Fiber Hybrids. After their wondrous showing at Honnouji Academy, where they exceeded her greatest expectations, she wished nothing more than to see what they were capable of doing given the right motivation. It was a shame Life Fiber Hierarchy would most likely fail to influence either Ichigo or Ryuko. Unless she could somehow emotionally crush them, driving them to the pits of despair and self-loathing, their minds would be too intact for such a wondrous ability to have any effect.

"It's quite a shame I wasn't able to get my hands on Ryuko," Ragyo sighed at the missed opportunity with a small shake of her head, "A daughter shouldn't be forced to fight against her own mother."

"Forcing family to fight family is really wrong!"

Nui huffed lightly as she leapt off the chair and floated down next to Ragyo, her hands clasped together once more, and laughed, "I mean, I really wanted to make Ryuko pay for beating me but now that I know she's my long-lost sister everything's fine! It makes perfect sense why she could defeat me now! Even if she's been brainwashed into serving those stupid humans Ryuko is still family and one should always love their family!"

"I'm sure Ryuko will come around to the truth of the world eventually…as will Ichigo," Ragyo smirked as she ran her fingers delicately against Shinra Koketsu's fabric. While Kisuke was the most dangerous threat to her plans Ichigo and Ryuko could cause their share of trouble if left to their own devices. Such insolence, from her own child no less, could not be tolerated. Stepping around Nui, the Grand Couturier beaming at the attention, Ragyo smirked and added, "No one ever said raising four daughters would be easy but I have plans in the works to deal with such rebellious behavior. Speaking of which, how is everything…my dear Amu?"

Without any warning a slender feminine figure emerged from the shadows behind Ragyo into existence. Amu Harime, formerly known as Ururu Tsumugiya, formed a dark purple facsimile of Nui's traditional attire. Her black hair, formerly tied into short pigtails, now reached below her shoulder blades and was styled in a manner reminiscent of her sister's. Silently walking away from her mother, her purple boots failing to echo against the thin metal flooring, the creature now known as Amu didn't utter a word as she strolled towards Nui. Drawing her face level with her sister, lips curling into a stiff and alien smile, Amu's twin, emotionless eyes reflected Nui's saccharine grin as she turned back towards Ragyo.

"Everything is fine, Lady Ragyo," Amu's smile did not falter as she answered Ragyo, her tone flat and empty of feelings, "Sister and I are working around the clock to finish Shinra Koketsu. Our progress would be greater if these humans were better at sewing."

Clasping her hands against the small of her bare back Ragyo reminisced about the difficultly she experienced in reeducating her lost daughter. It hadn't been easy to erase everything that made up the false persona of Ururu Tsumugiya, which was compounded by her misguided daughter fighting her every step of the way. Whatever Kisuke Urahara taught her precious Amu was quite effective in helping her retain her sense of sense but even such mental barriers crumpled after nearly three hours of constant mental intrusions and assaults. Once her dear Amu could no longer put up a struggle Ragyo quickly proceeded to erase everything composing Ururu Tsumugiya – memories, feelings, familial ties and techniques. Her precious daughter had no need for remnants of a personality completely infected by humanity. Once she finished her task, and Ururu Tsumugiya no longer existed, Ragyo began implanting everything Amu would need to know.

"Merveilleux…unfortunately an issue has arisen and I don't trust _that _coward to see things through," Ragyo's smile fell off her face as she walked away from her daughters. With the rainbow light shining from her hair dimming slightly, the shadows in the room creeping forward, the Kiryuin matriarch's maroon eyes narrowed coldly as she looked over her shoulder and grimaced, "Events in England aren't going according to plan. I thought for sure those idiotic pigs in Parliament would see things my way but it seems Nudist Beach is determined to be a continuing thorn in my side."

"You want one of us to go and deal with them?" Nui asked cheerfully with a beaming smile on her face. As she felt her Life Fibers resonating with Amu's the Grand Couturier looked thoughtfully to the side before adding, "That's sound like a lot of fun but…"

"…we have to stay here and finish Shinra Koketsu," Amu finished robotically, her voice lacking any of the emotion filling her sister's every word, "This is what we were born for, after all, and leaving now…"

"…would give the stupid humans a chance to come up with some desperate last minute plan to stop us!" Nui finished proudly while clasping Amu's hand tightly.

"I would never force my precious daughters to stop working on Shinra Koketsu," Ragyo sighed wistfully as a smile graced her features at the enthusiasm emanating from her daughters. Leaning her head against the palm of her hand she closed her eyes and smirked, "I'm sure Isshin would simply love to get his hands on one of you but I do need one of you to go to London and straighten things out in the usual way. Luckily I have something in mind to alleviate this problem…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Give me a fucking break already!"<p>

A soft grunt escaped Ryuko's lips as she sprinted vertically up the side of the hotel, Senketsu's heels digging small furrows into the concrete for balance. Chancing a glance over her shoulder when an arc of lightning illuminated the skies, worried blue eyes staring deeply into the darkness for any sign of Ichigo, Ryuko stiffened as an increasingly familiar sensation coursed through her body. Noticing the shadows surrounded her shifting chaotically, her Kamui's sole eye focusing on the writhing darkness, Ryuko clenched her fingers tightly around the red Scissor Blade and twisted her body around. As a small burst of steam shot out from the vents on her back Ryuko growled before swinging the Life Fiber weapon through the air and deflecting the incoming projectiles.

"_What the hell kind of bullets is this guy firing?"_

Ryuko grimaced upon feelings her arms beginning to tremble slightly. She didn't know how the hell this guy could fire such a powerful gun with a single hand but Ryuko wasn't about to go and ask him. Shifting her arms closer towards her body for better leverage, showers of sparks cascading off the Scissor Blade as several bullets shattered against it, Ryuko's eyes widened when she saw the shadows stretching up the side of the building towards her. Crouching before quickly leaping away, the glass beneath her heels shattering into myriads of pieces, Ryuko cursed when a familiar gunmetal black weapon emerged from the shadows.

"Not this time, you asshole!"

Acting instinctively Ryuko reached behind her back and gripped the edge of the roof with one hand, her fingers easily digging into the concrete foundation. Shifting her momentum as she drew her knees against her exposed stomach and vaulted backwards, her feathery black hair whipping against her face as a bullet soared into the sky, Ryuko stabbed the Scissor Blade into the roof as she skidded to a stop. Taking a deep breath as she knelt on the slick roof, Senketsu's red and black form glistening from the rain, Ryuko gritted her teeth and stared out into the storm. Sliding her left foot backwards while readjusting her grip on the Scissor Blade, the Life Fibers within the weapon resonating with those in her body, she whispered, "Senketsu, any idea on how to beat this guy?"

Senketsu kept his single eye trained on the edge of the roof as he answered, _**"No, but be careful Ryuko. This guy is causing my Life Fibers to quiver strangely. I –"**_

There was a brief flash of light before a sharp sensation shot through Ryuko's leg, the force causing her body to violently lurch forward. Confused by her sudden lack of balance Ryuko glanced downwards and saw to her growing horror that everything below her left knee had been obliterated in a spray of blood and thread. Mouth open in a silent scream as the sound of a single gunshot finally reached her ears, the reverberating echo coinciding with a loud thunderclap, Ryuko felt the barest sensation of unimaginable pain before the autonomic reaction was harshly cut off by the Life Fibers in her body.

"_**Ryuko!"**_

"Not…now, Senketsu!" A deep growl escaped Ryuko's lips as she stabbed the Scissor Blade into the rooftop for balance. Leaning heavily onto the weapon while breaking out into a light sweat, her breath ragged despite the lack of pain, Ryuko was acutely aware of the faint ruby glow emanating from her missing leg and could not help but be thankful she wasn't completely human. If it weren't for the Life Fibers composing her body, both stopping the pain and regenerating the wound, Ryuko was certain she would have passed out from the pain. Fingers clenched tightly around the Scissor Blade as crimson blood oozed from her wound, strands of glowing red Life Fibers already emerging from her knee, Ryuko bit her lip and softly spat, "Come on already! What does it take to actually regenerate when I need to?"

"How_ amusing_. You're still conscious…"

Alucard's voice resonated with a deep demonic echo as the ancient vampire emerged from the shadows, tendrils of darkness retreating from his red overcoat. Pointing the Jackal towards the sky, wisps of smoke lightly rising from the muzzle, Alucard's lips curled into an amused smirk as he beheld Ryuko's current condition. As he slowly walked towards the injured teenagers, his steps slow and methodical, Alucard sarcastically chuckled, "Your pain tolerance must be exceptional for you to remain conscious…so what are you going to do, monster girl? You're going to die in a few minutes if you don't staunch the bleeding."

Ryuko decided not to answer her assailant's mocking question as she tightened her grip on the Scissor Blade. Forcing her body to stand despite missing a leg, sanguine blood pooling while the ruby light shining from her knee grew in intensity, Ryuko's uniquely shaped eyes narrowed dangerously at the approaching vampire, "You god damn bastard! What the hell's your problem?"

"That's a ridiculous question," Alucard scoffed as he came to a halt several meters in front of Ryuko and lowered his arm, the Jackal's muzzle aimed at the center of her forehead. Tapping his finger lightly against the trigger, droplets of rain cascading down his clothing, Alucard found himself curious about Ryuko's apparent lack of pain. Blowing her leg off should have garnered at least somewhat of a reaction from the teenager. Taking notice of the peculiar outfit and Senketsu's multihued eye Alucard cocked his head slightly to the right and said, "…but your outfit intrigues me, monster girl. It's no ordinary fabric, is it?"

"Like hell I'm going to tell you anything," Ryuko growled as anger coursed through her veins.

Breathing heavily as she clenched her free hand into a fist, the pouring rain forcing her feathery bangs to lie flat against her face, Ryuko ignored the blood leaking from her left knee in order to focus on coming up with a plan to defeat Alucard. She already knew his guns were powerful enough to tear through Senketsu's armor and he could somehow control shadows but Ryuko had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that Alucard was holding back. Ignoring the fluttering feeling in her mind Ryuko decided to go with the straightforward approach.

As a faint ruby aura surrounded her body, causing Alucard's hidden eyebrows to rise slightly at the sudden increase in power, Ryuko reached over and tore the Scissor Blade out of the roof. Crouching down on her right leg without taking her eyes off the vampire in front of her, steam wafting off her Kamui as their synchronization increased, Ryuko pushed off the roof with enough force to crater it. Leaping high into the air, the Scissor Blade clasped firmly in both hands, Ryuko was illuminated by a flash of blue-white lightning as she shouted at Alucard, "This is for what you did to Ichigo!"

"How pathetic…"

A disappointed scowl spread across Alucard's face as he took a single step backwards and avoided Ryuko's attack with laughable ease. Given the familiar sensation pulsing in his rotten black heart he thought fighting her would prove to be more of a challenge but as he continuously dodged Ryuko's strikes, his red overcoat gaining several small tears in the process, Alucard's scowl deepened. Compared to the woman from five years ago Ryuko Matoi was nothing but trash. Leaning backwards while allowing Ryuko's Scissor Blade to pass harmlessly several inches from his face Alucard snapped his arm upwards and pressed the Jackal's muzzle against her forehead.

"I suppose this has been a rather eventful night," Alucard scoffed derisively as his finger tightened around the trigger, "But compared to _that_ woman five years ago you are –"

A resounding crackle echoed across the rooftop as Alucard found himself violently cut off midsentence, blood gushing from between shattered fangs, when Ryuko's left foot slammed into the bottom of his chin. Red eyes widening in genuine surprise as the force behind the blow knocked him into the air, his red fedora blowing off in the storm, Alucard glanced down and saw the bloody remains of Ryuko's severed leg dissolving into strands of red thread that quickly vanished into nothingness. Lips curling up into the faintest of smirks, blood spewing from his mouth in the process, Alucard did not try to dodge when Ryuko appeared before him in a burst of speed.

"That was for Ichigo!"

Letting the Scissor Blade to fall to the ground as she reared her arm backwards, her hand clenching into a fist, Ryuko roared as it collided with Alucard's face. Time seemed to freeze as Ryuko's fist connected with Alucard's nose, the shattered remains of his orange glasses reflecting each individual droplet of rain. As her momentum continued to carry her forward, the vents on Senketsu's back blasting out colored energy, a sonic boom rippled outwards from the point of impact before Alucard was sent careening backwards across the rooftop and into a wall.

"And that…" Ryuko panted lightly as she landed in a crouch next to the Scissor Blade, a victorious smirk on her face at finally shutting the bastard up, while glaring into the rising cloud of smoke and dust obscuring her opponent, "…was for calling me a fucking monster!"

"_**Are you alright, Ryuko?"**_

"Yeah…" Ryuko nodded solemnly, one hand absentmindedly pulling the Scissor Blade free from the roof, before glancing down at her recently regenerated leg. Running her fingers across the thigh-high boot, the armor extending above her knees as flawless as ever, Ryuko's lips pursed into a grimace as she was confronted with the reminder that she wasn't technically human. An angry glint entered her blue eyes when her thoughts involuntarily drifted to the events of the Great Culture and Sports Festival, the memory of her mother severing her arm still fresh in her mind.

Propping the Scissor Blade on her shoulder as she turned around and began walking away, a loud scoff escaping her lips as she mentally pushed the memories into the deepest abyss of her mind, Ryuko stared up into the stormy skies. As droplets of rain cascaded down her face, heels clicking against the wet rooftop, an arc of lightning lit up Ryuko's face as she looked into Senketsu's eye, "I don't know what you were worried about. That guy was a real asshole but he wasn't that bad."

"_**He shot your leg off,"**_ Senketsu replied matter-of-factly, _**"It would have killed you if not for your regeneration."**_

"Whatever," Ryuko grumbled while making a point to ignore the logic in her Kamui's words, "I already kicked his ass so let's focus on finding Ichigo. I bet he's starting to get real –"

"Ha…ha…ha…"

The sinister laughter echoing across the rooftop caused Ryuko's eyes to snap open while a cold shudder ran down her spine. Instinctively clenching the Scissor Blade's grip as she twisted around, frustrated blue eyes narrowed as they tried to pierce the veil of smoke and dust obscuring her vision, Ryuko knew she should have kept her big mouth shut. Curling her other hand around the Scissor Blade as the vampire strolled into view, his body and clothing free of any damage, Ryuko growled as she realized defeating her opponent wasn't going to be as easy as she first thought.

"I'm impressed, monster girl. Your regeneration is remarkable and your strength far surpasses the limits of a mere human," Alucard complimented as he slowly made his way back towards Ryuko, his long red overcoat billowing outwards in a nonexistent wind. No longer wearing his fedora and orange sunglasses, the latter shattered by Ryuko's previous attack and exposing his blood red eyes, the vampire's lips curled into a pleased grin as he stared at the teenager. Stretching his arms outwards, his black hair writhing like shadows, Alucard's eyes widened manically as a psychotic chuckle passed through his lips, "You were able to regenerate your leg in only a few seconds, which automatically makes you a far more interesting adversary than a piece of dog shit."

"What the fuck did you just call me?"

Ryuko's face twisted into a scowl as she slid her right foot back and readjusted her grip on the Scissor Blade. Her gaze shifting towards her opponent's currently empty hands, the weird and intricate patterns etched on the back of his gloves beginning to glow with an angry red light, Ryuko felt Senketsu's irritation at the man merge with her own as she snarled, "I've had enough of your stupid crap! I don't care if you can regenerate! I'll just keep kicking your ass until you finally stay down!"

"Oh? How rude of me…" There was no missing the amusement in Alucard's deep voice as the vampire swept one arm across his chest and gave Ryuko a sarcastic bow. Chuckling softly as he kept eye contact with Ryuko, his fangs visible to the teenager, he added, "You wished to know my name, monster girl? I am known by many names but you may call me Alucard."

The Jackal and Casull slid into Alucard's hands so quickly that Ryuko nearly missed them. Dodging to the right moments before bullets shot past her face, the rooftop behind her exploding in a cacophony of orange and yellow, Ryuko didn't flinch when part of her arm disintegrated in a spray of crimson blood. Scissor Blade arcing through the air, deflecting a shot from the Jackal as her arm regenerated in a flash of ruby light, Ryuko knew she couldn't stay on the defensive forever. Digging her heels into the rooftop as she quickly skidded to a halt, one hand dragging along the ground for balance, Ryuko didn't pause before pushing off towards Alucard less than a second before a bullet pierced the space her neck had just occupied.

"I'm getting really sick of your stupid bullets!"

Roaring as she sprinted across the rooftop towards the vampire, the steam blasting forth from Senketsu's vents helping to momentarily boost her speed, Ryuko instinctively leaned to the side when the grin on Alucard's face grew twisted. Barely avoiding a point blank shot from the Jackal, a long and jagged cut appearing due to the concussive pressure from the projectile, Ryuko spun around and planted a heel into the concrete. Glowering at the taller vampire while the cut on her cheek quickly healed, the blood on her skin reabsorbed into her body without leaving a trace, Ryuko gripped the Scissor Blade with both hands before swinging down with enough force to bifurcate Alucard at the waist.

Leaping away from Alucard the moment she finished attacking, a deep crevasse cut into the rooftop from her attack, Ryuko glanced at the dark blood dripping off the Scissor Blade before grimacing. She hadn't wanted to bisect the vampire but since he could regenerate attempting to hit him with anything less would be completely useless. Sliding to a stop as she landed back on the roof, blue eyes carefully watching Alucard as he fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood, Ryuko was taken by complete surprise when Senketsu violently shuddered around her body.

"_**Disgusting!"**_ The Kamui made a retching noise before several droplets of crimson liquid were forcibly expelled from his form. Mentally growling as he temporarily made his Life Fibers impervious to blood, the liquid dropping from the Scissor Blade onto his form violently repelled away, Senketsu's eyes narrowed as he gagged, _**"Ugh…that was the most foul blood I ever tasted. Ryuko, please don't get any more of that man's blood on my uniform."**_

"That's because you only like my blood, right?" Ryuko shivered when another shiver jolted down her spine. Flipping the Scissor Blade over in her grip, armored hands clenched tightly around the handle, she scoffed before grinning, "Don't worry, Senketsu. I'll try not to get you too dirty."

A series of psychotic chuckles, interspaced by bloody laughter, caused every muscle in Ryuko's body to tense. Spread out in a pool of his own blood, bone and visceral leaking from his severed waist, Alucard's light chuckle quickly evolved into fully blown maniacal laughter as he turned his head towards Ryuko. Sharpened white fangs glistening in the ambient light of the storm, his blood-red eyes piercing through the shadows, Alucard's voice echoed as he spoke, "You are truly an interesting creature, monster girl…"

Shadows contorting and twisting around Alucard as his muscles and bones knitted back together, the blood covering the rooftop flowing like water into his wounds, the vampire never stopped laughing as he stood back on his feet. This night was turning out to be the most fun he had in decades. Not even the short battle against Luke Valentine was able to excite him this much. Spreading his arms out to the side as he slowly walked towards the teenager, the darkness of the storm moving like water at his feet, Alucard's grin grew psychotic as he stared eagerly at Ryuko, "Your regeneration is equal to my own and that blade is quite unique. This feeling coursing through my rotten heart…this sensation of trepidation. Tell me, monster girl, are you related to Ragyo Kiryuin?"

"How…" The words were lost in Ryuko's throat the moment Alucard mentioned her mother's name, "How the hell do you know that name?"

"You have proven to be a most formidable opponent, able to fight against even experienced vampires…" Alucard's smile grew wider upon seeing Ryuko's shock, her expression all that was needed for him to know the answer. Slowly raising his arms into the air, the seals etched onto the back of his gloves glowing with a harsh red light, the ancient vampire felt anticipation course through his veins at the prospect of releasing his true power against a worthy opponent. Hands held lengthwise in front of his face, fingers extended outwards as the shadows enveloped his body, Alucard's voice echoed across the rooftop as he spoke, "Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems three... two... one, approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Cromwell invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent."

"What the fuck…?"

Ryuko involuntarily shivered nervously when dozens of red eyes, each much larger than normal, appeared on Alucard's shadowy form. Taking a step backwards when the shadows surrounding her began warping and convulsing, dark forms and creatures rising from nothingness only to quickly vanish, Ryuko growled as she suppressed the shudder of fear running through her body. There was no chance in hell she was going to be scared by this guy, not after everything she experienced fighting Nui Harime and Ragyo Kiryuin. Tightening her grip on the Scissor Blade as a fang-filled maw of teeth erupted from the ground, piercing red eyes glaring at her, Ryuko spat and whispered, "This might be bad, Senketsu."

"_**Yes, I can feel the power coming from this man,"**_ the Kamui replied with a hint of worry of his own, _**"Be careful, Ryuko. He's much tougher than he looks."**_

"He looked pretty tough to begin with," Ryuko replied sarcastically, her confidence bolstered by Senketsu's words, before staring at where she thought Alucard was hiding. Eyes narrowing as she shifted her stance, the Scissor Blade held parallel to the ground at her shoulder, Ryuko scoffed, "Here he comes. Get ready, Senketsu."

"Now then…monster girl," Alucard's already demonic voice was warbled and distorted, faint screams barely audible in the background, as the vampire emerged from the mass of shadows and creatures. Clad in nothing but a black straightjacket, his unkempt hair writhing in the air around him, the vampire's red eyes seemed to pierce through the stormy veil while his tone grew more pressing and excited, "Show me the full extent of your powers! Transform your body and attack me with everything you got! Pierce my heart with your blade and try to put me down!"

"Heh…"

Thrusting the Scissor Blade out to the side, the hardened Life Fiber weapon doubling in length as it extended into Decapitation Mode, Ryuko smirked as the nervousness and fear washed away. Alucard may be a tough bastard but there was no way in hell he was any stronger than Ragyo Kiryuin. Her body glowing with a ruby light as twin bursts of steam shot out from her back, Senketsu's armor tightening around her body, Ryuko slid one foot back and shouted, "I don't need permission to kick your ugly ass! Let's do this, you bastard! Senketsu Senkou!"

A low thump echoed outwards as Senketsu shifted configurations, steam wafting off the Kamui's armor as every drop of moisture covering him instantly evaporated from the intense energy. As a clap of thunder roared in the heavens above, the shadows briefly retreating away from Ryuko's new form, Alucard whistled at the power radiating from the teenager. Based on her belligerent and annoying behavior he expected Ryuko to be all talk but knowing she actually had another transformation up her sleeves fascinated him. He could feel the sheer potency of Ryuko's energy from across the roof, the familiar scent of blood in the air causing his mouth to twist into a predatory smile.

"I thought you were bluffing, monster girl, but it appears I was mistaken…" Alucard laughed as his eyes widened psychotically and hunched over, his shoulders morphing into a mass of shadows. Staring intently at Ryuko as the Baskerville hellhound emerged from the darkness, acidic saliva dripping from its toothy maw, Alucard chuckled before suddenly shouting, "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for! A real battle between monsters!"

"For the last time…" Ryuko ignored the screams emanating from Alucard's shadows as the grill on her back burst into life. Flexing her fingers around the handle of the Scissor Blade, the jagged red and black lines pulsing with power, she took a deep breath before charging towards the vampire. Heels clicking softly against the wet concrete while she dodged shots from the Casull, sparks of light dancing around her feet as she avoided the projectiles, Ryuko narrowed her eyes when the mass of darkness attached to Alucard's shoulder convulsed before emitting an unearthly roar. Pushing off into the air as the Baskerville slammed into the roof, acidic saliva bubbling away on the concrete, Ryuko stomped down hard on the hellhound's head before sprinting towards the amused Alucard, "…I'm not a fucking monster, you asshole! Ichiban Genkai!"

A sonic boom rippled through the atmosphere as the invisible energy protruding from the Scissor Blade connected with the shadows composing Alucard's body, the liquid-like mass of darkness temporarily managing to push back before Ryuko's attack overwhelmed it. Flame-like wisps of shadows dissolving into nothingness as Ryuko's blade pushed forward, red energy exploding outwards as she sprinted straight towards Alucard's main body, the teenager growled when she saw the wide smirk on the vampire's face. Adjusting her grip on the Scissor Blade as she leapt above several tendrils of shadows, the darkness shifting into toothy maws, Ryuko roared as she severed the vampire's head in a spray of crimson blood.

"Is that all you got, you bastard?" Ryuko mocked sarcastically, heels digging up twin trenches as she landed back on the roof. Turning towards the writhing mass of shadows, her ears barely able to pick up the faint screams under the constant roaring and moaning, Ryuko huffed confidently and said, "You're not so tough to beat once I get past your sorry –"

Ryuko gagged harshly, spittle flying out of her mouth, when a fist emerged from the shadows and slammed into her stomach with enough force to send her flying backwards along the rooftop. As the teenager bounced along the concrete, the darkness tinting the edges of her vision retreating, she barely managed to catch a glimpse of Alucard's blood-red eyes before the vampire disappeared from sight. Grunting angrily before twisting around as she tried to regain her balance Ryuko's eyes widened in shock when the vampire appeared less than a foot in front of her, a sadistic grin on his pale face, and clenched his fingers around her throat.

"Is this the extent of your power, monster girl?"

There was no hiding the derision in Alucard's voice as his grip upon Ryuko's throat tightened, gloved fingers easily digging into Senketsu's armor. As the shadows around his form contorted and pulsed, blood red eyes narrowed angrily at the teenager within his grasp, Alucard felt nothing but disappointment at his opponent. With her strength and regeneration Ryuko should have been a much more formidable adversary, someone able to give him a worthy challenge. Ignoring Ryuko's Scissor Blade as it cleaved through his neck, blood spewing forth before the flesh rapidly knitted back together, Alucard clenched his teeth before summoning the Jackal forth from the shadows.

"Come on! What are you waiting for? Draw out your full power and break free from my grasp! Cut off my arms and pierce my heart! Hurry! Do it!"

Ryuko coughed harshly, a trail of spittle leaking from the corner of her mouth, as she struggled against the vampire's supernatural strength. Fingers tightly gripping Alucard's arm, her mouth pulled into grimace, Ryuko gritted her teeth and glared at the vampire, "Y-You're insane!"

Alucard's eyes widened at Ryuko's statement before his face twisted into a snarl, glistening fangs clenching loudly. Pressing the Jackal against Ryuko's bare stomach, the teenager's struggles immediately intensifying, a brief flash of light illuminated the rooftop as the high caliber bullet tore through her body. Fury coursing through every fiber of his soul as he watched the gaping wound begin glowing with a ruby light, tendrils of thread-like material quickly regenerating the damage, Alucard silently allowed the Jackal to slip from his fingers only to quickly clench his other hand around Ryuko's throat.

"You might have been an interesting opponent, monster girl…" Alucard's demonic voice grew darker as he hunched over, the shadows enveloping the rooftop writhing angrily aground him. Unperturbed by Ryuko's constant attempts to pull herself free, her kicks barely even causing the vampire to flinch, Alucard's mouth opened widely while saliva dripped off his fangs, "…but in the end you were nothing but garbage…"

Adjusting his grip on Ryuko as he forced her head to the side Alucard didn't hesitate before biting down harshly on her neck, supernaturally sharpened fangs easily penetrating Senketsu's normally durable armor. Drinking as much of the blood spraying from the teenager's neck as he could, Ryuko's hands still beating against his body despite the amount of crimson liquid pooled around her feet, Alucard was caught completely off guard when his throat erupted in torturous pain. Fingers involuntarily releasing Ryuko as he staggered backwards, a series of harsh and bloody coughs escaping his mouth, the vampire's red eyes were wide in genuine surprise as several large and jagged wounds opened on his body. With gallons of his own blood spewing forth onto the ground, rivers of life liquid coating his black straightjacket, Alucard grunted as dozens of crimson Life Fibers emerged from his body and floated back towards Ryuko.

Collapsing to her knees as the vampire suddenly released his grip, one hand instinctively rising to her torn throat as the damage rapidly healed, Ryuko's eyes quivered from a mixture of shock and astonishment at what just transpired. Surprise quickly turning into rage, blue eyes seething with hatred, Ryuko bit her lower lip as she forced herself back onto her feet. As a pulse of power radiated from her body, the Scissor Blade in her grasp glowing with a deep red aura, Ryuko growled as she stalked towards Alucard, who was still retching blood onto the roof. Clenching her free hand into a fist as colored steamed wafted off Senketsu's armor, the red undertone of her feathery hair glowing brilliantly, Ryuko's voice hitched in her throat before shouting, "Did you just try drinking my blood, you goddamn son of a bitch?!"

A chocked gurgle left Alucard's mouth as he threw up the last of Ryuko's blood, the liquid rapidly dissolving back into its constituent Life Fibers. Panting slightly as he pushed himself back onto his feet, the damage to his body already healing, the vampire found the surprising reaction to Ryuko's blood quite the quandary. Lips stretching into a wide grin while blood leaked from the corners of his mouth and nose Alucard stared at the approaching Life Fiber Hybrid and chuckled, "…your blood is something special, monster girl. I don't think I've ever met anything quite like you. My body feels as if it's tearing apart as we speak…how _intriguing_."

"So you don't like the taste of my blood, huh?" Ryuko spat on the ground, her eyes never leaving Alucard's prone figure. Raising the Scissor Blade above her head, the hardened Life Fiber weapon glowing with power, Ryuko tightened her hands around the grip and snarled, "Well too fucking bad! Go to hell you bastard! Niban –"

Ryuko paused just as she was about to swing the Scissor Blade at the vampire, a flash of lightning arcing across the sky, when a bayonet appeared in Alucard's chest accompanied by a spray of blood. Stance faltering slightly when Alucard was pierced by nearly a dozen more bayonets, several of the blades stabbed completely through his head, Ryuko was nearly knocked off her feet as explosions detonated underneath the vampire. Squinting at the suddenly intense source of light, one hand held protectively in front of her face, Ryuko nearly jumped out of her skin when Anderson landed next to her, his gloved hands clenched tightly around two bayonets.

"Are ye alright, Ryuko?"

The mentioning of her name by the Nudist Beach commander snapped Ryuko out of her shock. Relaxing her grip on the Scissor Blade, the energy coursing through the weapon slowly being reabsorbed by Senketsu, she turned to the former priest and growled, "Where the hell have you been? The pale bastard tried drinking my blood!"

Anderson's shoulders stiffened, a motion that wasn't missed by Ryuko, as he asked, "Did he manage to do so?"

"Heh. I don't think my blood agreed with him," Ryuko answered smugly, a grin on her face as she flipped the Scissor Blade over in her hands, before swallowing the dry lump in her throat. Although thankful that Anderson was here to help, his skill with bayonets slightly unnerving the teenage girl, Alucard wasn't a normal opponent. Muscles tensing as she noticed Alucard had nearly finished regenerating, her eyes narrowing upon seeing the grin on the vampire's shadowed face, Ryuko took a step back and grimaced, "Damn it, just what the hell is this guy?"

"He's a vampire…"

Boots stomping heavily against the concrete as he walked towards the prone from of Alucard, rain running down the creases of his cassock, Anderson's lips twisted into a sneer as he finally managed to get a good look at the vampire. Flicking his wrists as he summoned several more bayonets from within the seals on his gloves, green eyes narrowing behind opaque glasses, the former priest continued, "Fifteen years ago, before working for yer father, I belonged to another organization designed to hunt, counter and eliminate supernatural threats against the Catholic Church. An organization I'm sure our vampire knows fully about…"

"A former member of Iscariot working together with a monster…now I've seen everything," Alucard grinned as he stood back up, his white gloves digging grooves into the concrete.

This night was just full of surprises and revelations.

As a loud clap of thunder temporarily deafened the city, arcs of lightning following soon after, Alucard reached into his shoulder and pulled out one of Anderson's bayonets lodged firmly in his body. Running a finger along the blood-soaked blade, the light contact enabling the vampire to instantly confirm it wasn't composed of silver or blessed with holy water, Alucard's expression tightened imperceptibly when a very familiar sensation spread up his arm.

"Such unique and interesting weapons…you people continue to surprise me," Alucard admitted with a light chuckle as he tossed the bayonet to the ground. Red eyes widening in excitement as he beheld the determined expression on Anderson's face, the shadows already beginning to contort into familiar maws of teeth, Alucard's body was enveloped in a faint red aura as he shouted, "That look in your eyes…tell me your name, human!"

"Ye wish to know my name, vampire?" Anderson's shoulders hunched forward as he stalked towards the ancient vampire, "My name is Alexander Anderson and I shall be yer judge, jury and executioner!"

Just as Anderson began charging towards Alucard, twin bayonets flashing in the ambient light as he spun them around in his grip, there was a burst of intense ruby light before he suddenly found himself pulled off his feet. Her hands gripped firmly around the back of the former priest's cassock, jets of energy rocketing out of her legs as Senketsu shifted to his Shippu configuration, Ryuko made sure Anderson wasn't about to fall before looking over her shoulder and shouting, "Don't think you won this fight, you undead bastard! I'll get you next time!"

The psychotic smirk fell off Alucard's face as the vampire watched Ryuko and Anderson disappear into the night. Rain falling mutely around him as he stared at the pinprick of light vanishing into the storm, rapid flashes of blue and red illuminating the street below, Alucard could not help but curl his lips into a small grin. Things seemed to be getting very interesting lately. First there was the paladin in Ireland, a member of Iscariot strong enough to blow his head off in a single gunshot, then there were the Valentine Brothers and now a being of unknown origin and superior regeneration arrived at his doorstep.

Alucard chuckled in amusement as he reined in his power, the shadowy creatures barking and roaring before merging back into his body. Turning around, his newly reformed red overcoat fluttering in the rain, Alucard moved to leave but paused in mid-step before he remembered something important. Staring off into the distance, a curious expression on his face, the vampire muttered, "I completely forgot about the other teenager. I wonder how the Police Girl is handling him."

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><p>"Please don't let him find me…"<p>

Seras Victoria adjusted her raincoat's hood, water dripping from wet blonde hair onto her face, as she crouched behind an air conditioner duct. Hugging the Harkonnen tightly against her chest, the massive Anti-Tank Rifle barely fitting behind the cover, the fledging vampire pressed one hand firmly against her mouth when a soft tremor reverberated across the rooftop. Quietly moving towards the edge of the duct, her vampiric senses on edge for anything that might happen, Seras took a calming breath before glancing around the corner at the orange haired teenager standing just a few meters away.

Despite having recently been inducted into the ranks of the undead Seras still remembered her training as a member of the London Metropolitan Police. Blue eyes examining the teenager standing nearby, her mind memorizing one of the strangest suits of armor she'd ever seen, Seras slowly began moving one hand towards the Harkonnen's trigger. Her master was depending on her to occupy one of the creatures while he dealt with the second and Seras was not about to let him down. As she carefully maneuvered the Harkonnen with her feet shifting slightly in order to more easily roll out from behind her cover Seras paused when the teenager began talking to someone.

Ichigo scowled as he landed on the roof, his hand already pulling Tournesol out of its scabbard. Looking around the empty rooftop, the faint pitter-patter of rain falling upon concrete and steel the only sounds he could hear, his brown eyes narrowed angrily. After falling for nearly two hundred feet before his injuries regenerated and Mugetsu forcibly shifted herself into her Gufū configuration Ichigo had flown back into the air only to spot a glint of metal rapidly moving away in the distance. But now that he was there he couldn't see anyone nearby.

"Hey Mugetsu," Ichigo muttered as he stared into the shadows, "You sense anything?"

"_**No. I cannot sense anything nearby in the rain."**_

Any confusion Seras felt about why Ichigo was talking to himself quickly turned to shock when a feminine voice replied. Goose bumps breaking out along her arms at how alien the voice sounded, the inflections and tone nothing a human could have ever produced, Seras swallowed her nervously and decided to try and get a closer look. Inching closer towards the edge of the duct, her fingers curled delicately around the metal for support, Seras peered out from behind her cover and was forced to stifle a gasp upon seeing the eyes on Ichigo's armor blinking and looking around.

"Damn…" Ichigo cursed under his breath. Looking one final time around the rooftop, his gaze focusing for a few seconds on the air conditioning duct before moving on, Ichigo perked up when a brilliant flash of crimson light illuminated the skies. Brown eyes quickly turning back towards the hotel, the familiar feeling of Senketsu's power permeating his body and resonating with his Life Fibers, Ichigo grimaced and added, "She's using Senkou already? I should go back and –"

"Might I enquire as to a moment of your time, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Seras nearly jumped out of her skin when a man appeared on the other side of the rooftop in a burst of speed her eyes had barely tracked. Focusing her attention on the man's pristine white uniform, his short black hair cropped neatly above his glasses, Seras was surprised when Ichigo turned to the newly arrived man and scoffed, "You? How the hell did you find me?"

"That is not the proper question!" Quilge Opie smirked as he raised a gloved finger in front of his lips as he stared at the former substitute shinigami with amusement. Rain pelting his white Wandenreich uniform, the spiritual material repelling the water, the Sternritter sighed sarcastically before continuing, "The correct question you should ask is why I am here."

Lowering Tournesol's blade towards the ground, his hand still firmly clenching the hilt, Ichigo scowled, "Alright. Why the hell are you here?"

Quilge lowered his finger and looked over Ichigo's shoulder as a wave of spiritual energy washed over the city. Ryuko Matoi was putting up a much greater fight against Alucard than the Daten predicted. Gently removing his hat, one hand wiping away the rain collecting on his forehead, the Sternritter smirked before answering, "Now, that is quite a rude thing to say. I would think after our contributions in Japan you would have developed some modicum of respect for my organization. But perhaps I should get straight to the point. We are both busy people and I'm sure you wouldn't like to waste time speaking to someone that has vital information about the man Ryuko Matoi is currently fighting…"

Ichigo's mouth pulled into a grimace as he realized Quilge had a point. Even though the Quincy hadn't divulged any information about his organization or goals he had been truthful about reinforcements arriving to help fight against Satsuki Kiryuin and her mother. Looking over his shoulder back at the hotel, the power radiating from Ryuko and Senketsu slightly concerning, Ichigo scowled before turning back to the Sternritter, "What do you know?"

"I'm glad we could come to an understanding, Ichigo!" Quilge replied bombastically, one finger held in front of his smiling face, "My superior wishes to continue our current partnership into the future. Thus I have been given permission to divulge what we know about the creature eloquently dubbed Alucard."

"Alucard?" Ichigo replied in a perplexed tone, oblivious to Seras's breath hitching in her throat upon hearing them mention her master's name.

The Sternritter clapped his hands together enthusiastically, the mirth never leaving his face, before answering, "I can see from the concerned expression on your face that you wish for more information. Very well…let us begin! Since you are already familiar with the rules of our game I'll start with something simple – what are you doing in London, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"I'm here to stop Ragyo Kiryuin. That's all you need to know."

Ichigo didn't know how Quilge found out he was in London but the former substitute shinigami wasn't about to let the matter drop. The two Quincy that returned alive from Honnouji Academy during the Great Culture and Sports Festival had left Karakura Town after only a day, which meant neither could have heard Olivier's orders. Narrowing his eyes slightly at the amused Sternritter Ichigo continued, "Now for my question – why are _you_ here?"

"I see that you haven't forgotten your initial question but as the saying goes – silence is golden. That is something I am not at liberty to discuss," Quilge's smirk didn't falter even as Ichigo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Absentmindedly adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, his lips pursed in thought, the Sternritter added, "But that's not fair now, is it? This would not be a fair game if I could ignore any question I didn't feel like answering. Your trust in our organization would falter, which would only benefit Ragyo Kiryuin in the end. So please allow me to say the following – the Jahrtausendarmee will not stand against you."

"No, it isn't fair," Ichigo's smug answer caught Quilge off guard. Upon seeing the Sternritter's confused expression Ichigo continued, "You asked a question so there's my answer. What is the Jahrtausendarmee?"

"Oh?"

Quilge chuckled softly as he adjusted his glasses, the voice of His Majesty loud and clear in the hidden receiver in his ear. Ichigo Kurosaki's intelligence was just as high as the Daten suggested. Frowning slightly as he listened to His Majesty's words, the slight apprehension spreading across his face hidden by the storm raging around the city, Quilge smirked before responding, "It seems I forgot the rules of my own game for a moment. So! I shall be a man of my word. The Jahrtausendarmee is merely the name for a facet of our organization dedicated to defeating Ragyo Kiryuin at any cost. As for my question…would you believe me if I said the creature known as Alucard is a centuries old vampire?"

The silence on the rooftop was palpable as Ichigo stared incredulously at the Quincy. Resting Tournesol against his shoulder, Mugetsu's multicolored eyes narrowing at Quilge before turning up towards his face, Ichigo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "A vampire…that's just great. As if I didn't have enough to worry about without the freaking undead coming after –"

Ichigo was cut off when the sky erupted in shades of orange and red as a series of massive explosions detonated back at the hotel, the roof of the building igniting as dozens of military-grade Nudist Beach pincushion grenades went off simultaneously. Worried for Ryuko, the dark spiritual energy as strong as ever, Ichigo moved to shift Mugetsu into Gufū and go help when Quilge appeared directly in his path using Hirenkyaku.

"We are not quite done," Quilge's eyes were shadowed by darkness, his glasses gleaming malevolently, as he raised a gloved finger in front of his face, "Before you do anything hasty I should point out that you are powerful enough to defeat me. My Jail would certainly be unable to contain a being of your power. Why, I might go as far as to say I wouldn't stand a chance against you. So why am I standing in your way, you ask?"

"That's something I would like to know…" Ichigo growled before reaching out and grabbing the front of Quilge's uniform, "But I'm also starting to get really curious about who the hell you are."

"Oh dear. It seems I forgot to tell you my name the last time we met. How very rude of me…" Quilge chuckled even as Ichigo tightened his grip on his uniform. Raising a hand to his glasses, the rain fogging up the lenses, the Sternritter hummed for a moment before continuing, "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Ichigo Kurosaki! My name is Quilge Opie, former captain of the Jagdarmee and current captain of the Jahrtausendarmee."

A streak of ruby light, accompanied by Ryuko's shouting, stopped Ichigo before he could ask Quilge another question. Letting go of the Sternritter, who took the opportunity to smooth out the creases on his uniform, Ichigo scowled when the shadows covering the roof sprang upwards and surrounded the Quincy. Staring at the man as he vanished into the darkness, the grin never leaving his face the entire time, Ichigo narrowed his eyes before turning around and blasting off into the sky towards Ryuko, Mugetsu wordlessly shifting into Gufū the moment his feet left the ground.

"A-Are they gone?"

Seras, who had witnessed the entire conversation from only a few meters away, cautiously peeked out from behind her cover once Ichigo and Quilge stopped talking. Glancing around the empty rooftop, the rain pelting against concrete and steel the only sounds she could hear, the fledgling vampire sighed loudly in relief before collapsing onto her back. As she stared up into the stormy skies, rain running down her face, Seras wondered what they were talking about. She was sure the one man, Quilge Opie, had interspaced German words into the conversation, but Seras had no idea what they meant.

"I wonder what Master is going to think of all this..."

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #27 – Valentine's Day<strong>

Nui loved Valentine's Day more than anything in the world…except maybe for Ichigo and Amu.

As she skipped cheerfully through the halls of Honnouji Academy, the normally packed and busy corridors strangely devoid of life, the Grand Couturier hummed happily as she clutched the gift currently pressed tightly against her chest. While Valentine's Day had always been the third best day of the entire year to Nui, only losing to Christmas and her birthday, this year promised to be extra special for one simple reason – Ichigo.

"I wonder if Ichigo's going to like my gift? I made it myself, after all…" Nui's sapphire eyes blinked owlishly as she thought over the question before giggling and sticking her tongue out, "Gosh, that was such a stupid thing for me to say. Of course he's going to like it! Homemade gifts are the perfect thing to give on Valentine's Day!"

Turning around the corner in the hallway, her pink boots skidding lightly on the polished floor, Nui smirked when she stepped on a pressure plate and activated one of Honnouji Academy's many defenses. Leaping straight into the air as several Anti-Life Fiber bullets tore through the air, her right arm swinging the purple Needle Blade through the air and destroying the rest, Nui smiled as she landed cutely on the ground. Taking a second to fix her pink Lolita dress Nui Harime continued walking forward as the trap exploded behind her.

"I know you're watching, Satsuki," Nui stared at one of the hidden cameras recording her every move and stuck her tongue out, "It's really adorable how much effort you're putting into this. Too bad none of it's going to stop me from meeting Ichigo!"

Lips curling into a smile as she imagined the stern look Satsuki must have on her face by now, the steely gaze in her blue eyes to die for, Nui paused when she heard a faint beeping coming from her left. Kicking open the door to the classroom, the steel folding under her supernatural strength, Nui's blue eyes widened when she saw the explosives lining every inch of the room. Grumbling as the timer on the desk in front of her counted down to zero Nui puffed her cheeks out and huffed, "So it was a trap, huh?"

On the other side of Honnouji Academy, safely hidden behind layers of metal reinforced with Life Fibers, Satsuki Kiryuin watched as the monitors erupted in yellow and orange. Her hands instinctively moving to Bakuzan at her waist, the hardened Life Fiber weapon offering some modicum of protection against the eldritch abomination currently making its way towards them, Satsuki knew the traps wouldn't be enough, "Status, Inumuta?"

"The Grand Couturier is moving through Honnouji Academy faster than our predictions," Houka Inumuta answered, his fingers furiously typing in commands on the keyboard. Adjusting his glasses as he watched Nui Harime emerge from the smoke, the pink package still securely held against her chest, he turned to Satsuki and added, "Based on her current direction and velocity she should reach Ichigo Kurosaki in less than a minute."

"Than I suppose evacuating that wing of Honnouji Academy was the proper course of action," Ira Gamagori grumbled as he watched the Grand Couturier make a mockery of their defenses, "Shall I order the Disciplinary Committee to intercept her, Lady Satsuki?"

Satsuki narrowed her eyes as Nui Harime waved to another of Inumuta's hidden cameras, the image shifting to static as the Grand Couturier destroyed it. Valentine's Day was the worst day of the year solely for the fact that her mother's little helper took it upon herself to give everyone she knew _gifts_. Suppressing the shudder threatening to well up as she remembered the present Nui Harime gave her last year, several of the bloody corpses too badly mangled to be recognized, Satsuki turned away from the monitors and closed her eyes, "That will not be necessary, Gamagori. The Grand Couturier's goal is to give her gift to Ichigo Kurosaki. Attempting to stand in her way will certainly lead to massive losses."

"Damn…" Sanageyama cursed and slammed a fist against the nearby wall, "We should be out there stopping her!"

"Nui Harime is not going to kill Ichigo Kurosaki," Satsuki replied calmly as she sat down and leaned her head back. Taking a sip of tea, the bitter liquid helping to calm her nerves, she continued, "Every Valentine's Day the Grand Couturier picks out one person and dedicates every fiber of her being into giving them a hand-crafted present or gift. Last year was my turn and this year it is Ichigo's."

Skipping to a halt outside a nondescript door, her smile widening as she felt Ichigo's Life Fibers through the metal, Nui raised her arm and politely knocked. Humming gently as she heard Ichigo coming to answer, her blue eyes sparking with glee, Nui thrust her arms forward when the door opened.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ichigo!"

After taking a second to get over the shock that Nui Harime was not only in front of him, but was also _not_ trying to tear his heart out, Ichigo looked at the gift in her hands and asked, "What is this?"

"It's Valentine's Day, Ichigo!" Nui replied bubbly as she stared into Ichigo's eyes, "It's the day of the year that I give a gift to the one person I love the most! This year it is your turn!"

Ichigo numbly took the gift from Nui Harime, his mind desperately trying to think of the ulterior motive for her actions. He knew she was insane but there had to be a real reason she would come all the way to Honnouji Academy besides giving him a stupid present. Unnerved by the wide sapphire eyes staring into his soul, the Grand Couturiers hands clasped together under her chin, Ichigo decided to bite the bullet. Tearing the wrapping off the gift, fingers trembling as he wondered what she could have given him, Ichigo froze when he opened the package and saw what was inside.

"It's…"

Lying delicately inside the box, colored perfectly and at nearly an eighth scale, was a scale model of him wearing Mugetsu's activated configuration. Carefully removing the figure from the box, genuinely impressed by the detail Nui Harime put into it, Ichigo flipped it over in his hands and asked, "You made this yourself?"

"Yup!" Nui answered cheerfully before grabbing Ichigo's arm and dragging him out of the room, "Gosh, I knew you'd like it but I never thought you would love it! Let's go show Satsuki and all the other wet blankets hiding in their little room my wonderful gift!"


	43. Chapter 43: The Magnificent Seven

_I present to you the latest chapter of __**To My Death I Fight**__ and in just over a month from the last chapter (I do apologize for the long delays between chapters). In this chapter you'll see a lot of departures from canonical events even if they happen to proceed along the same general path. I won't spoil anything by explaining it to you. Read the chapter and review it once you're done._

_There are a few special shout outs I'd like to give:_

_1) The first one goes to GasmaskAvenger and his Kill la Kill story – Maim de Maim. Check it out when you have a chance. It's a really good (one of the best) Kill la Kill AU stories on the site and is worth reading._

_2) The second goes to __**that-booky-chick15**__ on deviantart for his/her fantastic fan art of this story. _

_3) The last goes to everyone that contributed to my tvtropes page (just search To My Death I Fight tvtropes on google and you'll find it). Unfortunately I don't know everyone that contributed so I'll just list those that I do know (sorry the rest of you) – MechaManiac, Nitewind. If you contributed and want recognition please PM me and I'll add you fro the shout out in Chapter 44._

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><p><strong>Chapter 43 – The Magnificent Seven<strong>

"Mr. Bernadotte, what time is it?"

Pip Bernadotte, professional mercenary and current bodyguard for Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, blinked as he tore his gaze away from the rather morbid painting plastered on the wall in front of him. Rolling up the sleeve of his jacket he glanced at his watch before responding, "It's a few minutes past two thirty, Miss Hellsing."

Integra Hellsing's eyes narrowed in irritation as mild paranoia coursed through her veins, "They arranged this little rendezvous and still managed to be late. Do you think it's a trap?"

"We can only hope they're that stupid," Pip smirked as he reached into his suit and pulled out a carton of cigarettes, the words 'Lucky Strike' emblazoned on the side in bold red letters. Tapping the carton several times against the palm of his hand, fingers expertly extracting a single cigarette, Pip placed it between his lips before continuing, "I'm not a rank amateur out on his first mission. If the Vatican tries to pull anything funny my men will open fire before they even have a chance to blink."

"The Vatican interfering with our business is the last thing we need at the moment," Integra muttered as her thoughts drifted back to the events of the previous evening. The media was calling it a terrorist attack but the leader of the Hellsing Organization knew better. Alucard not only fought a creature of tremendous power, which was able to keep up with him in his released state, but also subsequently failed to obtain any useful information about who sent them. Knowing a creature existed that was immune to Alucard's normal method of information gathering, harming the vampire in the process, left a bad taste in Integra's mouth.

"So…" Pip grumbled under his breath as he lit the cigarette, "…any idea what sort of creature Alucard fought last night?"

With a flick of her wrist Integra reached out and snatched the cigarette from Pip's lips before crushing it in her fingers. Giving the mercenary a tense glare before pointing to the 'No Smoking' sign on the wall, eyes narrowed as she rubbed the ash off her gloved fingers, Integra sighed, "I don't know…but that woman not only possessed regeneration on par with Alucard's, which allowed her to heal from a point blank shot from the Jackal, but also wore a truly scandalous outfit that transformed into more powerful forms with but a simple verbal command."

"Scandalous?" Pip had a mystified look on his face as he tried to visualize what Integra was talking about, "Wait a minute…you mean like one of those Japanese cartoon characters? You know, the cartoons with the magical girls that say a short phrase and their uniforms transform into –"

"Whatever the case may be…" Integra interjected before Pip could say another word, "…Alucard managed to overheard a single phrase – Life Fibers."

Pip's eye widened imperceptibly as he recalled the terrorist bombing of the Revocs Distribution Facility in Paris nearly a month ago, "Life Fibers? Aren't they some type of special fabric in Revocs clothing? Don't they, I don't know, keep the clothing clean and stuff?"

"That is the general consensus but privately Ragyo Kiryuin is notoriously tightlipped about the creation of Life Fibers," Integra responded, a hint of annoyance in her tone. After the embargo the Secret Intelligence Service, under the guidance of Sir Irons, attempted to locate the patent information pertaining to Life Fibers only to discover nothing of the sort existed. Even if Life Fibers were an industrial secret exclusive to Revocs, developed exclusively on site, some information should have been on record.

"Ah…Madame Kiryuin. Did you know she once offered us a job?"

The French mercenary did not miss the slight widening of Integra's eyes, cleverly hidden beneath the brim of her rather unique hat. Smirking at his current employer's shock Pip turned his attention back to the large painting on the wall and sighed while folding his hands inside his suit, "We were in Paris, relaxing after another finished job, when her little assistant came knocking at our door. Without so much as a hello Mademoiselle Hououmaru offered the Wild Geese nearly twenty million American dollars if we would take out a terrorist group attacking Revocs facilities in Japan."

Integra's face tightened slightly as she asked, "And why did you not take the job?"

"Because I have a knack for smelling bullshit," Pip ignored his employer's annoyance at the curse as he smirked but the smile never reached his eye, "Something about the job just didn't seem right. The CEO of the world's largest and most powerful clothing conglomerate offering mercenaries millions of dollars to take out some terrorists we never heard about? I would have to be an idiot to not smell a trap. I told Mademoiselle Hououmaru that we already had a job set up and to come back in a couple of months, which was unfortunate for her. That job ended up taking –"

"Oh…I think we're a bit late."

The Italian accented voice, echoing slightly in the spacious gallery, cut the mercenary off midsentence. Slowly walking towards them, a disarming smile plastered on his face, Enrico Maxwell laughed nervously as he pulled off his glasses, "The meeting was at two thirty, right?"

"Two fifteen," Integra replied curtly.

"Oh dear…" Maxwell chuckled in embarrassment and turned to Renaldo, "It seems I wrote down the wrong time. Please accept my apologies for keeping you waiting…"

"That is close enough!" Integra snapped, causing a barely flustered Maxwell to come to a halt several meters away, "What business does the Vatican have here? What possible reason could they have to send the Iscariot, the dirtiest of their dirty little secrets?"

"I know our reputation precedes us but there is no need for such rudeness," Maxwell chuckled, unperturbed by Integra's outburst, before noticing that the man standing just behind her was not Walter C. Dornez. Burying his suspicions about the Hellsing butler's absence, the smug expression on his face easily hiding his paranoia, Maxwell swung an arm across his chest and gave Integra a small bow, "However…given the tragic loss of life last night I will allow that to slide. Now then, perhaps it is best I properly introduce myself. I am Enrico Maxwell, head of the Iscariot Organization and I must say, it is an honor to meet a woman of your stature."

"I don't care for either your name or pointless platitudes." An agitated growl escaped Integra's lips as she continued glaring at Maxwell, "Just tell me what you want."

"Come now. There's no need to be so harsh." The twitch plaguing Maxwell's left eye, which started the moment he stepped foot in England, became more noticeable while the smile on his face grew more forced. Clenching his left hand into a fist in order to keep his anger under control the leader of Iscariot decided to attempt diplomacy one final time, "We wouldn't come all the way here just to antagonize you Sir Integra…"

"I don't believe you!" Integra harshly cut off Maxwell as her patience for his prattling reached its limit, "Wolfe's actions in Badrick go against every one of our treaties! Northern Ireland is joint territory, which means we had full authority to deal with the problem yet Wolfe killed five of my best men without even a warning shot! And you have the audacity –"

"Shut up!"

Finally reaching his breaking point Maxwell stomped his right foot on the ground and angrily interrupted Integra before she could finish. Accidentally crushing his glasses in his hand, shards of glass quickly becoming embedded within his glove, Maxwell's left eye twitched as he leaned forward and sneered, "Did you honestly expect us to sit back and let you romp around as you please? Five men, you say…I wouldn't feel guilty if five million of your Protestant scum were slaughtered! As for these so-called violations…you know damn well you were supposed to inform the Vatican before even thinking of spreading your filth outside England, which is a fact you seem to have conveniently forgotten! So just shut up and pay attention! You miserable English sow!"

"A sow, you say?"

Alucard's echoing voice carried a hint of amusement as he phased through the wall behind Integra, the lights in the corridor dimming slightly in his presence. The corners of his mouth pulling upwards into a grin as he turned his full attention to the leader of Iscariot, his blood red eyes hidden behind orange sunglasses, Alucard chuckled as he slowly moved his hand towards his overcoat, "Leave it to Iscariot to inspire the fear of God into the masses…and with such fearsome insults as well. Honestly, more than two thousand years of your insane prattle and that's that best you could come up with? I'm insulted."

"Well, if it isn't the great vampire Alucard," Maxwell hid the twinge of nervousness visible in his eyes, a light sweat breaking out across his body as he felt the unholy power of the vampire, before taking a single step back and bowing his head, "I've heard all the stories about you but I never thought I would actually see you in person. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well…and now, I must bid you goodbye," Alucard chuckled as he slowly withdrew the Casull, his amusement increasing at Maxwell's unflinching demeanor. Dramatically propping the pistol on the crux of his left elbow, one red eye visible through his sunglasses, Alucard smirked as he aimed at Maxwell's forehead, "Do you expect me to allow you to live after calling my master a sow? Honestly, it's dealing with idiots like you that make this world interesting. So now I'm going to put a bullet through your head, you foolish little man."

"Oh, how absolutely terrifying…"

Maxwell flexed his fingers at Alucard's threat as the nearly invisible receiver in his ear flared into life. His left eye continuing to twitch as he stepped forward, anger replaced by veiled amusement, Maxwell smirked and snapped his fingers, "What am I ever to do now that your little pet has put a gun to my face and threatened to kill me? Well…I believe turnabout is fair play. So why don't we even the odds a bit? Wolfe!"

Integra's eyes widened as she caught the faintest of movements in the skylights lining the ceiling of the corridor. Craning her neck upwards as a figure crashed through the roof, the light fluttering of clothing barely audible to her ears, she mentally cursed when Heinkel Wolfe landed several meters behind Maxwell. Exhaling loudly as she crouched on the ground, the faint crackle of broken glass echoing through the mostly empty halls, Heinke's mouth twisted into an annoyed sneer as she stood up and locked eyes with Alucard.

"We meet again, vampire," Heinkel spat vehemently as she reached into her cassock and withdrew a single pistol engraved with the words 'Jesus Christ is in Heaven' along the barrel. A small huff leaving her lips as she snapped her arm up and aimed directly between Alucard's eyes, the Macedonian silver rounds blessed directly by the Pope powerful enough to put even him down, Heinkel's straw-colored hair shifted in an unfelt breeze as she growled in a thick German accent, "Don't think you'll survive a second time."

"Is that so?"

A series of amused chuckles reverberated throughout the corridor as Alucard stepped forward, his path taking him between Integra and Pip, and slowly removed his orange sunglasses. As blood red eyes pierced through the area, his fedora blowing off as the lights surrounded him dimmed ever so slightly, Alucard pulled the Jackal from within his overcoat and pointed it directly at Heinkel's forehead, "I'm not one to back down from an enemy, especially one as interesting as you. So come then, Judas Priest! Let's see which one of us is left standing in the end!"

"Keep laughing, vampire," Heinkel's muscles tensed as she began approaching Alucard, her enhanced senses picking up on each of the vampire's subtle twitches and movements, "This fight will be finished with but a single bullet to your blackened heart. Iscariot does not back down when the enemy presents itself!"

"Calm down, Heinkel!" Maxwell felt a twitch of fear and nervousness course through his body as Heinkel ignored his orders while continuing to walk towards Alucard. The fallout from Heinkel engaging Alucard in England, on an ordered peaceful meeting, would undoubtedly lead to severe consequences for Iscariot. Extending an arm outwards, his fingers grasping at Heinkel's cassock, the leader of Iscariot raised his voice and shouted, "Stop! I'm ordering you to stand down!"

"Hi!"

Before the situation could escalate any further Seras Victoria, clad in the guise of a tour guide, came waltzing through the corridor accompanied by a large group of elderly Japanese tourists taking pictures of everything they saw. Blowing on the whistle in her hand, blue eyes carefully looked back and forth between Heinkel and her master, Seras waved to the tourists and muttered, "Everyone with the Japanese tour this way please! Right this way please! We're walking this way…we're walking. Kochi desu yo,"

"Damn it…" A string of German curses escaped Heinkel's lips as she stared at the group of tourists blocking her path. While she was confident enough in her own skills to safely aim through the throng of elderly tourists Heinkel didn't put it past Alucard to kill them just to reach her, "This isn't the proper place for a fight. There are too many innocent people here."

"Agreed…now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep. Getting up in the middle of the day is truly exhausting…"

The excited grin on Alucard's face slowly fell away as the ancient vampire realized he would not have the opportunity to fight Heinkel. As he holstered the Jackal inside his overcoat, the black metallic pistol vanishing into the shadows composing his body, Alucard paused midstride when his thoughts drifted back to his battle the night prior against the creature known as Ryuko, "…but before I leave I met the most interesting man last night."

As Seras chuckled nervously, the fledgling vampire doing her best to keep violence from breaking out, Alucard's lips quirked upwards into a smug grin as he focused his attention on Maxwell and Heinkel, "The creature from last night, I believe Ryuko was her name, had quite the intriguing accomplice. Perhaps you know of him? He certainly seemed to be quite familiar with you people. Does the name…Alexander Anderson ring any bells?"

"What!?"

Maxwell took an involuntary step forward, his violet eyes widening in shock upon hearing Alucard utter the most hated name in Iscariot, and seethed, "How do you know that name? Tell me!"

"So Iscariot has a traitor?" Alucard's laughter rang throughout the corridor as he drank in the anger and stunned surprise etched onto Iscariot's faces. Pivoting around, his heavy footsteps echoing hollowly upon the marble tiles, the vampire gave one final chuckle, "It is truly amusing to see the infallible image of your organization shattered. Why, it almost makes you lot look…human."

Heinkel's eyes were hidden behind her glasses, the lenses shining brightly from the ambient lighting, as she pulled free of Maxwell's loosened grip and sulked away. Shoulders hunched forward slightly as she holstered her pistol, her stride barely breaking in the process, the paladin waited a few seconds before scoffing, "If you'll excuse me, sir, I think I'll head back to Rome."

In a rare show of seriousness, characterized by the tightening of his eyes, Maxwell grimaced and whispered under his breath, "You caught that name, didn't you? You think it's…"

"It's not a very common name," Heinkel replied briskly, her answer cutting Maxwell off before he could finish. Giving Renaldo a brief but courteous nod, the older man visibly relieved the meeting hadn't resorted to violence, Heinkel did not appreciate what Alucard was insinuating. Hands clenching into fists, her gloves crackling under the strain, she spat vehemently before continuing, "But I'm going to return to the orphanage and dig through the records. After more than thirteen years only to hear that name again…"

"Inform me the moment you discover anything," Maxwell grunted, his thoughts shifting to his miserable childhood at Anderson's orphanage before the murderer had fled into the wilderness. Turning his attention to Integra, an insufferable smug look adorning her face, Maxwell's lips pursed in disgust as he added, "It might be wise to leave Yumiko out of the loop…at least until we're certain about what's really going on."

"Well now, it appears we both have to contend with rather difficult subordinates," Integra scoffed, a mixture of irritation and amusement in her tone, as she watched Heinkel leave through the opposite end of the corridor, "But if you're done posturing I think it's time we moved onto business. What say you, Pig?"

Maxwell chuckled nervously as he raised his right arm, "Of course! Now that all that pointless violence has been worked out of our systems perhaps you wish to join me in the café garden?"

"Humph," Integra smirked victoriously as she walked past Maxwell, "After you…"

As the two leaders left to converse elsewhere, the atmosphere still charged from their mutual hatred of each other, Pip let out a sigh of relief. Subconsciously reaching for the packet of Lucky Strike in his breast pocket, the comforting smell of nicotine already easing his mind, he could not help but ponder what sort of crimes Alexander Anderson had done against Iscariot. Shaking his head upon realizing such questions were far about his pay Pip turned to Seras, who was lightly chuckling while waving nervously at him, and gave her a thumbs up, "That was very good, Miss Seras."

Her mood quickly shifting upon the positive encouragement Seras returned the gesture and replied, "Thank you!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>During the Valentine Brother's assault on the Hellsing Manor the ground floor study had been one of the few rooms to remain completely intact. Full of nothing but books pertaining to the histories of various European countries, a thin layer of dust always coating the walls despite Walter's best efforts, it contained little incentive for either of the brothers to investigate during their brief rampage. This made it the perfect temporary stay for any guests arriving at the manor while any remaining blood and visceral was removed and cleaned.<p>

A yawn escaped Ryuko Matoi's mouth as she leaned her head back against the aged leather couch, tired blue eyes briefly focusing on the singular bang of red hair hovering over her face. Blinking tiredly while suppressing a second yawn she glanced at the century-old grandfather clocked in the far corner of the room, the pendulum within the clear body endlessly swinging back and forth, before groaning out of sheer boredom, "Why the hell did you drag us along if we can't even come to your stupid meeting? I didn't get any sleep last night because of that vampire bastard!"

"Ye can get some rest later," Alexander Anderson ignored Ryuko's impatient behavior as he leaned against the wall next to the doors of the study. As his fingers flexed instinctively, the tailor bayonets sealed within his gloves able to be summoned at a moment's notice, the former priest's glasses reflected the afternoon sunlight filtering through the sole window of the room before continuing, "But ye should consider yerself lucky. If it weren't for the Life Fibers woven in yer body ye would have suffered a fate worse than death."

Ryuko's eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled what little information she knew about vampires, "Are you saying I would have been turned into a vampire?"

"Only if ye were a virgin," Anderson replied curtly, his head turning imperceptibly towards the orange haired teenager standing next to the window. The former priest locked gazes with Ichigo for nearly ten seconds, the scowl on the teenager's face deepening in response, before he scoffed and shook his head, "If ye weren't…ye would have become what's known as a ghoul. An undead corpse while yer soul suffers eternal torment at the hands of the vampire that bit ye. That's not a fate would wish on anyone…even ye two."

There was a palpable silence after Anderson finished his explanation, the endless ticking of the grandfather clock the only sounds permeating the study for nearly a minute. Eyes staring at the floor while he contemplated what the former priest was implying, the very notion of someone having their soul endlessly tormented sickening him, Ichigo's face twisted into a disgusted scowl as he pushed off the wall and turned towards Anderson, "This doesn't make any sense. If Alucard is this dangerous then why the hell hasn't the Soul Society killed him?"

"That's a very good question."

Anderson's green eyes narrowed in suspicion as his lips pulled into a small sneer, "That unholy monster hiding in the guise of a woman seeks to bring about the apocalypse, her every action anathema to humanity, yet we haven't seen hide or hair of the shinigami. Are these supernatural beings truly as benevolent as ye claim?

"The shinigami can go to hell for all I care," Ryuko growled as she crossed her legs upon the table in front of the couch, white sneakers contrasting heavily with the recently created addition to Senketsu.

She had heard all about the Soul Society and shinigami thanks to Ichigo and Kisuke, the latter all too willing to describe fanciful stories of his time as captain of the Twelfth Division, and Ryuko could safely say with absolute certainty that they were a bunch of stuck up pricks still living hundreds of years in the past. Glowering angrily as she folded her arms across Senketsu and glanced at the grandfather clock, the small hand shifted barely past the large two, Ryuko closed her eyes and snorted, "They didn't help us out at the festival so why the hell should we care about them? All I want to do right now is hunt down that undead bastard and kick his pale ass."

"_**That's not a very smart idea, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye blinked once before shifting upwards towards Ryuko, _**"Alucard was much stronger than you. If you attempt to fight him again there's a good chance you could die."**_

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk," Ryuko responded sarcastically. Pulling at her Kamui's lapels when she saw him roll his eye, a soft telepathic growl reaching her ears as a result, Ryuko asked, "Whose side are you on anyway? Besides, I know all about vampires thanks to those crappy books Mako borrowed from Honnouji Academy's library. All I gotta do is stake the bastard's heart and he's dead, right?"

Senketsu paused for a few seconds, his single eye narrowed in contemplation, before replying, _**"His regeneration was on par with your own. Driving a stake through his heart might not be enough to stop him."**_

"That's just perfect…"

Ryuko grimaced, an annoyed scowl set on her face, as she vividly recalled Alucard regenerating from his seemingly fatal wounds with that obnoxious smirk plastered on his face. She didn't know what it would take to finally kill the undead bastard but Ryuko was more than willing to keep on trying. Yawning as she leaned her head back against the couch, blue eyes focused on the ceiling while she imagined wiping the smug grin off Alucard's face, Ryuko stiffened and asked, "Wait…does this mean werewolves are also real?"

Anderson, who had been intently following Ryuko's side of her conversation with Senketsu, uncrossed his arms and pushed off the wall before answering, "Did ye think shinigami and yer so-called hollows are the only supernatural creatures inhabiting this world? Don't be daft. This world is full of inhuman creatures, vampires and werewolves included, but ye Life Fiber Hybrids are at the top of the food chain."

As the grandfather clock continued ticking in the background, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the window illuminating the dust in the air, Ryuko subconsciously rubbed the flawless skin on her neck. It worried her to know that Senketsu's full power, which was enough to scare a psychopathic monster like Nui Harime, couldn't even leave a scratch on Alucard. Exhaling loudly, her breath causing the red bang in her hair to sway in the sudden breeze, Ryuko grumbled, "Vampires, huh? I wonder how many other myths are real."

"Oh, goddamn it…"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open as he finally connected together what was plaguing him for the past few days. Groaning from a mixture of annoyance and self-loathing as he collapsed on the couch next to Ryuko, one hand rubbing the bridge of his nose to stave off the oncoming headache, Ichigo couldn't believe he was such an idiot. He should have seen something like this coming from a mile away yet he walked headfirst into it without even a second thought. Aware that his outburst had caught both Anderson and Ryuko's attention he sighed before explaining, "Before we left Kisuke told me all myths are based on reality. That bastard knew about Alucard the entire time."

"Why the hell didn't he give us a damn warning?" Ryuko growled, her hand already reaching for the Scissor Blade in the pouch on her waist, "Screw him! When we get back to Karakura Town I'm going to kick his ass!"

"Calm yerself," Anderson frowned as he lightly strummed his fingers against the sleeves of his cassock. Lips pulled into a tight grimace the former priest turned towards the window as his accent thickened, "Kisuke Urahara shall pay for his deception. Ye can be sure of that. Upon our return to Karakura Town I vow to drive my bayonets into his body, shinigami or not, until he learns a valuable lesson about honesty. Now quiet down. We have company."

"Company?" Ryuko leaned forward on the couch, one eyebrow quirked in confusion, and looked around, "I don't see –"

A series of knocks against the thick oak doors of the study, coming every three seconds, interrupted Ryuko before she could finish asking her question. Blue eyes firmly focused on the doors as they opened, the exhaustion plaguing her body quickly vanishing, Ryuko found herself disappointed when a thin man clad in the formal attire of a butler slowly walked into the room. Hands clasped firmly against the small of his back, white dress shirt and purple vest freshly dried and pressed, Walter C. Dornez took a second to adjust his tie as he observed the two teenagers accompanying the Nudist Beach liaison.

Upon first glance that didn't seem like much, their eyes betraying the familiar hint of cockiness and arrogance so prevalent in modern youth, but Walter found his attention focusing on the rather unique school uniforms they wore. There was something slightly perturbing about the eyes stitched into their lapels but the aged butler decided that was a matter for another time. Straightening his back, the monocle over his left eye reflecting the afternoon sun, Walter turned to Anderson and gave a small bow, "I do apologize for the fifteen minute delay of our meeting. Sir Integra recently suffered a slight change in her schedule, which unfortunately required my unique services. I thank you for your patience but I must insist on seeing your credentials."

"But of course," Anderson stepped forward, his hand reflexively picking up the silver briefcase from the table, and continued, "Olivier mentioned a phrase, some sort of password to verify my identity. I believe it was…Briggs."

"Very good. Everything seems to be in order."

Walter's shoes squeaked against the varnished floor as he turned towards Anderson and extended a hand, his lips curling into a pleased smile upon hearing the correct password. Waiting until the former priest shook his hand, Anderson's grip strength actually managing to surprise the former vampire hunter, Walter continued, "Your superior was quite insistent I prepare everything before your arrival. All the documents and papers you requested are located in the conference room just across the manor. I even took the liberty of transferring them to a flash drive for convenience."

Anderson paused as something stung the edges of his senses, a familiar feeling permeating his mind and causing him to briefly look towards the exit of the study. When the sensation passed just as quickly as it arrived, replaced by the calmness of the afternoon, an imperceptible grimace spread across his face, "It seems ye have yer house in order. My men would appreciate having this information as soon as possible."

The smile on Walter's face faded slightly as he turned his attention away from Anderson towards the two teenagers in the room. Although morally against conscripting children for battle the aged butler decided to keep his opinions to himself and motioned for Anderson to follow him, "This won't take more than ten minutes but I must insist your companions remain in the study until we return. The manor is still on high alert after last week's attack. Some of the new guards might accidentally mistake them for intruders."

"That's not a problem," Anderson's growl cut Ryuko off just as she opened her mouth to retort, the subtle glare in his green eyes stopping her from saying anything. Pausing as he reached the doors of the study, his free hand pressed against the oak frame, the former priest looked over his shoulder at Ichigo, "Perhaps ye should give yer father a call."

A grim expression settled on Ichigo's face as Anderson continued out of the room, Walter quietly closing the doors behind them with a soft click. Leaning his head back against the couch as the two men's footsteps faded away, the monotonous ticking from the grandfather clock the only sound piercing the silence, Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his orange hair. With everything that had happened last night, including getting shot out of a building by a vampire, he completely forgot to call his dad.

Swallowing his annoyance as he reached into his pocket Ichigo groaned upon noticing he had nearly twenty unanswered calls. Staring at the blinking number in the corner of the screen for nearly a minute, Ryuko leaning over his shoulder in curiosity, he shrugged before snapping the phone closed, "Damn, I forgot to call my old man last night and knowing him, he probably fell asleep next to the phone. But he's probably asleep by now…"

"Then I suppose you don't care if I borrow your phone?"

Before Ichigo realized what was happening Ryuko reached over, snatched the phone out of his hand and jumped off the couch. Tiredly stretching her back as she stood up and looked around the study, a strange familiar feeling scratching the edges of her mind, Ryuko absentmindedly walked away from Ichigo as she searched through his list of contacts, "I wanted to call Satsuki last night but that undead bastard destroyed my phone. If I don't talk to her soon Gamagori is going to seriously piss me off with one of his stupid speeches about tardiness and proper discipline."

"_**You do realize it's because she's worried about you, Ryuko."**_

"Don't remind me," Ryuko growled at her Kamui, one foot stomping temperamentally against the ground, as memories of Satsuki's apology several days after the festival coursed through her mind, "I don't care if she is my sister, I'm still a little pissed at all the crap she put us through!"

"_**You're being stubborn,"**_ Senketsu sighed as he felt Ryuko's blood pressure rising, the motion causing his uniform to flutter lightly against her body. Mentally frowning when the taste of her blood changed, undoubtedly due to her shifting mood, Senketsu stared up at Ryuko and sarcastically asked, _**"Would you feel better if Satsuki allowed you to hit her?"**_

"I already tried doing that," Ryuko muttered impetuously as she folded her arms across Senketsu, "It didn't work."

After Satsuki recovered from her coma, mostly due to Orihime's miraculous healing, Ryuko had rushed to the hospital and confronted her sister about everything she did at Honnouji Academy. Ten minutes of shouting later, mostly on Ryuko's end, Satsuki had stoically spread her arms and told her sister that she could strike her down if it helped make her feel better. How, Satsuki told her, could she hope to defeat Ragyo Kiryuin if she couldn't withstand a punch from her own sister? Both angry and annoyed at Satsuki she had decided to take her sister up on her offer…only for Gamagori and Sanageyama to repeatedly get in her way. After more than half a dozen failed attempts to punch Satsuki, which in the end accomplished nothing more than leaving the two members of the Elite Four unconscious in a smoking pile on the ground, Ryuko had thrown her hands into the air and gave up in frustration.

"_**I could sense she was being truthful, Ryuko."**_ When Ryuko frowned in retaliation, her blue eyes glued onto the phone, he added, _**"Because she is your sister Satsuki possesses similar blood to you. Therefore I –"**_

Cursing when she accidentally typed in the wrong number, her fingers furiously deleting several numbers, Ryuko quirked an eyebrow and scoffed, "Are you suggesting you want to be worn by Satsuki?"

"_**What? No!" **_There was no mistaking the sense of betrayal in the Kamui's voice at even the notion of being worn by anyone besides Ryuko, _**"You are the only one that I will ever allow to wear me!"**_

Propping his head against the arm of the couch as he listened to Senketsu apologize to Ryuko, the Kamui's sputtering causing Mugetsu to laugh, Ichigo couldn't help but feel there was something about Alucard he was missing. Pursing his lips as an idea came to mind he stood up and walked over to the table on the other side of the study, scraps of paper and a single pen scattered haphazardly across its surface. Briefly mulling over what he knew about vampires, which wasn't much to begin with, Ichigo shook his head before writing down Alucard's name and stepping away from the table.

"_**Alucard…"**_ Mugetsu stared at the strange name for several seconds before asking Ichigo, _**"It's a rather weird name. I don't think anyone at Honnouji Academy had a name this weird. It almost seems made up."**_

"Made up you say…" Ichigo muttered as he stared at the seven letters scribbled on the scrap of paper for nearly a minute before giving up. Sighing as he tossed the piece of paper away to start over fresh, several ideas coming to mind, Ichigo's eyes momentarily glanced across the table and froze at what he saw.

"Oh…damn it…"

Nervous fingers reaching for the scrap of paper, which had flipped over when he threw it away, Ichigo's mind ground to a halt when he transposed the letters in Alucard's name and realized who Ryuko fought last night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We are aware you're looking at a particular word in connection with your recent troubles," Maxwell pushed the plate of food aside, his hunger forgotten for the moment, and motioned at Integra with his hand, "It is also known to us that you've had some…difficulty uncovering anything of worth."

A stiff autumn wind blew through the café garden as Integra leaned back in the chair, "Yes, that's more or less true."

"Millennium…" Maxwell's lips twisted into a conniving smirk, his left eye narrowing slightly, as he watched Integra's breath hitch in her throat, mild surprise evident on her face. Strumming his fingers against the black briefcase lying on the table in front of him, his head propped against a fist, the leader of Iscariot chuckled in amusement and asked, "Is that not correct?"

Integra's face pulled into a nearly imperceptible grimace, her appetite all but gone, before she gently placed the cup of tea in her hand back on the table. Given the Vatican's massive budget and nearly limitless resources it should have been obvious Iscariot would have information on the true perpetrators behind the Valentine Brother's assault. Staring across the table at Maxwell, the smug look adorning his face irritating her far more than it should, Integra tilted her head slightly to the right and scoffed, "I believe you're referring to the Jahrtausendarmee, if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh?"

Maxwell was honestly surprised by Integra's response to what had been a rhetorical question. The sneer on his face disappearing as he straightened his back, fingers tapping lightly against the surface of the briefcase one final time, Maxwell closed his eyes and laughed, "You already know of them? And here I was under the assumption you were completely clueless about the group that killed your men."

"One of the creatures involved in last night's incident conversed with a man proclaiming himself a member of the Jahrtausendarmee…German for Millennium Army. We also managed to acquire this man's name – Quilge Opie," Integra paused when she noticed Maxwell's eyes briefly widen, a hint of nervousness in his expression. Leaning forward onto the table, her hands clasped together underneath her chin, Integra's tone hardened, "You're familiar with this man. Who is he?"

"Come now, Sir Integra. Do you truly believe our organization is omniscient? The name certainly sounds familiar but then again, such a unique name is not so easily forgotten," Maxwell replied with a mocking chuckle, causing Integra to narrow her eyes in suspicion. Ignoring his counterpart's gaze as he pulled the briefcase closer, one finger resting upon the combination lock near the handles, Maxwell shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, "We are both busy people so I think it is time I place my cards on the table. Do you wish for our files on Millennium? Do you want to know everything we know? Yes…or no?"

A faint sigh escaped Integra's lips at Maxwell's audacity. In any other instance she would have stood up and walked away from Iscariot but Integra knew she didn't have the comfort of time on her side. Folding her hands in her lap once more, fingers clenched tightly at what she was about to say, Integra silently took a deep breath and muttered, "Yes…please…"

Maxwell softly giggled as his fingers began working on briefcase's combination lock, the four dials slowly clicking into place one at a time. Hearing the supplication and humility in the Protestant's voice was music to his ears but he knew better than to press his luck with Integra, especially given the fact her pet vampire was still lurking about in the shadows. Grin widening as he heard the last lock click into place, the two handles of the briefcase opening simultaneously, Maxwell pulled out a thick black book and placed it in the middle of the table, "Very well then…allow me to present to you…Millennium!"

"Sixty years ago, during the final days of the Second World War, Nazi party loyalists attempted to flee Germany but they couldn't do it alone. An extraction operation was required but with allied forces closing in they didn't have the benefit of patience," Maxwell explained to a stoic Integra, one finger pointing directly at her face. As the wind coursing through the café garden momentarily intensified, the chill causing him to shiver slightly, the leader of Iscariot sipped his tea before continuing, "However…despite all of their preparations most of the loyalists were killed before the could leave Berlin by the Russians when a stray bomb destroyed their underground passageway. Others were captured and killed when the Americans accidentally stumbled across one of their convoys. The few thousand that survived fled to South American where they found refuge with local Nazi sympathizers."

"And these survivors belonged to Millennium…or rather the Jahrtausendarmee?" Integra pondered, one eyebrow rising above her glasses, "You never answered my question. Who is Quilge Opie?"

"Quilge Opie…" The smile on Maxwell's face vanished as his tone became uncharacteristically somber, a stark contrast to his normal confidence, "…to be perfectly honest we are as puzzled about this man as you Protestant pigs. The communications and missives we recovered from surviving Nazi officers before the Nuremberg Trials mentioned that name yet we couldn't find a single trace of that man. No photographs, records or even family. It was assumed he was nothing more than a fantasma, a figure used by the Nazis to cover their tracks, yet you claim your pet overheard one of these…creatures…speaking with this man?"

"Seras…" Integra growled, emphasizing her name for Maxwell, "…is quite certain what she heard is accurate."

"How disconcerting," Maxwell coughed into his hand and cleared his throat. Knowing that Quilge Opie not only existed but was also currently present in London worried the leader of Iscariot. Sighing deeply in order to clear his mind, mentally noting to look into Quilge's background once he returned to the Vatican, Maxwell gently placed his hand on the book and smirked, "While I would love to allow you access to the information contained within these pages I must ask of you a favor. A gift, if you would be so quaint."

Integra's posture stiffened as her eyes shifted between the book and Maxwell, "A gift?"

Maxwell's left eye sporadically twitched as he slammed his hand on the table, the silverware clattering violently, and sneered with his teeth bared, "Allow us to enter your godless country and hunt down the traitor Alexander Anderson!"

An awkward silence followed Maxwell's outburst, his breathing coarse and ragged, before Integra folded her arms across her chest and asked, "Before I even dare to consider your request I wish to know one thing. What did Alexander Anderson do to Iscariot to warrant such a reaction?"

"Twenty three years ago Anderson was one of Iscariot's most promising paladins. His skill and strength unparalleled," Maxwell looked away from Integra as shame passed across his face. Hands folded together on the table, knuckles bleeding white beneath his gloves, Maxwell paused momentarily before grimacing and turning back to Integra, "But he grew weary and retired to work at an orphanage in Kobe, Japan. When he returned to Rome thirteen years ago…something changed. Without provocation he murdered more than a dozen members of the Holy Conclave but before we could arrest him he vanished back into the wind. Apparently his mind snapped and he believed the chief supplier of Vatican clothing, the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin, was some unholy creature from the pits of hell."

Integra was barely able to contain her surprise beneath a mask of indifference at Maxwell's mention of the Revocs CEO. Leaning back and crossing her legs, any remaining appetite long since gone as she came to several disturbing revelations, she pursed her lips and asked, "What makes you think our people know where Anderson is? You said he's delusional about Ragyo Kiryuin. He could simply be in the country due to the upcoming embargo vote on Revocs merchandise. Alucard's actions last night should prove beyond a reasonable doubt that we are in no way colluding with Anderson."

"That is what we figured," Maxwell's left eye twitched as he ran a hand through his silver hair, "Anderson is a man of focus and determination, traits that Wolfe shares in abundance. Hunting him down will not be easy, especially given the animosity between our organizations. Therefore I wish to parley one final piece of information…to gain your cooperation, of course."

When Integra deigned to simply stare at him, her eyes narrowed slightly, Maxwell smirked and asked, "Aren't you the least bit curious how the Vatican knows so much about Millennium?"

An involuntary gasp escaped Integra's lips, "You…"

"Oh! I see you figured it out. Yes! We were the ones that helped the Nazis!" Maxwell's demented laughter ground against Integra's ears and it took all her self-control for her to not tell him to shut up. Fingers tapping against the black book before he slid it across the table towards Integra, the leader of Hellsing reluctant to touch him, Maxwell leaned forward as his left eye twitched, "Now ask yourself a simple question – why would I ever tell a pig like you this information? The answer is simple. We already know where Millennium is hiding! When we helped them escape Europe we gave them access to a select group of bank accounts, each of which has been carefully monitored. The last withdrawal took place five days ago in Rio de Janeiro. Now, is that sufficient enough to warrant your cooperation?"

Integra sneered as she flipped through the book, her eyes focusing on the handwriting detailing past accounts and dealings between the Jahrtausendarmee and the greater Nazi party. Tearing her attention away from the book after nearly a minute Integra sighed and looked at Maxwell, "You've made your point. For your…cooperation…we shall forward any information on Alexander Anderson. If we find him you'll be the first to know. Now then, about your information…"

"I think they are starting to put everything together."

Staring through the window at Integra and Maxwell, a smirk appearing on his face upon watching the two adversaries arguing over trivial things, a man wearing a blood-stained lab coat ignored his food and turned his attention back to his companion. Folding his hands politely on the table, multi-lensed glasses shining malevolently, the Doktor shook his head and said, "It appears they already know about the Jahrtausendarmee."

"Putting it together, you say?" The Major wiped sauce off his cheeks as he placed the fork down on the table, the piece of steak stabbed on the end momentarily forgotten. Staring at the Doktor from over the rims of his glasses, yellow eyes gleaming knowingly, he chuckled and added, "Don't be ridiculous, Herr Doktor. They don't know anything about anything. All they can do is dance to His Majesty's tune like marionettes until we cut the strings."

Despite his compatriot's confidence the bemused grin fell off the Doktor's face as he remembered the sole variables in His Majesty's plans. Subconsciously biting the tip of his thumb hard enough to draw blood, the latex glove stained a deep crimson, the blond haired man's face pulled into a reluctant grimace as he motioned to the Major with his hand, "...and the recent complications to the Schatten Ausrufung?"

The Major's grin didn't falter as he sipped his wine, "Are you referring to our allies, Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi?"

"His Majesty did not foresee their arrival," the Doktor muttered as he tapped his fingers against the table, "All of our plans will be ruined if they were to act against us."

"Ah, but they won't, Herr Doktor."

There was no mistaking the amused tone in the Major's voice as he sat back in the chair and folded his hands underneath his chin, "For what possible reason would those children betray us? Have we not fought alongside them at Honnouji Academy, sacrificing life and limb to stop Ragyo Kiryuin's grand plans? On the contrary, it is they who will play the biggest role of all in His Majesty's plans and we have no one to thank but our old friend Alucard. And Quilge, who played his part magnificently in delivering the message. All we need to do now, Herr Doktor, is sit back and allow the pieces to move into place."

The Doktor's grin returned briefly as he asked, "It is my imagination or are you enjoying this?"

"Enjoying is hardly the proper word for this feeling." The corners of the Major's lips twisted into a perverse grin as he stared at his fellow Quincy, "I'm ecstatic! Positively giddy with anticipation at what's to come! Just think of the struggle that surely awaits us as the curtain falls upon the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin. The Schatten Ausrufung shall be His Majesty's greatest accomplishment and we, Herr Doktor, shall have front row seats."

Silence permeated the café for almost a minute after the Major's speech, the worry etched onto the Doktor's face balanced by his compatriots confidence, before the doors to the kitchen swung open and a young man in his late teens hurried out. Quickly making his way towards their table, several plates precariously balanced on his hands, the young man gave a brief apology as he placed the meals in front of the two Quincy, "I apologize for the delay in your order, gentlemen. Our normal chef called in sick with the flu and it took a little while to call in a replacement. My manager asks that you look at the menu and enjoy a complimentary dessert to make up for the troubles."

"Ah, very good." The Major gave the waiter a curt wave of his hand as he opened the menu, "The service and food here has been most excellent. You can look forward to a most generous tip."

The young waiter gave one last thanks to the Major before turning back towards the kitchen, his ears perking when the two men switched from English to German. Pushing the door to the kitchen open with his back, the empty plates balanced carefully on his hands, the waiter made sure to carefully step over the bound and gagged chef as he placed the dishes in the sink. Crouching down next to the chef, who was still unconscious thanks to a healthy dose of chloroform, the waiter chuckled as he ran a hand through his black hair, "Lady Ragyo will be very interested in hearing about the Jahrtausendarmee and 'His Majesty.'"

Tearing off the uniform he borrowed from the usual waiter, whose car just so happened to be stuck in the middle of Liverpool without gasoline, the man chuckled as he put on an olive-green jacket before calmly strolling towards the rear exit of the café. He could never have guessed spying on the meeting between Iscariot and the Hellsing Organization would lead to such a bountiful wealth of information. Ragyo Kiryuin was going to find the presence of Quincy in London interesting to say the very least.

His shoes echoing lightly on the marble tiles as he stepped back into the museum, fingers deftly closing the emergency exit with nary a sound, the man subtly looked back and forth before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small receiver. Smirking when he heard the two men from the café speaking German loud and clear, thanks in no small part to the transmitter placed on the Major's coat, the man chuckled as he walked away, "Vielen dank und auf wiedersehen…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Kinue Kinagase's face was illuminated as she stared at her phone, the brief message from Aikuro visible in the midnight darkness, before snapping it shut and standing up. Blue heels clicking softly against the roof, Danketsu's purple lines glowing softly, Kinue watched with mild interest as a single helicopter tore across the skies overhead. Staring passively at the aircraft as it flew towards Guanabara Bay in the distance, the bright from the resort distract a stark contrast to the rest of Rio de Janeiro, she shook her head before sliding her cell phone into the small pouch wrapped around her left leg. Reaching around to the small of her back, fingers deftly unlatching the pair of binoculars clasped against her waist, Kinue walked over to the edge of the rooftop and knelt down as she spied on the Rio de Janeiro Distribution Facility nearly half a kilometer away.<p>

"Several guards at the entrance…each wielding high-powered Anti-Life Fiber weapons…" Kinue muttered as she clicked a button on the side of the binoculars and zoomed in on one of the guard's uniforms, "…ballistic armor is composed of at least ten percent Life Fibers…hmm? What's this?"

Lowering the binoculars when a single truck arrived at the facility, its bright headlights causing the front of the building to light up in shades of sickly yellow and white, Kinue watched with muted suspicion as it was let through without any of the guards bothering to check the driver. Following the vehicle as it entered the compound, guards flanking it on either side while it slowly drove towards its destination, Kinue perked up when she felt something tingle on the edges of her senses. As she glanced towards the resort district, the sensation remaining just out of reach, Kinue was brought back to reality when her Kamui gave a very feminine snort.

"_**What the hell are you doing? Are you going to stare into space or are we going to destroy some fucking Life Fibers?"**_

"Our mission it to simply scout the facility," Kinue responded off-handedly with a shake of her head, the strange feeling ignored for the time being. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, completely unfazed by Danketsu's enraged curses at being ignored, Kinue's mood soured dramatically when she caught of glimpse of blue hair. Clicking the button on the binoculars a second time, the resolution taking a few seconds to catch up, Kinue sighed upon noticing a very familiar woman, "…Esdeath Partas. Her presence is going to complicate things."

"_**Like there's anything mere raiment can do against a Kamui!"**_ Danketsu growled angrily, the enraged look in her multihued eyes worsening as Kinue's own annoyance at the situation merged with her anger. Sensing her wearer's pulse quickening slightly, Kinue's thoughts already revolving around how best to avoid confrontation, Danketsu tightened herself before adding, _**"You already killed two of these pathetic humans. One more shouldn't be an issue."**_

"What about Seattle?"

Kinue knew her point had come across loud and clear when she heard Danketsu mentally sputtering, the Kamui suffering a mixture of anger and embarrassment upon remembering the pain she experienced at the hands of that coward. Closing her eyes as she took a moment to rein in her emotions, Danketsu's anger permeating across their connection diminishing slightly as a result, Kinue stared into her Kamui's eyes as she stood up, "You've heard the reports from Honnouji Academy. Esdeath's raiment is extremely dangerous."

"_**So what if she can create fucking ice out of nothing! Just don't get hit and you'll be fine,"**_ Danketsu's embarrassment was largely forgotten as she glared up at her wearer, _**"I'm going to make you suffer if you get my Life Fibers wet."**_

"A fight against Esdeath is the last thing on my mind," Kinue crouched on the roof, elbows propped against her knees as she brought the binoculars back up to her eyes. Scanning the crowd of Revocs personnel in the distance, her eyes searching for Esdeath's current location, Kinue frowned upon feeling Danketsu tighten around her body in displeasure.

"_**Don't tell me you're scared!"**_ A derisive scoff echoed in Kinue's mind as her Kamui blinked and looked away, _**"I'm the strongest Kamui in existence. Even Mugetsu's power pales in comparison to what we can do!"**_

"And what about Ragyo Kiryuin?" Kinue asked as she watched several guards carry an airtight steel case into the facility, "She already knows of your existence. What do you think will happen if she manages to capture you?"

Danketsu's pupils quivered at the mention of the Kiryuin matriarch but the Kinagase sibling found her attention captured by something far more important. Zooming in as much as possible when the doors to the facility slowly opened, the binoculars' digital display constantly readjusting and focusing due to static interference, Kinue bit her lip when she noticed several COVERS floating out to meet the guards. Mentally noting both the size and shape of the COVERS, which were easily larger than the ones at Honnouji Academy, Kinue scowled as she pulled out her phone.

Inputting a number with her thumb while never taking her eyes off the COVERS, Danketsu's irritated voice demanding she cut down the Life Fiber beings, Kinue waited until the phone stopped ringing before speaking, "…it's Kinue. I've confirmed the presence of COVERS in Rio de Janeiro."

"_So the General was correct,_" Tsumugu's gruff voice cut out for a moment, a blast of interference causing Kinue to wince slightly, before coming back loud and clear, _"…means we'll need to retreat and formulate a plan to take out the facility without risking the local population."_

"There's something else you should know," Kinue pressed the phone against her ear as she stood up, her black and red hair waving in the wind, "I managed to catch a glimpse of Esdeath Partas."

"_Esdeath? Even a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin would never send a psychopath like her to Brazil without a damn good reason. I don't like this Kinue, you should…" _

Tsumugu's voice was lost in the background as Kinue sensed a large concentration of Life Fibers rapidly approaching her position. Feeling Danketsu already beginning to convulse around her body, the Kamui's bloodlust unmistakable to the woman, Kinue brought the phone back up to her ear and interrupted her brother, "…I'm going to have to call you back, Tsumugu. Something rather important just came up."

Snapping the phone shut before Tsumugu could respond, her brother's voice cut off midsentence, Kinue let out a faint sigh as she suppressed Danketsu's instinctive hatred for other Life Fibers. Eyes half-lidded as she turned around, her hand slowly pulling the Genji Blade free from its sheath, Kinue stared at Esdeath as the blue haired woman emerged from the shadows before asking, "How long have you known I was here?"

"Does it really matter?"

Esdeath grinned as she absentmindedly adjusted her officer's cap, tight white bandages wrapped around her left arm visible under her sleeve. Stomping to a halt on the opposite of the roof from Kinue, her arms folded underneath her ample chest, the blue haired member of Xcution's eyes were hidden in shadow as she spoke, "I'm going to enjoy seeing how much pain you can take before I tear off your Kamui and bring it to Lady Ragyo."

As Danketsu tightened around her body in response to Esdeath's threat Kinue frowned as she assessed the situation. A long and protracted battle against someone like Esdeath Partas was not something she could afford to do. The Xcution member already admitted knowing about her presence, which meant it was only a matter of time before Ragyo Kiryuin decided to send reinforcements. Exhaling slowly as she calmed herself down, her partially exposed chest rising and falling, Kinue briefly noticed her breath lingering in the air before replying, "Let me tell you one useful piece of information. Defeating me will not be as easy as you think."

"Don't worry, I'm counting on that," Esdeath's already sadistic grin widened as she took a single step forward, the roof beneath her heels instantly covered in a layer of blue ice. As a rainbow aura enveloped her body, an invisible wind causing her raiment to ripple, Esdeath locked her blue eyes with Kinue's before swinging her arm outwards, "Xcution Uniform: Cocytus Raiment."

Kinue narrowed her eyes as she felt Danketsu shivering around her body in anticipation, the Kamui's eagerness to fight Esdeath bleeding across their connection. Taking a single step backwards when the rainbow light surrounding her opponent began to dim Kinue scoffed lightly as she expertly sheathed the Genji Blade before pulling out her two Carnifexes. Snapping the six needle clips into place just as the light illuminating the rooftop vanished Kinue arched an eyebrow as she aimed her weapons at Esdeath, "Interesting…I thought Ragyo Kiryuin kept a French scheme for naming her raiment."

A light sheen of frost spread across the rooftop as Esdeath stepped forth, the pale blue metallic armor covering her body and accenting her figure clinking slightly. Armored feet leaving trails of thick ice in her wake, the pleated skirt shifting slowly in the breeze, the blue haired Xcution member smirked as she adjusted the visor covering her face. Staring at Kinue with icy blue eyes Esdeath's smirk twisted into a psychotic smile, "You should feel honored, naked pig. Only Lady Ragyo and the Grand Couturier have seen my raiment's activated form."

"I'm flattered," Kinue replied sarcastically, barely noticing the subzero temperature enveloping the rooftop, before snapping her arm upwards and firing the Carnifex's full clip directly at her opponent's face.

Even as a thick wall of ice shimmered into existence in front of Esdeath, the six needles penetrating nearly three inches before spinning to a halt, Kinue was already on the move. Immediately strafing to the side as a thick pillar of ice burst out of the roof from underneath her feet Kinue didn't have a moment to rest as she watched Esdeath flex her wrist. Cursing faintly when she was forced to continue dancing through her opponent's attacks, Danketsu's heels creating small craters on the rooftop, the elder Kinagase sibling's mood soured as she felt her Kamui's frustration at Esdeath's abilities.

Jumping to the side when several spikes exploded out of the roof directly in her path, the blue ice shimmering dangerously in the dark night, Kinue decided she couldn't afford to stay on the defensive any longer. She could already make out the wailing of klaxons from the distribution facility, which mean it was only a matter of minutes before she was swarmed by every conceivable type of Revocs security. Diving backwards while tucking her knees against her stomach Kinue swung her left arm towards Esdeath before firing all six needles in rapid succession at her right eye.

Her arm remaining perfectly still despite the Carnifex's massive recoil, Danketsu's strength easily absorbing the force from the weapon, Kinue managed to fire each needle at the exact same spot on Esdeath's barrier. Blue eyes widening in surprise as she watched large cracks rapidly spreading across her shield, the ice splintering under the powerful assault, Esdeath instinctively leapt away just as the ice violently shattered, a small grunt of pain escaping her lips when the sixth and final needled lodged itself several inches in her right shoulder.

"You're quite strong for a nudist…"

Esdeath's eyes shone with a psychotic glint as she landed on the roof, a small trail of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. Clasping her fingers around the needle lodged in her shoulder before wrenching it free, a small spray of blood arcing through the air as feeling returned to her arm, Esdeath licked away the blood in her mouth as her body shivered in excitement for the first time in several years. Torturing captured nudists had grown boring after only a few months, the weak and pathetic humans unable to last more than a few minutes before passing out from blood loss or dying. The prospect of pushing her Cocytus Raiment against Kinue, or rather Danketsu, caused her pulse to quicken in anticipation.

"In this world the strong prosper while the weak wither and die…the same is true for Life Fibers," Esdeath chuckled coldly, Kinue's eyes narrowing as she raised her left arm into the air. As several dozen jagged spears materialized above her head, an icy mist slowly wafting into the night sky, she grinned and continued, "Danketsu may be stronger than my raiment but in the hands of an unworthy human like you it is nothing but scraps of clothing. Let's see how you handle someone who has surrendered themselves to the glory of Life Fibers. Grêle tempête!"

"Oh great…"

Kinue holstered her Carnifexes and blurred into motion the moment Esdeath announced her attack, allowing her enough time to avoid the initial barrage. Her body appearing to fade in and out of existence as she deftly avoided Esdeath's fairly straightforward attack, the salvo of deadly projectiles moving painfully slow to the elder Kinagase sibling, Kinue's eyes widened in surprise when she felt a large explosion erupt from the street below. Chancing a glance backwards while twisting her body to the side Kinue gasped when she saw Esdeath's attacks destroying the surrounding neighborhood without care. As bursts of steam shot out of Danketsu's vents, her anger at the Xcution member causing the Kamui's emotions to bleed through the connection, Kinue wrapped her fingers around the Genji Blade before tearing it out of its sheath in one smooth motion, shattering the spears with ease.

"I've had enough of this…"

Flipping backwards before blasting forward towards Esdeath with enough force to shatter the roof beneath her feet Kinue's eyes hardened when she saw her opponent summon a blue-tinted ice barrier, a slightly worried expression visible on the blue haired woman's face. As the Genji Blade began shining with a deep purple aura, wisps of energy rising into the air as Danketsu's emotions began mixing with her own, Kinue stomped to a halt and pulled her lips into a grimace. Steeling her emotions as she pushed more power into the Genji Blade, the anger spreading through her mind abating, Kinue tightened her grip on the crimson blade before shouting, "Seni-Soshitsu!"

The barrier protecting Esdeath crumpled almost instantaneously under Kinue's attack, the blue haired woman's face frozen in an expression of terror as a crescent of purple energy left the Genji Blade and slammed into her body. Thrown backwards as the attack finally ended, a large gash running diagonally from shoulder to waist, Esdeath bouncing limply several times against the roof before Kinue rushed forward with her arm cocked back. Smashing her fist directly into the Xcution member's solar plexus, the Cocytus Raiment cracking under the force, the elder Kinagase's eyes narrowed dangerously as she wrapped her fingers around Esdeath's throat and slammed her headfirst into the roof.

Her breath coming out in short pants, the slight exhaustion plaguing her body quickly vanishing, Kinue released her supposedly deceased opponent and took a step back. Staring down at Esdeath's corpse, the woman's eyes locked open, Kinue scowled upon realizing she couldn't sense any Life Fibers from the body. Watching as the color drained from Esdeath's body before it shattered, one arm instinctively covering her eyes from the shards of ice, Kinue gasped in surprise, "An ice clone? But when did she –"

"Gee…that sure is an interesting sight. I wonder where she went?"

Kinue's breath hitched in her throat at the excessively saccharine and familiar voice. Gritting her teeth as she twisted her body around, Danketsu's energy causing the Genji Blade to glow a bright purple, Kinue barely managed to glimpse Nui Harime's saccharine smile before a petite fist slammed into her face. As blood and spittle flew out of her mouth, both Danketsu and her eyes widening in stunned surprise, the elder Kinagase heard a resounding boom before she was violently thrown backwards across Rio de Janeiro.

"Gosh, that seems like it really hurt!" Nui giggled as she watched Kinue crash into a building some distance away, a large cloud of smoke and dust rising upwards into the darkened sky. Pirouetting around when a visibly wounded but otherwise fine Esdeath reappeared on the roof, her interest in Kinue increasing upon noticing the Xcution member's injuries, Nui stick her tongue out and exclaimed, "Lady Ragyo's plan to lure out that faker worked perfectly! It's such a shame that you weren't able to hurt her, you know. Although…hmm…"

An inquisitive expression spread across Nui's face as she tilted her head to the left, her blonde pigtails bouncing slightly from the motion, "Danketsu seemed to really hate that human. I wonder why she just didn't eat her? That's all you humans are good for, you know. It's almost like…oh! I know why!"

"Please allow me to pursue her, Grand Couturier," Esdeath's tone was respectful as she wiped away the trail of blood leaking from her lips.

"Nope!" Nui announced as she clapped her hands together, sapphire eyes lightning up as everything about Danketsu's relationship with Kinue began making perfect sense. Walking away from a mildly confused Esdeath while reaching into her dress, the purple Needle Blade gripped in her manicured fingers, Nui smirked mischievously as her opinion on Kinue changed completely. When Lady Ragyo ordered her to capture the woman forcing herself into a Kamui, which wouldn't have been a problem if that coward hadn't failed in Seattle, Nui thought it would be really boring since the only people that could use a Kamui's full power were hybrids like Ichigo and Ryuko.

Nui couldn't be happier to be completely wrong.

"A worthless human like you couldn't do anything but die," Nui continued, turning around and looking over her shoulder at Esdeath, "I could feel it instantly, you know. That woman and I have so much in common…"

It took Esdeath only a few seconds to realize what the Grand Couturier was trying to imply. Deactivating her Cocytus Raiment with barely a thought, the raiment's armor vanishing in a burst of rainbow stars, the blue haired woman fixed her dirtied uniform before asking, "Shall I inform Lady Ragyo?"

"You can do whatever you want but I'm going to go have some fun!" Nui replied curtly, her saccharine tone fading for a second, before leaping away and vanishing into the night.

As she raced across the rooftops of Rio de Janeiro, her pink boots barely touching the ground, the Grand Couturier couldn't but wonder how someone like Kinue Kinagase managed to evade Lady Ragyo's notice for such a long time. Lips curling into a cute smile as she approached Kinue, the woman's Life Fibers a veritable beacon in the darkness for the Grand Couturier, Nui decided the best course of action would be to simply ask. While she thoroughly enjoyed torturing humans for information, weaving Marionette Threads into their empty heads to help speed along the process, Nui would never use such barbaric techniques on someone like Kinue.

Humming happily upon finally reaching her destination, a cute grunt leaving her lips as she stepped off the roof and landed on the streets, Nui didn't spare the corpses lining the street any attention as she coked her head to the side. Sapphire eyes staring widely into the rubble of the building, one hand pressed firmly against her forehead, Nui leaned forward and announced, "You can come out now, you know. A love tap like that surely didn't hurt someone like you!"

"Danketsu Genkei!"

Nui didn't even bother flinching when a maelstrom of purple energy exploded out of the building, her blonde pigtails chaotically whipping through the air. Tucking her arms against the small of her back, the purple Needle Blade held gingerly in her fingers, Nui closed her eyes and smiled as she savored Danketsu's new configuration. As the Grand Couturier of Revocs it was her solemn duty to create new and exciting uniforms for the naked apes, which was why she could instantly tell Danketsu was a Kamui of the highest quality. Opening her eyes once the cacophony of light and energy died down Nui tilted her head sideways and said, "Genkei? How cliché! Couldn't you have come up with something a bit more original?"

"Forgive me if I don't meet your expectations," Kinue sarcastically answered as she slowly walked out of the building, the soft clicking of her heels echoing throughout the silent street.

As Kinue stepped into view one of the first things Nui noticed, which brought a small and nearly imperceptible frown to her face, was the uncanny similarity in appearance between Danketsu Genkei and Junketsu Zenkan. While Danketsu's configuration possessed the same type of pleated hakama as Junketsu, colored dark blue instead of white, the Kamui's armor differed slightly with several vertical slits exposing the thigh-high heels underneath. As her trained eyes examined Danketsu's many banshi, the weave pattern so intimately similar to Senketsu's, Nui came to the conclusion that whoever created the wonderful Kamui had plagiarized Lady Ragyo's superior work.

"Gosh, you don't have to worry about that," Nui exclaimed, Danketsu's atrocious name forgotten upon noticing the final change in Kinue's appearance. Her smiling widening as she stared at the older woman's hair, the ugly red dye replaced with a much more beautiful purple undertone, Nui straightened her back and giggled, "Seeing your Kamui's configuration more than makes up for the bad name!"

A tense silence permeated the area as Kinue glared at Nui through narrowed eyes, the Grand Couturier's smile never faltering in the slightest. Sliding her right foot back as Danketsu's irritated voice echoed deeply in her mind, a burst of steam shooting out of the vents on her back, Kinue knew she couldn't remain in Genkei for more than fifteen or twenty minutes without losing control. Although Danketsu's advanced configuration increased her power, which should be enough to theoretically take down Nui Harime, it had the unfortunate side effect of lowering her mental barriers and allowing the Kamui's more volatile emotions to bleed across the connection between their minds.

Taking a deep breath Kinue refocused her attention on the smiling Grand Couturier, "Let me give you a single piece of useful information. The tactics you usually use in battle…will not work on me…"

"Tactics, huh? I don't know anything about that but your voice sounds awfully familiar. It's almost like we've met before…"

The Grand Couturier childishly puffed her cheeks in disappointment when she didn't get so much as a rise from the woman, which came across as rather odd considering what happened in Rome sixteen months. She had been in the city on official business for Lady Ragyo, taking out one of her last major competitors and securing Revocs a monopoly in Europe, when she sensed something intimately familiar in the distance. When she finally managed to track down the source Nui had been mildly surprised to see it was just another one of the naked apes.

"You know, at the time I thought you were just another stupid naked ape trying to stop Lady Ragyo's plans," Nui giggled childishly before she vanished in a burst of speed. Reappearing above Kinue, the older woman's eyes momentarily widening in surprise, the Grand Couturier smiled as swung the purple Needle Blade downwards, "If I knew you were wearing a Kamui I wouldn't have let you go so easily!"

The crackle of a sonic boom reverberated throughout Rio de Janeiro as the Needle Blade connected with Kinue's forearm. Beads of sweat dripping down her face as she fought for dominance against the Grand Couturier, the asphalt beneath her heels crumpling and cracking under the pressure, Kinue felt her muscles screaming in protest as more of her Kamui's power coursed through her body. Her mind strangely lucid despite Danketsu's emotions intermingling with her own, a slight shiver rushing up her spine as the Kamui tightened around her body, Kinue's lips curled into a facsimile of a smirk as she locked eyes with a visibly flustered Grand Couturier, "What's the matter? You seem surprised the Needle Blade couldn't cut through Danketsu."

"I-Impossible!"

Even as her fingers clenched around the Needle Blade, her arms quivering as she desperately tried to overpower Kinue, Nui's mind was preoccupied with the sheer impossibility of the situation. As the Grand Couturier of Revocs she knew more about Life Fibers than perhaps anyone other than Lady Ragyo and Isshin Kurosaki. Even Ryuko's idiotic traitor of a father, who should have suffered more for temporarily destroying her left eye, didn't know half the things she did but despite all that Nui couldn't understand why the Needle Blade wasn't cutting through Danketsu's armor. This was impossible! No matter how strong a Kamui's armor there was no way it could withstand a blow from a hardened Life Fiber weapon.

"This is impossible!" Nui repeated out of shock, her sapphire eyes widening when Danketsu's armor continued to withstand her attack without so much as a scratch, "Your Kamui shouldn't be able to stop me!"

"Impossible? As the Grand Couturier I thought you would already know…" Kinue trailed off in a quiet tone as she cocked her free arm backwards and curled her hand into a fist. As steam blasted forth from Danketsu's grills, the purple lines covering the Kamui shining brightly, the elder Kinagase narrowed her eyes and uncharacteristically shouted, "…Danketsu is the toughest Kamui in the world!"

Stomping one heel into the road before smashing her fist into the Grand Couturier's solar plexus, a deep echo reverberating through the night as the percussive blast cratered the building behind Nui Harime, Kinue's mild elation vanished when a pink boot violently connected with the underside of her chin. Gasping as she stumbled backwards, her mind noting the strange absence of pain, Kinue instinctively leaned to the side as the Needle Blade stabbed through the air, the purple weapon barely missing skewering her throat. Pulse quickening as she crossed her arms over her chest, the Needle Blade shaking while stuck between the crux of her forearms, Kinue grunted before pirouetting and slamming her heel into Nui's face with enough force that an audible crack was heard.

"Danketsu is the toughest, huh?"

Nui's tone carried a hint of uncharacteristic seriousness as she flipped away from the older woman and stabbed the Needle Blade into the road, the hardened Life Fiber weapon easily leaving a large trench in the asphalt. Tilting her head to the side and grinning as the blood coating her mouth and chin vanished, her regeneration quickly healing her wounds, the Grand Couturier ignored her opponent's scowl and scoffed childishly, "Gosh, what an arrogant assumption to make! It's really annoying to listen to humans say how they are going to win because they need to win or something stupid like that! Hmm…but I suppose I should be careful since that doesn't apply to someone like you…"

Kinue kept her eyes firmly locked on the Grand Couturier while slowly reaching for the Genji Blade, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just really curious how a Life Fiber Hybrid like you managed to hide for so long from Lady Ragyo," Nui replied without care, a pleased look in her eyes as she watched her opponent freeze in shock. Laughing happily as she leaned onto the Needle Blade, her right leg curled up against her dress, the Grand Couturier waited several seconds for the true meaning of her words to sink into Kinue's mind before continuing, "While that's rather bothersome I'm really confused why you would betray your own kind for these pathetic naked apes. Humans only exist as food for Life Fibers, which makes fighting you all the more depressing."

Kinue subconsciously rubbed her fingers against the black tattoo between her breasts, a reminder of her past idealism, before gripping the Genji Blade. As she drew it from its sheath, a purple aura surrounding the crimson blade as Danketsu's power immediately began flowing through it, Kinue narrowed her eyes and scoffed, "You're insane. I find it hard to believe I have anything in common with a psychotic monster like you."

"How rude!"

Nui huffed as she pulled the Needle Blade out of the ground. Twirling the purple blade around her wrist, lips curling back into a saccharine smile, the Grand Couturier stuck her tongue out and continued, "While you were fighting Lady Ragyo's cute little lackey I spent some time listening to Danketsu. She really hates you, you know that right? If you were a pathetic human like you keep claiming Danketsu who have long since eaten you! La vie est drôle! The only reason you're still alive is because it's super impossible for a Kamui to devour hybrids like us!"

"_**I suppose that explains why I could never fucking kill you."**_

Danketsu's multicolored eyes narrowed into pinpricks, a blast of steam shooting out of her grills, when she realized the Grand Couturier had a point. She had tried to devour her wearer multiple times over the last decade in retaliation for refusing to acknowledge her existence. For the first few months she had desperately tried talking to her wearer, the only person in Nudist Beach who could hear her voice, only to feel betrayed when the woman stupidly believed she was going insane. After she finally grew sick and tired of Kinue's shitty treatment, which only grew worse after she lost control and went berserk, Danketsu had tried to devour her only to be stunned when she found herself unable to do it despite her best efforts.

Shuddering in disgust as she repressed the annoying memories, a ripple coursing through her uniform, Danketsu turned her eyes upwards to Kinue and growled, _**"Don't think this changes anything between us. Even if you are a Life Fiber Hybrid my opinion of you hasn't changed at all. I still fucking hate you."**_

"Wow! Danketsu really hates you. I can't even imagine why you would mistreat such a beautiful Kamui," Nui giggled childishly, her smile widening at the confused expression in Danketsu's eyes, before leaning forward and clapping her hands together, "Anyway, I wonder how your nudist friends will react once they find out you're just like me? I bet Mr. Anderson will be really angry! Do you think he'll try to kill you?"

Narrowing her eyes as she slowly circled around Nui Harime, wisps of purple energy wafting off the Genji Blade, Kinue grimaced upon realizing it was only a matter of time before Esdeath Partas decided to assist the Grand Couturier. Subtly shifting her gaze down towards Danketsu, the Kamui's attention firmly locked on the blonde haired teenager, Kinue pursed her lips and whispered, "Danketsu, I need you to lend me your full power."

"_**Humph,"**_ Danketsu scoffed at her wearer, _**"Why the hell should I do that?"**_

"It is my fault we don't have the best relationship," Kinue softly admitted before pausing to look at the Grand Couturier. When she noticed Nui Harime simply staring at her, one hand propped against her cheek while a smile was plastered on her face, the older woman frowned before continuing, "But I know how much you hate the Grand Couturier. If you lend me your full power just long enough to defeat her I promise to never wear anything over you again."

The slight widening of Danketsu's multicolored eyes in genuine surprise didn't go unnoticed by her wearer. Mentally scoffing as she looked off to the side, a faint growl echoing through Kinue's mind, Danketsu waited several seconds before responding, _**"For the moment my hatred for Nui Harime far outweighs how much I despise you. Fine! Use my full power and tear that abomination apart one Life Fiber at a time! Just make sure to keep your end of the bargain." **_

"You're going to help her now? Wow, that's so adorable," Nui giggled and leapt backwards when Danketsu pulsed with power, her blonde pigtails blowing chaotically around as a sudden gust of wind rushed down the street. Tapping her foot against the ground as she raised the purple Needle Blade, her saccharine smile developing a malevolent edge, Nui cocked her head to the side before sighing dramatically, "So you want to fight, huh?"

"Do you know Danketsu's special technique?"

Purple heels clicking softly as she walked towards Nui Harime, the energy enveloping the Genji Blade illuminating the street in shades of crimson and purple, Kinue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Curling both hands around the Genji Blade's hilt, a burst of phantom wind racing outwards, the purple undertone in Kinue's hair brightened as she continued, "I thought as the Grand Couturier you would know something so apparent. Every Kamui possesses a specific and unique ability only accessible in their battle configuration – Mugetsu has Getsuga Tenshou, Senketsu has the Genkai series and Junketsu possesses Tenrai Kagai."

Twisting her arms around until the Genji Blade was held parallel to the ground, the energy coursing through it shifting until it turned a complete crimson, Kinue smirked when she saw a hint of fear appear in Nui's sapphire eyes. Grunting as she stomped her right leg into the ground, her purple heel easily piercing the asphalt, Kinue locked eyes with her opponent before shouting, "Youkou Genshou!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's quite rude to play with your food?"<p>

The shadows seemed to twist and contort as a well-dressed man slowly walked through the crowd encircling the hotel. Hands folded within the pockets of his brown suit, a soft chuckle emanating from his throat as he stepped around the blood pooled on the ground, the man flicked a finger against the brim of his fedora as he stare at the waiting Alucard, "You certainly do seem to live up to your reputation, Mister Alucard. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Tubalcain Alhambra but my colleagues call me The Deathdealing."

Alucard's lips curled upwards into a mockery of a grin as he looked away from the man standing before him and surveyed the gathered crowd but his interest wasn't focused on the multitudes of ignorant humans. In the distance he could feel two creatures nearly identical to Ryuko Matoi, their powers shining like beacons in the dark. Chuckling in amusement at the prospect of fighting such unique opponents, his blood red eyes gleaming in the night, Alucard turned back to Alhambra and asked, "The Deathdealing? Such a pretentious title. I take it these poor souls belong to you?"

"Ah…I assume you're referring to those unfortunate men," Alhambra quipped while nodding his head towards the six members of the BOPE impaled on the flagpoles behind him, streams of crimson blood dripping from their corpses onto the ground, "You can thank their foolish superiors. All it took was one small lie about immortality and they immediately sent their men off to die."

"Taking advantage of human idiocy…" Alucard scoffed in mild annoyance as he stared at Alhambra, "There is no such thing as immortality, which brings up an interesting question. What exactly are you supposed to be? You're neither a vampire nor the same type of creature as Ryuko Matoi."

"Do you expect me to simply tell you all of my secrets, Mister Alucard?"

A bead of sweat dripped down Alhambra's cheek as he sensed the nightmarish spiritual energy dwelling deep within Alucard's soul, the power an abyss of death and eternity that threatened to devour everything within reach. Alhambra knew it would be suicidal to allow Alucard the opportunity to release his full strength, which left him with only one course of action. Sweeping his arm across his body before snapping his fingers, blue spiritual energy appeared as a deck of cards emblazoned with the Quincy Zeichen materialized in his hand, Alhambra chuckled smugly, "I think, however, that there are more pressing matters to be concerned about. As you pointed out I'm not a vampire, which stands to suggest your holy bullets won't work on me."

"Your incessant prattle is starting to bore me," Alucard's smile faded upon sensing the energy flowing through Alhambra's cards, "So let's cut to the chase. Why are you here?"

"Do you really need to ask? I'm here to –"

Alhambra was cut off when a massive pulse of spiritual energy rippled across Rio de Janeiro, the power causing the few humans in the crowd capable of detecting supernatural energies to collapse under the mental strain. Grimacing as he twisted around, a deep crimson light temporarily illuminating the entire city, Alhambra grunted in disgust as the stench of Life Fibers assaulted his spiritual senses. He as already aware of the Revocs facility on the other side of the city, the Life Fibers within the complex mildly nauseating him, but the spiritual energy he just felt could have only come from a handful of creatures, none of which he was inclined to face at the moment.

Lurching forward and nearly losing his balance when something crashed into the upper levels of the hotel, the accompanying supersonic percussive blast shattering nearly every window in the building, Alhambra leapt to safety moments before jagged pieces of sharpened glass rained down on the ground. Green eyes narrowing suspiciously as he stared upwards, a vague outline barely visible though the columns of billowing smoke, Alhambra ignored the twinge of concern eating at the edges of his mind and muttered, "What the hell…"

"Gosh, how rude!"

A small frown of annoyance graced Nui Harime's face as the she landed on the ground, her pink boots tapping gently against the carpeted steps. Sparing an unconcerned glance at the stump of her left arm, an excessive amount of blood spurting forth from the wound, Nui mentally berated herself for completely forgetting about Danketsu's special technique. If she hadn't dodged to the side at the last second her body could have been completely destroyed, which would have been bad, but Nui wasn't too worried about such trivial matters now that she learned so much about Danketsu.

Humming as she reached the bottom of the steps, her sapphire eyes slowly scanning the crowd of humans, Nui's lips curled upwards into a mischievous smile at Lady Ragyo's brilliance. Thanks to the trace amount of Life Fibers in every single Revocs product none of the humans could see her, their memories devoured by the very clothing they wore. Resting her elbow on the purple Needle Blade while her left arm regenerated, flawless flesh rapidly knitting itself back together, the Grand Couturier stared at the six corpses impaled on the flagpoles surrounding her and scoffed, "Hmm…impalement is so last year! Although I should give points for originality! That reminds me…"

Her left leg curling as she reached into her dress, perfectly manicured fingers pulling out her cell phone, the Grand Couturier blinked in confusion when a playing card wreathed in blue energy sliced through the air, shattering the device in her hand. Turning around while dropping the now useless phone, her right hand absentmindedly pulling the Needle Blade out of the ground, Nui stared at Alhambra and cocked her head to the side, "That was a brand new phone, you know."

"Forgive me for my…exuberance," Alhambra mockingly apologized as he extended his hand, several new cards appearing between his fingers, "But I'm afraid I cannot allow you to call your illustrious master just yet."

"Oh? It's downright adorable you believe that," Nui's smile developed a sadistic edge as she began walking towards Alhambra, the Needle Blade held firmly in front of her body, "I go wherever I want to go, and no one can stop me. Not even someone like you, Mister Quincy."

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" Alhambra shrugged his shoulders, one hand adjusting his fedora as he circled around the Grand Couturier. Briefly turning his attention towards Alucard, green eyes narrowing in suspicion at seeing the vampire silently watching, the Quincy flicked his wrists before vanishing in a burst of Hirenkyaku. Reappearing on the other side of the Grand Couturier, his shoes skidding to a halt, Alhambra smirked as blue spiritual energy coated his hands, " …but allow me to make the first draw!"

Alhambra leapt into the air as he swung his arms forward, a veritable maelstrom of phantasmal playing cards shooting out of his hands. Beads of sweat trickling down his face while a harsh wind tore through the courtyard, his mouth twisting into a snarl upon seeing the playful look on the Grand Couturier's face, the Quincy scoffed in frustration before raising his arm until it was at eye level and snapped his fingers. Almost immediately the thousands of cards surrounding Nui Harime began glowing with a harsh blue light before simultaneously detonating in a cacophony of light and sound.

Hunched shoulders rising and falling in time with his breathing, a single card held tightly between his fingers, Alhambra's green eyes remained focused and attentive as he cautiously looked around the courtyard, "Now where is that little diablo?"

"Gosh, that isn't a very nice thing to say…"

A mischievous smile was plastered on Nui's face as she emerged from the cloud of smoke, her appearance completely flawless apart from several small tears in her pink dress. Taking a moment to examine her clothing, a satisfied giggle leaving her lips when the cuts in her dress repaired themselves, Nui's pink boot tapped lightly against the ground in annoyance when she saw Alhambra telekinetically launch dozens of cards at her. Sighing as her right arm blurred into motion, the purple Needle Blade easily shredding every single card before they could reach her, the Grand Couturier's grin widened upon seeing the shocked expression on the Quincy's face.

"Is it my turn yet?"

Vanishing from sight before shimmering back into reality with the Needle Blade slicing deeply into Alhambra's left arm, all the muscles and tendons severed in a single blow, Nui smirked in satisfaction at the Quincy's involuntary scream of pain. Carefully stepping around the puddles of blood pooling on the ground, one hand reaching up to fix a strand of unruly blonde hair, Nui mocking gasped as she addressed the injured man, "Wow, that sure looks like it really hurts! You should probably go see a doctor!"

"Y-You little…"

Alhambra's fingers subtly twitched as strings of invisible spiritual energy wove throughout his injured arm and reconnected the severed muscles. Allowing his arm to continue hanging limply for the moment, rivers of blood staining his fingers, Alhambra could feel his chances of surviving the night falling by the second. The Grand Couturier's strength was far beyond what she demonstrated at Honnouji Academy. As he desperately searched for a solution, his eyes glancing towards the black Sanrei Glove hidden on his right hand, Alhambra was caught completely by surprise when Nui Harime twirled around and walked away without attacking.

"Sorry but you're boring me," Nui quipped playfully, a tired yawn threatening to tear its way out of her throat, while pressing the Needle Blade against the small of her back and walked away from the Quincy. Her sapphire eyes widening in curiosity as she approached Alucard, the strange energy radiating off the vampire causing her Life Fibers to quiver in an oddly familiar way, the Grand Couturier smiled and tilted her head to the side, "And who exactly are you supposed to be? You sure don't feel like a stupid human or Quincy."

"Your power fascinates me, girl."

Alucard's amused chuckles echoed throughout the courtyard, the shadows writhing and controlling around his body, as he descended the steps towards the Grand Couturier. Reaching into his overcoat and pulling out the Jackal, the black pistol shining brightly in the darkness, the vampire found his interest in the blonde haired monster rising with each passing second, "It reminds me of that other creature. Tell me, do your clothes speak as well?"

Nui's expression immediately perked at the vampire's oddly specific comment, "That doesn't sound right. It's super impossible for someone like you to hear a Kamui, you know!"

"So it's called a Kamui…" Alucard's blood red eyes shone psychotically as he reached the bottom of the steps. Towering more than two feet over the Grand Couturier, his lips pulled into a maniac grin at the complete absence of fear in her eyes, the vampire slowly pointed the Jackal at Nui's forehead before continuing, "…unfortunately I'm beginning to find your voice highly irritating, monster –"

A blast of pressure exploded across the courtyard as the Needle Blade cleaved through Alucard's body, blood and visceral spraying through the air as the vampire was bisected nearly vertically. Blood red eyes widening in shock as the two halves of his body fell apart, a sickening squelch causing more than a few members of the crowd to throw up, Alucard allowed Nui Harime a second to celebrate before snapping his arm up and squeezing the Jackal's trigger. The Grand Couturier, expecting the vampire to use a normal weapon, was thrown backwards as the mercury-tipped round tore through her head and blew it clean off her shoulders.

As streams of blood oozed back into his body, the shadows composing his form rapidly regenerating the damage, a repetitive echo snapped through the air as the vampire king began to mockingly clap his hands together. His mouth pulled upwards into a vicious smile as he watched Nui Harime's head finish regenerating, bright purple light shining from within her body as the last of her pigtails reappeared, Alucard chuckled and added, "Your regeneration is superior to even the most powerful of vampires. Tell me something, monster girl, are you by chance related to Ryuko Matoi?"

"Hmm…how are you still alive?"

Humming in confusion as she pondered how Alucard survived getting cut in half, her sapphire eyes blinking owlishly, Nui's head tilted to the side as several ideas came to mind. Her first thought was that he was a Life Fiber Hybrid, as impossible as that was, but she immediately discarded that idea upon failing to sense any Life Fibers in his body. Lips quirking in barely concealed amusement when something flicked against the corner of her mind, the vampire king's mentioning of Ryuko filed away for later use, the Grand Couturier leaned her chin on the Needle Blade and exclaimed cheerfully, "While I would love to simply cut you open and find out what makes you tick I'm actually expecting company. She should be here in three…two…one…"

Slowly pulling the Needle Blade out of the ground as she finished counting down, her lips quirking into an amused smile, Nui let out a playful huff before immediately pirouetting around and blocking Kinue Kinagase's attack. Her smile briefly faltering when the older woman's strength proved more than she anticipated, a bead of nervous sweat dripping down her face as her pink boots slid backwards along the ground, the Grand Couturier quickly clasped her other hand around the Needle Blade's handle to arrest her momentum. Pouting childishly as sparks arced out from between their blades, her face lit up in shades of purple, Nui leaned forward and smirked, "It's only a matter of time, you know. No matter how much you try to act like a human they'll never accept you."

"And I suppose you're speaking from experience?" Kinue responded sarcastically, her fingers instinctively tightening around the Genji Blade as she pushed more of Danketsu's power through the specialized weapon.

"Of course not!"

Her laughter echoing as she vanished in a burst of speed, the Genji Blade slamming into the ground from the abrupt lack of resistance, Nui clapped her hands as she landed safe and sound in front of the hotel. Sapphire eyes absentmindedly noting the bloody corpses spread throughout the lobby, their faces locked in expressions of eternal torment, the Grand Couturier stuck her tongue out as she tucked the Needle Blade behind her back, "Golly, why would you ask a question when you already know the answer?"

Instead of responding to Nui's obvious taunts, which caused the blonde haired teenager to pout childishly, Kinue found her attention focused completely on the smiling man wearing severely outdated Victorian attire. Cold blue eyes narrowing when she felt Danketsu shivering around her body, the Kamui unable to explain just what it was about the man that bothered her so much, Kinue stared at the six impaled corpses before turning back to the Grand Couturier and asking, "What are you planning?"

"Do I look like someone with a plan?"

Nui huffed childishly, one foot tapping against the ground, before looking at the bleeding corpses and gasping in realization. Sticking her tongue out while raising a hand to her cheek, the skin appearing to fade to a pale white, the Grand Couturier giggled in embarrassment, "Oh…you're talking about those sorry humans. Sorry, but I didn't kill any of them. Not from a lack of trying, mind you. They were like that when I got here."

"The little diablo is correct."

Kinue looked away from the Grand Couturier as Alhambra walked across the courtyard towards her, his right hand adjusting the brim of his fedora. Shadowed green eyes staring at Nui Harime as several spotlights from the crowd shone on his back, illuminating his body in a bright yellow light, the Quincy gave the nudist a respectful bow and continued, "Tubalcain Alhambra, at your service. I hate to be the bearer of unfortunate news but the Grand Couturier was not the one to kill those poor men."

"I realized that the moment she denied doing so," Kinue replied, mildly distracted as her attention briefly focused on the gathered crowd of civilians and law enforcement surrounding the hotel. Blue eyes narrowing imperceptibly when she noticed nobody was looking at her, the Revocs logo stitched on every visible piece of clothing all she needed to see, Kinue expertly sheathed the Genji Blade against the small of her back and scoffed, "The Grand Couturier does not lie, after all."

Her hand tightening into a fist as the full weight of her existence finally settled in her mind, a small sigh escaping her lips as she wondered what she would tell Tsumugu, Kinue shook her head as she pushed such thoughts out of her mind. She could always figure out how to break the news to her brother later on but now wasn't the time to worry about such things. Hooking a finger through the Carnifex holstered on her right leg as she slowly walked towards Alucard, Danketsu growling under the ancient vampire's gaze, Kinue slid in a full clip of needles before commenting, "You must be Alucard."

The ancient vampire's face was wreathed in shadows before his lips pulled into an amused grin. Reaching into his overcoat as his sauntered towards the nudist, his black leather riding boots echoing softly against the ground, Alucard withdrew the Casull from the shadows composing his body while whistling appreciatively at Danketsu's power, "Another one of you creatures…and with a Kamui, no less. These last few days have been truly exciting."

"Anderson's report was quite thorough about your capabilities…and your identity," Kinue explained stoically as Danketsu telepathically shifted back into Genkei, the change in configurations accompanied by a flash of purple stars and light. Snapping her arm upwards and pointing the Carnifex directly at the ancient vampire's heart, her index finger tightening around the trigger, Kinue's blue eyes narrowed as her heels clicked loudly against the ground, "But it seems Bram Stoker didn't get everything right."

"You're referring to _that_ man," Alucard's voice contained a twinge of amusement as he stepped to a halt several meters from the nudist, "He was such an interesting human but I found his ending quite disappointing…"

Allowing his voice to trail off as he aimed the Casull at Kinue's throat, a sharp wind quickly kicking up and causing his red overcoat to billow outwards, Alucard's grin widened until his fangs became visible as a manic light shone in his blood red eyes. It had been years since someone managed to figure out his true identity yet the woman standing before him somehow did so in less than a day. His black hair writhing like shadows as he stared into Danketsu's multicolored eyes, both the Kamui and her wearer's hair glowing with a dark purple color, the ancient vampire smirked before snapping his right arm behind his body and firing the Jackal at Nui Harime.

"Like I'll fall for the same thing twice!"

Mockingly smiling as she swung the purple Needle Blade into the oncoming bullet, her sapphire eyes glistening with confidence, Nui was shocked when the mercury-tipped round smashed through the hardened Life Fiber blade without losing momentum. Time appearing to slow down for just an instant as the ambient light reflected off the broken pieces of the Needle Blade the Grand Couturier gasped when the holly bullet easily tore through her elbow, the force behind the specialized round disintegrating her entire arm, before exploding in the lobby behind her.

Sapphire eyes narrowing psychotically as she glared at Alucard, her teeth visibly sharpening into daggers, Nui Harime's body shook before she took a deep breath and announced saccharinely, "Just kidding!"

Kinue couldn't help but stare in disbelief as the color faded from the Grand Couturier's body, leaving the one blonde haired teenager as little more than a white and grey caricature of a human being. As a blast of steam shot out of Danketsu's grills, the Kamui undoubtedly enraged by Nui Harime's ploy, the elder Kinagase scornfully muttered, "I was fighting a Mon-Mignon Prêt-à-Porter clone the entire time?"

"Sorry but that's just not true!" Nui replied joyfully, her voice warbling slightly, as her body began fraying apart at the seams. Sticking her tongue out as her remaining hand dissolving into purple Life Fibers, the alien fibers vanishing into the night, the Grand Couturier giggled before continuing, "You were fighting a super durable, patent pending and overall cute COVERS clone! It was specifically designed so I could have fun without having to leave Honnouji Academy! I may not be as strong or fast but I think it gets the job done –"

The Grand Couturier's body lurched backwards as Kinue shifted her aim and fired the Carnifex directly into her stomach. Keeping her finger pressed against the trigger as she fired a second time, the Anti-Life Fiber needle piercing through Nui's left shoulder, Kinue mentally berated herself for failing to realize something was wrong from the moment Nui Harime punched her across the city. Depressing the trigger when Nui continued smiling despite her body dissolving away Kinue scoffed and demanded, "Why were you here?"

"To see you, silly!"

Laughing even as her entire lower body vanished into nothingness, strands of purple Life Fibers briefly floating in the air, Nui looked at Alucard and Alhambra before continuing, "Did you honestly think we didn't notice what you humans were doing? You nudists are so predictable it's downright adorable! It's common fact that only a Kamui can defeat raiment so Lady Ragyo figured they would send you to check things out. While it was really fun seeing all of Danketsu's techniques I didn't expect to fight an actual vampire. This has been quite the eventful night…au revoir!"

A tense silence permeated the courtyard as the last traces of the COVERS disintegrated, the Grand Couturier's melodious laughter fading away into the cooling night. Pursing her lips as a harsh wind blew away any remaining Life Fibers, a small burst of steam shooting out from Danketsu, Kinue perked up when she heard the subtle click of a gun against the back of her head. Quickly vanishing in a burst of speed as Alucard fired the Jackal, the thirteen-millimeter bullet passing through her afterimage, the elder Kinagase sibling's black and purple hair whipped chaotically as she reappeared behind the vampire and fired the Carnifex's four remaining needles deep into his heart.

"You expect to kill me with needles?" Alucard scoffed derisively as he twisted around, streams of crimson liquid leaking out of his chest, and fired the Jackal twice more at his opponent only for both holy bullets to miss when Kinue's body faded away one more. Eyes narrowing as he followed Kinue across the courtyard, his enhanced senses easily tracking the woman's movements, Alucard paused and looked down when he felt something roll against his foot before nearly a dozen spool grenades exploded into a multicolored inferno.

Heels skidding along the ground as she leapt away just seconds before the remainder of her spools grenades detonated Kinue breathed deeply as mild exhaustion began to set in. Her chest rising and falling as the Life Fibers in her body rapidly restored her stamina, Danketsu's form glowing with a bright purple light, she was forced to quickly lean backwards when she heard the familiar sound of the Jackal firing. Gritting her teeth as the bullet passed only a few inches above her body Kinue's eyes widened when she spotted Seras Victoria on the edge of the hotel's roof before the fledgling vampire fired a single 30-mm depleted uranium shell from the Harkonnen.

"I don't think so!"

Appearing in front of Kinue using Hirenkyaku, streams of blue spiritual energy clinging to his shoes, Alhambra grimaced as he swung his arm and threw a single card at the incoming projectile. Fingers tightly gripping the brim of his fedora as the specialized heilig pfeil severed the shell lengthwise, the two halves exploding against the courtyard on either side of him, Alhambra didn't take his eyes off Alucard's last known position as he spoke, "I think now would be a good time for you to leave, Miss Kinagase."

Kinue allowed Danketsu to shift back to her normal configuration, the Kamui giving a haughty huff, before holstering the Carnifex and asking, "Do you intend to fight Alucard?"

"My superiors have tasked me with taking Alucard down," Alhambra smirked as he flicked his wrists, several new cards instantly appearing between his fingers, "But unlike the Grand Couturier my powers will have full effect on the vampire. You, on the other hand, are one of the few people able to fight Ragyo Kiryuin."

"Very well," Kinue sighed as she turned away from the Quincy, Danketsu tightening around her body due to Alucard's presence. Casting one last glance towards where the ancient vampire was undoubtedly waiting, her face twisting into a faint scowl, she crouched down and added, "Let me give you one important piece of advice before I leave – there is a member of Xcution nearby so don't let your guard down. Danketsu Funsha!"

Holding tightly onto his fedora as Kinue escaped into the night, her powerful launch managing to dispel the smoke concealing him, Alhambra chuckled softly as his lips curled into a pleased smirk. His shoes echoing faintly against the ground as he approached the patiently waiting Alucard, the shadows surrounding him stretching further with every step, the Quincy pulled a new deck of cards out of thin air before speaking, "I sincerely apologize for that unnecessary delay, Mister Alucard, but what can one do when the Grand Couturier makes up her mind? Now then, I believe it is time I brought you in…"

"This night has been full of such interesting revelations," Alucard's tone contained a hint of amusement as he watched Kinue vanish into the distance, her form a purple pinprick against inky blackness, before shifting his attention to the nearby Quincy. Pointing the Jackal at Alhambra's neck, the massive weapon already reloaded, Alucard's lips twisted into a manic grin as he asked, "Do you intend to actually fight me? You claim you're going to bring me in yet you could hardly stand against that little girl. You're either incredibly stupid or arrogant."

"I am neither of those things…"

Raising his left arm above his head, droplets of blood from his injuries splattering against the ground, Alhambra smirked at Alucard's mildly curious expression before snapping his fingers. As hundreds of cards flew through the air before stopping several feet from the crowd, a shimmering blue barrier instantly flaring into existence, Alhambra's body was enveloped by blue spiritual energy as he carefully removed his right glove, "Oh? Are you curious about what I just did?"

"Hardly," Alucard scoffed before snapping his arm upwards and firing the Casull at the barrier. Slightly intrigued when the barrier stopped the bullet, the explosive silver round disintegrating in a burst of blue flames, the vampire stared directly into Alhambra's eyes and lightly chuckled, "A barrier designed to keep anyone from interfering. You're not the first one to try something like this."

"Bem dito," Alhambra complimented as he raised his right hand, showing the vampire the previously hidden black Sanrei Glove. Fingers clasped around the glove, blue spiritual energy wafting off his body, the Sternritter cocked his head and chuckled, "I feel the need to thank you. Your presence has allowed me the opportunity to release my full power without consequences. Watch carefully, Mister Alucard, because this is the last thing you'll see. Vollstandig: Setzeniel."

His blood red eyes widening in surprise when a column of spiritual energy erupted from Alhambra, the intensity more than enough to disintegrate the courtyard surrounding the Sternritter, Alucard leapt away moments before his body was completely engulfed. Landing on the hotel's roof before immediately collapsing to one knee, a large quantity of blood spurting from where his arm and lower torso should have been, the ancient vampire growled in annoyance as his body began regenerating. Standing back onto his feet as his internal organs reconstituted themselves from the shadows, streams of blood oozing back into his body, Alucard frowned at the darkness tinting Alhambra's spiritual energy before silently releasing his restriction seals.

"Police Girl!" Alucard's echoing voice easily crossed the rooftop all the way to Seras Victoria, "If you truly covet your unlife continue cowering in the shadows. This man is far from the average opponent…"

Lips twisting upwards as the rooftop was cast in shades of blue and white, the shadows composing his body retreating for just an instant, Alucard deliberately turned around slowly and whistled mockingly at Alhambra's new form. Chuckling coldly as he stared at the Quincy's new form, angelic winds made of spiritual playing cards stretching from his shoulders and a five-pointed star hovering over his head, Alucard's hands clapped loudly as he spoke, "Setzeniel…Gamble of God…do you fancy yourself a divine being, Quincy? I don't know whether to be amused or insulted."

"You must be going soft in the head, Mister Alucard," Alhambra's voice echoed with a slight ring as he snapped his fingers, hundreds of glowing playing cards instantly appearing in the air surrounding the vampire. Extending his fingers, wisps of spiritual energy wafting off the digits, the Quincy smirked as a faint wind kicked up, "Do you think I'm going to give you the necessary time to release your restriction seals? I think not!"

"This world would be truly boring without people like you to amuse me."

Alucard's chuckles turned into outright laughter as the hundreds of cards tore through his body, blood and visceral splattering against the roof, before his eyes widened and he took a single step forward. Holding his arms out as dozens of red eyes appeared on his body, the shadows covering the rooftop shifting and bubbling, the ancient vampire's gait didn't falter as the rest of Alhambra's cards were destroyed by the darkness emanating from his body. As eldritch beasts and abominations emerged from his body, the sound of thousands of screaming souls mixing together into an unholy chorus, Alucard stared into the deeply unsettled Quincy's eyes and shouted, "What are you waiting for Quincy? Didn't you say you were going to bring me in? Well then…hit me with your best shot!"

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><p>"…the number of casualties continue to rise from the terror attack in…"<p>

Propping his feet on the desk as he muted the television, the auburn haired woman's voice instantly shutting off, a young man with short black haired leaned backwards in his chair and smirked at the events unfolded in Rio de Janeiro. One finger rapidly tapping against his knee as he weighed his options, the creature calling itself Alucard putting quite a wrench into his carefully calculated plans, the young man hummed thoughtfully before reaching into the breast pocket of his olive colored jacket and pulling out a burner phone. Slowly inputting a phone number, his eyes fixated on Alhambra as the Quincy released a large amount of energy, he waited several seconds before speaking, "Are you watching the news, Lady Ragyo?"

"Yes, it appears my dearest Nui played her part perfectly. Thanks to the Life Fibers in Revocs clothing none of the pigs in human clothing noticed her presence."

Ragyo Kiryuin's lips curled into a pleased smirk as she stared at the data the Grand Couturier had managed to collect on Danketsu. As her maroon eyes memorized every stitch and weave in the holographic images displayed, the blue and purple Kamui's Life Fiber's naked and bare for all to see, the Kiryuin matriarch's disposition quickly changed as she came to the same conclusion as her precious Nui about Danketsu's origin. Only her fool of a former husband would have the audacity to plagiarize the hard work she and Isshin put into weaving Junketsu. The fact Danketsu's advanced configurations were nearly identical was only more proof that Souichiro, despite possessing a modicum of talent, had no true artistic skills.

Clenching her free hand into a fist, perfectly manicured nails failing to break her flawless skin, Ragyo turned away from the images and narrowed her maroon eyes as she remembered a more persistent problem, "These Quincy are started to become something of an issue. Their powers might not be effective against Life Fibers but I'm not about to take any chances. Deal with them however you see fit but be sure to let me know once you've located their headquarters."

A light chuckle echoed throughout the cramped room as the man grabbed a thick notebook off the desk. Absentmindedly flipping through the pages, each covered in lines of German translated into both English and Japanese, he couldn't help but wonder about the true identity of this 'His Majesty' the Quincy held in such high regards. Rubbing the bottom of his chin as his lips pursed into a grimace, several unlikely answers passing through his mind, the man leaned his head back and asked, "What about Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi?"

"I'm mildly surprised Isshin would allow them to leave Karakura Town."

Her pure white heels clicking against metal as she strutted between rows of mentally refitted humans, the Marionette Threads visible around their brains, Ragyo pondered the reasons Isshin would let Ryuko and Ichigo leave the relative safety of Karakura Town. While London, and by extrapolation England, was nearly free of Life Fibers thanks to that ridiculous embargo that did not mean she couldn't enter the country. Unflinching when a spurt of blood shot through the air, courtesy of Amu stabbing a human who made an atrocious tear in Shinra Koketsu, the Kiryuin matriarch huffed haughtily, "But it's of no consequence. While their presence in London does pose a minor annoyance it shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Still…I am rather curious about how Ryuko and Ichigo are doing. Please be a dear and check on them for me."

The man's smirk widened as he placed a green cap on his head and stood up, "Do you wish for me to spy on them, Lady Ragyo?"

"Swaying those idiotic men in Parliament takes priority for the moment, which should be an easy task even for a coward the likes of you," Ragyo answered, her expression stoic as she watched a COVERS deal with the latest corpse. Folding her arms under her bosom, the rainbow light from her silver hair intensifying, she tilted her head and smirked as an idea came to mind, "The Hellsing Organization, however, will prove to be a much more formidable challenge. This creature…Alucard…is not something I anticipated. I assume this won't be a problem even if you _are_ a coward, Mr. Akiyama?"

Yuu Akiyama chuckled lightly as he pulled a high-resolution picture of Ryuko Matoi off the wall. Staring for several seconds at the image of Ryuko, taken when she arrived at London Heathrow Airport, he turned to leave his cramped room but not before grabbing the copy of Dracula from his desk, "Thank you for the highest of praises, Lady Ragyo, but you don't need to worry about anything. Now if you'll excuse me there's a few politicians I need to meet…"


	44. Chapter 44: Train in Vain

_So here is Chapter 44...a bit later than I hoped. Sorry about that but I don't have much to say. The arc is finally getting into the good stuff (i.e. Hellsing OVA IV-X level of good) and that means more fight scenes and character development. Writing out deep and emotional scenes (like in this chapter) tends to take a lot more time because I NEED everything to be perfect. If even one thing about the scene is wrong or out of context then everything will fall apart. I couldn't have that so I spent a lot of time making sure every single line of dialogue was up to standards (and beyond it.)  
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_I hope you enjoy the chapter and please be sure to leave a review once you're finished. As always I'll end with the message about visiting my tvtropes page and the like. Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 44 – Train in Vain<strong>

Adjusting her cassock's collar as a stiff breeze whipped through the area, her straw blonde hair ruffling in the darkness, Heinkel Wolfe's boots crunched softly against the gravel as she approached a large two story building. Glancing at the moon rising over the horizon, the pale white light reflecting off her glasses, she took one last drag from her cigarette before crushing it. The moisture from her breath condensing in the cool autumn night, her breath coming out as a faint mist, Heinkel braced herself as she stopped in front of the building and gripped her fingers around the door and twisted. Stepping inside the building, old wooden boards creaking loudly beneath her boots, the woman feared throughout the world as the Judas Priest smiled brightly when nearly a dozen orphans ran out of the adjoining rooms and began pestering her with questions.

"Don't worry, I won't leave out any details about my latest exciting trip," Heinkel lightheartedly promised as she ruffled a young orphan's hair before stiffening when she noticed the elderly matron standing nearby with a stern expression on her face, "But that will have to wait until tomorrow. You all best go back to bed before the matron gets angry."

As a collective groan echoed throughout Harobaro House the children pouting as they reluctantly marched back to their respective rooms, Heinkel felt a cold chill race down her spine when the matron sternly asked, "Did you have to visit so late in the evening, Ms. Wolfe? It's going to take me at least an hour to get all the children back to bed."

"I'm sorry, matron," Heinkel apologized sheepishly while nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "If it's too much trouble I can come back tomorrow and –"

"Oh, you don't need to apologize."

The matron's tone softened as she wrapped Heinkel in a hug, the elderly woman's arms barely reaching the paladin's chest, "The children love it when you and Yumiko visit but I wish she wouldn't always show off that sword around the children. I don't want them getting the wrong ideas."

Heinkel chuckled nervously at the matron's specific choice of wording. It was common knowledge within Iscariot that even the most innocent of insults about Yumiko's choice of weaponry would be met with quick and lethal force. The last person to make such a fatal mistake, a new recruit who commented to Yumiko that blessed bullets were better for dealing with the supernatural than her katana, had barely escaped with his life. It had taken the combined effort of six paladins, Heinkel included, to hold back Yumiko and stop her from painfully killing the naïve young man.

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Heinkel's lips pursed into a grimace under the matron's withering gaze before she let out a sigh and followed the elderly woman deeper into the orphanage. After several tense seconds passed, the silence permeating the hallway nearly deafening, the paladin stared at the wall and added, "I'm sorry for not visiting last month. There was a rather nasty piece of business in Moscow that Maxwell wanted me to investigate."

The matron couldn't help but shake her head at the mention of Iscariot's leader, "Enrico was always such a serious young man. I hope he's not overworking you."

"You don't need to worry about me," Heinkel answered for what felt like the hundredth time in her life, "I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself."

"As you keep reminding me," the matron replied with a knowing smirk before stopping in front of her office.

Turning the handle of the door, the rusty hinges creaking softly from age, the elderly woman reached for the light switch before walking inside. Ignorant of the musty smell of books as the room was quickly illuminated in shades of orange and yellow, the incandescent lamps perched on the walls casting sinister shadows, the matron couched harshly as she sat down behind her desk. Wrinkled cheeks curling into a smile as she watched Heinkel standing in the doorway, the paladin too polite to enter the office without an invitation, she gestured with her hand before continuing, "You were always such a scrawny teenager but look at you now. Twenty-eight years old and not only taller than most men but more developed than any woman I've ever seen."

Scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment as she stepped inside the office, the faint lighting reflecting off her glasses, Heinkel looked out the window before speaking, "The truth is I'm actually here on business. I need to look at the old records."

A curious expression passed across the matron's face at Heinkel's rather odd request. Aged hands clasped together on the desk as the soft chiming of the clock down the hallway rung loudly through the quiet orphanage, the ten chimes signaling how late it truly was, the elderly woman's eyes narrowed in thought as she asked, "Why do you need to see the old records? Everything's digital nowadays. The only reason you would need to go there is…"

"Anderson was spotted in London by the Hellsing Organization's pet monster," Heinkel interrupted as she slammed a fist against the wall, anger tainting her voice, before sighing loudly and turning around, "Iscariot's investing most of its resources into finally bringing him to justice but I thought it would be best to start at the beginning. The old records contain files from the Kobe orphanage. There might be something in them that can help us track him down."

"I see…"

There was a hint of sadness in the matron's voice at the mention of Alexander Anderson. She would never understand how a gentle man like Anderson, who would gladly sacrifice his life to save the children he cared so much about, could snap and commit such a violent deed. Opening the top drawer of her desk and pulling out a key, a light sheen of dust coating the bronze surface, the elderly woman handed it to Heinkel and said, "Please remember to lock the door once you're finished. I don't want any of the more inquisitive children getting hurt."

Tightly clasping the key between her fingers as she turned around and left the matron's office, the elderly woman wishing her luck in her search, Heinkel couldn't help but feel that she was searching for a needle in a haystack. Even though the old records contained files on every orphan fostered by Anderson and his predecessors at the Kobe orphanage, which were immediately transferred to Harobaro House after the former paladin lost his mind, Heinkel knew the likelihood of finding any useful information within the archives was slim at best. The bare wooden boards creaking beneath her boots as she finally reached her destination, the door leading down to the basement managing to appear sinister in the dim moonlight, she scoffed lightly before swinging it open and descending into the darkness.

Flicking a finger against the switch on the wall, her face twisting into an annoyed scowl when there was a burst of sparks before the basement was cast back into darkness, Heinkel cursed as she reached into her cassock and pulled out a flashlight, "Verdammt! One would think with all the money this place gets the matron would have fixed the wiring ages ago."

As she stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her boots echoing lightly against the bare stone floor, Heinkel swept the flashlight across the spacious basement and sighed dejectedly at her cursed luck. Even though she had known about the old records since transferring to Harobaro House thirteen years ago, a shudder racing down her spine at the memory of the matron punishing her for trying to break inside, she had never actually been in them but now she could see why the Vatican was so hesitant on copying the files.

"This…might take a while," Heinkel muttered as the pale yellow light from her flashlight illuminated the stacks of boxes, her eyes counting nearly one hundred before the shadows permeating the basement made that impossible. Letting loose a series of grumbling curses as her shoulders slumped forward, the flashlight held limply in her hand, the paladin took a deep breath before moving towards the nearest box, "Well, I should get started…"

It took Heinkel more than twenty minutes of searching, her eyes watering from the large amount of dust hanging in the air, before her attention was drawn to a particular box. Tucking the flashlight under her arm as she crouched down and rubbed her gloved hand against the plastic surface, the faded black letters stenciled on the box barely visible after more than a decade, the paladin grinned victoriously and muttered, "Here it is… A. Anderson – January to June (1985)."

Her fingers gripping the corners of the box as she carefully removed it, a relieved sigh escaping her lips when the rest of the stack didn't come crashing down around her head, Heinkel let out a small grunt before standing up and walking towards the desk at the far end of the basement. As she dropped the box onto the desk with a resounding thud, the resulting cloud of dust causing her to momentarily cough, Heinkel sat down before gingerly removing the lid. Propping the flashlight onto the desk, the beam angled just high enough to see inside the box, she began leafing through the folders before stiffening when she spotted a familiar name.

"**MATOI, RYUKO"**

Heinkel momentarily paused, the folder still held firmly in her hands, as she read that particular name for the first time in more than a decade. It felt blasphemous that she was even considering equating the Ryuko she knew growing up to the same monster Alucard claimed to have fought in England. Nothing made any sense yet Heinkel couldn't ignore the feeling in the pit of her stomach that Alexander Anderson's surprising reappearance in London after so many years was more than just simple coincidence.

Snorting in barely veiled annoyance as she flipped open the portfolio and began riffling through the contents, aged yellowed forms and documents falling at the wayside, the paladin froze when an old photograph slid out of the folder and across the desk. As her gloved fingers gingerly held the image up to the light, the exposure chemicals already distorting the once vibrant colors into shades of yellow and grey, Heinkel's grey-green eyes narrowed upon recognizing the two people in the photograph. Crouched in front of the old Kobe orphanage with a large smile plastered on his face, one hand placed squared on top of a visibly embarrassed Ryuko Matoi's head, was a much younger Alexander Anderson.

"Damn it, Anderson…"

As half-remembered memories swam to the surface of her mind, thoughts and recollections from more than thirteen years ago playing out before her eyes, Heinkel slammed a fist against the desk and shook her head. Turning her attention back to the contents of the folder, the picture tucked safely inside her cassock, the paladin's eyes thoroughly scanned over the documents for anything that could be useful.

"No known allergies…mild case of trypanophobia…" Heinkel listed off as she read through the sparse medical records, her tone growing tenser with every passing second, before scoffing and tossing them into a pile to her left. There was absolutely nothing in Ryuko's medical history that could be useful in determining the validity of Alucard's statement. The only thing that stood out was Ryuko's mild case of trypanophobia and even that was common enough to be ignored.

A yawn escaping her mouth as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, nearly twenty hours of consciousness starting to take its toll, Heinkel was just about to skip over Ryuko's initial adoption papers when something caught her eye. Quickly standing up as she flipped through the many forms and contracts with renewed vigor, her gaze focused on the signature written at the bottom of each page, the paladin leaned forward and muttered out loud, "Why did Masaki Kurosaki fill out all of Ryuko's paperwork?"

The faint light from the flashlight shifted chaotically as Heinkel sat back down. Masaki Kurosaki was a name familiar to anyone who grew up in the Kobe orphanage. Her charitable donation to the orphanage, which had been in danger of closing due to the actions of the previous director, had been enough to keep the doors open for decades. In the weeks after Anderson lost his mind and vanished into the ends of the earth, the former priest's insanity carving a bloody trail out of Rome, the Vatican shut down the Kobe orphanage and transferred all the children to Hanobaro House.

As she rapidly leafed through the stapled documents, her attention continuously drawn to the dates stamped on the top of each page, Heinkel cursed lightly in German upon noticing an odd coincidence. According to Ryuko's file Masaki Kurosaki gave her to the Kobe orphanage on April 7th, 1985, which was the same day as the latter's donation. Scratching at her cheek while leaning back in the chair, her glasses falling down the bridge of her nose, Heinkel shook her head and muttered to herself, "What was so special about Ryuko that she would donate millions of dollars?"

Minutes stretched into hours as Heinkel read through Ryuko's file, the faint sound of water dripping in the far corners of the basement interrupting the nearly palpable monotonous silence. Most of the documentation was completely cut and dry, consisting of nothing but the standard legal framework needed for adoption, but it was the name of the man who adopted Ryuko that struck the paladin as completely out of place – Isshin Matoi. While this could be nothing more than contrived happenstance the paladin knew that wasn't the case. There were far too many coincidences surrounding Ryuko's four years at the Kobe orphanage.

Heinkel sighed tiredly as she ran a hand through her straw blonde hair before perking up when she felt something in her pocket vibrating. Reaching into her cassock and pulling out her cell phone, her grey-green eyes widening slightly as she recognized the number, the paladin shook her head and held the phone next to her ear, "Wolfe speaking."

A few seconds passed in complete silence before a partially nasally voice spoke, _"This is John Arnold of Section IX. I apologize for the lateness of my call, Paladin Wolfe, but I was told by Enrico Maxwell to call you as soon as possible in regards to the Anderson investigation."_

Whatever remained of Heinkel's mental exhaustion quickly dissipated as she stood up and pressed the phone closer to her ear. Vatican Section IX was the cyber division of the Catholic Church, tasked not only with collecting information but also suppressing anything related to the supernatural and undead. Closing the folder while turning around, one hand rubbing her sore neck, she pursed her lips before asking, "Have you found something?"

"_We traced Alexander Anderson's arrival in London to a privately owned jet owned by Ishida Pharmaceuticals,"_ Arnold paused briefly, his fingers rapidly typing in the background, before coughing and continuing, _"We've managed to log into the surveillance system at London Heathrow Airport. Anderson didn't arrive. Two other people, most likely in their late teens, were accompanying him. I'm sending several pictures to your phone now..."_

Lowering her arm as the connection was severed, her grey-green eyes narrowing in contemplation, the paladin didn't need to wait even a minute before her phone indicated she had mail. One arm folded under her bosom as she opened the attachments, her thumb flicking through the images of Anderson meeting with two heavily armored men, Heinkel felt her breath hitch in her throat as she beheld the perfectly recognizable visage of Ryuko Matoi. Zooming in on the image, Ryuko's unique gear-shaped pupils as well as the bang of red hair hovering over her face clearly visible, she took a moment to gather her thoughts before slamming her fist against the desk hard enough to crack the metal surface.

"Fuck!"

One hand rubbing the bridge of her nose as she digested the information, an angry growl escaping her lips, Heinkel waited several minutes before dialing a number. Leaning over the desk as she removed her glasses, tired grey-green eyes looking at the photograph of Ryuko and Anderson, she sighed when a familiar voice answered. Sitting comfortably in a Vatican jet as he flew over France, one hand waving away Father Renaldo, Enrico Maxwell's voice was tense as he spoke, _"Wolfe…I didn't expect to hear from you so quickly. I take it you managed to find something of value at Hanobaro House?"_

"There were several glaring inconsistencies in Ryuko's files that warrant further investigation," Heinkel replied, a grimace on her face as she closed the portfolio.

"_I see…"_ Maxwell rubbed his chin as he pondered Heinkel's findings, _"And have you discovered anything pertaining to the current situation?"_

Heinkel scoffed dejectedly, her shoulders hunched forward, before speaking, "Anderson arrived in London on a private jet owned by Ishida Pharmaceuticals. Also…I've all but confirmed Ryuko was with him."

"_How unfortunate but we shall cross that bridge when the time comes. Right now there are far more pressing matters,_" Maxwell's tone developed a serious edge as he stared out the window, _"Anderson alleged association with Ishida Pharmaceuticals might be enough to force that Protestant bitch to allow Iscariot back into England. The Ishida Conglomerate has a daughter company in London. We can use Anderson's arrival as a pretext to launch an investigation without having to worry about the Hellsing Organization's little pet."_

Grabbing Ryuko's file off the desk, her fingers clasping the folder tightly, Heinkel's lips pulled into the barest of smiles as she asked, "Who shall be leading the investigation?"

There was a slight pause before Maxwell answered, _"It is quite unfortunate that your righteous actions in Badrick were so ill-received. Even if Iscariot receives approval to launch an official investigation on English soil it's more than likely your presence will cause the Hellsing Organization to be on guard. We'll speak more about the specifics once I reach the Vatican. In the meantime continue your search for anything useful."_

Holding the phone against her ear as Maxwell hung up, the dial tone beeping every few seconds, Heinkel frowned before tossing the folder back onto the desk. It seemed she had a lot more work to do before calling it a night.

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><p>"Life Fiber Override – Kamui Junketsu!"<p>

The peace and tranquility of Tsubakidai Park was abruptly shattered as Satsuki Kiryuin's fingers depressed the blue metal bands wrapped around her left arm. Her expression remaining completely stoic as Junketsu shifted and contorted around her body, the newly rewoven Kamui bristling with energy and power, the former Kiryuin heiress let out a relaxed sigh as she felt the subtle presence of her Kamui hovering at the corners of her mind. Glancing into Junketsu's multicolored eyes once the mental connection was firmly established, recently regained trust easily noticeable, Satsuki's lips twisted into the faintest of smirks before turning towards the man standing not forty feet away.

Her heels clicking softly against the ground as she walked forward, small bursts of steam shooting forth from Junketsu's pauldrons, Satsuki frowned as she curled her fingers around the Scissor Blade and pulled it free from the dirt. As she held the crimson blade in front of her face, the polished surface shining brightly in the afternoon sunlight, Satsuki couldn't help but feel it lacked the elegance and beauty of Bakuzan. While the Scissor Blade possessed the capability to end her mother's tyranny and genocidal plans for humanity there was something about the hardened Life Fiber weapon that continued to puzzle her even after nearly a full week of training.

Sighing softly as she slid her right foot backwards, Junketsu's form glowing with a faint blue light, Satsuki gripped the Scissor Blade tightly before turning her attention fully on the man standing before her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, every muscle in her body prepared for the battle about to begin, the youngest Kiryuin clasped both hands around the crimson blade and scowled, "I'm ready."

Loud and boisterous laughter filled the area as Isshin Kurosaki rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, the red fabric completely devoid of Life Fibers. While his silver hair rustled in the bitter autumn wind, the rainbow undertone increasing alongside his mood, Isshin crossed his arms as a smug grin spread across his face, "Well, don't let this old man slow you down. You can come at me whenever you're ready. I promise I won't move from this spot."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed at her opponent's confident declaration before she abruptly vanished in a blur of motion, her heels kicking up small divots of grass and dirt as she sprinted towards the older man. Flicking her wrists while shifting the Scissor Blade into a reverse grip before reappearing several feet in front of Isshin, her upper body already twisting around as Junketsu radiated with a blue light, Satsuki planted a heel firmly into ground as she rushed forward. Shouting passionately while swinging her left arm outwards, the red blade held firmly in her grip leaving a crescent of sapphire light in its way, she was caught by surprise when a tachi materialized in Isshin's right hand and easily blocked her attack.

A loud rumble echoed throughout the area before the ground beneath Satsuki began to splinter and crack, the pulse of power causing the nearby trees to sway dangerously. Her arm shaking as she tried to overcome Isshin's monstrous natural strength, the rainbow blade held in his hand unmoving, Satsuki grimaced before vaulting away. She had known Isshin Kurosaki was equal to her mother but without the specter of death looming over her shoulders Satsuki could take the time to analyze and counter his movements. Panting lightly as she landed on one knee, beads of sweat tricking down her face, the younger Kiryuin clenched her fingers tightly around the Scissor Blade before rushing back towards her opponent.

"It's a foolish mistake to underestimate me!"

The sound of metal hitting metal reverberated through the park as Satsuki pushed Junketsu's speed to its absolute limits, the Kamui's multicolored eyes narrowing along with her own, and attacked Isshin with a series of nearly invisible slashes. It bothered the former Kiryuin heiress that her full power, outside of shifting into Zenkan, wasn't enough to force Ichigo's father to use more than the barest portion of his power. Her lips twisting into a sneer as phantom pains radiated from her stomach, the memories of her mother's actions at Honnouji Academy still fresh in her mind, Satsuki was so focused on tracking Isshin's tachi that she failed to notice his left hand until he tapped two fingers against her stomach.

A small burst of rainbow colored energy exploded out of Isshin's fingers the moment he made contact. Violently bouncing backwards along the ground, pained grunts escaping her lips as her head slammed into the dirt, Satsuki grimaced as she managed to regain her balance. Planting the Scissor Blade into the ground and skidding to a stop, her chest rising and falling with every exhausted breath, she stared at Ichigo's father and asked, "What was that technique?"

"That wasn't bad at all, Satsuki!"

Ignoring her question completely as he propped the tachi on his shoulder, his mouth pulled into a goofy smile, Isshin scratched at his chin before continuing, "It may not seem obvious but your power has increased since leaving Honnouji Academy. You could probably give my delinquent son a run for his money!"

"It's not enough," Satsuki admitted as she sighed deeply and stared off into the distance.

After the Great Culture and Sports Festival it had become abundantly clear that apart from the mysteriously absent shinigami, whose lack of assistance continued to grow more suspicious with each passing day, only Ichigo's father possessed the capabilities of defeating Ragyo Kiryuin in direct combat. While the probability existed shinigami like Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi could accomplish such a miraculous feat, if given enough time, it was likely her mother already had contingencies in place for such an event. One did not become the CEO of an international conglomeration, the second largest in the world, without having the intelligence to match. There was not a doubt in Sastuki's mind that after Kisuke Urahara, a man she presumed the Grand Couturier murdered, broke into the Kiryuin Manor and nearly sealed away the Original Life Fiber her mother would go out of her way to prevent it from happening a second time.

Tightening her grip upon the Scissor Blade as she staggered to her feet, small bursts of steam jettisoning from Junketsu's pauldrons, Satsuki frowned before asking, "Tell me…how much of your power are you currently using?"

Isshin adopted a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin, "Hmm…that's a tough one but I'd say a little under ten percent."

A nearly imperceptible grimace appeared on Satsuki's face upon hearing Isshin Kurosaki's admission before she quickly suppressed it. It was foolish to believe that she forced Ichigo's father, the same man her mother feared, to use nearly a tenth of his full power when he did nothing more than parry her attacks. Firmly locking her eyes on the older man as she subconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind Junketsu's horns Satsuki gave him an affirmative nod before replying, "I thank you for your honesty, Isshin Kurosaki. Knowing my mother's full strength will make it easier for me to kill her."

"Well, you certainly seem to have your priorities in order."

Isshin grumbled melancholically before stabbing his tachi into the ground next to his feet. He was painfully aware, perhaps more than anyone on the planet, of the atrocities Ragyo committed over the last twenty years but hearing Satsuki talking so bluntly about killing her mother left a bad taste in the former shinigami's mouth, "But killing Ragyo…that's quite the goal, Satsuki. It's not like she's immortal but, don't take this the wrong way, Junketsu just isn't strong enough to do the trick."

"I am well aware of the chasm separating our powers."

Satsuki's voice contained a hint of anger as she slammed the Scissor Blade against the ground, her eyes narrowing dangerously while a familiar backdrop of blue light shone brightly from behind her head. Acutely aware of Junketsu's presence in her mind, the Kamui's eyes blinking as they looked upwards at her wearer, she took a deep breath before staring into Isshin's maroon eyes, "It is of no consequence if I never possess the necessary power to defeat my mother because I am no longer fighting alone! With the combined might of Nudist Beach, Ichigo and Ryuko at my side I shall carve a path to Honnouji Academy's gates and strike down Ragyo Kiryuin before her plans can come to fruition. It is only by working together that we shall free humanity from the shackles of Life Fibers once and for all!"

"You don't say…"

The rainbow undertone in Isshin's hair brightened subtly as he reached out and gripped his tachi before pulling it out of the ground. Rubbing at a kink in his neck, a thoughtful expression adorning his face, the former shinigami couldn't help but compare Satsuki to the young woman he encountered during Parent Student Day. His lips curling into a grin as he realized the full extent of his son's influence on Ragyo's eldest daughter Isshin waited a moment before laughing and giving Satsuki a thumbs-up, "Congratulations, Satsuki! You've managed to pass the Isshin Kurosaki secret test of character! Therefore I grant you permission to go out with Ichigo!"

Satsuki blinked in confusion, her stance faltering momentarily, at Isshin's abrupt comment, "What are you talking about?"

"There's no need to be shy. I know all about your feelings for my idiot of a son," Isshin grinned smugly as he trailed off. Turning partially to the side while blatantly ignoring the annoyed glare Satsuki was sending his way, his well-trained eyes easily spotting the minute blushing of her cheeks, Isshin crossed his arms and frowned before continuing, "It fills my heart with shame to hear how dense Ichigo can be sometimes. Stuck in a luxury suite for four days with a beautiful woman literally throwing herself at him and all he did was brood in his room? It looks like I need to show him my self-help video again."

"You are misinformed about my feelings for Ichigo," Satsuki stoically corrected.

Twisting her hands around the Scissor Blade's handle while holding it aloft near her shoulders, sunlight glimmering off the crimson surface, Satsuki narrowed her eyes as she explained, "I required a confidential location to tell him about my mother's true nature but all of my previous attempts had been less than successful. By successfully moving Ichigo into the Student Council quarters immediately prior to the Naturals Election, where he would be forced to remain due to the High Velocity Life Fiber Jammer, I made certain he could not leave until he fully understood what my mother was planning for humanity."

A tense silence covered the park as Satsuki finished speaking, the afternoon dimming as a cloud floated in front of the sun, before Isshin sighed in relief, "Boy, is that a heavy load off my shoulders! I was certain we would end up having one of those manga scenes where the oblivious teenager is forced to decide between two equally attractive and talented women. Now that I know you don't have any feelings for Ichigo I can make sure things work out between him and Ryuko! She did confess her feelings to Mako, after all! I hope that –"

"I did come here to listen to your incessant nonsense!"

The Scissor Blade shimmered dangerously as Satsuki harshly cut off Isshin's external monologue, her blue eyes glowering at the man standing just a few meters away, "The only thing that matters is stopping my mother from completing the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet! Romantic attachments and everything else is second to preventing the extinction of humanity at the hands of the Life Fibers!"

A smirk appeared on Isshin's face as he turned towards Ragyo's eldest daughter. If there was one thing he learned from nearly eighteen years of relentless parenting it was that teenagers, no matter how mature or intelligent they acted, all basically responded the same way when asked about love. Either they grew increasing embarrassed at the conversation and desperately tried to change the subject or they lash out angrily and deny ever feeling that way. Rolling his eyes to the left while tapping the tachi against his shoulder, the sharpened edge of the blade failing to even cut his clothing, Isshin hummed as he scratched his cheek, "You're absolutely right. I'm sure you don't want to hear about your inability to express your feelings. So why don't you try shifting Junketsu into Zenkan?"

The faint blush adorning Satsuki's cheeks faded as she exhaled softly, wisps of blue energy wafting off Junketsu's form. Scowling at the older man as her body was enveloped in a blue aura, courtesy of Junketsu's power, the younger Kiryuin took a deep breath before passionately declaring, "Before this battle is concluded I shall force you to use twenty percent of your power, Isshin Kurosaki! Junketsu Zenkan!"

Sitting on a bench a safe distance away from the fight, her chin propped lazily on the palm of her hand, Nonon Jakuzure watched as Satsuki shifted into Zenkan before vanishing in a burst of incredible speed. Irritably scowling when Isshin managed to parry the Scissor Blade, one hand quickly reaching up and holding onto her majorette hat moments before a harsh wind blew through Tsubakidai Park, the former Non-Athletic Committee Chair mumbled in mildly suppressed awe, "You know, Strawberry's dad is strong for a complete idiot. I suppose being both stupid and strong runs in their family."

"It is not a matter of physical strength, Jakuzure."

Ira Gamagori's brow creased into a frown as he observed the clash between Satsuki and Isshin Kurosaki. The raw power displayed by Ichigo's father, the same man that drove fear into Ragyo Kiryuin's heart, was astronomical in nature to the teenager. As his grey eyes tracked Satsuki's supersonic movements, the swings of the Scissor Blade barely visible to his highly trained senses, he clasps his arms behind his back and continued, "Even though Lady Satsuki is truly wearing Junketsu her opponent is anything but human. Isshin Kurosaki's exposure to the Original Life Fiber means he is a similar being to Ragyo Kiryuin. Trying to measure his strength is as fruitless as describing color to the blind. We should consider ourselves fortunate that he wishes to assist humanity instead of destroying it."

"Don't start getting all philosophical on me," Nonon spat in retaliation, the skull perched on her hat moving in time with her every word. Huffing indignantly as she turned away from Gamagori, her eyes narrowing dangerously, the pink haired girl smirked mischievously before adding, "By the way, I'm surprised the underachiever didn't tag along. What, you get tired of flirting with her all the time?"

"I do not flirt with Mankanshoku!" Gamagori's left eye twitched at the obnoxious grin on Nonon's face. Grumbling as he folded his arms across his massive chest, the spikes of his Shackle Regalia gleaming in the bright afternoon sun, he coughed awkwardly and turned away, "If you must know Mankanshoku is currently at the movies with her family. It would be rude to accompany her on such a personal outing."

As another gust of wind tore through the park, courtesy of Satsuki using Tenrai Kagai against Isshin, Nonon waved her baton at Gamagori, "That's quite the denial. Didn't your dear old dad give his approval?"

The casual mentioning of his estranged father's bombastic and embarrassing personality caused every muscle in Gamagori's body to stiffen. Tapping a finger angrily against his inner arm, the memory of his father enveloping him in a 'manly' hug refusing to leave his mind, the former Disciplinary Committee Chair's tone darkened as he glanced at Nonon's Goku Uniform, "What goes on between my father and I is none of your concern, Jakuzure, but I find myself curious. Care to explain the sorry state of your Symphony Regalia?"

Eyeing the small cuts and abrasions covering her Symphony Regalia, the blue stitching beginning to fray and unweave, Nonon scoffed dismissively before sarcastically responding, "I don't see how it's any of your problem. I'm going to be staying with Lady Satsuki for the next few days. I'll get my Goku Uniform fixed before leaving."

"That is completely unacceptable!"

Gamagori's eyes shone with a malevolent yellow light as he towered over Nonon, "While I may no longer be the Disciplinary Committee Chair of Honnouji Academy that does not mean I will stand aside and let you destroy your Goku Uniform out of sheer laziness! You will head to Kisuke Urahara's shop before sundown or I will be forced to report your insubordination to Lady Satsuki."

"Don't call me lazy," Nonon growled in return, her Goku Uniform shifting in the wind as she glared daggers at Gamagori, before folding her arms and spitting on the ground, "I tried going yesterday but that creepy shinigami was busy and Iori was out testing his new invention. The only one around was Strawberry's ditzy friend and I'm sure as hell not letting her anywhere near my Symphony Regalia!"

"Are you referring to Orihime Inoue?" Gamagori's expression changed as he calmed down and pondered Nonon's unreasonable excuse, "I will admit the versatility of her abilities does come across as rather unbelievable. Being able to revive the dead is not something to be expected from a seventeen-year-old girl. But do not allow your petty annoyances to stand in the way of Lady Satsuki's ambitions and dreams. Orihime Inoue's abilities not only allow her to heal the wounded but to also quickly repair Goku Uniforms. It would be idiotic to not take advantage of such a power, especially when she is so willing to help."

"Whatever you say…"

Nonon shivered in the autumn cold, her Goku Uniform affording little protection against the encroaching elements, before turning away from the mildly annoyed Gamagori and back towards Lady Satsuki's fight. Leaning her cheek against a fist, a small yawn threatening to escape her lips, the former Non-Athletic Committee Chair was caught completely off guard when Yoruichi Shihoin appeared just a few feet away in a burst of speed. Cursing as she fell off the bench, her majorette hat tipping forward awkwardly, Nonon clenched her teeth and glared at the former captain, "Damn it! Why the hell do you always do that?"

"Hello to you too," Yoruichi chuckling as she allowed the large cylindrical device in her arm to crash heavily to the ground, a large loud of debris kicked up in its wake. Tapping her hand against the polished surface of the Emergency Rescue Suction Device, a name she knew even Kisuke would find tacky, Yoruichi turned to Gamagori and said, "Your inventive friend told me to stop by once I finished field testing this thing."

Gamagori rubbed his chin as he examined the Sewing Club President's latest creation in Anti-Life Fiber technology, "I see…were there any problems?"

The former captain gave the teenager a playful grin as she leaned against the device, "It's a little flashy and loud but it certainly works like a charm. I managed to rescues over fifty people this morning from COVERS."

"Your service has been most helpful. The Emergency Rescue Suction Device will be the catalyst in wresting Shizuoka Prefecture from the COVERS," Gamagori nodded at Yoruichi in appreciation.

Although his Shackle Regalia was more than capable of destroying COVERS there wasn't a guarantee the victim inside would survive. Gamagori didn't know whether it was some instinctual reaction or an order given by Ragyo Kiryuin but most of the Life Fiber beings he fought exploded upon defeat, not only killing the human trapped within but also anyone unfortunate to be within a certain range. That was where Iori's newest invention came into the picture. By using the Emergency Rescue Suction Device to forcibly extract the victim, simultaneously cutting the COVERS off from its internal power source, they could decimate Ragyo's forces while bolstering their own at the same time.

As he lifted the extraction device off the ground, his enormous strength enabling him to hold it in one hand, Gamagori quirked an eyebrow when he failed to get a response from the dark skinned captain, "Is something the matter, Miss Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi's purple hair shifted gently in the artificial wind as she observed Isshin's movements, her amber eyes focused on the ease in which the man parried Satsuki's accurate and precise attacks. Frowning slightly as she crossed her arms, the posture temporarily emphasizing her bosom, she shook her head before turning away, "I'm just thinking about a few things."

After the monumental disaster that was the Great Culture and Sports Festival, and the subsequent COVERS invasion, the dark skinned shinigami had attempted to understand the Soul Society's lack of a response. Even if there was something physically or spiritually blocking her Priority X call from reaching the Captain-Commander it was next to impossible for the elderly shinigami to not notice the tens of thousands of Life Fiber beings devouring every human in Japan. Such an atrocity should have resulted in Genryusai Yamamoto personally dealing with Ragyo Kiryuin yet the CEO of Revocs was still alive and well.

"_Perhaps Ragyo Kiryuin's control over Life Fibers severed the connection between the Seireitei and the World of the Living. It would help explain why I haven't seen Zennosuke Kurumadani in several months."_

Yoruichi didn't flinch as a burst of powerful energy exploded outwards, courtesy of Satsuki slamming another Tenrai Kagai against Isshin's tachi. Putting aside the scandalous appearance of Junketsu's released configuration, which she personally had no issue with, the former captain couldn't help but ponder the power dwelling within the Kamui's Life Fibers. It might have looked like Isshin was toying with Satsuki, allowing all of her attacks to connect before deflecting them, but Yoruichi was not fooled. The strength behind each of Satsuki's blows, the speed she used to attack and the way her muscles twitched were all signs of someone on the level of a captain.

"_And that's not to mention the entire concept of a Kamui,"_ Yoruichi mused as she attempted to get a better sense of Junketsu's spiritual energy. Even though Life Fibers were alien to the planet, in every definition of the word, she could get a faint grasp of their spiritual energy if she focused her senses. Ignoring the rampant feeling of nostalgia as she concentrated on Junketsu, the sensation fading as quickly as it arrived, the dark skinned woman narrowed her eyes and frowned, _"Even after all this time I can't fully wrap my head around it. Fully sentient uniforms woven from pure Life Fibers that are able to converse with what Kisuke calls Life Fiber Hybrids…it's almost –"_

The sharp ringing of a cell phone, the stanza from an 18th century symphony barely audible from inside her pocket, harshly cut off Yoruichi's train of thought. Amber eyes widening in veiled amusement as she recognized the number, the corners of her lips curling into a mischievous grin, the former captain turned away from the two members of the Elite Four as she pressed the phone against her ear, "This is a surprise. I thought you weren't going to call me after last time?"

"_What is Alucard?"_

Hearing Olivier Mira Armstrong mention that name caused all of the shinigami's mirth to instantly vanish. Tensing as she pressed the phone closer against her ear, both Nonon and Gamagori intrigued by her sudden change in behavior, Yoruichi narrowed her amber eyes as she asked, "Where did you hear that name?"

"_Anderson screwed up,"_ Olivier's voice contained a large amount of annoyance as she continued, _"He's not in London two hours before somehow drawing the attention of a creature similar in nature to Ragyo Kiryuin – regeneration, enhanced speed and strength and an apparent disregard for human lives. Over forty people, including two of my men, were killed before this monster decided to leave. Even Ryuko Matoi's Kamui proved unable to harm the bastard. According to Anderson she shifted into Senkou and was promptly beaten into the ground."_

A grimace spread across Yoruichi's face as she answered, "This isn't good. Well, if you want the long story Alucard's –"

"_I'm not done, Yoruichi Shihoin."_ Olivier's authoritative tone cut the former captain off, _"Barely a day later he shows up in Rio de Janeiro and not only fights against Kinue Kinagase but one of these Quincy and the damned Grand Couturier herself. All without sustaining a single injury. I understand you shinigami have your share of military secrets but this Alucard has already proven himself to be a thorn in Nudist Beach's side. I need to know what the hell I'm dealing with and how to put him down."_

"Alucard is not something I expected to encounter in my lifetime," Yoruichi rubbed her cheek and sighed loudly. Although she didn't care that Gamagori and Jakuzure were leaning forward, their curiosity at her reaction overwhelming them, it was the subtle shifting of Isshin's gaze that drew her attention. Scratching at the back of her neck as she walked away from the Elite Four, her blue jacket fluttering in the wind, Yoruichi paused a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing, "The Onmitsukido, or Stealth Force, possesses a list of the most dangerous supernatural creatures known to the Soul Society ranked by power and ability to disrupt the flow of souls. Alucard has remained at the top of that list for the last four hundred years."

There was the sound of papers rustling on the other end of the line before Olivier responded, _"I do not care about his personal history. I need to know the specifics of his abilities – power, strength and any weaknesses we can exploit. I will not let this war against Ragyo Kiryuin devolve into two fronts!"_

"When Alucard first appeared on the Soul Society's radar he massacred three captains before vanishing," Yoruichi's voice contained not a hint of emotion as she recounted one of the darkest moments in the Soul Society's history. What began as the standard response to a possible Vasto Lorde incursion in the living world ended up compromising the strength of the Gotei 13 for almost twenty years. Staring up into the sky, a faint melancholic look in her eyes, Yoruichi's expression hardened as she continued explaining, "I'm going to skip ahead and get to the point. Alucard possesses the ability to drink the blood of his victims, absorbing their soul and spiritual energy in the process."

"_So I'm dealing with a vampire?"_ Olivier's voice faded away but Yoruichi could hear the short-tempered woman yelling at someone in the background. After nearly a minute went by, her ears barely picking up the unmistakable tone of Alex Armstrong, the former captain was surprised by the calmness in the general's voice, _"But it seems Alucard has a weakness. Anderson said Alucard was injured when he tried to drink Ryuko Matoi's blood, which suggests Life Fibers and vampires don't get along. It seems I'm going to need to have a lengthy chat with Integra Hellsing about why she failed to mention something like this sitting right under her nose."_

Yoruichi flinched as the call was violently disconnected but that was the least of her concerns. Tapping a finger against the plastic surface of the phone, her lips pursed deep in thought, the former captain looked over her shoulder at the two teenagers and said, "I'm assuming you both heard all that so there's no need for me to explain. Go to Kisuke's shop, break the door down if you have to, and tell him about Alucard. He'll understand."

"I understand," Gamagori nodded before turning to leave, a grumbling Nonon standing at his side, "And what are you going to do, Miss Yoruichi?"

The former captain gave the two teenagers a cursory glance as she pocketed her phone and began walking towards Isshin and Satsuki, "I'm going to tell an overprotective parent that his son is being hunted by one of the most dangerous creatures in existence. Wish me luck…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

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><p>As the sun slowly set on the city of London, bathing the city in autumnal shades of orange and red and causing a frosty chill to permeate the air, Ichigo shivered as he leaned against the handrails of the London Eye. Staring across the River Thames towards the city stretching into the distance, hundreds of lights already visible in the twilight sky, Ichigo's face pulled into a scowl as he thought about something that had been bothering him for some time.<p>

At first it didn't seem all that important in the grand scheme of things, considering what happened within hours of arriving, but he hadn't seen a single shinigami or hollow since leaving Karakura Town. Even if his old man was telling the truth about hollow attacks being exceeding rare outside of Karakura Town that didn't explain why there weren't any shinigami. Ichigo didn't pretend to know everything about the Seireitei but a city the size of London, with a population over three million, should have at least a few shinigami. If there weren't any shinigami patrolling the city, helping the souls of the recently deceased pass onto the afterlife, what was preventing hollows from devouring everyone in sight?

"_I wonder how the Seireitei watches over one billion people?"_ Ichigo frowned as he scratched the back of his neck, _"There are dozens of languages and cultures out there. A spirit wearing a shihakusho and carrying a sword is going to stick out like a sore thumb outside of Japan. I also don't think most of the world is just going to change customs after they die. It doesn't make any sense that –"_

"Give it a rest, Senketsu! I already took five pictures of the stupid thing!"

Ichigo was torn from his thoughts when Ryuko shouted at her Kamui for the third time in the last ten minutes. Sighing in annoyance as he tapped a finger against the handrail, Mugetsu emitting an angry growl in concert with his emotions, Ichigo couldn't help but rub the side of his face as Senketsu gave the same exact argument as before, _**"Yes, but that was down at the ground. I want to take a picture of Big Ben from the very top where the view is much better."**_

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Ryuko's voice contained a mixture of annoyance and exasperation as she tightly gripped her Kamui's lapels with one hand and pulled hard. Stomping away from the window towards the circular bench in the middle of the capsule, a camera held in her left hand, Ryuko scoffed irritably as she sat down and stared angrily into Senketsu's multicolored eye, "Learn some patience. We're already going on that stupid tour tomorrow. Why can't you just relax and wait until then?"

"_**The answer to that question is simple – because the view is much better up here,"**_Senketsu responded calmly as if it where the most obvious thing in the world, _**"It's common sense that you can't see the outside when you're inside, after all. Now take the picture, Ryuko."**_

Ryuko grumbled softly at her Kamui's persistence before sighing in defeat and raising the camera to her eye. As she depressed the button on the camera, Senketsu's form tightening around her body in anticipation of the picture, Ryuko waited until the flash vanished before scowling, "That was the last one, got it? There are other things to worry about besides taking pictures of stupid landmarks…like wherever the hell that blood-sucking bastard is hiding."

Merely thinking about that smug vampire bastard, his red overcoat billowing while he shot off her leg, caused Ryuko to grit her teeth in frustration. She knew Alucard had been strong from the very start but being so thoroughly outclassed left a sore taste in her mouth that refused to go away. Even Nui Harime's supernatural strength paled in comparison to what she felt when Alucard released his full power. Folding her arms across her chest, fingers gripping Senketsu's body as she remembered the Jackal's bullets tearing through her chest, Ryuko bit her lip before turning to Ichigo and asking, "Hey Ichigo, you think that undead asshole's going to come after us again?"

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted as he sat down next to Ryuko. Curling a hand in front of his mouth as his eyes narrowed, a perplexed expression adorning his face, he was silent for several seconds before continuing, "Alucard was strong enough to beat you without any trouble. The fact he hasn't shown up in the last three days is strange."

Mugetsu's multicolored eyes blinked in confusion, _**"What about that Quincy, Ichigo?"**_

Ichigo stiffened at his Kamui's innocent mention of the increasingly annoying Quilge Opie. It didn't take a genius to realize the Quincy was hiding something important behind all his cryptic questions and comments. That was why after they left the Hellsing Manor, a rather worried Walter shaking Anderson's hand, he took his phone away from Ryuko and called Uryu. If there was anyone that liked to rub in his knowledge of Quincy heritage it was Uryu and hearing his friend's confusion about Quilge was cause for concern. Leaning backwards and folding his arms Ichigo frowned and said, "He might have been telling the truth but I don't trust him. Even though the Quincy helped at Honnouji Academy it's a little strange they were already in London before we arrived."

"You said this Quilge guy's boss is working against Ragyo, right?" Ryuko asked out loud, her blue eyes narrowing as she stared out of the capsule. As her face was covered in a multitude of colors, the lights built into the London Eye bathing the area in the colors of the rainbow, she scoffed and added, "Then why the hell is he _here_? Kisuke and that Armstrong Lady said Revocs is banned from England. That means Ragyo can't even come into the country. Why isn't he in Japan helping to fight against the COVERS?"

"I have no idea," Ichigo frowned, multiple thoughts running through his mind, as silence enveloped the mostly empty capsule. As the last vestiges of daylight vanished over the horizon, the stars twinkling in the skies drowned out by the city lights, Ichigo ran a hand through his orange hair and grimaced, "You were right."

Ryuko, who had spent the last few minutes silently staring at the hundreds of people milling about in the streets, turned towards Ichigo, "Right about what?"

"About Alucard…" Ichigo trailed off as he watched the ground slowly grow closer, "He killed dozens of people the other night. If he tries again…well, I don't think he'll let either of us escape a second time."

The constantly shifting lights from the traffic below illuminated Ryuko's face in streaks of white and yellow as she turned away from Ichigo. Gnashing her teeth as a shudder coursed up her spine, one hand subconsciously rubbing the side of her neck, Ryuko tightly clenched her other hand into a fist and spat dejectedly, "You don't need to remind me. I can't believe that fucking vampire was trying to eat my soul. If it weren't for my Life Fibers that Ragyo…damn it! Now I just want to kick the bastard's ass even more!"

"_**Ryuko…you should consider yourself fortunate to not be completely human. The Life Fibers woven in your body saved you from a terrible fate. Not to mention that vampire's blood,"**_ Senketsu paused as a violent shudder rippled across his uniform, _**"It was the most disgusting and foul thing I've ever had the misfortune to taste. I'd rather get washed in a spin dryer than taste Alucard's blood again!"**_

"_**I was wondering why you were so annoying that night,"**_ Mugetsu sarcastically quipped as she remembered how much her fellow Kamui begged Ryuko to thoroughly wash him after escaping from the vampire. Ignoring the harsh glare from Senketsu, her multicolored eyes rolling in response, Mugetsu pondered for a moment before looking up at Ryuko, _**"Ryuko, didn't you say Alucard didn't react well to your Life Fibers?"**_

"Yeah…" Ryuko grimaced before shaking her head and huffing, "One second the bastard was trying to drink my blood and the next he was bleeding on the roof. What? You come with a way to beat the bastard, Mugetsu?"

Mugetsu closed her eyes and gave the Kamui equivalent of a shrug before responding, _**"I don't know. There's just something about Alucard that ruffles my threads. Now that he knows what Senketsu can do he's sure to be more cautious in the future, Ryuko. Not the mention his weapons somehow have enough firepower to tear through our armor."**_

As the dull murmur in the background grew louder, the voices from the crowed gathered at the base of the London Eye increasing in volume, a confident grin stretched across Ryuko's face, "What are you worried about, Mugetsu? That bastard might know some of Senketsu's techniques but I've seen most of his tricks. The next time we fight I'll be more than ready for all of his weird crap."

Ichigo shook his head as the capsule slowly reached the ground, "You're seriously going to fight him again?"

"It's not like I'm going to hunt the bastard down or anything," Ryuko growled in response, jabbing her elbow deep into Ichigo's ribs before standing up. Huffing as she ignored his grunt of pain, her blue eyes narrowing in annoyance, Ryuko folded her arms across Senketsu while biting her lip, "I'm not stupid, Ichigo. That undead asshole was a lot stronger than Nui Harime. If he tries anything I'll at least know what to expect."

The sound of the capsule door opening, pressurized hydraulics hissing briefly as the plastic and glass panel slid to the side, prevented Ichigo from replying. Folding his hands into Mugetsu's pockets while stepping onto the metal ramp at the base of the London Eye, the line of impatient tourists waiting to ride the attraction numbering in the hundreds, Ichigo frowned as he walked past the beleaguered attendants. Eyes glued on Ryuko as she shoved her way through the crowd of rude tourists, Senketsu's telepathic attempt at calming her down failing miserably, Ichigo sighed in mild annoyance before turning around and descending the spiral steps towards the ground.

As he halfheartedly listened to Ryuko angrily complain about the rudeness of foreign tourists, the irony of which was not lost on him, Ichigo attempted to roll his eyes only to be punched in the arm. Grumbling as he rubbed his arm, the slight pain already faded, Ichigo's scowl vanished as he craned his neck upwards and stared at the star-filled skies, "So what did Satsuki say when you told her about Alucard?"

Momentarily stiffening at the mention of Satsuki, her blood pressure briefly rising, Ryuko quickly recovered before scoffing irritably. Clasping her hands against the nape of her neck, blue eyes narrowed in annoyance as she stared across the River Thames, a light growl left her throat as she answered, "Are you kidding? Satsuki already _knew_ about it! I didn't even get to say one word before she promised to come help us 'take down a supernatural threat.'"

The mocking tone in Ryuko's voice as she imitated her sister caused a smirk to briefly flicker across Ichigo's face, "She's just worried about you."

"I already know that," Ryuko grumbled dejectedly as she walked alongside Ichigo, the multicolored lights illuminating the shops and stores lining either side of the street failing to catch her attention. Her black hair bouncing as she took a deep breath, the red bang hovering over her eye appearing to dim, Ryuko grimaced as she absentmindedly fixed Senketsu's lapels, "It's just…seeing Satsuki being nice is really strange, Ichigo. I know she's my sister but I'm so used to her behaving like a condescending bitch that watching her act all nice and friendly is really creepy."

"_**Hmm…"**_ Senketsu closed his eye as he thought deeply about his next words, _**"Satsuki might be your sister but it would be really strange to start calling you Ryuko Kiryuin."**_

"Don't even kid about something like that, Senketsu!" The embarrassed blush spreading across Ryuko's face was luckily hidden as she growled and pulled on her Kamui's multicolored eye. Letting go of Senketsu's eye when her actions started drawing unwanted attention, her hand protectively smoothing out her Kamui's wrinkles, Ryuko folded her arms and stomped a foot against the sidewalk as they stopped at an intersection, "I know you mean well but it's just that…last week whenever I talked to Satsuki she always asked about my childhood. Whenever I tried asking about what it was like growing up under Ragyo Kiryuin she just glared at me and said it was inconsequential."

Ichigo grimaced as he stared at the London skyline stretching into the distance, the early evening traffic sporadically illuminating his body in various shades of yellow and white. As the vivid memories of the Karakura Town Raid Trip played through his mind, his eyes softening briefly, he let out an exaggerated sigh and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "After Satsuki made me her Vice President she explained a bunch of stuff – including how she thought you were dead. I bet she's simply trying to make up for the last seventeen years or something."

The inadvertent reminder of her mother caused Ryuko to angrily clench her hand into a fist, the Seki Tekko crinkling under the force. Biting her lip as the traffic stopped, her eyes staring crestfallenly at the road, she gritted her teeth as she walked alongside Ichigo, "First my dad is killed and then I find out that not only do I have a sister but my mom is an evil bitch trying to kill everyone. Damn it, my family is really –"

"Hey, give it a rest already."

Staring into the display window of a high-end store as he cut Ryuko off midsentence, Mugetsu growling enviously at the expensive outfits on display, Ichigo scratched his cheek before running a hand through his orange hair. Lips pulled tightly together as he turned towards Ryuko, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, Ichigo looked around before asking, "I know Satsuki's your sister but what about Mako? Her family might be weird but they did take you in and treat you like their daughter. They didn't have to do that and…uh…damn it. What would Mako say if she were here?"

The tension slowly dissipated from Ryuko's face as she imagined everything her best friend would do to cheer her up. Her lips curling into a soft smile as she stared into the clear skies, images of Mako making various poses while spouting seemingly nonsensical phrases passing through her mind, Ryuko chuckled and playfully punched Ichigo lightly in the shoulder, "Thanks for that, Ichigo. Hey, do you think we can get Alucard to kill Ragyo for us? That would really solve all our problems…"

"Why, isn't this a most pleasant night? I hope ye two are enjoying yerselves…"

Both Ichigo and Ryuko leapt away in surprise when Alexander Anderson, clad in his usual attire, appeared without a sound directly behind them. Her heart beating a mile a minute as she gasped for breath, her head subconsciously reaching for the shrunken Scissor Blade in her pocket, an irritated growl escaped Ryuko's mouth as she jabbed her finger against the former priest's chest and asked, "Damn it, what the hell's your problem? Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?"

"I don't think a creature like yerself could succumb to such a malady," Anderson's green eyes, hidden behind opaque glasses, betrayed no emotions as he answered Ryuko.

Ignoring the angry scoff the teenager gave in reply as he looked down the crowded street, lips pulling away from white teeth upon sensing something on the periphery of his senses, the former priest was silent as he walked between the two teenagers. Raising one hand as he motioned for them to follow, the darkness enveloping the city thickening as they left the commercial district, the echoes of their footsteps resounded through the area before Anderson's gravelly voice broke the silence, "I just received word from headquarters. Twenty-four hours after yer fight against the vampire he was spotted in Rio de Janeiro."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ryuko scoffed, one eyebrow arching as she tried to remember everything she read over the last few days, "I thought vampires can't cross running water."

"Several hours after arriving the vampire eviscerated dozens of members of the local police," Anderson's short blonde hair rustled slightly in the autumn breeze, the chill permeating the night causing his breath to come out in misty wisps, as he blatantly ignored Ryuko's comment. His shoulders stiffening as he clenched a single hand, the glove crackling under the pressure, the former priest scoffed as his boots echoed heavily against the sidewalk, "One of yer Quincy allies tried to confront the undead abomination but would have met a similar fate if not for the timely arrival of the Grand Couturier."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the news, "How could she get to Brazil without anyone knowing about it? My old man said he would be able to sense if Nui or Ragyo left Honnouji Academy."

Anderson cocked his head upwards as he looked over his shoulder, thin glasses shining malevolently in the ambient light, and sneered, "It was a COVERS clone, Life Fibers warped and twisted into a mockery of that murderous abomination. The Grand Couturier's traitorous master sent her to South America to deal with Kinue but apparently the clones aren't as powerful as the real thing. Yer Kamui should be more than adequate in dealing with the Grand Couturier if she dares take a single step on Protestant soil."

"Kinue managed to kick Nui's ass, huh?" A smug smirk spread across Ryuko's face as she folded her arms across Senketsu's form. After several uneventful seconds passed in silence, the faint whistling the only sound in the nearly deserted streets, Ryuko blinked owlishly before blurting out, "Hang on a second…how does this have anything to do with that undead bastard?"

"Despite her best attempts at sending the Grand Couturier's blackened soul to the deepest pits of hell, where that abomination would rot for all eternity, the colonel found herself brought into direct conflict with the vampire," Anderson's tone was brusque as he felt his pocket vibrating. Pulling out his phone and flipping it open, green eyes narrowing at the displayed message, the former priest paused before adding, "Yer Quincy friend managed to buy her enough time to escape before he was tortured and murdered."

As a single car drove through the nearly empty streets, the sound of its engine cutting through the subsequent silence, Ryuko bit her lower lip and spat on the ground, "We already know Alucard is a bastard so unless you found a way to actually kill him what's the point of telling us this crap?"

Twisting around until he was directly facing the enraged teenager, upper lip pulled back exposing his teeth, Anderson stared directly into Ryuko's eyes and growled, "Because the vampire is nothing more than a dog of the Protestants."

Ichigo and Ryuko's twin looks of abject shock caused Anderson to pause, a stiff and harsh wind blowing through the street as the former priest allowed the teenagers a long moment to digest the information. Frustration and annoyance washing off his face as he turned to the left, his eyes staring absentmindedly across the street at a closed store, the nudist was taken aback when Ryuko stalked forward and tightly gripped the front of his cassock. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as she gnashed her teeth together, supernatural strength pulling the larger man forward and down to eye level, Ryuko stared at the former priest and shouted, "What the hell did you say? Are you suggesting that undead bastard is on our side?"

"_**Perhaps you should calm down and let him explain, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu said as his multicolored eye narrowed at the former priest. Waiting a moment for Ryuko's boiling blood to settle back down the Kamui tightened around her body before adding, _**"From the look on his face Anderson doesn't seem too thrilled about the news either."**_

Ryuko held onto Anderson's cassock for several more seconds before letting go and walking back towards Ichigo, her Kamui's comforting words helping to calm her down. Eyes narrowing as she remembered what happened to last time she lost control of her anger, teeth gnashing at the memory of Mako's body, Ryuko spun around and scowled at the former priest, "Alright, start talking."

"The General was quite displeased with England's hospitality upon our arrival," Anderson's accent thickened with each passing word as he approached Ryuko and Ichigo. As one hand reached into his cassock before pulling out a folded letter, an ornate wax seal emblazoned with a coat-of-arm keeping it sealed, the nudist continued, "So upon complaining to the young Integra Hellsing she learned a wee bit of interesting news. The vampire ye nearly died fighting is nothing more than a pet of the Hellsing Organization, only let off its leash to deal with supernatural threats."

"Oh great, just because I have Life Fibers in my body this bastard is going to keep coming after me!"

Groaning loudly as she assessed the situation, one hand rubbing the bridge of her nose, Ryuko grunted before spinning around and punching a nearby wall. Her face twisting into a scowl as she pulled her hand back, bits of concrete and stone clinging to unbroken flesh, several tense seconds passed in silence before Ryuko turned to Anderson with a large grin on her face, "Well, I'm not going to sit back and let that asshole ambush us again. He's a vampire, right? That means we know all his weaknesses!"

Anderson ignored the minor property damage as he turned his full attention to Ichigo. Offering the sealed letter in his hand to the orange haired teenager, who took it after a moment of deliberation, the former priest stared at the small hole in the wall and scoffed, "The General's managed to smooth things over with the Protestants. We managed to convince them their pet vampire was tracking the Life Fibers in yer Kamui. As long as ye don't do anything stupid there's no need for them to know anything else."

Grimacing as he held the letter in his hand, Ryuko staring curiously over his shoulder at the strange coat-of-arms on the wax seal, Ichigo frowned as something came to mind, "If you're right about Alucard…then why was he in Brazil?"

"Just _how_ much do ye know about yer Quincy allies?"

The scathing tone permeating Anderson's voice momentarily took Ichigo off guard but before the former substitute shinigami could response the nudist had already turned around. As his boots echoed gently against the sidewalk, his hands folded inside the pockets of his cassock, Anderson added, "There is a meeting coming up with the Hellsing Organization. Their pet vampire will be in attendance and ye are expected to come. All the details are in that letter. Oh, please return to the safe house before eight. If yer not then I suppose I'll have to come find ye two…"

Ryuko scowled as she watched Anderson vanish into the distance, the inky darkness rapidly swallowing body until only the barest echoes of his footsteps remained. Irritably huffing while crossing her arms across Senketsu, her mood considerably lighter without the former priest to constantly piss her off, Ryuko turned to Ichigo before glancing at the still unopened letter in his hands. Quirking an eyebrow at the fancy script stenciled across the front of the letter she leaned closer and asked, "So are you going to open it or what?"

"_**Hmm…it's similar to the invitations Satsuki sent you,"**_ Mugetsu pointed out, her gaze momentarily shifting upon noticing Ryuko's shoulders stiffening in surprise.

"An invitation for what? How to be an asshole like Anderson in three easy steps?" Ryuko muttered sarcastically while rolling her eyes, hands clasped against the nape of her neck. Craning her head upwards as she walked down the sidewalk behind Ichigo, blue eyes staring at the hundreds of stars twinkling in the nearly cloudless sky, Ryuko started wondering how Mako, Satsuki and the others were doing only to run headfirst into Ichigo's back. Stumbling while holding her sore nose, the pain quickly dissipating, she raised her fist and lightly growled, "Hey, why'd you stop?"

The letter firmly held between his fingers, the edges crumpling slightly under the pressure, Ichigo's voice contained a mixture of shock and disbelief as he shook his head, "It's an actual invitation…for us to meet with the queen."

"Let me see that!"

Snatching the letter from Ichigo's fingers without warning Ryuko read it several times before scoffing, "It has to be a fake. There's no way in hell Anderson would be allowed within ten feet of anyone that important."

"_**What about his boss?"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye narrowed as he looked at Ryuko, several different tangents running through his mind, _**"It can't be easy running an organization like Nudist Beach, especially with someone like Ragyo Kiryuin around."**_

"You have a point," Ryuko reluctantly admitted, her anger and irritation diminishing as she haphazardly tossed the letter back to Ichigo. Grumbling in mild annoyance as she walked down the sidewalk next to Ichigo, one hand running through her hair as the other tapped gently against Senketsu's skirt, Ryuko rolled her eyes and snorted, "That Armstrong woman must have some serious connections. I mean, meeting the Queen of England? I don't think even Ragyo could pull off a stunt like this."

"_**A meeting with the queen…"**_ Mugetsu's voice trailed off as she contemplated what she wanted to say, _**"You shouldn't let your guard down even if that's the truth, Ichigo. I don't know if Anderson was lying or not but I would rather not have several more holes torn through my prim and perfect uniform. It was highly annoying regenerating my fabrics last time."**_

"Don't you give me any of that," Ichigo retorted, one eye twitching as he grabbed Mugetsu's lapels. Pulling slightly on the Kamui's fabric, thankful that the streets were bare apart from Ryuko and him, Ichigo leaned downwards and scowled, "That ridiculous gun of his tore right through my damn body! Do you have any idea how weird it feels having to regenerate?"

"_**That is not important,"**_ Mugetsu bristled, her eyes narrowing at Ichigo's excuse, _**"It is your duty to make sure my Life Fibers are always clean and proper. You should have moved out of the way before the bullets hit us."**_

"You keep this up and I'll stop washing you with that brand of fabric softener you really like," Ichigo threatened in response, causing his Kamui's eyes to widen fearfully.

"_**A-Anything but that!"**_ Mugetsu sputtered nervously, her Life Fibers involuntarily shuddering as she remembered the very first time Ichigo hand washed her.

Ichigo couldn't help but shake his head at how easily Mugetsu caved under pressure. Feeling a bit guilty when he heard Ryuko chuckling next to him, Senketsu's additional laughter causing a thoroughly flustered and embarrassed Mugetsu to verbally lash out at her fellow Kamui, Ichigo sighed and gently patted his Kamui while grumbling out a half-hearted apology, "Look, I promise not to switch out your favorite fabric softener."

Mugetsu stared at Ichigo for several seconds, her eyes searching for any sign of deceit, before huffing and giving the Kamui equivalent of a pout, _**"Alright, but I want you to give my threads an extra good wash when we get back."**_

"Fine…no need to get so upset about it," Ichigo conceded, rolling his eyes as he reached into Mugetsu and pulled out his cell phone. His brow creasing into a scowl when he saw the time, a light sigh escaping his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck, Ichigo turned to Ryuko and asked, "So, what do you want to do for the next two and a half hours?"

Ryuko shrugged as she clasped her hands against the back of her head and hummed softly, "Don't know. I've never been to the movies before."

"You've never been to the movies?" Ichigo frowned in confusion, his hands folded in Mugetsu's pockets as they turned the corner and returned to the relatively busy tourist district of London. Looking away to the side when Ryuko glowered at him, her blue eyes narrowing from a mixture of mild embarrassment and annoyance, he scowled before continuing, "I know for a fact the Film Club had a weekly movie night. I even saw Mako and Ururu there a few times. You never went?"

"I tried, damn it!" Ryuko angrily growled, a frustrated scoff escaping her lips as she stopped one foot against the sidewalk, "But that asshole of a club president kept attacking me whenever I showed up! It was so annoying listening to that bastard's stupid movie puns over and over again!"

Senketsu's single eye blinked owlishly before he helpfully added, _**"It was rather strange how the Film Club never gave up. You would think after the third time they would simply let you stay."**_

"Don't think too hard about it, Senketsu. They were idiots," Ryuko grumbled before turning her attention back to Ichigo, "Anyway, to tell you the truth I have no idea what's playing."

"I guess we'll find out what's playing when we find a movie theater," Ichigo replied with a small shrug before his mood suddenly shifted. Glaring down into Mugetsu's eyes, the Kamui blinking innocently back up at her wearer, he pulled on her lapels and warned, "As long as you don't ask questions throughout the whole movie this time."

"_**But the movie didn't make any sense, Ichigo!"**_ Mugetsu exclaimed defensively, her eyes betraying the confusion she felt,_** "Half the plot was made up on the spot and all the characters were acting like idiots! How could I not ask any questions?"**_

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><p>The darkening afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass ceiling of the hidden hanger as an elderly gentleman clad in the antiquated attire of the Third Reich hobbled forth from the shadows, his fellow officers confined to wheelchairs due to their advanced age. Wooden cane tapping hollowly against the steel floor every other second, an irritated scowl forming on his wrinkled features, the old colonel scoffed derisively as he beheld the stout man standing at attention before him, "Wipe that insufferable smirk off your face, Major! I know it was you that ordered First Lieutenant Alhambra to confront Alucard. What kind of game are you playing?"<p>

Shoulders shrugging as he held his hands outwards, a conniving grin adorning his face, the Major's tone contained nothing but mocking amusement as he answered, "I'm afraid there is no easy way I can tell you anything, Colonel. The orders I received are of the highest classification, issued personally by His Majesty."

"His Majesty?"

The aged Nazi's eyes widened in complete surprise at the casual tone pervading the Major's answer before a seething rage overwhelmed his mind. Ignoring the pain radiating from his leg as he stumbled forward, his lips pulled back exposing stained teeth, the colonel didn't hesitate to punch the shorter man in the face. Nearly frothing in rage as he threw his cane away in order to grab the Major's white suit with both hands, his teeth gnashing together, the colonel slammed his good knee into the stout man's stomach and shouted, "Verräter! Is this why you've refused to turn us into vampires? Who the hell are you working for? Tell me, you fat ugly pig!"

Punching the shorter man once more when he didn't receive an answer, nary a sound of pain escaping his lips while he collapsed against the floor, the colonel stared at the downed traitor and decided enough was enough. Fingers twitching as he reached for the Mauser holstered inside his jacket, dark thoughts of the pain he was about to inflict coursing through his mind, the colonel was caught off guard when Zorin Blitz appeared at his side in a burst of Hirenkyaku.

"That's enough out of you, _colonel_," Zorin grinned sadistically, the intricate tattoos adorning the right side of her face distorting and twisting with the motion, as she held her scythe against the underside of the man's neck. Chuckling as spiritual energy coursed through her weapon, the scythe's blade instantly glowing with a deep sapphire light, Zorin flexed her fingers and scoffed, "Move and I'll sever your head clean off."

"F-First Lieutenant Blitz?" The colonel fumbled over his words, sweat dripping down his face, as he stared with trembling eyes at the blade perched under his chin.

"Heh… the rank you're looking for is Sternritter," Zorin corrected, her mismatched green eyes narrowing in malicious joy as the pathetic man squirmed nervously. The muscles in her arms bulging as she pushed more spiritual energy through her weapon, the sharp blade beginning to vibrate like a chainsaw, she leaned forward until her face was mere inches from the old Nazi and grinned, "Let's see how much I can make you squeal before you wet your pants…"

"There is no need for such rudeness, Zorin…"

The colonel's eyes quivered in shock as he watched the Major slowly stand back up and turn around, not a scratch or bruise on the stout man's features. Humming softly while calmly brushing a hand against his suit before fixing his collar, yellow eyes alight with barely concealed glee, the Major's lips curled upwards into a grin as he motioned for Zorin to step aside with a polite wave of his hand, "Our dear colonel is simply confused about what is happening, his feeble mind unable to appreciate the seriousness of this marvelous development. So please allow him this golden opportunity to vent his frustration. After all, it is quite unhealthy to keep one's emotions bottled up."

Zorin grunted irritably as she glared at the colonel, the spineless man withering under her gaze, before reluctantly removing her scythe from his neck. Stumbling forward once the threat of imminent death vanished, the constant pain from his injured knee helping to push past the fear permeating his mind, the colonel rubbed his throat before freezing when he became acutely aware of the hundreds of soldiers surrounding him. Nervously swallowing at the strange white uniforms worn by those supposedly belonging to the Lost Battalion, their red eyes staring out from beneath black goggles and white military berets, his fingers trembled as he turned to the Major and sputtered, "W-Who are you people?"

"We are…who we are," the Major answered cryptically, one arm tucked behind his back, "The rest is, as they say, quite unimportant…"

Seething violently at the knowing grin plastered on the stout man's face, any lingering fear dissipating under his rage, the colonel clenched a hand into a fist and charged forward, "You impetuous pig of a man! I'm going to wipe that asinine grin off your face if it's the last –"

A scream of pain tore from the colonel's throat as his hand collided with the Major's face and promptly exploded in a spray of blood and broken bones. Moaning as he collapsed to his knees, blood splattering in a large pool on the ground, the elderly Nazi held his ruined wrist in a death grip. His breath coming out in short and labored pants, beads of sweat dripping down his face, the colonel craned his neck upwards and gasped at the fading blue lines covering the Major's unblemished skin. The immense pain radiating from his hand diminishing when several other officers appeared behind the Major, their movements accompanied by the characteristic sound of Hirenkyaku, the Nazi officer cackled insanely and shouted, "What the fuck are you?"

"It seems, my dear colonel, that your usefulness to His Majesty has just about reached its tragic end."

The Major chuckled as he stood over the downed Nazi officer, glasses gleaming with a malevolent light while gloved hands were clasped firmly against his back, and watched Zorin Blitz step forward and grip the injured man's arm. Unflinching as the elderly Nazi was pulled back onto his feet the Major clapped his hands sarcastically before continuing, "The resources and equipment you provided, courtesy of your late führer, have been most helpful but it is time for the final act of this wondrous performance. It would be extremely rude to delay the Schatten Ausrufung when the guest of honor has been waiting ever so patiently…"

"You hear that, _colonel_? It's not time for you to die yet," Zorin laughed as she hefted the smaller man into the air, the blood from his stump of a hand running down her arm, before twisting around and tossing him into the crowd of soldiers. Flaring her spiritual energy when the vampiric soldiers immediately turned on the terrified colonel, her body outlined in a faint blue-white aura, Zorin slammed her scythe against the floor and shouted, "None of you undead fuckers are allowed to drink his blood, got it? His Majesty wishes for our former commander to remain among the living for just a bit longer!"

Terrified screams echoed across the hangar as the colonel was dragged away into the shadows, Zorin spitting in annoyance as she tagged along in order to make sure the undead soldiers didn't do anything stupid. Turning away as the artificial vampires descended upon the remaining Nazi officers, the sound of tearing flesh causing the smirk on his face to imperceptibly falter, the Major carefully avoided the bloodstains splattered across the floor as he marched towards the waiting Doktor and Quilge Opie. Head tilting to the right as he momentarily shifted focus towards the remaining soldiers standing at attention, blood red eyes easily visible through their goggles, a pleased laughed escaped the Major, "I must say, Herr Doktor, you've made astonishing progress these past few years. Tell me, how long will this current battalion last?"

The Doktor bit his finger, the latex glove slowly developing a crimson stain, as he answered, "Only two weeks at the most."

Even after nearly seventy years of constant and backbreaking research on the mindless horror once known as Mina Harker, who was appropriated by the Sternritter under His Majesty's direct orders, the Doktor's experimental results were still woefully inadequate. Alucard's disturbing spiritual energy permeated every inch of the abomination kept locked away in his laboratory, the inaudible screams penetrating the soundproof walls without pause. Thousands of test subjects had perished in his search to replicate vampirism yet the Doktor knew without a shred of doubt that he'd only begun to scratch the surface of the creature eloquently dubbed 'Alucard's Echo.'

"Despite my best efforts the conversion process continues to clash with His Majesty's gifts," the Doktor's voice was muffled, his teeth clenched around his finger, as he turned away from the Major, "Attempting to enact the procedure on a Sternritter or Echt Quincy inevitably leads to death in a matter of seconds."

"I suppose that shall have to do."

A pleased smirk adorned the Major's face as the rest of the Sternritter fell into line alongside him. His footsteps echoing hollowly against the metal plating as he marched forward, the ambient afternoon light reflecting of his glasses, he straightened his back and looked upwards into the skylights before continuing, "Now that Ragyo Kiryuin has accelerated her plans we mustn't dally. The fate of the entire world and humanity is at stake and I for one do not wish to be converted into any sort of clothing. Quilge, how are things proceeding in London?"

"Slightly problematic but still within His Majesty's predictions," Quilge Opie answered stoically, his officer's hat tucked neatly underneath his left arm, "The Grand Couturier's unwarranted appearance during Alhambra's mission accelerated Nudist Beach's suspicions of our organization. Not to mention both the Hellsing Organization and Iscariot know of my…ties…to our former partners."

Absentmindedly playing with the pendant hanging around her neck, the Quincy Zeichen emblem glittering in the sunlight, Rip Van Winkle perked up when the tall silver haired Sternritter walking next to her began rapidly shifting his fingers. Staring blankly over the rim of her glasses as she translated the symbols, the Captain's red eyes narrowing slightly once he finished signing, she shrugged her shoulders and scoffed, "As if I know why His Majesty ordered us to leave those children alone. "

"Oh dear, I nearly forgot you were only ascended to the Sternritter just the other day…"

One finger adjusting his glasses, the frame pushing up the bridge of his nose, Quilge's lips twisted into a minute frown as he addressed the newly promoted Sternritter, "From your naïve comment you probably have yet to view the Daten obtained at Honnouji Academy. Ragyo Kiryuin is truly a most dreadful woman. Those children, as you called them, are amongst a handful of beings capable of killing her and thus His Majesty has seen fit to not antagonize them for the foreseeable future."

Rip Van Winkle scowled at Quilge's dismissive attitude, her blue eyes narrowing in annoyance, but her retort was cut off when the Major saw fit to speak, "Let us leave the matter of dealing with Ragyo Kiryuin to our allies. Despite the Grand Couturier's rude intervention in our former comrade's final mission, which drew the suspicion of the beautiful Olivier Mira Armstrong, we have lost little and gained much. Thanks to the late Alhambra's valiant effort the Schatten Ausrufung continues to march towards the inevitable grand finale."

"There is still the matter of Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi," the Doktor worried replied, his lower lip drawn into his mouth, "The Schatten Ausrufung could be put in jeopardy if they should choose to get involved."

"That is why I confronted Ichigo Kurosaki when he arrived in London," Quilge answered calmly as he placed the officer's cap back on his head, lips curling into a knowing smirk, "His Majesty foresaw the possibility of Nudist Beach forming an alliance with the Hellsing Organization. So through a series of carefully calculated questions and responses, all within earshot of Alucard's fledgling, the likelihood of the Life Fiber Hybrids purposefully working alongside Alucard has been rendered frightfully small."

A worried expression adorned the Doktor's face, "But it's not zero! If even one of the children decides to turn against us we will – "

"You worry too much over trivial matters, Herr Doktor."

An amused chuckle echoed throughout the hangar as the Major reached into his coat and pulled out a small electronic transmitter. Holding the surveillance bug up to the light, several sets of eyes widening in surprise, the stout man's smile turned malicious as he continued, "Do you presume to think that His Majesty hasn't considered such things? Preposterous! The power dwelling within Life Fibers is not something to be taken for granted. Plans are already in place to limit the influence of the children outside of their stated mission. For what better way is there to deal with a problem than having someone else solve it for you?"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #28 – Sisterly Bonding<strong>

Ryuko Matoi found herself at a loss for words when she found Satsuki waiting patiently outside her front door. Staring in disbelief at the former Student Council President for a few seconds before quickly sticking her head outside, blue eyes searching for any sign of the Elite Four, Ryuko decided to bite the bullet and asked, "What do you want?"

"It should be obvious, Ryuko," Satsuki's face twisted into a disapproving frown as she closed her eyes and finished, "I am here in order to get to know you better."

A stiff and uncompromising wind blew through the open doorway after Satsuki's proclamation, her long black hair waving elegantly in the cold breeze. As she stared into her sister's cold gaze, the look on her face all too familiar by this point, Ryuko broke out in a cold sweat and seriously wondered if she could dive out the back window before being caught. Ryuko had always assumed Satsuki was aloof and stoic, prone to only rare outbursts of emotions limited to annoyance and disapproval, but the aftermath of the disaster at Honnouji Academy had quite thoroughly shown that was not the case. It took two days, and the help of Ichigo's sisters, but Ryuko finally realized what was wrong.

Satsuki had no idea how to act like a sister.

According to a thoroughly disturbed Ichigo, who had rushed over to her apartment as soon as possible, Satsuki had gone to his old man for parental advice on being a good sister. While that would normally not be an issue due to her sister's disdain for most of Isshin Kurosaki's antics, which was something she fully supported, Ryuko had grown worried when Ichigo told her dad laughed insane before escorting Satsuki into the Kurosaki household. The events that transpired in the following four hours Ichigo had immense trouble explaining but it had somehow involved a slideshow presentation, several embarrassing family movies, two family albums and a very specific video.

"Get to know me better, huh?" Ryuko scoffed, hiding her fear and apprehension beneath irritated bluster. Folding her arms across Senketsu, her Kamui reciprocating her nervousness at Satsuki's purpose, she cocked her head to the side and snorted, "Look…I get that you're my sister and all but I'm supposed to meet Mako in an hour. Why don't you come back later or something?"

As she turned around to walk back inside the newly refurbished Mankanshoku household, courtesy of a generous donation from Uryu's dad, Ryuko was nearly blinded when an intense blue-white light burst into existence. Forced to take a step backwards when Satsuki's backdrop of light appeared in all of its radiant glory, one hand covering her eyes, Ryuko grumbled when her sister slammed one foot against the floor and exclaimed, "Your meeting with Mako Mankanshoku can wait! For I wish to spend time with the sister I thought dead for seventeen years!"

An awkward and silent moment followed Satsuki's impassioned declaration before Ryuko's face fell, "…did Ichigo's old man tell you that?"

Satsuki blinked owlishly in surprise before smirking proudly, "But of course. Ichigo's father gave me quite a bit of useful advice in familial bonding. Granted some of his points were horribly outdated and that video was a crime against humanity. I can see why Ichigo was so determined to burn it when I arrived…"

"It's just…I mean…" Ryuko found herself fumbling over what to say before sighing loudly. Throwing her hands into the air and grabbing her jacket, Senketsu's jealous growling falling on deaf ears, she slouched forward as she walked out the door, "You know what? It's just not worth arguing with you about it. So what do you want to do today?"

Adjusting the collar of her white and blue sweater as she walked alongside her sister, the cold air causing her breath to come out in faint wisps, Satsuki scowled briefly before responding, "I thought we could start by getting to know each other on a more personal level."

Ryuko nearly tripped over her own feet at her sister's accidental innuendo. One eye twitching as she buried Satsuki's innocent phrase in the deepest recesses of her subconscious Ryuko took a deep and calming breath before muttering, "Sure, I guess we can do that. Third times the charm after all."

Satsuki raised an eyebrow at Ryuko's comment, "What was that?"

"…Nothing."


	45. Chapter 45: Guns on the Roof

_Here is Chapter 45 of To My Death I Fight. It's the last of the major exposition chapters of the story (i.e. Ichigo, Ryuko and Satsuki talking and undergoing character development but I thoroughly enjoy having character develop in unexpected, but natural, directions. I think it helps give my story originality without going completely off in a weird direction. _

_There are several shout outs and call backs to my earlier chapters, including a few throwaway lines you might have thought were nothing more than background information. I do my best to make sure everything ties together nicely with not even the smallest piece of information forgotten. So once again don't forget to read and review once you're doing reading the chapter. I hope you enjoy it!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 45 – Guns on the Roof<strong>

Batou adjusted the collar of his black suit for what felt like the hundredth time as he walked down the expansive hallway of Buckingham Palace, recently purchased leather dress shoes echoing softly on the polished marble tiles. Curling one finger around his tie and pulling gently, the constricting cloth refusing to loosen from around his neck, the grey haired Nudist Beach commander couldn't fully express his disdain for formal attire. Even though it was free of Life Fibers the clothing was much too tight and restrictive to be effective in combat. Purposely ignoring the mental image of Aikuro, the undercover nudist demanding he strip and become a true nudist, Batou shook his head and asked, "Any last minute questions?"

"I got one," Ryuko asked, a hint of irritation in her voice, "Where the hell's Anderson?"

"He's busy tracking down a lead on Xcution," Batou replied offhandedly, a small grimace spreading across his face at Olivier's latest orders. Looking over his shoulder when he heard an angry grumble from Ryuko, the teenager obviously waiting for a better explanation, he sighed and added, "Look, the guy's not the most social person on the planet even at the best of times. Do you really want him in the same room as the Queen of England _and_ Alucard?"

Twin looks of realization passed across Ichigo and Ryuko's faces at what the former priest would do before the latter huffed and folded her arms across Senketsu. As she stared at the heavily armored guards lining both sides of the passageway Ryuko glanced down at her exposed midriff and couldn't help but feel she was completely underdressed. Meeting the Queen of England wearing just Senketsu had to be rude on at least ten different levels. If not for Anderson's blunt explanation of the Hellsing Organization wishing to see their Kamui she would have worn something over Senketsu, whether he liked it or not.

"_**You were thinking of wearing other clothing again, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu commented, picking up on Ryuko's train of thought from weeks of practice. His fabric bristling around her body in annoyance, multicolored eye narrowing, the Kamui scoffed and blinked, _**"I only tolerated the jacket because you were cold. In a social setting such as this I will not allow you to wear anything else."**_

Briefly watching Ryuko scowl before pulling on Senketsu's handkerchief, the Kamui glaring back as she argued about what to wear in front of the queen, Ichigo turned his attention to the large windows lining the side of the hallway and let out a tired sigh. The early afternoon skies, which had been clear earlier in the morning, were now overcast with the faint rumble of thunder in the distance. According to the news it was supposed to constantly rain for the next few days, which meant nearly endless complaining and grumbling from Mugetsu about her Life Fibers getting wet.

"Alright, we're here," Batou snapped his fingers in front of Ryuko's face, drawing her attention and cutting Senketsu off midsentence, before motioning with one hand towards the two guards on either side of the doors at the end of the hallway. Once he saw them stop reaching for the handles he turned around and lowered his voice, "I'm going in first and hopefully answering most of their questions. When you two are called in, there are three rules you need to follow. One – don't talk to your Kamui. Two – no talking _from_ your Kamui. Three – don't, and I'm going to repeat that, _don't_ mention Anderson…at all."

Ichigo frowned at Batou's emphasis on the third rule, "Why?"

A tense expression crossed the nudist's face before he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "It's none of my business to talk about Anderson's past. If you're really interested you can ask the bastard yourself…just don't tell him I sent you."

Turning towards the doors before either teenager could ask any further questions about Anderson, Ryuko huffing in annoyance before grabbing Ichigo's arm and stomping towards one of the many plush chairs lining the hallway, Batou took a moment to fix his appearance. After making sure his hair was slicked back and his tie on straight, his arms held outwards as one of the guards waved a metal detector over his body, the Nudist Beach commander took a calming breath and walked into the regal chambers just as an aristocratic voice finished exclaiming, "…Millennium truly is! The Last Battalion!"

Batou swallowed the nervous lump welling up in his throat as everyone in the room turned towards him, the creaking of the mahogany doors opening drawing their collective attention. Straightening his posture when he noticed the queen sitting at the far end of the large room, her upper body cast in shadow despite the full weight of her attention solely on him, he calmly walked forward and nodded his head, "I apologize for being late. The name's Batou – Nudist Beach commander in charge of Information and Interrogation."

"Nudist Beach?"

Enrico Maxwell stiffened at the rather peculiar name. Violet eyes staring suspiciously at the newly arrived older man, the lack of a response from Integra Hellsing suggestive she was expecting him, the leader of Iscariot scoffed lightly and asked, "Forgive me if I come across as rude but with such a name shouldn't you be naked?"

"We get that a lot," Batou politely waved off Maxwell's question as his attention was drawn to Alucard standing in the background. Mildly unnerved by the vampire's piercing red gaze, the shadows surrounding the nigh immortal man appearing to twist and contort, the nudist commander clasped his hands behind his back as he stood at the far end of the table from Integra, "My commanding officer wishes to clear up any misunderstandings between our organizations. I've been given orders to answer any questions you might have."

Integra's blue eyes narrowed at Batou's willing cooperation. Aware of Alucard slowly making his way towards the Iscariot side of the room, the shadows surrounding her lifting with his departure, she leaned forward onto her elbows and spoke, "Very well then, let us get started. Olivier Armstrong claimed you would bring evidence regarding Ragyo Kiryuin and the Revocs Corporation, which she quite vividly described as a threat to the entire world. Show it to me."

Batou grimaced briefly at the already anticipated request before sighing as he reached into his suit and pulled out a perfectly sealed vial. Firmly holding the airtight object between his fingers, an alien glow bathing the members of the Round Table nearest him in shades of ruby and crimson, the nudist's voice was completely level as he spoke, "This is a Life Fiber."

"My word…that's a Life Fiber?" Sir Shelby M. Penwood muttered in a mixture of fascination and apprehension, his position as the closest member of the Round Table to Batou affording him an advantageous viewpoint.

Maxwell leaned forward in his seat, the stack of classified documents chaotically scattering in front of him, upon seeing the glowing red thread floating safely and securely within the container. It was on the periphery of his senses, a fleeting existence coming and going in less than a second, but the young leader of Iscariot could not mistake the feeling of otherworldliness surrounding the thread held in Batou's fingers, "Are you suggesting that…that _thing_ is your hand is the same Life Fibers as those Revocs claims are woven in all their clothing?"

Placing the vial back in his pocket, the eerie red glow vanishing, the nudist commander grumbled under his breath before answering, "Everything created by the Revocs Corporation contains at least a trace amount of Life Fibers."

"Assuming you are telling the truth… " Integra's voice was cold, her tone level and direct, as she stared directly at Batou, "How do Ragyo Kiryuin's plans for Great Britain coincide with the upcoming embargo vote?"

Batou leaned over the table, his hands firmly planted on the surface, before he answered, "In order for her plans to succeed at least ninety percent of humanity needs to wear Revocs brand clothing. Although we've dealt a few major blows to her operations, yesterday's financial reports put her market share at just over eighty-eight percent. And the latest census shows England has roughly two percent of the world's population. If she succeeds in overturning the embargo everyone on this planet will be consumed by Life Fibers."

Heavy muttering immediately filled the spacious chamber at the members of the Round Table turned to each other and discussed the ramifications of Batou's explanation, their minds easily coming to the inevitable conclusion of what would happen if the embargo was lifted. As he sat across the table from the British representatives, their incessant whispers about Ragyo and Revocs going in circles, Maxwell's violent eyes narrowed as he folded his hands in front of his face. His mood slowly worsening with every passing second as he was forced to continue listening to their inane arguments, the stupidity of their words a plague onto his ears, a loud and reverberating echo filled the room as he slammed a hand onto the table.

"Preposterous!" Maxwell shouted, the once neatly stacked documents falling haphazardly to the floor around his seat, as he angrily sneered at Batou, "You'd have to be insane to even begin to believe humanity could be consumed by clothing! It's ridiculous behind anything imaginable!"

"Do you know what's happening in Japan right now?"

The biting tone in Batou's voice compounded with the nudist's scathing glare caused Maxwell to close his mouth. Wearily sighing as he looked around the table, his grey eyes focusing on each member of the Round Table before settling on Integra, the nudist paused for a few seconds before answering his own question, "Since roughly two weeks ago Nudist Beach has been engaged in an all-out war against Ragyo Kiryuin. We're holding out for the moment but thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands have disappeared entirely."

Her eyes widening in shock, the knowledge of a war still ongoing in Japan cause for great concern, Integra whipped her head towards Sir Penwood and demanded, "Why haven't we heard about this?"

"I-I don't know," Sir Penwood sputtered nervous, hands gripped tightly together as he wracked his mind for an answer, "The American's USS George Washington is currently stationed at NAF Atsugi. Surely they would have interceded…"

"There's one last nasty little ability I forgot to mention…" Batou trailed off as he sat back down, hands crossed in front of his mouth. Rubbing a finger against the bottom of his chin, subtly aware of Alucard's slowly increasing smirk in the corner of the room, the nudist took a moment to articulate his thoughts before adding, "We're not sure how they do it, hell we spent the last ten years or so trying to devise a counter, but Life Fibers can…_eat_…any unnecessary memories. Anyone wearing Revocs clothing could be standing right in front of the damn Grand Couturier and not even see her."

Integra's lips pulled into a mixture of a scowl and grimace when she failed to find any signs of deceit on Batou's face. If the nudist commander spoke the truth, and wasn't simply weaving together an extravagant farce of a story, it would explain the strange news leaving Brazil in the wake of her servant's departure. She had watched with rapt attention when the world-renowned Grand Couturier of Revocs fought Alucard, her body easily regenerating from the Jackal's powerful ammunition, but it was the aftermath that was most disconcerting. Every major news network covering the 'terrorist attack' failed to mention both the Grand Couturier as well as that other woman. It was like they weren't even there.

"Something troubles me," Integra tilted her head slightly to the right, her eyes narrowing at Maxwell before inquiring, "Doesn't Revocs make the Vatican's clothing?"

One of Maxwell's eyebrows rose, a strange expression adorning his face, before he sighed and pulled at his sleeve, "I will not deny Revocs creates most of the Catholic Church's formal attire. However the secrecy required for Iscariot to exist and function as it does means our uniforms must be woven via techniques centuries old. Neither Yumiko nor myself are wearing these so-called Life Fibers."

"So we're working against time…"

The leader of the Hellsing Organization's attention shifted to Walter standing quietly at her side, the aged butler's disposition readily apparent to the younger woman. The recent upsurge in vampire attacks, which were heavily linked to the Jahrtausendarmee, was bad enough on its own. Adding the recent revelation about Ragyo Kiryuin's plans, the slaughter of every single human a far more pressing concern at the moment, turned the already grim situation into nearly a complete disaster. Leaning back in her seat, the wood creaking slightly, she took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, "Mr. Batou, how long do we have if the embargo is kept in place? A month? A year?"

Batou frowned at the inadvertent mentioning of his hated nickname before answering, "Our more conservative estimates give us several weeks, maybe a month or two if we can manage to hit a few more Revocs Distribution Facilities. Taking out the Paris Distribution Facility bought us some time but not as much as we thought. Realistically we think she only needs a few more weeks."

That was not the answer Integra wanted to hear and from the increasing worried expressions from both the Round Table and Iscariot, the latter doing his best to hold onto a mask of stoicism, they were equally perturbed. Two weeks was not nearly enough time to coordinate their military forces and launch an all-out assault on Revocs facilities across the globe. That was assuming, of course, Great Britain's allies allowed them to do so in the first place. If Life Fibers could truly eliminate any unnecessary memories, preventing the wearers from noticing anything odd, it might also work in reverse.

Her shoulders stiffening when Alucard chuckled in amusement Integra held a single finger in the air and scowled, "We can discuss the details later. For now there is another matter I need to address. Olivier's other agent spoke of Kamui – clothing woven purely from Life Fibers with the power to stand against Ragyo Kiryuin. The teenagers from the other night wore said garments. Where are they now?"

"I thought it would be safer for Ichigo and Ryuko to remain outside for the moment…given what happened the other night," Batou replied, barely missing Iscariot's reaction to the latter as he focused on the centuries-old vampire.

Turning towards Walter, who subtly nodded while pressing two fingers against his ear, Integra folded her hands beneath her chin as the chamber doors slowly swung open. Her blue eyes hardening as she carefully observed the two teenagers, the distinctiveness of their uniforms standing out more than anything else, she made a mental note of Maxwell's peculiar reaction as she addressed them, "I apologize for my servant's behavior upon your arrival. He was a bit overzealous in carrying out my orders."

Ryuko barely heard Integra's apology as her attention was drawn to Alucard, the vampire's red eyes shining brightly in the shadows. As Senketsu tightened around her body, the Kamui vividly remembering the ease in which the vampire destroyed his armor, she opened her mouth to reply with a snide comment but stopped upon noticing the Queen of England sitting at the far end of the room. Absentmindedly rubbing at a crease in her Kamui's sleeve, a deep sigh quietly leaving her mouth, Ryuko bit her lip and mumbled, "Yeah…it's fine, I guess."

"Now then…your Kamui," Integra pointed a finger at Senketsu and Mugetsu. Intrigued when the two uniforms appeared to move, the eye-like patterns seeming to focus on her, she continued, "I was told they possess the capacity to defeat Ragyo Kiryuin. Could you demonstrate this for us?"

"That would be a rather bad idea given the cramped quarters."

Ichigo and Ryuko spun around when the mocking voice appeared out of nowhere behind them, the latter nearly leaping away at the young boy standing in the doorway. As over a dozen surprised gasps resonated through the chambers, everyone apart from Alucard shocked at the new intruder, Ichigo slowly moved his hand towards Tournesol hidden inside Mugetsu and asked, "How did you get in here?"

"Why, through the front door of course," the boy playfully quipped while stepping out of the shadows, one hand placed squarely against his hips. Cat-like ears twitching as he walked forward, his white uniform a sharp contrast to Senketsu, he shook his head and commented, "I would have introduced myself sooner but Mr. Batou's speech was just too interesting to pass up. So I decided to sit back and wait until he finished."

Upon noticing the interloper Yumiko rapidly slid in front of Maxwell, her left foot shifting outwards while her fingers tightly clenched the hilt of the katana sheathed at her waist. As she prepared to behead the intruder, her hidden eyes catching Pip Bernadotte leaning back while aiming his revolver at the boy's forehead, Yumiko was mildly startled when Ryuko rushed forward without caution. Her index finger already curled around the Scissor Blade hidden in her pocket, a metallic ringing echoing as the weapon extended back to full size, Ryuko pressed the tip of the blade underneath the boy's chin and growled, "Think you can sneak up on us, huh? I sure as hell didn't see you outside so why don't you explain where you were hiding."

"I'm not here to fight anyone," the boy replied, his gloved hands raised in a placating gesture. Carefully pushing the Scissor Blade away from his chin, Ryuko's piercing blue eyes causing a bead of sweat to drip down his neck, his cat-like ears twitched once more as he cautiously moved around her before walking towards the table, "I'm just a simple messenger."

Her lips pursed into a grimace as she watched the youth approach the table, eyes drawn to the Quincy Zeichen emblazoned on the black sash tied around his left bicep, Integra looked at Walter and growled, "Explain this."

Walter's aged features shifted into a disturbed frown while he leaned forward and answered, "Forgive me, Ma'am. I don't know how he bypassed security but Miss Ryuko's comments suggest he wasn't outside a moment ago. Perhaps some form of teleportation or rapid movement?"

"You shouldn't bother with such ridiculous questions."

A Cheshire-like smirk plastered on his face as he stomped to a halt at the far end of the table, Batou having already moved next to Ichigo, the youth reached towards the ground before pulling an old television out of nowhere. Gently placing the antique device on the table, one gloved hand patting it for good measure, he huffed and chuckled, "Your minds wouldn't be able to make sense of it anyhow. I can be both everywhere and nowhere."

Ichigo scowled at the wording of the youth's phrase, his gaze immediately pulled to the familiar symbol etched onto the armband. Tensing as the boy strolled carefree towards the table, brown eyes narrowing at the easily recognizable suppressed spiritual energy, he asked, "Who are you?"

"All your questions will be answered in due time," the boy responded as he cocked his head at Seras and smirked, causing the fledging vampire to flinch from a combination of shock and surprise. Smiling as he returned to the task at hand, pink eyes sweeping slowly across the room, he took a step backwards before giving a mocking bow and snapping his fingers, "Greetings gathered representatives of the Vatican, Great Britain and Nudist Beach! I am here today to relay a message to all of you from my superior, the Major. Please be sure to pay careful attention and take plenty of notes."

When nothing happened for several seconds, the thick silence permeating the royal chambers nearly palpable, the boy blinked several times in confusion while the smirk slowly slid off his face. Wiping a gloved hand against his white shorts before trying twice more, the sound echoing loudly throughout the room, he grumbled in defeat and began manually adjusting the television. As a burst of static blared forth from the monitor, the faint but distinctive sound of someone screaming apparent in the background, a voice with a thick German accent could be heard, "Something seems to be wrong with the connection, Schrodinger. I can't see anything…oh wait, stop right there. Perfect."

"Sorry, Major, but perhaps you should think about upgrading. This thing doesn't even work half the time," Schrodinger halfheartedly apologized as he finished, "But it seems you have your hands quite full over there."

The Major's glasses gleamed malevolently as he finally appeared on the screen, his white suit standing in stark contrast to the blue and black background. Smiling as another scream pierced through the connection, the sound of someone yelling for help unnerving everyone in attendance, he glanced to his left and shrugged, "Everything's going fine. I'm just finishing a bit of leftover business, that's all."

A deep laughter, tinged with psychosis and sadism, lingered in the air as Alucard slowly approached the television, "Hello, Major. You haven't changed at all these past sixty years."

"Why, if it isn't Alucard," the Major visibly straightened on the screen and raised a hand, "It's been far too long, wouldn't you agree?"

As Alucard's laughter deepened, his crimson eyes brightening to blood red, Integra gave the vampire a piercing glare before demanding, "What do you want?"

"Finally I get to see the fraulein herself – Sir Integra Hellsing." A disturbed chuckle emanated from the screen as the Major bowed, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Her hands clenched firmly in front of her face, blue eyes narrowing when the previously faint screams continuously grew louder, Integra felt her patience quickly reached its end as she harshly demanded, "What is your purpose? What do you hope to accomplish from all this?"

Several seconds of complete silence, broken only by a brief burst of static, followed Integra's outburst before the Major's laughter could be heard in the background, "My purpose you say…what a nonsensical question coming from a woman of your intelligence, my beautiful fraulein."

Accompanied by a flash of blue-tinted light, the brightness causing several members of the Round Table to cover their eyes, the screen shifted focus from the Major to his former superior officer. Bound and freshly gagged while sitting against the way, unbalanced eyes expressing terror and fear at the horde of artificial vampires surrounding him, the colonel attempted to scream for help only for the Major's voice to cut him off, "I don't think a one word answer will suffice…but let me put it in the simplest possible terms. My purpose…is a complete absence of purpose. In this cruel and unfair world there are some people, male and female alike, for whom the means do not always require an end. For which the act of merely accomplishing something is for all they strive. I speak, of course, of myself."

With a quick snap of his fingers the dozens of vampires descended on the helpless colonel, his screams of fear devolving into ones of pain and agony. Staring wide-eyed at the slaughter, his stomach churning, Maxwell forced himself to remain calm as he bluntly stated, "You people are completely and irrevocably insane. Every single one of you."

Ryuko couldn't help but gag in disgust at the bloody slaughter playing out on the screen, her blue eyes only catching a glimpse before she forced herself to turn away. Lips pursed into a tight grimace as she attempted to block out the squelching sound of tearing visceral, Senketsu's eye closed shut as well, her knuckles bled white as she gripped the Scissor Blade with both hands and shouted, "You sick fucker!"

"What was that?"

His image appearing on the screen once more, the screams of the colonel fading away in the background, the Major smiled as he turned to Maxwell, "Did I just hear someone from Iscariot questioning my sanity…and is that the voice of the lovely Ryuko Matoi? Oh my, I didn't expect to see our esteemed allies so soon after the unfortunate disaster at Honnouji Academy. It's so good to see you both alive and well."

Forcibly ignoring the collective stares of the Round Table and Iscariot as he stood next to Seras, the fledgling vampire's blue eyes widening at the revelation, Ichigo clenched a hand into a fist and scowled, "Tell me something. You're a Quincy…so was everything that happened at Honnouji Academy part of your plan?"

Maxwell's breath hitched in his throat as he turned towards Schrodinger. Finally recognizing the Quincy Zeichen around the boy's arm, the symbol standing out more than the youth's strange appearance, the leader of Iscariot's violet eyes narrowed, "Quincy? How did you people survive?"

Batou frowned while subtly pressing a finger against the small of his back, the expensive receiver sewn into his suit immediately recording every single word with absolute clarity. He had instantly recognized the symbol etched onto the uniform of the bound colonel, the significance of its meaning not lost to the former soldier. Keeping a calm demeanor as he walked forward, careful to let his arm fall back to the side, the nudist commander stared at the smirking Major and grunted, "I suppose you think your colleagues managed to fool the General. The truth is she pegged you Quincy for Nazis the moment Kinue returned from Brazil."

Clasping both hands behind his back, head cocked slightly to the side, the Major's glasses reflected a deep yellow light as he chuckled, "Contrary to what you may believe we are not now, nor have we ever been, Nazis. Even the thought of being compared to such crude people sickens me. The resources and capital of the late führer were quite essential to our plans. Once we had that we cut them loose and went our separate ways…as our dear former colonel can attest."

"I thought something was odd sixty years ago…"

The shadows surrounding Alucard twisted and writhed as he walked closer to the television, lips curled into a grin and exposing fanged teeth, "It was far too easy killing you people. So if you aren't Nazis than what are you?"

"Nazi…Quincy…meaningless labels by ignorant people." The screen flickered and faded, static briefly covering it, as the Major clapped his hands together, "In the end we are the Jahrtausendarmee…or if you wish simply Millennium. In that regard, I hope Quilge wasn't too rude with you, Ichigo Kurosaki. It is something quite difficult to control my more zealous men."

"Golly! So you're the leader of those troublesome Quincy!"

Everyone turned upwards when a playful and saccharine voice resonated throughout the room, the subtle threatening tone causing a select few to break out in a nervous sweat. Sitting high in the rafter, arms folded on her legs while pink boots swung back and forth without care, was a smiling Nui Harime. Her long blonde pigtails bouncing as she cocked her head to the side, sapphire eyes swiveling around before focusing on a particular individual, the Grand Couturier gave a happy wave of her hand and giggled, "Bonjour!"

Ichigo's eyes widened at the Grand Couturier's sudden appearance before he quickly pulled up Mugetsu's sleeve, exposing Iori's prototype watch wrapped around his wrist. As he watched the invention, which was specifically created to alert him to Nui's presence before she got too close, continuing to silently tick every second Ichigo scowled. Something strange was going on. Turning back to the Grand Couturier he stated loud enough for everyone to hear, "You're a COVERS clone."

Nui beamed at Ichigo's deduction, a truly happy smile on her face, before answering, "That's right, Ichigo! But you can wipe that frown off your face. I'm actually here to –"

A burst of wind tore through the room as Yumiko Takagi vanished from Maxwell's side, his silver hair rustling briefly from the movement, only to quickly reappear several feet in front of a still smirking Grand Couturier. Hidden eyes darkening at the uncaring expression on Nui's face, sapphire eyes watching the attacking paladin without a hint of worry, Yumiko growled as she twisted sideways and tightly gripped the katana at her waist. The blessed blade shimmering in the ambient light of the royal chamber, a faint metallic ringing echoing through the air, she attempted to decapitate the teenager only for the Grand Couturier to effortlessly dodge out of the way.

"Gosh, you're really trying to kill me…"

Nui pouted when Yumiko's katana cut through the end of her pigtail, dozens of blonde hairs floating gently through the air. Slowly floating downwards while watching the paladin flip around before using the rafter as a springboard, the wood and metal cracking under the force, she tucked her arms cutely against the small of her back and hummed thoughtfully. It was really rude of the human to attack her without even a hello, especially when she was busy talking to her favorite cousin. Her body a blur of motion as she danced around the flurry of rapid slashes, Yumiko's anger continuously increasing when her attacks constantly missed, Nui giggled childishly as she landed on the ground with nary a noise.

"That was a lot of fun!" Nui commented, one hand flattening a barely noticeable crease on her pink Lolita dress as she turned around towards Yumiko. Cocking her head to the side, sapphire eyes staring blankly ahead, she stuck her tongue out and added, "You know, I was given strict orders to not kill any humans …but if you keep this up I'll be forced to show you a thing or two!"

"Nui Harime…" The crimson highlight in Ryuko's hair briefly glowed as she glared at the Grand Couturier, her fingers tightening around the Scissor Blade as blue eyes tracked the teenager's every move, "What the hell are you doing here?"

The corners of Nui's lips curled into a knowing smile as she turned away from Yumiko, who was all but prepared to continue fighting. Pink boots tapping lightly against the marble floor as sapphire eyes studied each and every human in the room, lingering just a little longer on Schrodinger, she pressed a hand against her cheek and sighed, "I'm surprised you would ask such a silly question, Ryuko. I go wherever I want! Nobody can stop me! That stupid coward's little reports were so dry and boring that I decided to come and see how my big sister and favorite cousin were doing!"

A tense silence spread throughout the room at the Grand Couturier's revelation, several sets of eyes widening more than others, but it was the sound of Alucard's amused chortling that drew the most attention. His boots echoing against the floor as he slowly walked forward, a light metallic click the only sound as the Casull and Jackal appeared in his hands, the centuries-old vampire's red eyes shone from underneath his fedora as he asked, "Nui Harime, was it? I was starting to grow bored waiting for you to introduce yourself. Did you come all this way just for me to put a few more bullets through your skull?"

Nui's smile widened at the thinly veiled threat from the vampire. Leaning forward, her interest in Schrodinger momentarily forgotten, she clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "I remember you! The way you impaled those humans was inspiring, you know, but I'm actually here on business. So I can't fight you today. Too bad!"

The excited tone in Nui's voice caused Ichigo to stiffen. As Mugetsu tightened protectively around his body, her unconscious growling causing Seras to perk up at the noise, he took a step forward and asked, "What business?"

Her melodious laughter echoed throughout the room as she nearly instantaneously appeared next to Schrodinger, perfectly manicured fingers gripping his shoulder before he could so much as react, "Much like this plagiarizing Quincy I'm here to give a super duper important message…but to the fat man on the television!"

"If it isn't the epitome of madness…" The Major laughed on the screen, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he locked gazes with the amused Grand Couturier, "…the creature born from the intersection of insanity and the id…the Grand Couturier of Revocs – Nui Harime. You are truly a monster in every sense of the word. Standing upon the pedestal of dementia with Alucard himself. Why, I can feel my skin simply crawling with disgust just by talking to you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere!"

Closing her eyes as she released Schrodinger and walked around the side of the table, fully aware of the cute glare Ryuko was giving her, Nui pirouetted on her heel while her mouth twisted into a saccharine smile. It was really great seeing her family again after so long, the looks on their faces forever etched into her memory, but unfortunately she couldn't afford to spend any real quality time with them. There was still a lot a work to do before Shinra Koketsu was ready for its big reveal and the more time she wasted speaking to these pathetic humans and Quincy the longer it would take. Leaning over the table with her chin propped on her hands, the two closest members of the Round Table flinching away, Nui tilted her head to the right and stared at the image of the Major, "Did you honestly think such a cheap trick would work against Lady Ragyo? It was super cute that you tried but she wasn't born yesterday, you know!"

Static flashed across the screen before the Major chuckled, "It would be incredibly foolish for me to underestimate the might of the Revocs Corporation. Suicidal, one might be so bold as to say, to assume an easy victory against a being of such magnitude as Ragyo Kiryuin. The legions of hell, in all their unholy and iniquitous glory, wouldn't stand a chance against that incandescent woman."

"Enough of this. Your impetuous voice is starting to wear on my nerves."

Maxwell slammed his hands against the table as he stood up, violet eyes staring at the screen before slowly turning towards Nui Harime. Grimacing as he momentarily locked gazes with the Grand Couturier, the sheer depth of her sapphire eyes causing a shudder to run down his spine, he waited until Yumiko returned to his side before briefly sharing a glance with Integra. As the young leader of the Hellsing Organization's brow furrowed, her attention shifted to Seras as she gave the barest of nods, Maxwell's left eye twitched violently as he snapped his fingers, "You are truly insane. The full weight of the Catholic Church will be more than enough to ground both Millennium and Ragyo Kiryuin into dust!"

The moment Integra tapped her finger against the table, which incidentally coincided with Maxwell's own action, Seras pushed off the ground and sprinted towards the Grand Couturier. The saccharine expression never leaving her face as she turned around, sapphire eyes widening in mild surprise at the supposed human's speed, Nui was taken off guard when Seras managed to lock a forearm around her neck before she was forcibly pulled away from the table. Perplexed that a mere human was restraining her, even though her COVERS clone was much weaker than her actual body, Nui frowned and harshly drove her elbow into Seras' stomach. Spittle leaving her mouth as she gasped in pain, the muscles in her arm momentarily bulging at the strain of holding the Grand Couturier, Seras quickly recovered before adjusting her grip and slamming the teenager headfirst in the ground.

Sighing as she finally pinned the Grand Couturier against the floor, one hand twisting Nui's right arm around while the other tightly gripped her neck, Seras frowned at the teenager's strength before turning to Integra, "Don't worry, I got her."

"Stop us, you say?"

The sarcasm permeating the Major's voice, compounded with his incessant mocking laughter, put Integra on edge. Drawing her gaze away from the restrained Grand Couturier, her blue eyes narrowing at the disturbed grin on the Quincy's face, she subtly gritted her teeth as he continued, "Such a laughable notion. It may come as quite the shock but Iscariot isn't one of my true enemies. You people don't even rank in the top three! Second on the list is the illustrious mistress of the struggling Grand Couturier, whose perturbed mind is wondering how your little assistant managed to pin her down with such contemptible ease. My true enemy has always been Britain…the Hellsing Organization…you know, to be perfectly clear, it's that man laughing to the left."

Alucard's slow chuckling quickly devolved into psychotic laughter as he stared at the screen, the shadows surrounding his body twisting chaotically, "A declaration of war, is it? Perfect! I cannot wait to destroy you people again!"

"You really should get your priorities straight," Schrodinger quipped offhandedly, the cat-like grin returning as he marched away from the restrained Nui Harime, "I mean, we're just going to exterminate a few cities, murder a couple million people, while Ragyo Kiryuin plans on massacring humanity."

"Priorities, you say…" Alucard's voice echoed as he trailed off, his attention momentarily focused on the strange youth, "Once I finish what I started sixty years ago by tearing the beating heart out of your fat little Major that monster of a woman is next."

Integra glowered at the smirking Major, her skin crawling in disgust at the mere sight of his insane grin and psychotic yellow eyes. There was no telling how many innocent lives he's taken over the past six decades in pursuit of his demented goal. Blue eyes glancing towards the bound Grand Couturier, Seras' vampiric strength barely enough to contain the surprising strong teenager, the leader of the Hellsing Organization faintly sighed as she slowly stood up, "Seras, please remove Nui Harime from Her Majesty's presence. The Grand Couturier has much to answer for…"

"Nope!"

Smiling as a faint purple light enveloped her faux body Nui leaned forward before slamming the back of her head into Seras' nose hard enough to shatter it. As blood spurted through the air, the fledgling vampire staggering back and involuntarily releasing the highly dangerous teenager, Nui giggled victoriously while hopping back onto her feet. Her blonde pigtails bouncing softly as she turned around and watched the young woman regenerate, blue eyes shifting to a familiar red, she stuck her tongue out as the colors began fading from her body, "Gosh, it's a really good thing I didn't come in person! Fighting weird things like you would have ruined my favorite dress!"

"Damn it!" Ryuko growled as she watched Nui slowly dissipate, a feeling of complete helplessness coursing through her veins. Biting her lower lip while taking a step forward, the Scissor Blade shaking in her grip, she stared into the Grand Couturier's purely white eyes and scowled, "Tell us where Ururu is, you bitch! I swear, if you hurt one hair on her head I'll –"

"You should shut up before you say something you'll regret, Ryuko."

As her limbs slowly unraveled, the colorless Life Fibers uncurling and dissipating into nothingness, the saccharine smile constantly plastered on Nui's face shifted imperceptibly into an annoyed frown. Tilting her head towards her estranged sister, the glazed and cold look in her eyes unnerving Ichigo and Ryuko, she waited until her COVERS clone was nearly gone before adding, "I'll be seeing you real soon, Ryuko…and you too, Mr. Quincy. Lady Ragyo has special plans in store for you…"

"Oh my…"

The Major clapped his head together when the Grand Couturier's clone finished breaking down. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the lenses shimmering opaquely from the motion, he held one hand towards the screen and asked, "That was quite the marvelous spectacle, wouldn't you agree? But before I go, leaving you people to crawl around in the darkness, I wish to point out that the purposeless slaughter and murder I strive towards is inherently different than Ragyo Kiryuin's planned annihilation of humanity. Where would be the fun in that? An absence of people means war could not exist and without a planet there can be no battlefields full of screams and putrefied corpses. You cannot stop us, my dear fraulein. For every soldier cut down two more shall rise."

"That's enough," Integra locked eyes with an amused Alucard before growling, "Alucard…kill him."

"Like hell he's getting off that easy!"

Ryuko's sneakers momentarily slipped on the varnished wooden table as she rushed towards the cat-like Quincy. Hearing that fat bastard laughs while he casually talked about killing millions of innocent people had thoroughly and truly pissed her off. Growling in annoyance as she leapt passed a mildly surprised Maxwell and pushed off into the air Ryuko twisted the Scissor Blade around in her grip before arcing it towards Schrodinger's exposed neck. A slightly worried look crossing the cat-like boy's face as he dodged out of the way, a resounding crash echoing throughout the chamber as the Scissor Blade slammed into the ground, Schrodinger barely noticed Ryuko's grin before Ichigo punched him in the face.

"You're not going anywhere," Ichigo kept his eyes firmly locked on the Quincy, one hand gripping the cat-like boy's white uniform as Ryuko and Batou approached them. Ignoring the trail of blood leaking from Schrodinger's most likely broken nose onto Mugetsu's sleeve, the Kamui shivering in disgust before making her Life Fibers impervious to the unwanted substance, Ichigo pulled him closer and scowled, "There's a few things I want to know so start talking. First off, what –"

The sound of shadows twisting and distorting was the only warning Ichigo received before Alucard appeared next to him, the Casull already lodged in Schrodinger's mouth. Letting go of the Quincy and stepping back just as the vampire pulled the trigger, excessive blood and viscera splattering across the floor as Schrodinger's head was blown apart, Ichigo turned away from the still twitching body while suppressing the nausea welling up from his stomach, "Why did you kill him?"

"I don't question my Master's orders," Alucard replied, holding the smoking Casull in the air as Seras shattered the television with one well-placed bullet. Turning around and sauntering back towards his Master, his red eyes briefly locking with Ryuko's uniquely shaped ones, the vampire's smirk widened as he spoke, "You continue to amuse me, monster girl."

Batou grimaced as he knelt next to Schrodinger's headless corpse, Ryuko's angry response to the vampire lost in the background. Careful not to step in any of the dead Quincy's pooling blood the nudist commander sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Olivier wasn't going to appreciate this little development. Knowing that the Jahrtausendarmee were actually Nazis, despite that man's admission to the contrary, planning to slaughter an entire country for shits and giggles left a sour taste in his mouth. As he shook his head and began rifling through Schrodinger's pockets, his grey eyes searching for anything important, the nudist paused when an irritatingly familiar voice cheerfully asked, "Searching for something, Batou?"

"Just looking for this kid's orders," Batou grunted as he finished searching Schrodinger's pockets only to come up short. There was literally nothing on the kid – no orders, identification or anything useful. It was almost as if the Quincy magically appeared at the front of the room. Standing up and turning around, lips pulled into a grimace when he saw Seras and Pip standing just a few meters away, the nudist commander rubbed his hands together and frowned, "These bastards are organized far too well for my liking. Not only do they have a dedicated command structure but also supernatural powers to boot. Damn it, the General is going to be really pissed when I tell her about this."

"I've heard a few things about Olivier Armstrong," Pip reached for the packet of Lucky Strike in his pocket and sighed, "If half the rumors are true she might be one of the few people to scare me more than Alucard."

Fixing the cuffs of his suit, the tight fabric bothering him more with each passing minute, Batou stared at Pip before scoffing, "Nice shirt…hey, that reminds me. You know any good bars?"

Almost immediately the relaxed expression on the French mercenary's face vanished, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips as he raised his hands and took a cautious step backwards, "It's been nearly five years, Batou. The funny thing is…I don't drink on the job anymore."

Seras blinked owlishly at Pip's obvious lie before turning away from Schrodinger's corpse, "What are you talking about? Of course you drink. I saw you the other night…during…your…"

Turning around as the fledgling vampire's voice began to strangely trail off, shock clear in her blue eyes, Batou involuntarily staggered backwards when he noticed the Quincy's body had vanished into thin air. As several surprised gasps filled the chamber, Ryuko's appropriate cursing heard loud and clear as she looked into the rafters, the nudist commander frowned and asked the obvious question, "Where the hell did he go?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ragyo Kiryuin sighed wistfully as she stared at the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier encompassing Honnou City, the expensive glass of wine in her hand momentarily forgotten. Slightly amused maroon eyes gazing out over the darkening horizon, her silver hair illuminating Satsuki's former private chambers in a cacophony of rainbow light, the CEO of Revocs cocked her head to the side while briefly pondering the current war against Nudist Beach. Contrary to both her expectations and desires the organization was putting up quite the admirable struggle, Isshin's personal involvement undoubtedly contributing to their recent success.<p>

"That man is going to be the death of me…" she quipped sarcastically with a small shake of her head, the wine gently swirling counterclockwise in the glass. In order for the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet to reach its glorious fruition, covering not only humanity but also the very planet itself in Life Fibers, she would need to directly confront Isshin. Sipping the sour liquid as her mind ran through several likely scenarios, lips pursed together at the easily foreseen difficulty in overcoming such a monumental obstacle, Ragyo pulled her thoughts away from the only man she ever truly loved and towards more pressing issues.

Folding her arms underneath her bosom, the white dress she wore helping to accentuate the gesture, she leaned her head back and hummed, "I wonder how Ichigo and Ryuko are doing?"

It was mildly irritating she hadn't been able to capture either teenager in the aftermath of failed coup d'état during the climax of the Great Culture and Sports Festival. She had been so focused on bringing dear Amu back into the family, molding her into the perfect daughter, that she allowed them to escape with the nudists but perhaps that was for the best. Standing aside and watching as Ichigo and Ryuko continued growing stronger, the Life Fibers composing their bodies coming into maturity, meant the efforts of seventeen years were finally coming to fruition. Why, at the current rate their Life Fibers were maturing it would only be a few weeks until they were a match for her precious Nui or Amu.

"Still…their childish desire to protect the naked pigs in human clothing could prove quite the annoyance. A mother can only take so much backtalk from her daughter," Ragyo muttered thoughtfully, taking another sip of the wine, before the corners of her lips curled into a pleased grin.

Despite her estranged daughter's belligerence and overall uncouth demeanor, created through a mixture of her former husband's lack of parenting skills and subsequent murder, she was growing into a fine young woman. As shameful as it was Ryuko had chosen the naked pigs over her family, fighting and killing her own kind, she was still a much better daughter than Satsuki. It was a pity, especially after investing so much time and effort, but unless Ryuko and Ichigo fully embraced their true nature and abandoned humanity she would be forced to kill them. That was just how things worked, after all.

Perking up when the door to her new chambers opened, the miniscule Life Fibers in the air instantly alerting her to the intruder's identity, Ragyo looked over her shoulder and asked, "What is it, Hououmaru?"

Rei Hououmaru, clad in a newly stitched and upgraded Écusson Raiment, respectfully bowed as she stood on the opposite side of Ragyo's desk, "I have Yuu Akiyama's latest field reports, Ma'am. As of five hours ago he's managed to either subvert or blackmail seventeen members of the House of Commons. Based on the latest polls we have almost enough votes to overturn their embargo."

A single silver eyebrow rose in mild surprise at the report, the rainbow glow from her hair brightening momentarily. Pure white heels clicking gently against the floor as she turned away from the windows and walked towards her desk, the wine glass placed gently upon the surface, Ragyo spent a few minutes skimming through the reports before her maroon eyes widened in excitement at the contents, "That coward is certainly doing a rather thorough job…and with Alexander Anderson growing increasingly closer to capturing him. That man certainly doesn't know when to give up."

"I also have the financial reports, Ma'am," Hououmaru added, reaching into her raiment and pulling out a PDA. Swiping a single finger across the surface, the tablet quickly illuminating to life, she handed it to the Kiryuin matriarch before folding her arms against the small of her back, "Despite your superb recommendations Revocs market shares have remained steady at eighty eight point three percent for the last three days. Unless we manage to overturn Great Britain's foolish embargo we'll be forced to wait at least another month for market saturation to return to required levels."

Even as she stared at the data streaming across the small screen, her eyes easily memorizing the information, Ragyo already knew who was to blame for the second worst setback to the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet – Kinue Kinagase. When Nui Harime returned from Brazil and excitedly told her that the same nudist who wore a Kamui was also a Life Fiber Hybrid the Kiryuin matriarch had been nearly stunned in disbelief. It should have been impossible for that woman to be a hybrid. The knowledge needed to intricately weave Life Fibers inside a host, slowly transforming their flesh and bones in the process, was something not even her former husband's mildly intelligent mind could comprehend on his best of days.

The rainbow glow from her silver hair fading as she turned back towards the windows, arms folded underneath her bosom, Ragyo stared at the COVERS floating protectively outside in the darkening skies and shook her head, "The Hellsing Organization is proving to be quite the annoyance. Quel dommage…I had such high hopes that Mr. Akiyama could deal with Great Britain by himself but it seems my personal involvement will be necessary after all."

As the last traces of daylight vanished over the horizon, vestiges of autumnal red and orange shifting to purple and black, Ragyo mused about the best ways to deal with the Hellsing Organization. Using Mental Refitting was out of the question. The strength necessary for the Marionette Threads to have the intended effect on Integra Hellsing without being detected requiring meeting with the woman alone for at least an hour, which would be impossible given the presence of the creature known as Alucard. Although she would never admit it, the mere notion of nervousness anathema to her entire existence, Ragyo didn't know what to make of the so-called vampire. According to Nui the creature's body didn't contain even the faintest trace of Life Fibers, nor his clothing, yet he could regenerate from the most lethal of wounds.

"_I cannot afford to underestimate this Alucard,"_ Ragyo frowned, the gesture lost on Hououmaru as the older woman looked away from her assistant, _"Legendary creature aside…his strength was enough to overwhelm my precious Nui's clone. Not to mention the fact he nearly killed Ryuko when Senketsu was in Senkou. Dealing with Alucard is going to require a delicate touch…"_

"And what of the Quincy?"

Hououmaru's inquisitive tone broke Ragyo out of her thoughts, the rainbow light shining from her silver hair dimming as she turned towards her assistant, "According to the Grand Couturier's…report…they refer to themselves as the Jahrtausendarmee, which matches Yuu's information, and count amongst their members the four Quincy that assisted Nudist Beach during the Great Culture and Sports Festival."

"Millennium Army…what an audacious name," Ragyo mockingly commented, her lips twisting into an amused smirk at the thought of Hououmaru attempting to read one of the Grand Couturier's personally written reports. Staring at the pinpricks of glowing red light surrounding Honnouji Academy, the hovering COVERS floating protectively within the barrier, she pushed the thought of Nui hastily writing down everything she saw and turned around, "The Grand Couturier played her part well. That mocking Quincy didn't even see her plant the tracking Life Fiber within his ugly uniform, which means I'll be paying a visit to this Major very soon. Speaking of which…has the embargo vote been scheduled, Hououmaru?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Hououmaru nodded and tapped her PDA nearly a dozen times, "The prospective vote is currently being held at five in the afternoon, Greenwich Mean Time, two days from now. Do you intend to plead your case?"

"Plead my case?" Ragyo couldn't help but laugh at the very thought of begging humans for anything, the rainbow light from her hair quickly intensifying and permeating every shadow of the room. Walking away from her secretary towards the newly installed closet, maroon eyes widening sadistically, she chuckled once more before continuing, "As long as Yuu does his job my presence will be mere formality. A sign that the internationally praised CEO of Revocs truly cares enough about the poor and destitute to give away nearly a billion dollars worth of Revocs all-season clothing."

Throwing open the closet doors without care, a brilliant white light nearly blinding Hououmaru even with her aviator sunglasses, Ragyo's lips twisted into a smirk as she heard her assistant turn away and shut her eyes. Her heels clicking softly as she stepped into the closest, thumbs curled gently under the straps of her white dress, she stared at the multitude of dresses and outfits lining both sides of the closest with fervent passion. A deep sigh escaping her lips as she allowed her dress to fall to the floor, the multitude of Life Fiber infused clothing surrounding her instantly coming to life, maroon eyes stared at each outfit before she seductively asked, "Now, which one of you shall I wear?"

One finger absentmindedly adjusting her sunglasses as she stood outside the closet, amber eyes instinctively closed even though her back was turned, Hououmaru patiently waited nearly five minutes before she heard the sound of high heels clicking against the ground. Slowly opening her eyes while turning around, the white glow from the closest quickly replaced once more by a rainbow light, the leader of Xcution deeply bowed her head and said, "You look as exquisite as ever, Ma'am."

Adorned in a pure white business suit with matching skirt, her silver hair now laying flat similar to her eldest daughter's, Ragyo heels clicked against the floor as she smirked, "It is quite unfortunate the Grand Couturier used most of the remaining Life Fibers in Great Britain. Having my COVERS clone forced to travel halfway across the world should give Yuu enough time to _convince _a majority of Parliament to overturn that ridiculous embargo."

"I shall inform the pilot to prepare your private jet," Hououmaru's tone was respectful as she fell in line behind Ragyo, her fingers automatically tapping the screen of the PDA and forwarding the message to the necessary people.

Amber eyes briefly gazing on the Kiryuin matriarch's newly straightened hair, the rainbow light as brilliant and magnificent as ever, the leader of Xcution mulled over her words before asking, "Please forgive my extraordinary rudeness, Ma'am, but would it not be best to hide your appearance? Great Britain is one of the few places in this world completely free of Life Fibers. Your illustrious presence might do more harm than good in persuading the House of Commons into seeing the truth."

The moment Hououmaru finished speaking a cold and bitter sensation permeated the room, the cacophony of light shining from Ragyo's hair dimming to nearly nothing. After remaining for several tense seconds, her breath shallow from nervousness, she relaxed when the CEO of Revocs shook her head and sighed, "La vie est drôle. I can only imagine the look on Isshin's face…"

Folding her arms together against the front of her form-fitting suit as a multicolored aura surrounded her body, the intensity nearly enough to cause Hououmaru to look away, Ragyo closed her eyes before raising a hand and snapping her fingers. As the sound of shredding fabric filling the room, dozens of Life Fibers gently floating through the air before dissipating into nothingness, the leader of Xcution took one look at Ragyo's purely black hair and bowed deeply at the waist, "Is there anything you wish for me to do while you're occupied for the next few days?"

Ragyo opened her eyes, now a cold blue like Satsuki's, and frowned momentarily before replying, "Yes…recall Esdeath and the others back to the home office. With the international market firmly in our grasp I see no need for them to remain in the foreign offices, especially with a man as intelligent as Kisuke Urahara in Karakura Town. If he's half as intelligent as I think, he's most likely devising a bypass for the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier."

"Understood…" Hououmaru watched Ragyo walk towards the exit to her office before adding, "And what of the Grand Couturiers?"

"My precious Nui and Amu are finishing up the second to last stage of Shinra Koketsu. Bothering them at such a critical juncture over something so trivial as an embargo seems rather childish," Ragyo's tone had a sarcastic edge as she paused at the door, one manicured hand leaning gently against the frame. Staring over her shoulder at the secretary, the corners of her lips curled into a smirk, she chuckled as a manic expression crossed her face, "As for me…I think it is time I put on one final performance. Don't you agree, Hououmaru?"

Prostrating herself before the CEO of Revocs, her eyes closed, Hououmaru didn't hesitate to respond, "But of course, Ma'am."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Heinkel Wolfe's breath emerged in misty wisps as she pirouetted around, black cassock fluttering in the midnight breeze as twin pistols slid out of her sleeves into gloved hands. Grey-green eyes narrowing in mild irritation at the dozen armored soldiers standing in the middle of the street, their modified automatic weapons pointed directly at her, the paladin leaned to the right as they took aim and fired. Blurring into motion as bullets streamed through the air, her body twisting and dancing around the projectiles, barely a second passed before Heinkel raised her arms and fired off a total of six shots. As the echoes from her pistols, modified herself, faded away Heinkel's sneer shifted into a pleased smirk when all twelve soldiers instantly collapsed to the ground in puddles of their own blood and visceral.<p>

"I must be losing my touch," she muttered absentmindedly, eyes narrowing at the trails of blood snaking through the cobblestone street towards the gutter. Faint trails of smoke wafting upwards from her pistols as she turned towards the sole vampire, his red eyes glowing from behind black goggles, Heinkel cocked her head to the side and scoffed upon noticing the Quincy Zeichen stitched on his beret, "It should have only taken four shots to kill all your men."

The vampire didn't utter a single sound as he rushed towards her much faster than a normal human, a glowing blue blade clasped firmly in his right hand. Waiting until the very last second before leaning to the side, straw-colored hair slowly waving chaotically in the breeze as the Seele Schneider harmlessly passed inches from her face, Heinkel's eyes momentarily narrowed before her arm quickly snapped upwards. The muzzle of her pistol pressed against the underside of the vampire's chin, his crimson irises expanding from a mixture of shock and fear, a pleased smirk tore at the corners of the paladin's lips as she pulled the trigger.

As a splatter of blood and visceral sprayed through the air, the vampire's body lurching backwards before rapidly disintegrating into dust and ash as the holy bullet permeated his corpse, Heinkel let out a wistful sigh. Since her arrival in Berlin in pursuit of a lead on Millennium she'd been ambushed a total of three times, all of which involved a single vampire commanding a small squad of heavily armed soldiers. Allowing her arms to fall limply to her sides as she looked around, the dozen corpses spread throughout the street cooling in the late autumn night, the paladin turned to leave when the muffled sound of her cell phone ringing caught her attention. Upon recognizing the number she held the phone against her ear, "This is Wolfe."

There was a brief moment of silence before Enrico Maxwell's authoritative voice sounded across the encrypted connection, _"You sound busy, Wolfe. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."_

"You were right, sir," Heinkel casually admitted with almost a hint of reluctance while grey-green eyes scanned the nearby rooftops. The soft echo of her boots on the cobblestone street the only sound as she walked away from the massacre, the developing fog hugging the round helping to conceal her presence, she holstered her remaining pistol before continuing, "Since arriving in Berlin I've been ambushed three times, each group led by a vampire. We're leaking information to the blasted Quincy like a sieve."

"_I've already enacted protocols to weed out Millennium's agents in the Vatican,"_ Maxwell slowly responded as he sat in his office, the pale moonlight streaming through the windows behind his desk, _"But at this point it's safe to presume the Quincy have eyes and ears in every major organization. It wouldn't be surprising if they managed to subvert a member of the Round Table."_

Shoulders stiffening when she heard the sound of footsteps marching in the distance, the closed environment making it slightly difficult to pinpoint their exact location, Heinkel mentally counted to three before pulling out a pistol and firing a single shot at the nearby roof. As the hidden sniper's chest exploded in a burst of blood, a choking gurgle managing to leave his lips before life left his body, she adjusted the phone against her ear and asked, "Have we located their headquarters yet?"

"_Unfortunately not."_

Suppressing the angry sneer threatening to tear its way out from his throat, violet eyes narrowed in frustration, Maxwell leaned back in his chair and scowled, _"Nine hours ago Yumiko managed to capture one of Millennium's soldiers, an artificial vampire instead of a Quincy, but the abomination against God burst into blue flames before he could say anything. Stay on guard, Wolfe, and do not underestimate the resourcefulness of this scum or his leader."_

Heinkel grimaced, her lips pulled back as she contemplated Maxwell's final words, "You don't believe that Quincy's declaration of being the Jahrtausendarmee's leader?"

The leader of Iscariot didn't immediately reply to the question as he stood up, the phone clenched tightly in his hand, and stared at the documents spread haphazardly across his desk. Picking up the nearest one, the Latin easily translating as he read it, Maxwell turned towards the hovering moon and scowled, _"In any other case…perhaps I would have been inclined to believe such preposterous nonsense. But after meeting with the Vatican's Athenaeum, First Division Peter, I am all but certain that fat bastard is lying. What few records withstood the test of time clearly describes the Father of the Quincy in almost supernatural clarity. This Major, or whatever he deigns to call himself, is not that man…"_

As traces of pale moonlight penetrated the surrounding fog Heinkel narrowed her eyes and asked, "Do we at least know what Millennium is planning?"

"_They have set their sights on England."_

Stopping midstride at the angry tone in Maxwell's voice, her glasses shining coldly in the ambient light, Heinkel cocked her head to the side and muttered, "I thought you would be happy about this, Maxwell. After all, you predicted this would be the case given everything we know."

"_Yes…but that was before the Jahrtausendarmee were known to be Quincy!"_ Maxwell shouted as he slammed a hand against his desk, the stacks of papers scattering to the floor. After several tense seconds passed, Heinkel holding her phone away from her ear for good measure, he frowned and carefully walked around the fallen documents towards the bookcases lining the walls of his office, _"I had my suspicions when Integra Hellsing mentioned Quilge Opie by name but I foolishly ignored such words as Protestant slander and mockery. In any case, there is almost a guarantee that Millennium is not only composed of multiple Quincy but also led by their long presumed dead king. That has His Holiness very worried, Wolfe. This is no longer a matter in which we can afford to be picky with our allies. Taking down such an ancient and well-entrenched organization is going to require every resource at our disposal…and then some."_

The sound of a train in the distance, its horn blaring through the air, barely managed to cover the curse leaving Heinkel's mouth at that piece of information. Completely silent as she walked past a young German couple, their hands clasped tightly together in the cold night, Heinkel pursed her lips and inquired, "How ancient are we talking about?"

"_The first records mentioning Quincy predate the founding of the Catholic Church,"_ Maxwell's brow creased as he carefully removed a single book from the shelf, the weathering on the binding an indication of its age. Ever since returning from that cesspool of Protestantism otherwise known as England he'd been in an apprehensive pool, the knowledge of the Quincy's survival constantly at the forefront of his mind. Shaking his head to dissuade any further thought on the matter he continued, _"We thought them extinct, killed by agents of God more than two centuries ago for their unholy blasphemy. I do not pretend to understand why they would so boldly emerge from the shadows now of all times…or their Major's fascination with Alucard…but this situation troubles me for an entirely different reason. That impetuous Quincy mentioned allying with Nudist Beach at Honnouji Academy."_

Heinkel frowned as she stared at the nearly full moon, her face illuminated in shades of pale white. As a church bell tolled in the distance, the three rings signifying the time, she shook her head and pondered, "I've heard of Honnouji Academy. It's some high-class school in Japan run by Ragyo Kiryuin's daughter, right?"

"_It's still being kept under wraps…Ragyo Kiryuin's hold over the media is surprising firm…but Satsuki Kiryuin has been missing from the public eye since October 21st. That is coincidentally the same day Nudist Beach claims to have started fighting against Revocs,"_ Maxwell explained, pacing across his office as a mixture of silence and static came across the connection for nearly a full minute.

"I don't like this," Heinkel muttered after almost a minute of silent thought, her shoulders tensing at the rapid movement at the periphery of her senses. A single pistol sliding into her free hand, a full clip of blessed bullets snapping into place, she turned her head slightly to the left and narrowed her eyes at the figure darting across the rooftops, "First Ryuko appears out of nowhere and fights Alucard, then the Grand Couturier of Revocs interrupts a highly secured meeting in the heart of London and now Ragyo Kiryuin's only daughter and sole heir is missing. I hate to say it but Anderson's insane rambling thirteen years ago about that woman might contain a hint of truth."

"_Perhaps…"_ There was no mistaking the disdain in Maxwell's voice at the admittance. Even if Heinkel was completely correct, and Anderson's actions all those years ago were the result of Ragyo Kiryuin's provocations, his rampant slaughtering of the Holy Conclave could not go unpunished, _"…but there are more important matters at the moment than bringing Anderson to justice for his inexcusable actions. Millennium's focus on Hellsing and Alucard has afforded us a once in a lifetime opportunity. To nip this potential problem in the bud before it spirals out of control I thought actions would speak louder than words."_

"I see…so you're preparing a surprise attack," Heinkel concluded gruffly, her straw-colored hair waving gently in the breeze as she stomped to a halt. Switching her phone and pistol around, the weapon now sitting comfortably in her right hand, the paladin adjusted her glasses and bluntly stated, "While I would like nothing more than to bring to wrath of God down upon the Quincy, smiting them from existence for their heresy against the Lord, this is still an incredibly risky decision, Maxwell. If we go after Millennium in England there's no telling how the Hellsing Organization would respond. Alucard is not a creature to be unnecessarily provoked…"

"_Your concern is noted, Wolfe, but defeating the Jahrtausendarmee before they grow too powerful is a holy imperative. The scars from the Catholic Church's last…encounter…with the Quincy are not so easily forgotten."_ Sitting on the edge of his desk, the phone held firmly in one hand, Maxwell leaned over and picked up an enveloped emblazoned with the papal insignia before continuing, _"When the dust is settled it shall be the church that once again stands in the ring with our fists raised high in victory. His Holiness has already issued the various mobilization orders. Nothing is being left to chance. I've been given direct control over the Knights of Malta, the Knights of Saint Stephen, the Knights of the Order of Calatrava La Nueva, the Knights of the Sagely Brethren and the Swiss Company Executive Office. The Vatican's Administration of Holy Relics, Third Division Matthew, has also moved into action. We shall cut the head off the snake before the Quincy even know what hit them."_

"Understood…and what of Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs?" Heinkel frowned at the silence across the connection before throwing her body forward, the sniper bullet tearing a hole through the nearby wall. Rolling into a crouch, pistol immediately firing three times into the newest squad of soldiers, Heinkel ignored the various screams of pain when she noticed the faint glint of metal on a roof nearly half a kilometer in the distance. A single bullet racing across Berlin moments before the rocket was launched, a thin trail of smoke drifting into the night, there was a second of silence before the projectile exploded into a cacophony of sound and light.

Frowning when she still didn't receive a response, two more shots leaving her pistol as she took care of the remaining soldiers, Heinkel held the phone closer to her ear and growled, "What's the matter, Maxwell? If both Nudist Beach and Millennium are telling the truth than Ragyo Kiryuin is only days, perhaps weeks, away from devouring humanity. Even if these Quincy are unholy creatures, abominations designed for the deepest pits of hell, they pale in comparison to what that monster is planning. Several million lives, Protestant or otherwise, might be a necessary sacrifice to save the rest of humanity."

A heavy sigh came across the connection followed by barely audible muttering before Maxwell spoke, _"I informed His Holiness of our…increasing concerns surrounding Ragyo Kiryuin and her true nature. Despite both the mounting evidence and the Grand Couturier's appearance in London he was insistent we focus our efforts upon the Quincy. It has been decreed that all of Iscariot's forces, loaned or otherwise, are to be used for no other purpose than the complete and total eradication of the Quincy. Once they are dealt when, and their king brought to the Vatican in shackles, then the full force of the church shall move against Ragyo Kiryuin."_

"I see…" Heinkel slowly turned around when a figure landed on the other side of the road, his red eyes giving away his undead nature. Lips curling into a faint smile as the vampire tensed backwards, his Seele Schneider flaring to life, she raised the phone closer to her mouth and asked, "So it's a crusade?"

"_Yes!"_ Maxwell replied excitedly, his left eye twitching as he tightly gripped the phone, _"I don't know how the Quincy survived but we shall not allow them a second chance! The moment they rear their heretical heads we shall descend upon them like the wrath of God! Their self-proclaimed king, that blasphemous demon that takes the name of our Lord, shall kneel at our feet whilst facing judgment for his crimes against God! Once you have finished your business in Berlin return to the Vatican, Wolfe."_

Raising her arm until it was shoulder-height, wisps of pale smoke gently wafting from the muzzle, Heinkel's grin twisted sadistically when the vampire flinched backwards in fear. Taking a single step forward, the undead creature involuntarily shifting away, a tense silence filled the street before she spoke, "Yes, sir. And what of Ryuko?"

"_We shall deal with her when the appropriate moment presents itself," _Maxwell's tone was pensive, his violet eyes narrowed as he turned towards the large windows behind his desk and continued, _"Oh, it sounds like you have some business to deal with on your end, Wolfe. I'll see you soon."_

Lowering the phone away from her ear as soon as Maxwell hung up, her fingers quickly snapping it shut, Heinkel carefully placed it back into her pocket before turning her full attention towards the increasingly nervous vampire. Opaque glasses gleaming in the moonlight as she looked squarely into his crimson eyes, the quivering irises visible through his goggles, she glanced towards the bodies dotting the street and asked, "Be perfectly honest, vampire. Were you expecting these soldiers to actually slow me down?"

The Seele Schneider in his grip shaking nervously as he swallowed the lump in his throat, the carnage surrounding them destroying what little confidence he had left, the vampirized soldier sprinted forward with the sole purpose of killing Heinkel before she could do the same to him. Before he was even halfway across the street, his supernaturally augmented speed distorting the shadows around his body, the vampire gasped when he saw the woman standing directly in front of him with both pistols aimed directly at his face. Time appearing to slow to a crawl as the twin muzzles bored into his soul, the seconds turning into hours as death appeared to loom over his neck, the vampire barely managed to start swinging his Seele Schneider before two gunshots echoed across Berlin.

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><p>November 7th, 2002 – 4:45 PM GMT<p>

As thunder roared through the heavens, the torrential and constant downpour of cold rain enveloping the city of London forcing most of the population to remain indoors, two men could be seen crouched on a roof across the River Thames from Westminster Palace. His Anti-Life Fiber armor sleek from the rain Batou stared through a pair of high-grade binoculars at the convoy winding through the streets in the distance. Depressing a button above the right lens and zooming in on the limousine in the middle, the Revocs logo clear as day, he leaned back and wiped rain out of his eyes, "Ragyo's about to reach Westminster Bridge. ETA forty-five seconds. Damn…it seems the media's already swarming the area. Are your men in position?"

Pip Bernadotte smirked while pushing his slouch hat forward, small rivers of water dripping out of the folds and onto his camouflaged uniform, "Do you take my men for amateurs out on their first job, Batou?"

Reaching into a pocket and pulling out a carton of Lucky Strike, a cigarette quickly finding its way to his lips, the mercenary ignored the nervousness and trepidation building in his bones as a gust of wind tore across the city. A small orange flame flickering above the lighter as he cupped his hands in front of his mouth, wisps of smoke gently rising into the rain, he chuckled and nodded at a nearby building, "The Wild Geese are spread across the area in teams of three, like your personable boss demanded. Five of the best snipers money can buy are armed with some of those special Anti-Life Fiber bullets Mr. Anderson left behind. If she so much as sneezes at the wrong person Ragyo Kiryuin's head is going to explode into a fine mist."

"It's not that simple," the nudist commander replied gruffly, his hand tearing the cigarette from Pip's mouth.

Purposely ignoring the annoyed string of curses spewing from his compatriot as he took a deep drag, the nicotine helping to calm his excited nerves, Batou propped his back against the edge of the roof and shook his head. Grey hair damp from the rain, streams of water coursing down his face, he spat to the side before turning to Pip, "You read the field report on Brazil the General sent over?"

"I never read those things," Pip chuckled, the mirth never reaching his remaining eye, and sat down next to his old friend, "Besides, I was there."

The last of his Lucky Strike cigarettes already in his mouth, the tip glowing a dull orange as smoke wafted upwards, the mercenary inhaled deeply as he thought back to that night. Shaking his head at the memory, water dripping off his hat, he turned to Batou and smirked, "After Alucard made his grand entrance I was on my way to deal with the local top dogs when the Grand Couturier slammed into the side of the hotel. Watching that blonde girl tear that Quincy apart was unnerving. Merde…I couldn't even see her move. It was like she took one step and appeared fifteen feet away."

"Trust me when I say the real Grand Couturier is much worse," Batou leaned over the side of the roof as the convoy passed below, his eyes focused on the white limousine. Turning around when the receiver in his ear flared to life, several teams reporting no sign of anything strange, he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and sighed deeply, "And don't get me started on Ragyo Kiryuin. Even if she is a COVERS clone, attacking her with anything less than three Kamui is suicidal. She'll just regenerate from the Anti-Life Fiber rounds and come straight for us, carving through any innocent civilians in her path."

"Ah, but isn't that why we have Alucard?"

Pip chuckled as he reached for his MP5, recently modified to use a mixture of bullets and Anti-Life Fiber rounds, and held it firmly in both hands, "Given the vampire's rather nightmarish set of skills he's probably the only thing able to take down that woman. And if the Grand Couturier decides to pop out of the woodwork…well, Seras and the others should be more than enough to kick her ass."

"Not the only one…"

His voice trailing off when a quiet burst of static blared across the receiver in his ear, the undercover member of Echo November Two describing what was transpiring near Westminster palace in vivid detail, Batou grunted as he spun back around. Elbows propped against the edge of the roof as he raised the binoculars back to his eyes, the digital display automatically focusing on the white limousine parked in front of the building, a crackle of thunder split through the storm as Ragyo emerged in all of her regal glory. As dozens of flashes went off simultaneously, the media drinking in the Revocs CEO's presence, something about the entire scene caused Batou to frown, "Uh oh…this is bad."

Glancing over the edge of the roof, his one good eye narrowing when he could find anything out of place after a cursory glance, Pip asked, "Uh oh? What, did the woman already start killing people?"

"Worse…" Batou grumbled in frustration as he handed the binoculars to the mercenary, "Her hair looks completely normal."

It took Pip less than five seconds of looking through the binoculars to understand what his old friend meant. Zooming in as much as possible on the tall woman strutting towards Westminster Palace, her pure white suit conspicuously repulsing the rain while a smug smile adorned her face, he hummed thoughtfully and muttered, "I could have sworn Madame Kiryuin's hair was a rather unique shade of silver instead of black. Either all the magazines got it wrong for the last twenty years or we're looking at a nearly perfect body double."

Batou remained silent as Anderson's guttural voice growled in his ear, the former priest's description of the woman matching up perfectly with what he already knew. Running a hand down his rain-soaked face the nudist stared at the convocation on the other side of the River Thames and sighed, "No, that's her all right. Ragyo's too smug and confident to send somebody else to do her job. She's probably hoping a normal façade will help persuade a few of the more indecisive members of the House of Commons."

"Well then…" Holding the cigarette between his fingers and exhaling softly, the cloud of smoke quickly dissipating in the rain, Pip frowned as his men inside Westminster Palace reported nothing amiss and quipped, "Let's hope Ichigo, Ryuko and Seras are ready for whatever tricks Ragyo Kiryuin has up her sleeves. After all, it would be really bad if all the beautiful women in the world turned into scraps of clothing."

As Batou stared silently at the mercenary before harshly slapping the back of his head, the slouch hat falling into a nearby puddle of water, Ichigo stood inside the Central Lobby of Westminster Palace with a pensive expression plastered on his face. No matter how much he thought back to the Major's gleeful and ecstatic declaration of war, the Quincy's insane vow of murder still fresh in his mind, what irked the former substitute shinigami was how he failed to see this coming. It should have been obvious the moment Quilge Opie appeared out of nowhere on his way to stop Satsuki's Raid Trip. He should have just finished beating the crap out of the Quincy and moved on. If he hadn't let the man stall for time, giving cryptic hints that were nearly useless in the end, he could have reached Karakura Town and stopped Satsuki sooner.

"_Damn it, Uryu knew something was wrong with these guys from day one,"_ Ichigo's frown deepened into a scowl as he remembered his friend's initial hesitance on working with the other Quincy, the reluctance subtle enough that he barely caught it. It had only been due to Armstrong's insistence on having as many allies as possible when facing Ragyo, along with the old goat's promise they would behave, that Uryu agreed to fight alongside the four Sternritter.

Brought back to the present when the Wild Geese mercenaries standing across the room broke into laughter, one of them cursing in French while adjusting the hastily modified weapon slung over his back, Ichigo turned to Ryuko and asked, "Hey, are you going to be all right?"

Ryuko mumbled angrily under her breath as she stared at the mosaic pattern covering the floor. Leaning back against the wall, her attention briefly drawn to the crimson bang floating above her left eye, she sighed loudly and scoffed, "What do you think? My bitch of a mother is about to walk through those doors and there's nothing we can do."

"Maybe…" A crackle of thunder reverberated through the skies as Ichigo's voice trailed off. As a flash of lightning illuminated the stained glass windows encircling the lobby, the darkness of the storm temporarily replaced by shades of purple and blue, he folded his arms across Mugetsu and added in a determined tone, "I don't know how but if she tries anything we'll find a way to stop her."

"So it seems the rumors were true after all. You really are that woman's daughter…"

His shoes tapping lightly against the floor as he calmly walked out of an adjoining corridor, a slightly nervous Seras Victoria standing at his side, Walter C. Dornez drew to a stop several feet from Ichigo before clearing his throat. Shifting his attention between the two teenagers while adjusting his tie, eyes briefly focusing on the hallway to the right, the aged butler gave a curt bow and continued, "Please forgive my rudeness, Miss Matoi, but I'm here to inform the both of you that Ragyo Kiryuin has reached Westminster Palace. In fact, she should be passing through in roughly five minutes."

"Huh?" Ryuko blinked and looked down the hallway, "But it's only like one hundred feet away."

The butler's aged face twisting into a bemused smirk at her comment, "Even the most powerful kings and queens must go through security. Now then, Mister Bernadotte and his men are coordinating with Nudist Beach to prevent any further incursions from the Grand Couturier. Life Fibers sensors have been installed at various locations throughout the building, linked across a central network with zero blind spots, with live updates every three seconds. The last thing we need is for that girl to pop out of nowhere like that Quincy."

"I've fought Nui before," Ichigo commented, a frown developing on his face as he glanced at Seras, the fledgling vampire giving off a nearly identical but much weaker spiritual energy than Alucard, "So I know how she generally fights. If she tries anything Ryuko and I will be more than enough to stop her."

Another crackle of thunder, courtesy of the worsening storm, tore through the skies as Walter snapped his feet together. His monocle gleaming opaquely as he motioned towards Seras, the blonde woman waving nervously in response, he looked at Ichigo and replied, "Your confidence is heartening but nevertheless Miss Victoria shall stand guard alongside you in the Central Lobby. In the unlikely event of Ragyo Kiryuin showing her true colors you three shall be expected to stall long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

Ryuko took a step forward, her eyebrow twitching, and scowled, "By reinforcements do you mean that undead bastard?"

"But of course," Walter answered curtly, bowing his head once more while taking a large step backwards, as he brushed a bit of dirt off his shoulders, "The strength of your Kamui is second to none, barring a few extreme examples, but Nudist Beach's information on your mother is quite extensive. Attempting to put down such a monster requires both extensive planning and overwhelming power…not to mention regeneration. The latter two of which Alucard possesses in abundance. Now if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave. Sir Integra wishes for me to guard the Speaker of the House of Commons. If Ragyo attempts to use what you refer to as 'Mental Refitting' I might be one of the few people capable of countering it."

As the butler took his leave, one of the Wild Geese falling into step behind him complaining about paying for all their drinks, Ryuko huffed and folded her arms across Senketsu. Turning her attention to Seras, the sudden tension in the atmosphere unnerving the vampire, Ryuko snorted before her lips twisted into a smirk, "So a vampire, huh? I saw what you did to Nui the other day but you should have forced her head through the entire floor. The bitch fucking deserves it…"

Seras chuckled nervously at the compliment, the venom tinting Ryuko's words about the Grand Couturier raising several questions in her mind. There was no doubt Nui Harime was supernaturally strong for someone not a vampire. Having her nose severely broken, the impact nearly giving her a concussion, was proof enough yet despite all that something continued to gnaw at the corners of her mind. Folding her arms across her chest, the gesture inadvertently accentuating her figure, Seras mentally sighed and took a deep breath, "Master told me about your fight…how you managed to regenerate your entire leg. You were human once, right?"

"Hey, I'm still as human as anyone here!" Ryuko growled harshly, her voice causing any remaining conversations in the room to rapidly die away. Thumping a fist against her chest, Senketsu grumbling at the harsh treatment, she cocked her head to the side and added, "My body might be…I don't know…half Life Fibers or something but it's inside that counts! And if that vampire asshole tries to call me a monster one more time I'm going to kick his ass!"

The confidence permeating Ryuko's tone took Seras by surprise, "But aren't you worried about losing everything about yourself…including what makes you human?"

"I don't know a lot about vampires besides the common stuff," Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, his expression pulled into a grimace, and thought for a moment before continuing, "But it doesn't take a genius to see you're nothing like Alucard. You might be a vampire like him but that doesn't change who you are."

Relaxing slightly as Ichigo's advice helped assuage some of the conflicting feelings coursing through her body, the orange haired teenagers advice about being human making her feel a little better, she barely missed seeing Senketsu's neckerchief fluttering. The Kamui's eye narrowing in apprehension as he stared at Ryuko, his entire uniform shivering, he bluntly stated, _**"Ryuko, my threads are quivering strangely. I think that vampire is hiding somewhere nearby."**_

"Kamui are such fascinating creatures…"

As the shadows of the room stretched and contorted, the darkness of the storm raging outside momentarily intensifying, Alucard's body phased through the wall behind the teenagers. Lips twisting into a mockery of a smile at their surprised expressions, crimson eyes focused exclusively on Ichigo, reverberating laughter echoed throughout the chamber as he asked, "A monster raising itself to the level of a human? How truly insulting."

"Hey!" Ryuko sneered at Alucard, her anger briefly alleviating the trepidation in her chest, "What the hell is your problem with Ichigo?"

The brim of his fedora falling over his face as he turned towards Ryuko, the perpetual blood-tinted glow of his eyes temporarily obstructed, the vampire's manic smirk widened at the ridiculous question, "My problem…is that what you're asking? Denying one's own nature as a monster…deluding yourself into believing you have the same rights as a human…and now you suggest you'll be able to stop that monster of a woman drawing ever closer. Don't make me laugh. Only humans have the right to destroy monsters such as us."

Even as he frowned at Alucard's answer, the last comment catching his attention more than anything, Ichigo stepped forward and scowled, "I don't care what you say. So what if my body is made of Life Fibers? That doesn't make me any less human. It's not what you look like that makes you human but your actions and beliefs!"

Something changed in Alucard's bemused expression, a shift in his eyes so subtle that Ichigo barely caught it, before the shadows surrounding his body began writhing chaotically. His shoulders shaking as a series of disturbing chuckles reverberated through the lobby, the light from the chandelier dimming before returning brighter than ever, twin pools of crimson light pierced the veil of shadows composing Alucard's face as the sound of high heels clicking against the ground drew their attention. Strutting down the hallway clad in a pure white business suit, her incandescent radiance seemingly repulsing the surrounding darkness, Ragyo Kiryuin smirked as she drank in the surprised expressions on Ryuko and Ichigo's faces. "La vie est drôle. I must say it's quite the pleasure seeing you here, Ryuko."

When Ryuko didn't respond, her eyes quivering in shock at Ragyo's uncanny resemblance to her older sister, the woman's gaze swept past Alucard towards Ichigo. Running a hand through her temporary black hair, the other holding a pearl-white briefcase, she chuckled, "How is your delightful father doing these days, Ichigo? Isshin's premature departure from Honnouji Academy prevented me from giving him my personal regards. And I was looking forward to getting to know that man a little better…"

Swallowing the lump growing in her throat, Ragyo's presence causing a bead of sweat to trickle down her neck, Ryuko gritted her teeth and snarled, "Where the hell is Ururu?"

Ragyo's eyes immediately swiveled back to Ryuko when she felt her second daughter's power suddenly increase. It seemed that the Life Fibers woven throughout Ryuko's body, permeating every facet of her existence and soul, eagerly responded to her childish displays of emotion. Her lips curling into a highly amused smile as she closed her eyes, the gesture causing Ryuko to growl, she shook her head and sighed, "That's not how a daughter should speak to her mother. Honestly, I have no idea how Souichiro could have raised such a crass and belligerent young woman. It simply fills my heart with regret that I was unable to see my own flesh and blood for over seventeen years."

Purposely ignoring the enraged expression spreading across Ryuko's face, her daughter's bang of red hair glowing alongside her emotional state, Ragyo arched a single eyebrow when Ichigo said, "We're going to stop you and save Ururu."

"I'm afraid I don't know anyone by such a crude name. If you're referring to dearest Amu she's currently at Honnouji Academy doing her job," Ragyo responded politely as she walked past Seras, the young vampire barely catching her attention. Heels clicking to a stop when Alucard appeared in her path, the shadows radiating from his body clashing with the illuminating cacophony of rainbow light threatening to tear her clone's disguise apart, Ragyo's lips stretched into a sadistic grin as she locked gazes with the vampire, "Judging by your late Victorian attire am I to assume you are the man my precious Grand Couturier calls Alucard?"

"It's been nearly five years to the day since you last walks these halls…Ragyo Kiryuin."

Alucard's smirk devolved into full blown psychosis, razor sharp fangs glistening in his mouth as he reaching into his overcoat and pulled out the Jackal. Crimson eyes alight with an unholy glee as his red fedora blew away, the clothing quickly dissolving into shadows, he pointed the muzzle at Ragyo's forehead and grinned, "I can feel it in my blackened heart as easily as that day so long ago, the anticipation and trepidation of fighting another monster. If I tear out your heart with my bare hands, shoot you until you're nothing but a splatter of blood on the floor, will regeneration bring a monster like you back to life?"

Taking a single step around the vampire, hints of rainbow light from her concealed silver hair visibly repulsing the aura of shadows threatening to envelop the lobby, Ragyo's currently blue eyes narrowed in mild annoyance as she answered, "I heard you managed to give my rebellious daughter and Ichigo quite the warm welcome. It's not everyday I encounter a creature powerful enough to overwhelm pure Kamui but your threats, as sincere as they may be, do not concern me. For you see, my dear Vlad, regeneration is nothing more than a crutch for fools too weak to avoid attacks."

"Is that so?" Alucard's voice deepened, his black hair writhing around his body upon Ragyo's mentioning of his human name. As the shadows composing his true form flowing chaotically in the confined lobby, a deep red aura surrounding his form, the vampire laughed before pulling the Jackal away from the CEO's head. Pointing the gunmetal black weapon towards the ceiling, several seconds passing in a tense silent as he visibly reined in his power, Alucard turned around and added, "You Life Fiber creatures are truly interesting. I can't wait to tear both you and Nui Harime apart."

"I see my dear daughter left quite the impression," Ragyo offhandedly commented, just barely missing the stunned expression on Ryuko's face. Smoothing out a crease on her sleeve as she strutted towards the doors leading to the House of Commons, her disguise once more firmly in place, she looked over her shoulder at her shocked daughter, "I look forward to hearing how things are progressing with Ichigo, Ryuko."

As the doors closed behind the CEO of Revocs, the background noise from the hundreds of men and women inside instantly abating upon her arrival, Alucard briefly glanced at Seras before bluntly asking, "Do you intend to stand around all day, Police Girl. Make yourself useful and go upstairs."

"Yes, Master."

Looking away to the side as her master left through the wall, a ripple of shadows signaling his departure into the nearby chambers, Seras took a deep breath as relief flooded her body. The power she felt dwelling inside Ragyo Kiryuin, that rainbow light threatening to explode outwards and turn her to dust, had been truly terrifying. Quickly regaining her composure as she turned towards Ichigo and Ryuko she clapped her hands together and pointed to the left, "The press seating is up these stairs and through the first door on the right. So if you will please just follow me…"

Folding her arms across Senketsu as she stepped into line behind Seras, a sour expression on her face, Ryuko nudged Ichigo in the ribs and whispers, "Hey, I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Yeah…" Ichigo looked outside as a flash of lightning tore through the darkened skies, "…I know."

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><p>A regal expression adorned Ragyo's face as she slowly walked through the doors towards the podium at the center of the room, her white heels clicking softly against the round with every step. As the conversations in the background immediately died away upon her arrival, hundreds of people turning to face her, the CEO of Revocs gave a pleasant smirk when several camera flashes when off simultaneously. It was amusing how much thought and preparation the Hellsing Organization went through for her timely arrival. She could detect mercenaries stationed at key areas through the room, a sign of Integra Hellsing's overbearing caution, but it was Alucard's constant presence in the shadows that drew her attention the most.<p>

Purposely pushing such trivial matters to the back of her mind as she reached the podium, the Life Fibers woven throughout her body sensing Ichigo and Ryuko's presence above, Ragyo gently placed her suitcase by her feet and nodded politely, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen."

"You're timely arrival is appreciated, Mrs. Kiryuin," the Speaker of the House of Commons cleared his throat as he looked at the documents on his desk, "Due to the nature of the 2002 Extension of the Revocs Embargo Act, which specifically targets your conglomerate's internationally and domestically produced products, you have been invited to give a rebuttal. Is there anything you wish to say before we commence with the vote?"

"Yes…I find this entire proceeding highly insulting."

Her tone passionate as she swept an arm through the air, blue eyes catching sight of Alucard smirking in the corner of the room, Ragyo's gaze focused on the man standing right behind the speaker before she continued, "Who was it that authorized the spending of billions of dollars to revitalize the French economy, pulling it out of the recession the Americans have only just recovered from? What company has donated free clothing to the world's entire homeless population, giving millions of poor and destitute family free and comfortable clothing good for all year? And that's not to mention the more than three million people currently working for Revocs worldwide. The fact of the matter, esteemed members of Parliament, is that Revocs has done more to help humanity that most countries can claim…including your own government."

Excited muttering permeated the air as Ragyo finished speaking, the myriad of international reporters in the upper balcony drinking in her every word. As Ryuko's hands tightly gripped the wooden railing, the material cracking under her supernatural strength, the Speaker forced himself to look away from the Kiryuin matriarch's intense gaze. Turning towards his fellow politicians, most of their expressions mirroring his own, he ran a finger under his collar and coughed, "Very well then…are there any question for Mrs. Kiryuin before we proceed?"

Standing up with several papers clasped in his fingers, the few cameras allowed in the chambers swiveling towards him, one member of the House of Commons cleared his throat and adjusted his thick glasses, "Mrs. Kiryuin…several rumors persist involving Revocs' merger with Sears-Macy's, specifically the subsequent elimination of the brand name and entire board of directors. Can you comment on these rumors?"

"I assure you everything involved in the merger was legal," Ragyo's eyes briefly focused on her daughter before sweeping across the room towards the well-dressed man standing to the right of the Speaker. Sensing something off about his presence, both his posture and tenseness suggesting he was more than just another guard, she shook her head and continued, "Sears-Macy's was brought down due to the arrogance and insanity of their CEO…who was caught trying to blackmail several other companies. If I recall correctly the FTC conducted quite the thorough investigation, which cleared Revocs of any involvement in the affair. But from your tone I'm of the notion you're more concerned with my company's so-called monopoly of the apparel market."

Another man, in his late sixties, leaned forward and asked, "But is that not what it is? Forgive my ignorance but controlling nearly ninety percent of all clothing sales sounds an awful lot like a monopoly. Surely you can understand the red flags your current business practices raise? Why, in the last four years alone Revocs swallowed or drove out of business nearly twenty companies, half of which existed for over forty years."

Ragyo's expression shifted as she leaned forward, perfectly manicured fingers gripping the edges of the podium, "I do not appreciate your insinuations against my company. Revocs does not nor has it ever interfered with rival businesses. We do not stifle competition, exert illegitimate influence over market prices or prevent other companies from attempting to rise from the dirt. The last time I authorized a change in the price of our apparel was four years ago during the worldwide recession…and as our financial reports show I ordered the price _lowered_. It may seem counterproductive but I don't care if a few upstart companies managed to carve out a niche in the clothing market. A few ten million dollars lost per year does not bother me the slightest."

"Still…" A third member, a middle-aged woman, flipped through the documents in front of her with a puzzled look in her eye, "By most international definitions your company's market share does constitute a frighteningly large monopoly. But your last statement, in regards to a 'few upstart companies,' goes completely against your drive to overturn this embargo. Why would Revocs, which made nearly six hundred billion dollars in the last fiscal year, be so eager to return to England?"

"It's a matter of principle."

Running a hand through her black hair, earring swinging slightly from the gesture, Ragyo's tone was formal and precise as she continued, "Your government's embargo was put into place five years ago based upon false evidence and testimony by those seeking to destroy my company. I merely wish to reverse such a grievous error and give the people of England a choice in what they want to wear."

Before anyone could respond to Ragyo's answer, several members of the House of Commons leaning forward to speak, the Speaker banged his gavel to regain control of the floor, "I thank you for your testimony, Mrs. Kiryuin. Members of the House of Commons…I apologize for the abrupt interruption, I'm sure many of you still have questions, but it is time for us to vote on the 2002 Extension of the Revocs Embargo Act."

A deathly silence fell over the chamber as the hundreds of members of the House of Commons voted, their decisions and any opinions registered electronically before being forwarded to the monitor built into the Speaker's desk. As sporadic flashes of light appeared in the press balconies, Ryuko accidentally shoving a tall silver-haired cameraman as she leaned over the railing, the Speaker waited nearly eight minutes for the last vote to be sent. Putting on a pair of glasses, his eyes glancing at the screen on his desk, he announced, "All the votes have been submitted. Six hundred and thirty nine members have voted with eleven abstaining. Those in favor of repealing the embargo, thereby allowing Revocs to once again import their products, amount to three hundred and nineteen. The number of votes against the repeal is three hundred and twenty. By majority ruling the embargo remains in place."

The moment the Speaker announced the verdict the room erupted into an excited cacophony, the correspondents in the upper balcony already reporting to their constituents. Smirking in triumph when she noticed the furious expression on her mother's face, the CEO's fingers gripping the podium tightly enough that cracks were clearly visible, Ryuko perked up when a strange sensation washed over her body. As Senketsu's fabric tightened in response to the feeling, the Kamui sharing her apprehension and confusion, she turned around when someone politely tapped on her shoulder.

"Huh?" Craning her head at the rather tall cameraman standing right next to her, red eyes barely noticeable beneath his hat, Ryuko briefly recalled what she did and grumbled, "Look, I'm sorry I hit you. It was an accident."

Instead of acknowledging the apology the man handed her a thin manila envelope before nodding and walking away, his tall stature somehow vanishing into the much shorter crowd of people. Her blue eyes narrowing in a mixture of confusion and suspicion as she looked at the folder, her name printed clearly on the front, Ryuko turned to Ichigo and asked, "Who the hell was that guy and how did he know my name?"

Scowling as he looked through the crowd, his eyes trying to track the taller man, Ichigo opened his mouth to answer when several piercing screams echoed from the floor below. Spinning around and leaning over the railing, Ryuko and Seras standing on either side of him, he was shocked to see one of the Wild Geese mercenaries holding a pistol firmly against the Speaker's head. An irritated growl leaving her lips as she took several steps backwards, the folder in her hands harshly pushed into Seras', Ryuko planted a foot on the railing and was about to leap over the side when she ran face-first into a translucent red barrier. Her body shaking as the Anti-Life Fiber barrier spun into existence, Senketsu's screams of pain audible to a select few, Ryuko shouted angrily when she was launched violently into the far wall of the chamber.

"My sincerest apologies, Ryuko," the mercenary commented with a light smirk, mirthful blue eyes shining from under the stolen beret. Pressing the gun firmly against the Speaker's temple, his body shifting to put the man between Walter and himself, he added, "The thing is…I'd rather _not_ fight you."

Slamming a fist against the barrier, the deep red surface rippling momentarily before an electrical shock ran up his arm, Ichigo scowled at Mugetsu's grunt of pain as he seethed, "You damn coward!"

The mercenary grinned as he gave Ichigo a small nod, "Why thank you. Oh…I wouldn't recommend that vampire at your side try anything. While she could pass right through the barrier unharmed I've laced the sprinkler system with holy water blessed by three different bishops."

"Impressive as always, Yuu. You continue to surprise me with your ingenuity," Ragyo let out a deep and sensuous sigh as she leaned her head backwards, black hair shattering like glass and revealing pure silver once more.

Opening her eyes, maroon staring sadistically at the hundreds of politicians surrounding her, she took a step forward and smirked when the rest of the Wild Geese mercenaries raised their modified weapons at her. As her heels clicked gently against the floor, her stride unchanging, the CEO of Revocs chuckled as one by one the mercenaries clutched their stomachs before collapsing to the ground in unmoving heaps, "Now then…as for you humans, to be perfectly honest I'm rather upset. I was all but certain you would see the beauty of Life Fibers and repeal this ridiculous embargo. Instead my foolish daughter and her allies manage to convince you otherwise. C'est la vie…"

As an unholy rainbow light filled the chamber, the politicians frozen in fear and terror, Ragyo's silver eyebrows quirked when she distinctly heard a subtle yet familiar sound. Reacting instinctively when Alucard fired the Jackal, her hand deflecting the bullet into the ceiling, an unnatural calm washed over the room as Ragyo inspected the damage to her body. Maroon eyes narrowing as her mangled hand quickly regenerated, flawless flesh emerging from rainbow light, she stared at the vampire and smirked, "Come now, surely you don't intend to kill me with so many innocent humans around?"

"Kill you?"

Alucard laughed as he marched forward, wisps of smoke rising from the Jackal's muzzle, "You're just a weak clone of a monster too scared and pathetic to come herself. Killing you would amount to nothing in the end. What I'm going to do is destroy you, tear you apart one Life Fiber at a time, and then kill that man over there. Unlike you, he clearly is the genuine article…"

"Will you now?" Ragyo raised a finger, strands of rainbow Life Fibers writhing in the air, and stared at the balcony above. Lips twisting into a mockery of a smile at the anger coursing through Ichigo and Ryuko's body, their Life Fibers resonating in time with their emotions, she chuckled clicked her heel loudly on the ground, "That is quite the bold declaration, my dear Vlad, but your petty attachment to these humans shall prove most amusing. Let's see how you –"

The Kiryuin matriarch found herself violently cut off, the Life Fibers dissipating back into nothingness, as several carbon nanofilament wires wrapped tightly around her fingers before clenching them shut. An annoyed expression on her face as she looked over her shoulder at Walter, beads of sweat dripping down his face at the effort required to overwhelm just four of her fingers, she remained silent as the aged butler smirked, "I'm sorry but there shall be no Mental Refitting today, Ragyo Kiryuin."

"Humph," Ragyo's earrings jingled quietly as she flexed her hand, breaking the wires in the process, and turned towards Alucard, "Mr. Akiyama, please deal with that nuisance. It seems I shall be preoccupied with more important matters for the next few minutes."

Before the youth could respond to the order, Ragyo's attention completely focused on the excited vampire, Walter was already moving into action. Swinging his arms across his body, dozens of razor-sharp wires emerging from his sleeves, he attempted to slice Yuu's head clean from his body only to find glowing Life Fiber wires blocking his path. The grin covering his face slowly vanishing as he held an arm outwards, his hidden Lache Raiment barely able to block all of Walter's wires, Yuu harshly kicked the Speaker away before commenting, "A fellow practitioner of ayatori…huh, I thought I researched all fifteen masters. Well then, how about the two of us fight in a fair, cowardly way?"

"Cowardly, you say?"

Walter took a step forward as Alucard engaged Ragyo's COVERS clone, the woman's fist punching clear through his skull in a shower of blood and visceral while the Jackal blew apart her heart. Taking a second to adjust his tie, his monocle shining opaque in the incandescent lightning, the aged butler flexed his fingers dramatically and gave a disarming smile, "Well…I do suppose poisoning half of the Wild Geese with tainted alcohol is quite cowardly but I'm afraid cowardice is unbecoming of a man such as myself. You'll just have to settle for a good, old-fashioned fight to the death."

"Is that so…" Yuu's eyes shifted upwards when a flash of red and blue light pierced the chamber, courtesy of Ichigo and Ryuko activating their respective Kamui. His thoughtful expression turning into a cocky one, drawing a confused look from Walter, he abruptly kicked the Speaker's desk and knocked off the front panel. As the bomb inside was exposed for everyone to see, panicked screaming tearing through the air, the member of Xcution pointed to the three-minute timer counting down, "In a little less than three minutes this building will go up in flames, killing everyone within a two block radius. Now I'm sure Lady Ragyo and Alucard won't be harmed by something like this but the blessed silver shavings laced into the outer casing will make sure nobody else does."

The Hellsing butler's eyes widened in shock, "You're insane."

Waving a finger as he deftly stepped away from the older man, the audible sound of fabric tearing signifying that Ryuko and Ichigo had nearly torn through the Anti-Life Fiber barrier, Yuu took the opportunity to fix his beret. As an earthquake shook Westminster Palace courtesy of Alucard gripping Ragyo's head before forcing it straight through solid concrete, shattering not only the wall but the surrounding structures, he pointed to the ground and said, "Oh, I wouldn't take another step if I were you…"

A cloud of smoke burst from the ground just before Walter could react, the high-pressure smoke grenade exploding beneath the butler's feet and covering the entire room in a cloud of acrid smog. Coughing harshly as he sprinted forward, all thoughts of personal safety gone as his wires cut through the air, the aged butler couldn't help but curse as the smoke cleared with Yuu having long since escaped. His wires vanishing as he turned around, Ichigo and Ryuko quickly landing besides him, Walter ignored the standard anxiety of feeling Alucard release his first restraint and crouched in front of the bomb.

"Damn it," Ichigo grimaced as he stared at the explosive, the complexity of the device mind-boggling, "That guy managed to put a bomb in this place? How the hell did he get it through security?"

"I don't know," Walter replied sarcastically, his wires cutting through the rivets holding the bomb in place with a flick of a wrist. Brushing off his pants as he turned to the two teenagers, Seras having joined them despite the holy water circulating in the sprinkler system, the aged butler cleared his throat and explained, "By the way, I have no idea how to disarm this thing without setting it off. Miss Matoi, I'm aware that Senketsu has the ability to fly…"

"I'm way ahead of you!"

Huffing as she tossed the Scissor Blade to Ichigo, the hardened Life Fiber weapon turning a dark shade of blue upon contact, Ryuko dug her fingers into the bomb's steel casing and sprinted towards the nearest window. Glass shattering as she leapt into the raging storm, her legs morphing into jet engines as Senketsu mentally shifted into Shippu, Ryuko spun around as a roll of thunder echoed above the city before rocketing vertically into the sky. Blue eyes narrowing in the pouring rain when an arc of lightning tore through the air, the cliché digital timer on the bomb showing less than thirty seconds, Senketsu tightened in worried around Ryuko as she reared her armor back and threw the device into the darkening clouds.

Her hair whipping around her face as she gently fell towards the ground, the propulsion from Senketsu's jet engines cutting off momentarily, Ryuko turned away and closed her eyes when a cacophony of light and heat tore through the atmosphere. Eyes still squinted as the light died down, a clap of thunder soon overtaking the artificial explosion, she sighed in relief as Senketsu commented, _**"That was close, Ryuko. Are you all right?"**_

"Yeah," she clenched her hands into fists, eyes narrowed, before spinning around and flying back towards Ichigo, "But for some reason I can't help but feel I know that guy…"

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><p>Humming softly as the helicopter circled the HMS Eagle, her finger tracing a smooth path along the side of her musket, Rip Van Winkle's eyes opened lazily when static blared through the device hidden in her ear. As Quilge Opie's voice came through loud and clear, her fellow Sternritter delivering the most recent news from Great Britain, she looked out the helicopter's window at the aircraft carrier floating in the darkened waters and smirked, "So Ragyo Kiryuin decided to start the fireworks a little early this year."<p>

"_Yes,"_ Quilge's tone was level and steady as he stood next to the communication's officer, the trans-dimensional connection firmly established between the Silbern and Earth, _"Once she failed to repeal the embargo Ragyo decided to simply do things her way, which is rather concerning. The Daten gathered suggested the woman would take her loss most gracefully, if only to keep up public perceptions. Her clone's subsequent slaughter of dozens of humans has His Majesty wishing to know the status of your assignment."_

Rip Van Winkle was deathly silent as she listened to the constant thrum of the helicopter rotors, her musket held tightly against her body as the flight deck of the HMS Eagle appeared out the window, "Tell His Majesty that I'm almost done here. I simply have a few little things to tidy up and the Schatten Ausrufung will be fit to proceed."

"_Understood,"_ Quilge paused momentarily before adding, _"Please maintain radio silence until successful completion of all clean-up operations. The presence of two Kamui in London has caused His Majesty to adjust several aspects of the Schatten Ausrufung. Nothing major, of course, but merely precaution in the likely event Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi decide to interfere with our goals."_

The helicopter rotors whined down to a stop as Quilge's voice cut off, the Sternritter leaving Rip Van Winkle to her own devices as he returned to his previous duties in the Silbern. Her shoes tapping gently onto the flight deck, the Quincy Zeichen hanging around her neck glittering in the bright moonlight, the Sternritter scoffed under her breath when she saw three vampires dressed in the formal attire of the Royal British Navy standing several feet away, "Lousy, filthy undead."

One of the traitorous crewmen blinked in confusion at the barely audible muttering, "What was that, Ma'am?"

"Oh, nothing that someone like you should worry about!" Rip answered with false cheerfulness as she strutted across the deck, her nose wrinkling in disgust at the scent of undeath permeating the atmosphere. It bothered the newly risen Sternritter to be working alongside undead, Quincy and humans so desperate for power they would sell their own souls in the process, but His Majesty's words were sacrosanct. Whistling an old song as she leaned over the edge of the ship, her musket held against the back of her neck, Rip spun around and smirked, "My word…this is quite the pretty ship! I hope it wasn't too difficult seizing control."

"Welcome aboard the Eagle, Ma'am," the sole vampirized officer smugly announced, his crimson eyes shining underneath his hat, "Everything has been built to your specifications. Both the ship and its former crew are at Millennium's disposal."

Rip continued to smile as she propped her musket against the deck, both hands tightly gripping the barrel as her necklace dangled gently in the wind. Cocking her head to the side, one leg curled against her body, the mirth previously heard in her voice slowly vanished as she asked, "How does it feel to become a vampire, lead a mutiny against your friends and commit high treason against both country and humanity all in the span of a few hours?"

Ignoring the shocked expression from the three vampires as she twirled away from them, her musket tapping gently against her shoulder, Rip's long blue hair shifted ominously in the ocean breeze as she laughed and cheerfully added, "But we certainly couldn't have done any of this without your help. The Major is most impressed with your traitorous service towards the Jahrtausendarmee and His Majesty has deemed you three worthy of a very special reward!"

One of the two crewmen swallowed nervously at the Sternritter's tone before sputtering, "H-His Majesty?"

"One…two…three targets…"

Blue-white spiritual energy exploded from Rip Van Winkle's body as she leaned backwards on her left leg and pointed the musket at the vampires, a pinprick of sharp blue light visible within the barrel. Tilting her head slightly to the side, blue eyes narrowing as the smirk on her face twisting into a sadistic grin, she closed her eyes and announced, "I am the huntress of the Wandenreich. Rip Van Winkle…Sternritter X – The X-Axis. And your reward for becoming vampires and slaughtering your friends and colleagues is death. Auf wiedersehen, my newly minted captain."

The three vampires disappeared in a flash of supernatural speed before the Quincy finished speaking, their fangs and crimson eyes clearly visible in the moonlit sky. Perched on top of the ship, his hand gripping a ledge soaked with the blood of his former comrades, the vampirized officer growled furiously, "The damn bitch set us up to die! And what the hell is a Sternritter?"

"I see three targets…" Rip continued coldly, the light from her musket deepening while her glasses gleamed opaquely in the pale light, "Tinker tailor soldier sailor…my arrow always pierces the heart."

Her smirk widening as a single flash of light emerged from her musket, the characteristic Heilig Pfeil never appearing, Rip chuckled as all three vampires died simultaneously. Stepping to the side as the officer's undead corpse slammed into the flight deck, a large hole visible where his heart should be, the Sternritter turned around as dozens of vampirized soldiers marched out from the lower levels. Hands clasped together over her musket's muzzle as the soldiers stomped to a halt several meters from away, red eyes shining beneath white berets and black goggles, Rip cheerfully leaned forward and grinned, "Ladies and gentlemen of the Wandenreich! I am pleased to announce that His Majesty has declared that we shall be the opening shot in this glorious war against both the Hellsing Organization and Revocs. Now sit back and relax…the ball is in Hellsing's court. Provided, of course, they survive the unholy fury of Ragyo Kiryuin…"


	46. Chapter 46: London's Burning

_I present to you chapter 46 of **To My Death I Fight**. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. So in the last month or two I've become aware that bets have been made about who Ichigo will end up with - Ryuko or Satsuki. On one end there is the vocal camp that wishes for him to go with Ryuko (Fresh Strawberry) and on the other those that want him with Satsuki (Pure Strawberry). I'm not even going to mention those that want Ichigo to end up with - Nui, Ururu, Jakuzure, Mako or anyone else._

_As with most guesses pertaining to this story I find this hilarious in every single possible way. In order to sate your curiosity (and prevent the buildup of an angry mob) I shall reveal to you that that answer is one of those two choices. But will it be the way you hoped or dreamed? The answer may surprise you. I put up a poll on my profile. I'm curious about the overall opinion on the matter.  
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_ So here is the standard 'Please Read and Review!' and before the actual chapter I have a few shout outs and special thanks (I may have missed some):_

_**1. Chrisman1991 (deviantart) -** For creating the meme image about my story involving Ichigo's "love" interest. This is also where I first learned of the Pure/Fresh Strawberry terms. I could have also sworn there was one for Nui lurking somewhere. Crazy Strawberry maybe?_

_**2. That-Booky-Chick15 (deviantart) -** For all the wonderful fanart she's done for my story. In the last few months she's drawn over a dozen pictures involving scenes from Kamui Tales, Mugetsu, Senketsu, Ryuko, Nui, Ichigo and Satsuki. She even created a human version Mugetsu. You should all check out her artwork._

_**3. Uber Prinny Lord -** For all the work he's put into my tvtropes page. I don't know how he did it but he literally doubled the size of the page in about a week._

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><p><strong>Chapter 46 – London's Burning<strong>

The storms that had plagued London for nearly a week, covering the island in a torrential downpour of rain and misery, began to abate directly following Ragyo Kiryuin's murderous appearance at Westminster Palace. As he stood in the middle of the nearly empty tarmac at London Heathrow Airport, all civilian traffic cancelled in the aftermath of the previous day's events, Yuu Akiyama pulled the green cap further over his eyes and listened to the revving engines of the private jet pulling out of the hangar. Owned by one of the Revocs Conglomerate's many subsidiary companies, the connection buried under so much red tape and bureaucracy that it would take even Houka Inumuta more than a day to piece everything together, it was the only way he could leave Great Britain after the aircraft Ragyo's clone arrived on was confiscated by the Hellsing Organization.

"Where do ye think yer going?"

Yuu stiffened when he felt a sharpened metal blade perched threateningly against his neck, the thick Irish accented voice betraying who was standing behind him. The bayonet held in his gloved right hand barely trembling as he held it against the Xcution member's neck Alexander Anderson's voice came out as little more than a growl, "Move and I'll sever yer head clean off yer body."

For several seconds a mildly surprised expression spread across Yuu's face, the youth shocked by Anderson's arrival, before his lips twisted into a smug grin, "Heh…it looks like you finally caught me, Father Anderson."

Anderson's green eyes narrowed behind his glasses at the sarcastic reference to his former occupation, the light rain causing the lenses to grow opaque. As he stood on the tarmac behind Yuu, his cassock growing slick with moisture, the former priest tightened his grip on the bayonet and sneered, "It wasn't hard. I just had to wait until ye weren't wearing yer unholy uniform."

"I only wear my raiment for special occasions," Yuu replied in a nonplussed tone, uncaring of the deadly blade pressed against his skin, and folded his hands in his pockets, "Speaking of which…I'm surprised you managed to find me. I spread enough false clues and information that MI:6 thinks I'm currently fleeing to Ireland. How did you know I was here?"

"It wasn't difficult…tracking ye, I mean. Yer traps were brilliant. Anyone else would have fallen for yer deviousness hook, line and sinker."

A sharp crackle of thunder reverberated throughout the atmosphere in the middle of Anderson's answer, the cold wind momentarily picking up and causing the former priest's cassock to flutter chaotically around his body. Keeping the bayonet pressed firmly against Yuu's exposed neck as he slowly circled around the Xcution member, his boots softly stomping in the recently formed puddles of water, Anderson let out a wistful sigh while his expression grew pensive, "But I raised ye from an infant left on my doorstep. It's a damn shame it came to this, Yuu."

"I suppose I'm just full of surprises," Yuu shrugged as Anderson came to a halt in front of him, one hand adjusting the brim of his cap. Cocking his head to the side, a mirthful grin on his face, the Xcution member chuckled and motioned with his hands, "It's all part of being a coward. You never do what anyone expects."

"Is that so?"

Anderson's fist smashed into the youth's face before he had a chance to even blink, blood and spittle flying through the air as he crashed bodily onto the tarmac. A grunt of pain leaving his lips when his head bounced off the ground, trails of crimson oozing from his nose and coppery taste permeating his mouth, Yuu attempted to sit up only to find a bayonet pointed directly between his eyes. Standing above him with rain dripping from his cropped blonde hair, the freshly created scar on his left cheek standing out in the rain, the former priest gnashed his teeth and snarled, "Than why on Earth did ye pledge yer soul to that abomination of a woman?"

The silence that followed Anderson's question was deafening and for nearly a minute the falling rain was the only sound that could be heard. Eventually pushing himself back onto his knees, blue eyes never leaving the blade hovering in front of his face, Yuu spit out mixture of blood and saliva as he fixed the collar of his jacket. A gloved hand running through his brown hair, Anderson's punch having knocked off his cap, the member of Xcution smirked before contending, "That's quite ironic coming from you, Father Anderson. I mean…you murdered hundreds of sentient creatures in the name of God. And let's not get started on what you did thirteen years ago…"

"I destroyed unholy fiends on Earth!" Anderson snarled, one hand gripping the front of Yuu's jacket before hauling the youth back onto his feet. As lightning arced across the overcast skies, an expression of utmost rage visible on his face, the nudist commander's glasses gleamed malevolently as he continued, "Creatures that devoured and consumed the souls of humans, trapping them in an endless sea of torment and agony. I hunted dark and foul beasts, corrupted and blackened souls determined to spread their vile plague throughout Europe! And thirteen years ago I killed men, colleagues I've known for years, to prevent yer unholy mistress from getting a foothold in the Vatican!"

"True…" Yuu graciously admitted with a sly grin stretching across his face, a gloved hand curling around the bayonet in front of his face, "But you only delayed Ragyo for two years. She still managed to get what she wanted only you weren't there to stop her. Ah, I see you understand. If you had been a bit less fanatical in your approach you could have actually done something useful."

Anderson's grip on Yuu's jacket momentarily slackened as the former priest contemplated the youth's words, the anger and annoyance slowly leaving his face, before it quickly returned in full force. Sneering as he slammed the hilt of his bayonet into Yuu's stomach, the teenager breathlessly falling back to the ground, Anderson's presence seemed to double as he spat, "I've made mistakes in my fifty five years on Earth…mistakes that I will have to face once my time has come. Ye, on the other hand, are but a coward…too scared and spineless to stand against that monster working to destroy every living creature on this planet!"

Coughing harshly as he struggled to breath, the nudist commander's attack hurting more than he expected, Yuu wiped the blood trailing from his nose onto a sleeve and smirked, "Let me tell you a story. When I was eleven and living in Harobaro House in Rome one of my sisters, no relation, misplaced several of her toys but the director at the time wouldn't buy her new ones. You see…he was a bit of an ass when it came to money. Despite the generous donation by Masaki Kurosaki, which could have easily paid for new toys, he wouldn't spend a single _centesimo_ on what he called 'trivial things.' He was convinced she merely hid her dolls so he would get her new ones."

The former priest remained completely silent while Yuu spoke, his shoulders hunched forward, before scoffing, "Is there a point to yer tale?"

"Don't worry, it gets better," Yuu held a hand against his stomach as he stood up, a slight wince escaping from between his lips, "Anyway, the next day I found her toys. She left them outside in the rain and they were all but ruined. So I borrowed one of the knives from the kitchen and destroyed them. When the director found out…well, he was understandably upset. I was sent to my room, confined there for a week, but my sister got brand new dolls."

A faint clap of thunder, signifying the finale of the storm, reverberated in the distance as Anderson stoically stared at the Xcution member with an unreadable expression. Swinging his arm through the air after several tense seconds, his bayonet leaving a faint blue trail of light in its wake, the former priest's footsteps were heavy as he growled, "Leave, Yuu, and hope by the grace of God that we never meet again. For if I see ye on the field of battle I will not hesitate to gut ye like a fish. Every action must have consequences…even yers."

"Heh," Yuu quietly chuckled as he slowly walked towards the private jet, its engines immediately revving up to full power. Pausing as he stepped into the plane, one hand holding onto the door as a contemplative look entered his eyes, the Xcution member reached into his jacket as he turned around and shouted, "Father Anderson!"

Hesitating momentarily before looking over his shoulder as Yuu called his name, the jet's engines nearly drowning out the sound, Anderson instinctively reached up and caught the small object descending through the air. One eyebrow quirking as he opened his fingers, green eyes narrowing at the significance of what he held, the former priest strained his ears as the nineteen year old mockingly saluted him, "It's been nice catching up with you! Give my regards to Ryuko!"

As the private jet taxied down the runway and vanished into the cloudy skies, the intense wind causing Anderson's cassock to flap violently around his body, the sound of metal and plastic crackling could be heard. Relaxing his fingers while turning around and walking away, the crushed remote detonator falling in scraps to the ground, the former priest scoffed derisively as his footsteps echoing heavily against the asphalt. A weary sigh leaving his mouth as he stared into the heavens, rain falling lightly onto his face, Anderson shook his head and scowled, "That stupid cowardly bastard…"

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><p>Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing harshly bit down on the end of her cigar as she marched through the artificially illuminated corridor, the thick concrete and steel walls making the underground bunker impervious to all but the most dedicated airstrikes. The situation surrounding the HMS Eagle was bad enough on its own but Ragyo Kiryuin's actions the previous day, which indirectly led to hundreds dying, could not be ignored. A small puff of smoke escaping her lips alongside an annoyed sigh upon noticing the man standing just down the corridor, his expression saying all that needed to be said, Integra removed the cigar from her mouth and sarcastically asked, "I suppose your people already know the identity of the Quincy currently commandeering the Eagle?"<p>

"Maybe…"

Batou's grey eyes narrowed as he thought back to the Great Culture and Sports Festival, "The four Quincy that fought at Honnouji Academy called themselves Sternritter. From what little information we could gather each of them has an epitaph that describes their particular power. One of them, a man by the name of Lille Barro, carried a long-range rifle and had the title of 'The X-Axis.'"

"I see…" The shadows of the corridor appeared to lengthen as Integra placed the cigar back in her mouth, "You think this Lille Barro is the Quincy on board the ship?"

Folding his arms across his chest while leaning against the wall, his face pulled into a grimace, the nudist commander shook his head and answered, "Unlikely…Ragyo Kiryuin personally killed him. Obliterated his body with some sort of rainbow energy blast. Whoever's on board the Eagle is probably his replacement."

"A replacement?"

Walter's voice trailed off as he stared at the floor, a gloved hand perched against the underside of his chin while he attempted to piece together the enigma that was Millennium. Quickly brought back to reality when Integra turned around, her blue eyes narrowing at the aged butler's sudden silence, Walter explained, "It's deeply concerning to think people as strong as these Sternritter could be replaced at such an astonishing rate. But more importantly it raises the dreadful question of what these Quincy are truly planning. They claim to be in opposition to Ragyo Kiryuin yet their Major seems determined to wage war against Great Britain. Quite frankly, Ma'am, none of this makes any sense."

Integra couldn't help but scoff derisively at the thought of attempting to understand a man as insane as the Major. Clamping her teeth down upon the cigar as she turned back to Batou, the nudist's expression unreadable, she replied, "No matter the circumstances we cannot afford to have our attention divided. Ragyo Kiryuin's little stunt yesterday resulted in over four hundred casualties before Alucard managed to destroy her clone…not to mention the fact she could send another clone whenever she damn well feels like it. Dealing with her is much more urgent than whatever these Quincy have planned."

"And yet we cannot afford to ignore these Quincy," Walter gently chided while walking around the leader of the Hellsing Organization, stopping only when he stood directly between her and Batou, "The uniqueness of the situation all but speaks for itself. Since taking control of the ship Millennium has only responded defensively, shooting down our forces while not launching any attacks of their own. It's a textbook case, Ma'am. They're luring us to attack."

"The Eagle's an Invincible-class VTOL aircraft carrier." Pushing off the wall and turning towards Integra, the dim artificial lighting causing shadows to rapidly shift across his face, Batou narrowed his eyes before continuing, "I knew a guy who served on the Ark Royale a couple of decades ago. Attempting anything against a ship that well armed would be suicidal. You'll get blown clean out of the water."

A perturbed expression crossed Integra's face as she pondered the nudist commander's answer, his extensive military record helping to give validity to his suggestion. Taking a large drag from the cigar in her mouth, an annoyed scowl firmly planted on her face, she cocked her head to the side and scoffed, "I don't suppose it's possible to just ignore the damn thing. Moving vampires across large bodies of water is troublesome at the best of times but the real issue is the Quincy. Their only known weakness is Life Fibers and I don't see Ragyo Kiryuin giving us access to the damn threads. So what do we do with our vampires? Would sending them on a battleship work?"

Walter gave a curt shake of his head before speaking, "No. Between the preparation and the voyage it would take nearly a day to reach the Eagle's current location…and that's providing they stay put. And sending a faster vessel wouldn't work. That ship is stocked with high-caliber anti-aircraft armaments capable of piercing through any unarmored vessel. What about an aerial drop? Sending an aircraft with a lot of decoy chaff might fool the Eagle's defenses."

Integra's eyes narrowed as she removed the cigar from her mouth, a thin layer of ash coating her fingers, "It still wouldn't fool that damn Quincy. He managed to take out both helicopters at a range of nearly four kilometers. It stands to reason he wouldn't be encumbered or fooled by the decoys."

A resigned look adorned the nudist commander's face as the lights in the corridor briefly flickered, the incandescent bulbs dimming to a faint orange. Something about this whole mess just didn't feel right yet they had a point – leaving that ship in the hands of Millennium was an international incident waiting to happen. Running a hand through his grey hair Batou turned to Walter and shrugged his shoulders, "If you're determined to get on that ship you need to find a way to neutralize that Quincy's line of sight. It wouldn't be surprising if his range extended all the way to the horizon. You could try approaching underwater…but then you need to worry about the depth charges and anti-submarine missiles."

"That is a problem," Walter stoically agreed, "Perhaps a two-staged assault would prove successful? Blind the Quincy visually before launching the attack."

Reverberating laughter filled the nearly empty corridor as soon as Walter finished speaking, a cold chill permeating the air while the lights in the distance flickered once more before going out entirely. The psychotic chuckling continuing as Integra's shadow immediately stretched away from her body, uncountable number of blood red eyes blinking into aware in the writhing mass of darkness, Batou took an instinctive step backwards and reached for his weapon when two white gloved emerged from the chaotic mass. As the rest of Alucard's body spun into existence, the shadows peeling off his overcoat and arms, the vampire looked between the three humans and spoke, "What you're saying is…against their stockpiles of missiles and arrows your only hope is to find a way to get me on the flight deck. Isn't that right?"

The young leader of the Hellsing Organization didn't bat an eye at the vampire's entrance, "Considering the Quincy's range it may not be possible."

"Wait a second…" A knowing smirk tugged at the corners of Walter's mouth as the aged butler leaned forward, "I know an aircraft that could get you on board that ship. There's only one left in existence but it should do the trick – the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird."

As Alucard's lips twisted into an unholy mockery of a smile, crimson eyes glowing at the prospect of the upcoming slaughter, Batou stared at Walter and frowned, "Please tell me you have a plan to get him back. The SR-71 might get him there, providing the Quincy doesn't shoot it out of the sky first, but there's no way it'll fly afterwards. So unless your vampire knows how to steer a twenty thousand ton ship he's going to be stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean."

"How troublesome," Integra admitted while scratching her chin in thought.

"Hold on…that's ingenious!" Walter's tone was ecstatic as he turned towards Integra, "This Quincy seems to have the ability to hit anything he can see…why not use that against him? We could send a transport craft after Alucard, keeping it at least twenty-five kilometers from the ship. That would put it well beyond the horizon…"

Integra's lips curled into a replica of the smug expression on Walter's face, "…but still close enough to retrieve him. However given all we know about the Quincy we cannot assume he'll stay put. It's more than likely whoever is on board that ship will flee the moment Alucard gets within range. Batou, is it possible to send Ichigo or Ryuko with Alucard?"

"No," Batou's tone was blunt as he addressed the young woman, his gaze hardening upon noticing Alucard's black hair beginning to writhe chaotically. Absentmindedly scratching at the stubble coating his chin while doing his best to ignore the sensation crawling down his spine, the vampire's subtle presence something he hoped never to get used to, Batou folded his arms and explained, "Our orders just came through from headquarters. The moment your vampire gets back we're pulling out of Great Britain. Olivier doesn't like having two Kamui outside of Japan any longer than necessary, especially after the stunt Ragyo pulled yesterday."

"Why the delay?" Integra curiously asked, her coat fluttering lightly around her shoulders while turning her attention from Alucard to the older nudist, "You've already accomplished your stated objective – the embargo against Revocs remains firmly in place. The Hellsing Organization is more than capable of dealing with a few errant Quincy."

"Because it smells like a damn trap."

Batou grumbled while rubbing his exhausted eyes, the end result of staying awake for nearly a full day, as he leaned his head back and sighed, "If I learned anything after seventeen years of fighting Revocs it is how to spot an obvious trap. Think about it – two hours after Ragyo Kiryuin tries to kill everyone in Parliament the Quincy somehow manage to commandeer one of the most heavily fortified ships in the royal navy. In order to deal with _that_ you want to send one of the most powerful supernatural creatures known to mankind into the only environment perfect for containing him. Call me paranoid but what do you think will happen once Alucard is gone?"

"I suppose you have a point. The Major might be far more cunning than I initially gave credit," Integra conceded with a pensive expression crossing her face. Biting down on her cigar, the paper and tobacco crumpling slightly under the pressure, she paused for a few seconds and narrowed her eyes, "But we cannot allow the Eagle to remain in enemy hands. Her Majesty has made it abundantly clear these Quincy are to be hunted down and executed to the last man."

The sound of a phone going off, the ringtone one of the more popular songs of the eighties, pulled everyone's attention onto Batou. His brow furrowing as he recognized who was calling, one hand deftly reaching into his pocket, the nudist commander stared at the short message on the screen for several seconds before stating, "Well at least there's some good news. Anderson just sent me a message concerning that Xcution member you fought yesterday, Walter. Apparently the guy managed to flee the country ten minutes ago."

"I'm surprised you let him go, Walter," Alucard's footsteps echoed in the corridor as the vampire moved closer to the aged butler, his crimson eyes glowing with veiled amusement, "Don't tell me you're getting rusty after all these years."

"We can't all be centuries-old vampires," Walter sarcastically answered, one hand adjusting the sleeve of his dress shirt, "But in my defense Yuu Akiyama's skill in the art of ayatori caught me completely by surprise. It's not every day you encounter a teenager nearly as skilled as you are in such an obscure form of combat, after all."

Integra's frown deepened as her mind focused on other matters, the conversation between Walter and Alucard lost in the background. With the last of Ragyo Kiryuin's forces out of the country, barring the woman deciding to send another COVERS clone, they could concentrate their full attention on Millennium. Stepping closer to Batou, small flecks of ash falling from her cigar, her tone was brisk as she spoke, "If you're not leaving anytime soon send Alexander Anderson to the manor. His experience dealing with a dedicated force of supernatural creatures could prove useful in countering anything Millennium tries. Thoughts, Walter?"

"The idea is sound in theory, Ma'am," the butler responded stoically, "In the best case scenario nothing happens and Alucard returns to Great Britain safe and sound. However if Batou is indeed correct, and the Eagle is one large trap for Alucard, we'll at least be prepared for anything that might happen. In this worse case scenario Miss Victoria, as well as Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki, should prove capable of dealing with a few of these so-called Sternritter until Alucard's return."

"Then it's settled," Integra's tone shifted dangerously as she turned to the smiling Alucard. Pulling the cigar out of her mouth, gloved fingers breaking it in two, she let out a deep sigh before raising her voice, "Alucard…after you have accomplished your mission I will be sending you to Japan. Once there your sole objective will be the complete and utter destruction of Ragyo Kiryuin and all of her forces through any means necessary. Is that understood?"

Alucard bowed his head while swinging an arm across his body, the psychotic grin never leaving his face, "As you wish, my Master."

Batou couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief wash over his body at the thought of Alucard heading to Japan. Remaining silent as the vampire vanished into the shadows, his form dissipating into the darkness suddenly permeating the corridor, the nudist commander pursed his lips and mentally shrugged, _"Well…I suppose having two people capable of killing Ragyo Kiryuin is better than one."_

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Lounging lazily in a chair on the flight deck with a look of pure boredom etched on her face, splatters of dried blood and visceral coating the ground, Rip Van Winkle couldn't help but sigh miserably. Blue eyes half-lidded as she tilted her head backwards, the moonlit horizon completely empty ever since she destroyed that squadron of fighter jets, the newly risen Sternritter looked at the pink alarm clock on the deck next to her and groaned. Blowing a strand of hair away from her eyes while a tired yawn left her throat Rip was caught completely off guard when an incredibly dark and nightmarish spiritual energy enveloped the ship.<p>

"Oh no…it's _him_."

Even at his current distance, separated from her by dozens of kilometers, the Sternritter instinctively knew Alucard was approaching. The coldness and vileness of the spiritual pressure, that infinite darkness that put any hollow or arrancar to shame, could never be replicated. Hands tightly gripping her musket as she spotted a pinprick of light in the distance, the faintest sounds of maniac laughter echoing in the deepest recesses of her mind, Rip's glasses fell down the bridge of her nose as she spun around and shouted, "He's coming!"

Stationed in the bridge of the Eagle, the illumination from the monitors reflecting off his black goggles, one of the vampirized soldiers ignored the nervousness permeating his undead body as he leaned forward and announced, "Hold on…there's something on the radar. It's…wait. This isn't possible! He's approaching at a velocity of over mach two point five at an altitude of eighty three thousand feet!"

While none of the soldiers were as tuned to sensing spiritual energies as the Sternritter they could all easily feel the growing presence over the horizon. Another soldier, beads of sweat cascading downwards from underneath his beret, swallowed the nervous lump in his throat while pressing a finger against the receiver hidden in his ear, "It's the SR-71 Blackbird but how the hell does he intend to land the damn thing? Ma'am, what are your orders?"

Rip Van Winkle remained silent as she stomped a foot against the flight deck, her dark blue hair waving slowly in the air when an aura of spiritual energy enveloped her body. Slowly raising her musket into the sky, the muzzle pointed directly at Alucard, she gnashed her teeth and declared, "Alucard's coming! Just as His Majesty predicted! He has come for me but I shall not go quietly into the night!"

When alarms suddenly blared throughout the bridge, the various sensors and monitors bursting into life, one of the vampirized soldiers looked out the window at the contrails expanding in the sky. His red eyes widening in a mixture of stunned disbelief and surprise upon noticing the abrupt shift in their direction, a light gasp leaving his mouth as the true scope of Alucard's plan became apparent, he spun around and shouted, "He's trying to ram us! Evasive maneuvers! Get us the hell out of here and fire the damn guns! Alucard must not reach this ship!"

As the reverberations of the anti-aircraft armaments echoed across the open water, grayish smoke accompanying the bursts of light from the tracing shells, Rip Van Winkle stood unflinching on the deck of the Eagle. She could feel Alucard's crimson gaze focused exclusive on her, his bared teeth glistening with insanity in her mind. Slowly running a hand soothingly down the barrel of her musket, the feel of the familiar weapon helping to calm her erratic nerves, the Sternritter took a deep breath before narrowing her eyes. She would not allow her trepidation to ruin the Schatten Ausrufung, not when the success of His Majesty's plan was within reach.

Collapsing softly onto her back, the impact with the flight deck cushioned by her spiritual energy, Rip Van Winkle slowly and methodically raised her musket upwards until it was pointed nearly vertically into the sky. A sadistic grin spreading along her face as she propped one foot against the end of her weapon for support, the intricate carvings along the barrel glowing the same shade of blue as her spiritual energy, the Sternritter's voice was perfectly audible over the roaring of the artillery as she spoke, "Einer…zwei…drei…vier…fünf. I see one target. Tinker tailor soldier sailor…my arrows always pierce the heart."

An ephemeral flash of blue light shone from the end of Rip Van Winkle's musket as the true power of the 'X-Axis' made itself known. As anti-aircraft munitions continued peppering the rapidly descending SR-71 Blackbird, pieces of metal and electronics falling away from the increasingly damaged aircraft, there was a secondary explosion when five circular holes instantaneously perforated the fuselage. Sitting inside the nearly destroyed aircraft, the manic grin on his face widening despite most of his head and torso were nearly disintegrated into nothingness by the power of the Sternritter's specialized arrows, Alucard chuckled at the fear emanating from the Eagle.

"Cromwell restrictions…" The vampire's single remaining crimson eye stared at the darkened form of Rip Van Winkle through the SR-71's shattered canopy as his body was enveloped by a sickly red aura, "Three…two…one…released!"

The wave of dark spiritual energy that accompanied the release of Alucard's nearly unrestricted power harshly cut off the elated cheers from the vampirized soldiers in the bridge, their red eyes collectively widening in terror at the monster they could all now feel descending towards them. As the SR-71 was bathed in the same sickly red glow as the vampire, wisps of darkness and shadows flickering around the nearly broken form, Alucard's chuckling slowly shifted into fully psychotic laughter. His fully regenerated upper body oozing from the wrecked fuselage, dozens of shadowy phantasmal clawed arms writhing through the air while holding the aircraft together, the vampire's form was illuminated by the pale moonlight as he locked gazes with the frightened Quincy.

"No! I won't let you!"

Rip Van Winkle's voice cracked in fear, beads of nervous sweat dripping down her face, as she felt the vampire's spiritual energy growing larger and fouler. Aiming her musket at the falling aircraft once more, her body glowing with a deep blue light from the spiritual energy concentrated in her weapon, the Quincy narrowed her blue eyes and shouted, "I won't let you get anywhere near me!"

Bracing her body against the cold steel of the flight deck as she squeezed the musket's trigger, teeth clenched together while ignoring the rapid beating of her heart, almost every window on the bridge of the Eagle either cracked or shattered when a massive Heilig Pfeil conformed into the shape of a rifle bullet erupted from the spiritual weapon. A tired pant leaving her throat as her arms fell limply to the ground, blue eyes tracking the rapidly ascending arrow, Rip Van Winkle's lips pulled into a satisfied grin when a massive explosion detonated mere feet from the falling Alucard. Biting her lip as the SR-71 Blackbird began to spiral, the percussive blast changing its vertical trajectory, she sighed in relief when the aircraft crashed into ocean just a few hundred feet from the Eagle.

"That was too close for comfort…"

A light grunt leaving her lips as she stood back on her feet, one finger adjusting her round glasses, Rip Van Winkle forcibly ignored the jubilant cheers from the vampirized soldiers on the bridge and walked towards the edge of the flight deck. Pressing a hand against her forehead as her long blue hair waved in the cool ocean breeze, the pale light from the moon causing her glasses to gleam opaquely, the Sternritter's expression slowly shifted into a frown. It was slightly troubling that the wreckage of the SR-71 Blackbird hadn't yet sunk, the entire fuselage and both wings still visible above the surface of the water, but she wasn't too worried. As long as Alucard remained surrounded by at least a hundred feet of water he was effectively trapped until the Hellsing Organization or their allies could mount a rescue.

"But we can't allow that to happen just yet," Rip Van Winkle chuckled at her answer while twirling her musket around, a faint trace of blue light following the end of the muzzle. Quickly firing five normal Heilig Pfeil into the air with supernatural accuracy, the arrows ascending hundreds of feet before abruptly coming to a stop, her face was cast in a pale blue glow when a massive Quincy Zeichen appeared in the air. The smirk gracing her face widening as a translucent pentagonal barrier flared into existence, the spell enveloping everything within a kilometer of the ship, the Sternritter clapped her hands together and announced, "You lose, Alucard. Kirchenlied: Heilig Königs Palisade."

Round glasses shining ominously as she propped her musket against the nape of her neck, the pale moonlight penetrating the Quincy technique transmuted into a faint blue, Rip Van Winkle visibly perked up when the receiver in her ear flared to life and the Major's perfectly audible voice came across the connection, _Ah, Rip Van Winkle. I assume your mission was a resounding success?"_

"But of course!" The Sternritter replied cheerfully while spinning away from the edge of the flight deck, her previous nervousness and trepidation already forgotten. Nearly skipping as she walked across the spacious deck, her shoes echoing lightly against the exposed metal, she leaned her head back and stared at the moon before continuing, "You can inform His Majesty that the Schatten Ausrufung is ready to move to the next stage."

The corners of the Major's mouth twisted into a facsimile of a smile at the wonderful news, his yellow eyes gleaming with barely concealed anticipation. Standing on the bridge of the Deus Ex Machina while staring at the dozens of screens lining the wall in front of him, carefully installed cameras giving a crystal clear image of the Eagle's flight deck, he clapped his hands together and replied, _"Excellent work, Rip Van Winkle. Casting Heilig Königs Palisade in such a tumultuous environment is no small feat even for the best of His Majesty's Sternritter. It's safe to say your recent ascension to our ranks was well deserved. I hope there weren't any complications dealing with Alucard."_

Rip Van Winkle snorted as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Nothing beside the vampire attempting to crash the SR-71 Blackbird into the ship."

"_I can't help but feel a little…what's the word…disappointed in how easily Alucard took the bait."_ Turning away from the screen and sitting down, his legs folded over each other, the Major sighed in discontentment before continuing, _"A creature of such darkness and terror that even the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin would be wary of directly confronting him…and he so easily fell into our trap? That's no fun but I must digress. As long as Alucard remains exactly where he is for the foreseeable future I am more than content to wait until the moment is right."_

The pale blue-tinted moonlight illuminated Rip Van Winkle's face as she strolled across the flight deck of the Eagle, her smirk widening with every step. Tilting her head to the side while stabbing her musket against the ground, a loud rapport echoing through the nearly silent atmosphere, she narrowed her eyes derisively and cheerfully answered, "And thanks to this remarkable palisade we don't have to worry about the Hellsing Organization or Nudist Beach mounting a rescue. For the next three hours Alucard and this ship are completely separated from the rest of the world! Nobody will be able to see him even if they were standing right on the other side of the barrier!"

A strange sensation pulled at the corners of the Sternritter's mind the moment she finished speaking, a dark and twisted spiritual energy emanating from the destroyed fuselage of the SR-71 Blackbird. The ambient sounds of the Eagle muted as she turned around, the light from the moon disappearing behind a cloud, a bead of sweat trickled down Rip Van Winkle's face while the increasing jovial voice of the Major came across the connection, _"Before I bid you a fond auf weidersehen, Rip Van Winkle, I have a message from His Majesty. He is pleased by your success this night and laments that your tenure amongst the Sternritter must be cut tragically short for the sake of peace. You can rest assured that your heroic sacrifice shall not be in vain."_

"Sacrifice?" Rip Van Winkle's gaze remained focused on the floating wreckage in the distance, wisps of darkness still clinging to the frame, as she asked, "What the hell are you talking about? My orders were to simply contain Alucard!"

"_Ah, but you did contain him!"_

Her blue eyes staring at the shattered SR-71 Blackbird as an oozing darkness slowly emerged from the fallen aircraft, the nightmarish spiritual energy permeating the atmosphere growing darker by the second, Rip Van Winkle could barely hear the Major's voice as her arms fell numbly to her side, _"The Heilig Königs Palisade will make sure Alucard cannot escape until every last piece is in place. The Wandenreich thanks you, Rip Van Winkle, but I do believe there are more important things you should focus on at the moment – such as surviving against the primordial force of nature that is Alucard. I wish you viel glück!"_

Pulling the receiver out of her ear as the Major's voice vanished in a faint burst of static, small pieces of plastic and metal crumpling in her grip, Rip Van Winkle nearly lost her balance when the spiritual energy pulsing from the wreckage instantly quadrupled. Her breath temporarily forced from her lungs under the increased pressure, beads of nervous sweat freely dripping down her face, Rip Van Winkle gritted her teeth as a blue-white aura surrounded her body. Even after being betrayed by His Majesty, left to die at the hands of an undead monstrosity, she was not about to go down without a fight. Twisting around to face Alucard, fingers tightly gripping her musket as spiritual energy accumulated in the barrel, she felt her gathered will slowly drain away upon witnessing the darkness oozing forth from the SR-71 Blackbird's fuselage.

"W-What is this?" Rip's voice was barely above a whisper, the klaxons of the Eagle falling upon deaf ears, as her trembling blue eyes stared at the familiar figure slowly and methodically walking across the surface of the ocean directly towards her.

As she stood alone on the flight deck of the ship, her blue hair swaying around her face, the Sternritter fearfully tore her eyes away from the silhouetted when the darkness oozing from the crashed aircraft surged forth. Limply collapsing to her knees as the imperceptible substance reached the edge of the Heilig Königs Palisade and began flowing directly up the vertical surface, waves of black shadows coalescing upon the translucent pentagonal barrier while absorbing the ambient light, Rip Van Winkle remained woefully ignorant of the dozens of marching feet echoing below as she turned her gaze up towards the moon. The once pale white object, which had been dyed an artificial blue by her barrier, was slowly transforming into a deep red as the darkness finished encasing the Eagle. Reluctantly turning her trembling eyes once more to Alucard as the ship was bathed in a deep red glow, the crimson moon appearing to pierce directly into her soul, the once proud Quincy's voice nearly broke when she shouted, "T-This is impossible! You're a vampire! You can't walk on water!"

"You said this technique prevents anyone from seeing us. Is that correct?"

Alucard's amused chuckling reverberated throughout the Sternritter's mind as he approached the ship, the darkness oozing from his body roiling against the surface of the ocean while dozens of ephemeral arms emerged from the infinite depths. Holding a single hand in front of his face, shadows flickering like flames from the white glove, Alucard's crimson eyes shone with a deep and disturbing light as his body was enveloped in a blood-red aura, "How truly _wonderful_…"

The intricate seal on the back of Alucard's glove shone brightly as hundreds of unblinking eyes rippled outwards along the shadows permeating the interior of the barrier. For just a brief moment of time, as the water sloshing beneath the vampire's boots was consumed by the encroaching darkness, Rip Van Winkle thought she saw something shift in Alucard's appearance. It was barely perceptible due to her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose, causing everything beyond twenty feet or so to twist into a faded grayish blur, but before she could fix her glasses and take a second look the Sternritter leapt backwards when several clawed arms burst forth from the puddles of dried blood on the flight deck.

Forced to use liberal applications of Hirenkyaku to dodge the surprising nimble appendages, the amorphous claws leaving several small tears in her white suit, Rip Van Winkle harshly bit her lower lip while raising her musket. Almost instantly the sensation of pain, as well as the taste of copper in her mouth, helped to drive away most of the terror permeating every cell of her body. Knees slightly bent before she vanished in a burst of speed, the half a dozen limbs tracking her movements converging back into the shadows, the Sternritter compressed the trigger of her musket as she reappeared moments later floating in midair.

"How is this happening?"

Rip Van Winkle's body was illuminated by the blood-red moon, her white uniform glowing with a sickening red outline as dozens of vampirized soldiers marched through the hatches leading to the flight deck. As the undead soldiers briefly gained the advantage, their modified spiritual weapons causing Alucard's shadows to dissolve into nothingness, she continued to hit the vampire with her 'X-Axis' while screaming, "You're supposed to be a vampire so how are you doing this?!"

"It's been far too long…not since those shinigami centuries ago…" Alucard's tone devolved into guttural growls as one crimson eye pierced through the red veil of the night, the darkness bubbling beneath his feet surging over the water and slamming against the hull of the ship. Momentarily staggering as holes continuously perforated his body, shadows and blood oozing from the circular wounds, the vampire held his arms out and chuckled while his wounds regenerated, "So tell me, Miss Van Winkle, how long do you think a Quincy such as yourself will last before I catch you?"

The vampire's question was answered when several rockets, courtesy of the vampirized soldiers on the flight deck, streaked through the crimson-tinted atmosphere and slammed against his body. Heavy and purposeful footsteps raced across the ship as the soldiers dropped the launchers from their shoulders, the encroaching darkness retreating back over the sides, and pulled out their normal weapons. As bullets rained down onto the roaring inferno surrounding Alucard, the incendiary substance contained within the rockets preventing the flames from going out, one of the shoulders pulled off his gas mask and shouted to the petrified Rip Van Winkle hovering above, "Ma'am! You need to use your Vollstandig! It's the only thing that can stand against –"

Thick gurgling replaced the soldier's declaration when one of the writhing claws completely pierced his throat, his weak blut tearing like paper against the unholy strength of the abomination continuing to make his way towards the ship. Red eyes widening in an expression of pain and terror before his head was crushed by the same appendage, blood and visceral spraying through the air and coating nearby vampirized soldiers, his body hadn't even begun to collapse to the ground before it was torn apart and scattered across the flight deck. Fumbling for the black Sanrei glove on her right hand while squeezing her eyes shut in a futile attempt to drown out the maddening screams from the soldiers Rip Van Winkle's heart was nearly in her throat as she hysterically exclaimed, "Vollstandig: Zieliel!"

A cacophony of energy roared through the enclosed space as a column of energy exploded upwards, the blue-white light radiating harshly over the ship fiercely clashing for dominance against the encompassing darkness permeating the barrier. For a few seconds the sickening red light from the moon was overwhelmed when Rip Van Winkled reappeared, phantasmal wings composed of pure spiritual energy anchored on her back, before pillar shattered like glass. Breathing deeply from the exhaustion of activating Vollstandig, the strain of the artificial technique immediately making itself, she suppressed the urge to wince upon noticing the bemused expression adorning Alucard's half-destroyed face.

Swallowing the heavy lump in her throat when the mocking smile on the vampire's bullet-torn visage grew, the dark abyss surrounding the unholy creature nearly at the ship threatening to devour her very soul, Rip Van Winkle's trembling fingers quickly raised her musket and took aim before a single shot rang out in the night. Almost instantaneously after firing Alucard's body was nearly disintegrated into nothingness, dozens of perfectly circular holes perforating every inch of his body.

"T-There…" Rip Van Winkle muttered while subconsciously fixing her glasses, blue smoke rising from the muzzle of her musket as what remained of Alucard's corpse sunk into the inky depths of the ocean. Unlike the boring and dull Lille Barro, who always claimed one shot from the 'X-Axis' would be enough to kill anyone, she actually possessed an imagination. Using Vollstandig might rapidly drain her stamina with each passing second but her enhanced schrift allowed her attacks to not only pierce the heart but every single vital organ, ligament and muscle of her opponent's body simultaneously.

Her face illuminated in a deep blue glow, courtesy of the Quincy Zeichen hovering inches above her long blue hair, she tensely lowered her musket and sighed, "Hopefully that should buy us some time to –"

"That form…"

Alucard's voice resonated with an unholy symphony inside the confines of her mind as his corpse dissolved into a mixture of darkness and blood, gaping maws reaching up through the surface of the water towards the Quincy far out of reach. Barely having time for her eyes to widen in terror when the spiritual energy permeating the enclosed space suddenly increased, the moon's crimson light turning an even deeper red, Rip was torn back to reality when the vampirized soldiers onboard the Eagle opened fire. Tendrils of shadows writhing around his body as he slowly walked across the flight deck, bullets penetrating his flesh while grenades coated the entire ship in a sea of flames and smoke, Alucard's laughter devolved into something completely inhuman when dozens of familiar clawed appendages burst forth from the ground and immediately attacked the beleaguered soldiers.

As the gunfire and screaming tampered off one at a time, the soldiers torn to pieces while their blood ran across the surface of the ship, Alucard stepped over the undead corpses and slowly turned his attention to Rip Van Winkle, "That Deathdealer possessed a similar ability. Vollstandig, was it? It's quite the interesting technique, all your strange attacks felt much more powerful after you used it. But I think it's time we ended this little dance, Miss Van Winkle."

"Go to hell, you monster!"

Screaming until her voice was hoarse as she pushed the 'X-Axis' to its absolute limit, the desire to destroy Alucard overriding any conscious thought, Rip Van Winkle didn't stop firing until the entire flight deck was enveloped in flames and smoke. Her breath coming out in ragged and deep pants as the exertion of using Vollstandig continued growing worse, a metallic groan echoing throughout the area as the perforated Eagle slowly began sinking, she didn't dare blink as she scanned the ship for any sign of the vampire.

"_That couldn't have finished him!"_ Her thoughts becoming increasing desperate when she couldn't find Alucard, the smoke on the flight deck clearing enough for her to see the corpses of her soldiers, _"I can still feel his spiritual energy. So where did he –"_

"That was quite the impressive display," Rip Van Winkle gasped when Alucard's deep voice spoke from right behind her, his gloved hand firmly clenching her right shoulder. Barely able to muster the courage to look at the vampire, his eyes glowing an unholy crimson, the Sternritter's expression froze in terror as he continued, "Something like that would kill most people. Good try though."

She never even saw Alucard move before his fist impacted her face with enough force to shatter the Quincy Zeichen hovering over her head. Time seeming to slow to a crawl as blood and spittle burst from her lips, blue eyes wide in a mixture of pain and confusion, the Sternritter's mind was still attempting to understand what happened when she was sent violently crashing onto the Eagle's flight deck. Even as her body painfully tore through several reinforced walls, explosions erupting all around her, Rip Van Winkle couldn't understand why her Blut Vene had failed. It should have negated at least some of Alucard's punch yet it had collapsed the moment he made contact, the sheer strength behind the blow destroying His Majesty bestowed protection.

Briefly fading out of consciousness when she collided with the bow of the ship, her suit torn and bloody by the many wounds covering her body, Rip Van Winkle coughed as she slowly managed to stand back up. As she looked around the burning remains of the once immaculate ship, the corpses of the vampirized soldiers burning to bone and ash, it dawned on the Sternritter that the abominable spiritual energy from Alucard was actually growing denser and more twisted. Absentmindedly fixing the cracked glassed perching on the bridge of her nose Rip Van Winkle took a single step only to collapse onto her knees upon noticing the silhouette walking through the flames, "O-Oh god…"

The wavering flames crackling on the ship flickered and distorted as Alucard continued his relentless march towards the heavily injured Quincy. Unblinking eyes emerging from the encompassing darkness as he stopped to a halt several meters away from Rip Van Winkle, shadows mercilessly oozing forth from his overcoat while faint eldritch screams overwhelmed the unnaturally deafening silence, the vampire's sadistic grin widened as he gazed at the horrified woman, "What's the matter, Miss Van Winkle? You wanted to trap me within this barrier…so here I am…"

Trembling hands fumbling against the deck until she felt her musket, the spiritual weapon heavily damaged by her impact but still fully operational, Rip Van Winkle didn't even bother aiming as she panted heavily and pointed it at Alucard. She didn't care about the sheer implausibility of killing the vampire. All that mattered was preventing the unholy creature from getting any closer. But when she harshly squeezed the trigger, spiritual energy rapidly coalescing within the muzzle of her musket, there was a loud sound akin to shattering glass as the wings created by her Vollstandig abruptly vanished into thin air.

Rip Van Winkle's vision swam as she staggered backwards, her knees weakening from the sudden loss of spiritual energy. Weakly leaning against the railing behind her for support as sweat trickled down her face she took one look at the inhuman mockery of a smile on Alucard's face and raised her musket. The corners of her eyes growing dim as she aimed at the vampire, her every thought revolving around survival, the Sternritter choked violently when Alucard teleported the short distance between then and clasped his fingers tightly around her exposed throat. His supernatural strength easily hoisting her in the air, trails of blood oozing from the corners of her mouth as the Quincy weakly attempted to pull herself free, Alucard chuckled as he tore the musket from her hand.

"Look what I just caught," Fanged maws dripping with acidic saliva emerged from the shadows enveloping the Eagle as Alucard painfully pressed the musket against Rip Van Winkle's chest. His crimson eyes shining brightly in the blood-red moonlight, hundreds of eyes forming in the darkness composing his body, Alucard's tone turned nightmarish as he slowly opened his mouth, "I just caught you…Rip…Van…Winkle."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko yawned loudly as she reclined on the only couch in the Nudist Beach safe house. Her black hair disheveled from a lack of sleep, blue eyes dropping with exhaustion, she propped her feet on the coffee table and listened to the rhythmic sounds of Senketsu's subdued snoring. It hadn't been that long ago, four or five hours at the most, since the Kamui dozed off into a deep slumber despite the ample supply of her blood and Ryuko couldn't help but wonder why the hell she was still up. Folding her arms across the navy-blue sailor uniform, Senketsu's entire form gently ruffling in time with his snoring, she tilted her head and yawned again while absentmindedly watching Ichigo help Batou move several metal boxes across the room.<p>

"Be careful with that," Batou cautiously chided when he noticed Ichigo nearly trip and drop the crate in his hands, "Those spool grenades pack enough of a punch to destroy this building and everything around it."

Sighing tiredly as he carefully placed his own crate on top of the growing stack near the front of the house, Ichigo's scowl and subsequent eye roll not lost to the nudist, Batou rubbed a hand against his neck when his aging muscles and joints began complaining. As he crouched next to the stack of boxes, grey eyes carefully reading the label carefully stenciled on the sides, the nudist commander checked off another item on his mental checklist. Lips pursing when he looked at his watch, the hour hand sitting just past three, he pointed over his shoulder, "You and Ryuko can get some shuteye once we're done. Don't worry, I'll wake you two once Alucard gets back."

"I've been meaning to ask you…"

Ichigo trailed off when two nudists emerged from the back room of the safe house, a large piece of complicated and highly expensive machinery held in their straining arms. With complete silence descending upon the room four sets of eyes watched the soldiers checked over the piece of equipment for any issues, the plastic wrapping all but hiding the forest green paint, before giving their commanding officer a respectful salute and leaving. His attention firmly locked for several seconds on the apparatus on the ground, something about it reminding him of Honnouji Academy, Ichigo turned back to Batou and continued without missing a beat, "Where's Anderson?"

"He's at the Hellsing Manor."

The wooden floorboards creaked in protest as Batou walked out of the room in the same direction as the two nudists. When the nudist continued speaking a moment later from the adjacent corridor, his voice muffled by the walls, an annoyed curse echoed throughout the safe out as he accidentally dropped a crate on his foot, "Anyway…Millennium's planning something so Anderson's coordinating with the Hellsing Organization until their vampire gets back. Hopefully we can leave without getting into a fight…or Iscariot discovering he's still in the country."

An irritated scowl appeared on Ryuko's face at the nudist's mentioning of Iscariot, the resulting spike in her blood pressure causing Senketsu to briefly grumble before falling back asleep. She really hated the fact that ever since leaving Karakura Town everyone seemed to already know about her. It didn't make any goddamn sense – she never even _met_ any of these people. While Anderson's stupid claim about raising her in an orphanage came to the forefront of her mind, which was frankly complete bullshit, what really confused Ryuko were those two people from the Vatican. It had only been for a moment but when she walked into the room, and just before noticing Alucard, she had seen the looks of recognition on their faces.

Huffing as she raised her arms above her head and stretched, a loud and tired yawn tearing its way out of her throat, Ryuko scratched her hair before shouting out the door, "And how often does _nothing_ happen to us?"

Instead of immediately answering the question upon reentering the room, a heavy crate held firmly in his hands, Batou frowned and dropped the box on the table next to the teenager's feet. As Ryuko's entire body flinched from the loud impact, the short burst of adrenaline bringing her back to full awareness, the nudist commander easily ignored the resulting string of curses and began walking away, "There's a first time for everything. Now get off your lazy ass and help Ichigo."

The series of nearly inaudible curses spewing from Ryuko's mouth continued as she glared at the departing nudist, stopping only after Batou completely left the room. Leaning her head back against the couch once the target of her frustration was gone, an exasperated sigh causing her crimson bang of hair to flutter, she loudly groaned before pulling her feet off the table and stomping them against the floor. Blue eyes narrowing suspiciously as she stared at the large box sitting innocently on the table, hands propped on her legs as she sat forward, Ryuko shook her head and began to get up only to stop when Ichigo collapsed onto the couch next to her.

"You look exhausted, Ichigo," Ryuko playfully quipped as she watched Ichigo rub the bridge of his nose. As Senketsu began rustling around her body, the Kamui's multicolored eye blearily looking around the room, her smug grin slowly disappeared when she noticed the look on Ichigo's face, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Ichigo ran a hand down his face as he stared at the ceiling, "Something about this doesn't make any sense."

"Oh really?" Ryuko rolled her eyes at the obvious statement before nudging Ichigo in the ribs, "Is it those insane Quincy trying to kill everyone or finding out Nui Harime is my damn sister?"

"At Honnouji Academy they seemed almost desperate to stop Ragyo. Two of them even died fighting Xcution," Ichigo momentarily paused as he tried to piece together everything he knew about Millennium and Revocs, which was admittedly not that much, "They have to know Ragyo's getting closer their plans. So why would they go out of their way to declare war on England. It doesn't make any sense."

"The answer is obvious – they're fucking insane," Ryuko stated in annoyance before jumping off the couch. Groaning as she took a moment to stretch her stiff back, the muscles quickly popping back into place, she stalked around to the other side of the table before folding her arms over Senketsu and scoffing, "So if they show up and try to start anything we'll use Senketsu and Mugetsu to kick their asses!"

A few seconds passed after Ryuko finished speaking before a loud yawn filled the room, courtesy of Mugetsu desperately trying to stay awake. Her entire uniform shivering as multicolored eyes blinked tiredly she looked up at her wearer and stated, _**"All this talk about Quincy is making my fibers twitch strangely. Ichigo, I want you to iron me." **_

Ichigo couldn't suppress the exasperated sigh welling up in his throat at his Kamui's incessant demand, Mugetsu's confused priorities already giving him a slight headache. Running a hand through his orange hair while locking gazes with an increasing annoyed Mugetsu, her multihued eyes betrayed exactly how she felt about his stalling, his characteristic scowl returned upon noticing the smug smirk appearing on the corner of Ryuko's mouth, "Fine, I'll iron you…but only after we leave London."

"_**What?!" **_Mugetsu's shocked tone pierced through the air when she heard the supposed treachery of her wearer. Rustling indignantly as she tried to lift her sleeve and show Ichigo the faintest smudge of dirt on her cuff, only to visibly deflate upon realizing his arm prevented her from moving, the Kamui growled and narrowed her eyes, _**"I can feel dirt and grime in my threads and it's only a matter of time before they're impossible to get out! You haven't washed me since yesterday so what are you waiting for?"**_

"Because I know everything will go to hell the moment I start washing you."

It took Ichigo quite a bit of mental effort to ignore the subsequent growl from Mugetsu, the Kamui obviously finding his answer to her question unsatisfactory. As he leaned back against the couch, exhaustion beginning to set in his muscles, Ichigo frowned when he suddenly remembered something that had been bugging him for some time. Turning to Ryuko, who seemed to be on the verge of chuckling, he scowled and asked, "So what was in that folder?"

For a few seconds after he asked the question Ryuko simply stared at Ichigo before realization hit her. Loudly sitting down on the coffee table, the wood creaking under the combined weight from the heavy crate and teenager, she crossed her legs and snorted as she remembered the weird silver-haired camera man from the embargo vote, "Just some stuff about that guy from Xcution, which would have been a lot more useful if that asshole hadn't shown up literally seconds later! I didn't even get a chance to _look_ inside the folder before I was flying through the sky with a bomb in my hands!"

Senketsu's neckerchief gently shifted as he looked up at Ryuko, _**"Ryuko…your blood pressure is increasing. Are you thinking about that man from Xcution again?"**_

Ryuko huffed as she angrily folded her arms under her bosom, the simply mention of the smug asshole causing her heart rate to increase. Leaning back slightly on the table while her fingers gripped Senketsu's sleeves, the Kamui tightening around her body in an attempt to comfort her, Ryuko's voice was strained as she shook her head, "It may sound completely crazy but for some reason I can't help but think I actually know that bastard."

"He did seem to know you," Ichigo paused while he carefully thought about while little he knew of Yuu Akiyama, "Could he have gone to one of your old boarding schools?"

"If he did than I don't remember him. I didn't have any friends until I met you and Mako," Ryuko's voice was little more than a pained whisper as she looked away from Ichigo, a crestfallen expression on her face. Her childhood wasn't the best and Ichigo know about it, more or less, but that didn't making remembering the loneliness and isolation any less painful. As the minutes passed in silence between the two teenagers, the only sounds in the safe house coming from the nudists in the other rooms, Ryuko's saddened expression slowly vanished. The corners of her lips curling into a faint smile, she turned back to Ichigo and mumbled, "You know, Ichigo, I just want to say…um…I –"

"What the hell do you mean we can't contact Osaka?!"

Her left eye twitching in barely suppressed annoyance when Batou stormed back into the room alongside Richards, the nudist commander's angry shouting prematurely cutting off what she wanted to tell Ichigo. The Seki Tekko crackling as she clenched her hand into a fist and spun around, a few choice words about being interrupted already on the tip of her tongue, Ryuko paused with her mouth half open when she noticed the tense looks adorning the two men's faces. Turned towards his commanding officer, and thus completely ignorant of the rapidly shifting emotions passing through Ryuko's head, the nudist cleared his throat before answering, "Sir, five minutes ago we lost contact with both Osaka and the field offices. Attempting to reroute the signal through public, private and military lines achieved similar results."

Batou's eyes narrowed as he tried to assess the situation, a prospect made increasingly more difficult due to the scant information. Unlike what a lot of people thought, usually those with no military experience, a full information blackout was exceedingly difficult to sustain. There was usually a time frame of thirty minutes, maybe an hour if they were really good, before communications were restored, which raised the question of motivation. Whoever was behind the blackout had an ulterior motive and the list of possible and acceptable targets, in London and across the country, could be counted a single hand.

"This doesn't make any sense," the nudist commander grumbled as he leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest, "Even if someone possessed the necessary resources and equipment to pull off a stunt like this, our systems are completely isolated from London's. They shouldn't have been able to hack our network. Not after Houka Inumuta bolstered our firewalls and encryptions. Damn it…do we at least know if it's Ragyo Kiryuin?"

Keenly aware that both Ichigo and Ryuko were carefully listening to their conversation, the mere mention of the Kiryuin matriarch gaining their full and undivided attention, Richards coughed and cleared his throat before answering, "We won't know until we manually reboot the system and isolate the cause. It will take some time, sir."

A weary sigh echoed across the room as Batou rubbed a hand against his face, his exhaustion giving way to annoyance and trepidation. This was not the good news he needed to hear. Every military bone in his body, honed from years of service across the world, was screaming that he was missing something extremely vital. Grimacing when he pulled a cell phone out from his jacket's pocket, the military-styled device hardened against both tampering and electromagnetic pulses, and saw he didn't have a signal the nudist commander frowned as his mind cycled through several scenarios, "Alright, even if Ragyo Kiryuin isn't behind this we still need to restore contact with headquarters. Wait…you said only communications going into or out of London are down. Does that mean we can still contact Anderson?"

"Yes, sir," Richards hesitantly answered, "We were able to reach Commander Anderson's phone. However…he's refusing to pick up."

"Of course he is…" Batou muttered while running a hand through his grey hair. Anderson might be an overly zealous crusader against Life Fibers but the former priest respected the chain of command, at least to the extent of following Olivier's orders to the letter, "If Anderson's not responding than it's likely Integra Hellsing's people already know about the situation. Contact Echo November One and tell them to stay on high alert. The shit is about to hit the fan."

As Richards snapped off a salute and quickly left the room, the noise from the back of the safe house increasing rapidly as several voices echoed through the enclosed space, Ichigo stood up and asked, "Millennium?"

"Probably," Batou grumbled, his footsteps creaking as he stalked towards the door and stared out the small windows. Reaching for the M-15 Anti-Life Fiber Assault Rifle propped against the wall, his other hand grabbing the full clip of sewing needles on the nearby crate, the nudist commander pursed his lips, "I know how Ragyo usually works. She always does things with a bit of flair or drama. She's never been this subtle."

Ryuko quirked an eyebrow as her anger from being interrupted dissipated. Arms folded over Senketsu, the Kamui humming thoughtfully in her mind, she cocked her head to the side and sarcastically asked, "How do you know that?"

"I've been around the block, working for both Ragyo and as an army ranger. Let's just say I'm speaking from experience," Batou answered vaguely, his eyes drifting towards the weapon in his hands as he turned away from the window. Skilled fingers expertly checking over every facet of the Anti-Life Fiber weapon, the needle clip not snapping into place until the end, the nudist frowned as he mulled over old memories, "For the last seventeen years Ragyo's conducted business one of two ways. Her first and favorite method is using extremely subtle Mental Refitting to take control of a company's board of directors. Your dad spent years in his lab trying to devise a counter to her Marionette Threads."

Ichigo, quickly noticing Ryuko tensing at the mention of her father, stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder before turning to Batou, "And the second?"

Batou groaned as he sat down on a crate, the M-15 propped carefully against his leg, "She sends either the Grand Couturier or a member of Xcution to do a little 'tough negotiating.'"

A tense silence momentarily filled the room at the nudist's answer before Ryuko took a deep breath and smashed her foot against the coffee table. The piece of furniture visibly straining under the forceful impact, the constant abuse over the last few minutes causing several minute cracks to spread along its surface, the teenager glared daggers at the older man as her irritation at the situation was replaced with mild annoyance, "If these Quincy are planning something, why the hell are we just standing here waiting?"

"Taking down Millennium won't be as simple as you think."

Shaking his head when Ryuko's piercing glare didn't abate in the slightest Batou sighed deeply and grimly added, "Unlike Ragyo Kiryuin what we know about Millennium basically amounts to shit. They're an organization capable of instantly fielding Quincy strong enough to fight against Xcution. For all we know, sending you two could be –"

The nudist commander abruptly paused when he heard a series of dull thumps in the distance, the walls of the safe house shaking with each impact. As dozens of V2 rockets slammed into London, most of the famous landmarks obliterating in only a few seconds, Batou barely had time to cover his eyes before the windows shattered into thousands of deadly projectiles. Violently knocked off his feet when a shockwave exploded through the room, the force from the rocket impacting just over a block away tearing the reinforced door off its hinges, Batou briefly lost consciousness as his head made contact with the wall.

"Ugh…I'm going to feel that in the morning."

A pained groan left Batou's mouth as he slowly stood up, wincing when his fingers touched the growing lump on the back of his head. Ignoring the familiar sensation of blood oozing down from his forehead, one hand propped against the wall for support, he stared at the flames in the street before asking, "Hey, are you two alright?"

Her body littered with minute cuts from the flying shrapnel, the wounds existing for only a few seconds before regenerating, Ryuko scowled before reaching into the pouch on her waist. Pulling out the miniaturized red Scissor Blade, the weapon snapping back to full size with a simple flick of her wrist, a relieved expression crossed her face when she saw Ichigo was all right. When she heard a second series of explosions in the distance Ryuko gritted her teeth and angrily asked, "What the hell's going on?"

Grunting as he picked up the fallen M-15, the roaring flames casting the entire room in disturbing shades of yellow and orange, Batou quickly checked over the weapon before focusing his attention on the inferno mere meters away. It was hard to believe how fucked the situation became in less than ten minutes. Holding up a hand before Ichigo could speak, Richards and the other nudists marching into the room, Batou spit on the ground and answered, "Aerial bombing meant to take out any heavily fortified positions around the city…I think it's safe to say Millennium's here."

There was a sharp glint of blue light as Ichigo removed Tournesol from its scabbard, the sapphire Life Fiber blade shining darkly in contrast to the flames just outside the safe house. His orange hair waving alongside Ryuko's in the wind kicked up by the intense heat, his brown eyes narrowed into a furious scowl as penetrating screams of pain and terror reached his ears, Ichigo raced towards the front door only for Batou to hold out his arm.

"I know you want to help, Ichigo…" Batou gruffly began, his face pulled into a tense scowl. Haphazardly pulling off his jacket when one of the nudists handed him a ballistic vest, the Anti-Life Fiber technology woven into the armor powerful enough to tank a few hits from a Three-Star Goku Uniform, the commander motioned with his head towards Richards before finishing, "…trust me, I want to kill these Nazi bastards myself. But this isn't the time to rush headfirst into battle."

"People are dying!" Ichigo retorted loudly, one hand clenching Batou's shirt, "And you want us to do nothing?"

"Isshin told us all about your little trip to the Soul Society." A flash of surprise crossed Ichigo's face at the revelation, his grip slackening enough for the nudist commander to pull himself free. One hand fixing his shirt while the other slung the M-15 over his shoulder, the crackling flames causing shadows to dance around the room, Batou finished putting on the rest of his armor before continuing, "These aren't some shinigami you managed to catch off guard. We're facing an organization with unknown resources and manpower. Going out there without a plan won't help anyone."

A tense silence filled the room as Ichigo mulled over Batou's answer, the only sounds for several seconds coming from the flames crackling outside. Even though he hated to admit it the nudist had a good point. He couldn't afford to just charge headfirst against the Quincy and hope to emerge victorious, not when they were so willing to callously murder millions of people for no good reason. Softly clenching his right hand into a fist, a look of determination evident in his eyes, Ichigo scowled at the nudist before admitting, "You're right…but we can't just stand around talking."

"Exactly…"

Batou didn't flinch as two nudists brought a metal table in from the adjoining room, the accompanying high-pitched screech causing Ryuko to cover her ears in pain. Shouldering his weapon as Richards unfurled a large map of the city, the nudist tacking down the edges before stepping away, Batou scratched his chin before pointing towards a particular spot, "We need to leave the city and meet up with Anderson and the Wild Geese at the Hellsing Manor. Last I heard Pip wired the entire property with anti-vampire traps, so it should still be safe. The only problem is Millennium."

"We can handle those bastards," Ryuko replied confidently. Readjusting her grip on the red Scissor Blade, the weapon resting lazily on her shoulder, the crimson highlight in her hair brightened momentarily as she turned to Ichigo and smirked, "These Quincy are weak against Life Fibers, right? That means Senketsu should be able to kick their ass!"

The nudist commander grumbled before shaking his head, an idea already coming to mind. Although Quincy possessed a weakness to Life Fibers, their best attacks having little to no effect against raiment and hybrids, he didn't think they would be stupid enough to willingly fight either teenager. That fat bastard of a Major wouldn't send his best fighters to the front lines only to die, which meant dealing with the Sternritter would be exponentially more difficult. Tensing when an explosion roared through the city, the main gas line several blocks away catching fire, he trailed his finger down the map before gruffly speculating, "That only leaves the vampires. We don't know how strong they are but I doubt they're anything like –"

"Sir!" One of the nudists stationed near the door, his body propped behind several heavy crates, turned around and shouted, "Several of our remaining sensors detected multiple combatants heading towards this location. ETA sixty seconds!"

"Damn it, that was faster than I thought," Batou's footsteps echoed heavily on the floor as he took position next to Richards, his fellow nudist tightly gripping a heavily modified ML-77 Missile Launcher. Carefully removing several pincushion grenades from his belt, the Anti-Life Fiber explosives clacking dangerously in his hand, the nudist commander spat on the ground before finishing, "Alright, you two go out there and activate your Kamui at the same time. The resulting light show should draw any unwanted attention away from us. Try and keep Millennium distracted for at least ten minutes, fifteen if you feel like pushing it, but meet up at the Hellsing Manor when you're done. Got it?"

As she took a few steps forwards, the Scissor Blade clenched tightly in her right hand, Ryuko shared a glance with Ichigo and asked, "What if we run into a Quincy?"

"Then you're free to kick their sanctimonious asses all the way to hell," Batou replied, his tone rapidly shifting midsentence when several figures became apparent in the distance. The M-15 in his hands immediately snapping upwards, grey eyes narrowing upon recognizing the white uniforms visible through the flames, he looked over his shoulder at Ichigo and shouted, "What the hell you waiting for? Go!"

Ryuko was already halfway out the door by the time Batou raised his voice, her body a blue blur to the nudists crouched behind their makeshift barricades. Leaping out into the ruined streets with the Scissor Blade held firmly in her grasp the first thing she noticed were the bodies. Men and women, their mangled faces forever frozen in agony, covered the burning city as far as she could see. Forcibly doing her best to not breath in the stench permeating the air, a constant sense of nausea lingering on the edges of her senses, Ryuko's face shifted into an expression of pure rage as she sensed dozens of vampires rapidly running towards her.

"So these undead fuckers think they can get away with this, huh?"

As the red highlight permanently visible in her hair shone brilliantly, a sign of the anger coursing through her veins, Ryuko took a step forward but paused when Senketsu's worried voice echoed through her mind. Relieved slightly when instead of chastising her emotional outburst the Kamui instead wholeheartedly supported her decision, albeit with a cautionary word or two about controlling her anger, she pointed the Scissor Blade down the street and passionately shouted, "You bastards think you're so tough? How about you fight someone that can actually kick your ass!"

Grinning maliciously when the vampirized soldiers slid to a simultaneous halt, their hidden red eyes widening upon recognizing the teenager from the collected Daten, Ryuko chuckled when she heard Ichigo land to her right. His brown eyes narrowed in tranquil fury as he beheld the death and destruction permeating London, the multitude of corpses piled in the streets causing his face to contort into a scowl, he held a hand over the pauldron strapped to his left shoulder and cautioned, "Try not to get separated, Ryuko."

"What?" Ryuko exclaimed while turning towards Ichigo with an incredulous look etched on her face, the seriousness of the situation momentarily forgotten, "You think these bastards stand a chance against us?"

"No," Ichigo responded while rolling his eyes, uncaring that the vampires were able to hear his answer. Raising Tournesol in his left hand when dozens of blue spiritual energy blades shimmered into existence alongside modern weaponry, Mugetsu humming in response to the sudden increase in spiritual energy, Ichigo shook his head and finished, "It's just that you have no idea how to get to the Hellsing Manor."

Ryuko opened her mouth to argue before quickly realizing that Ichigo was right – she didn't have the slightest idea of how to get there. Hanging her head forward while sighing in resignation and annoyance, the light from her red highlight fading once more, she took a deep breath before punching Ichigo in his arm. A pleased smirk reappearing on her face when the orange haired teenager complained about the unprovoked attack Ryuko's expression hardened as she brought up her left hand. Fingers tightly gripping the Seki Tekko's pin, her sneakers sliding along the ground as she shifted her stance, Ryuko narrowed her eyes and declared, "Fine…but this doesn't change anything, got it? Now let's show these undead freaks what happens when they piss us off!"

"Life Fiber Synchronization: Kamui Senketsu!"

"Life Fiber Initial Release: Kamui Mugetsu!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p>A sharp echo rang across the London skyline as the vampirized soldier lurched violently backwards, shattered goggles clattering to the ground as his head dissolved into a bloody mist. Her long cassock fluttering around her body as she stepped over the fresh corpse, thin wisps of smoke rising from her pistol, Heinkel Wolfe glanced towards the other paladins and grimaced. When Maxwell sanctioned the creation of an expeditionary force to Great Britain, using the chaos perpetrated by Ragyo Kiryuin during the embargo vote to slip her into the city, he had given a single order – covertly observe Nudist Beach and the Hellsing Organization. Getting caught in Millennium's invasion of the city, which already claimed the lives of several paladins, had come as a complete surprise.<p>

Grey-green eyes staring across the burning city as she walked towards the edge of the roof, her footsteps heavy and purposeful, Heinkel let out an annoyed huff before gruffly asking, "Have you found them yet?"

No."

The wet sound of metal piercing flesh accompanied Yumiko Tagai's blunt response, a result of her katana piercing completely through the newly created corpse's heart and into the roof. Rivers of tainted blood running down the blessed silver blade's surface as she harshly pulled it out, the uniformed body at her feet momentarily twitching before bursting into ash, Yumiko adjusted the tattered remains of the hooded cowl around her neck and growled, "I spent three days tracking the nudists but they must've seen me."

Heinkel scoffed while biting down on the cigarette hanging limply from between her lips, the burning tobacco helping to mask the smell of burning flesh permeating the city, "And Anderson?"

"I saw him heading towards the Hellsing Manor," Yumiko's long black hair waved freely in the updrafts from the roaring flames as she answered, the tenseness in her voice wiping the pleased smirk off Heinkel's face before it could even form. Turning towards her friend, a question already on the tip of her tongue, she was abruptly cut off when Yumiko quickly added, "He also ran into Yuu."

That was not a name Iscariot's secret weapon was expecting to hear. It had been several years since she last heard from Yuu, which had been a birthday card he somehow sent directly to her room at the Vatican, so hearing his name spoken about in such context nearly left her speechless. Grey-green eyes widening in shock behind transparent glasses, the lit cigarette nearly falling from her lips, Heinkel spun around and asked, "What did you say, Yumie?"

Yumiko raised a hand to her mouth before coughing awkwardly, a nervous grumbling threatening to make its way out of her throat, "This morning, when I was tracking Anderson's movements, I saw him heading towards Heathrow London Airport. It took me a few minutes but when I caught up I heard Anderson shouting at Yuu about working for Ragyo Kiryuin."

A soft snapping sound was barely audible over the screams from the city once Yumiko finished speaking, the cigarette in Heinkel's mouth breaking apart before falling to her feet. For several seconds the paladin didn't utter a single word, straw blonde hair shifting in the breeze while her lips pulled back into a snarl, before she turned around and stalked across the rooftop. Ignoring the confusion and puzzlement crossing the faces of her fellow paladins as she reached into her cassock, blood-stained fingers momentarily slipping inside her pocket, Heinkel stomped a foot against the ground before pulling out her cell phone and noticed to her surprise that she actually had service.

"A miracle of God, I suppose," Heinkel shrugged her shoulders at her luck, not willing to let such a miraculous event go to waste. Pressing the phone against her ear after dialing the number, a wistful sigh escaping her lips, she didn't wait for the priest on the other end to give the standard greeting before growling, "Shut up and put Maxwell on the damn phone."

On the opposite side of the Straight of Dover near the town of Calais, sitting in a chair with his hands folded across his chest, Enrico Maxwell's lips were curled into the barest of smiles as he witnessed the conflagration currently enveloping the capital of Protestantism. Usually such a sight would bring a more manic smile to his face, the simple thought of Integra Hellsing wallowing in despair as her country burns enough to make his day, but Maxwell's good mood was permanently tempered by the knowledge of the enemy the Church was about to face. Holy Crusade or not, capturing the Father of the Quincy would not be so easy. The Vatican's initial attempts at bringing the being known as Yhwach to heel more than a millennium ago had ended disastrously for both sides. Thousands of devout Catholics had perished during those terrible years, sacrificing life and soul to halt and then reverse the Quincy's ever expanding power.

"Bishop Maxwell…" The familiar voice of the one of the priests accompanying him managed to break Maxwell's train of thought. Sitting up in the chair as the man stepped forward, a phone held in his extended hand, the newly promoted bishop quirked an eyebrow when he noticed the priest's smug grin faltering, "Paladin Wolfe is currently on the line. She wishes to speak with you promptly. It sounds…urgent."

"I thought our communications within London were down? Ah, it doesn't matter," Maxwell shrugged before sighing and taking the phone. Leaning back in the chair, one hand placed against the back of his neck, the new bishop stared with amused violet eyes at the orange light permeating the northern horizon before quipping, "This is unexpected. I strictly remember ordering you not to call me unless it was an emergency. Wait…_what _happened?"

Heinkel gave a derisive scoff before snapping her left arm out the side and firing off a single shot from her pistol. As the vampirized soldier nearly two hundred feet away eavesdropping on her conversation fell towards the ground, a gaping hole in his chest courtesy of a blessed bullet, she pressed the phone firmly against her ear before answering, "Yuu Akiyama is working for Ragyo Kiryuin."

The leader of Iscariot nearly choked at Heinkel's answer, the sudden attack causing the surrounding priests and paladins no small amount of worry for their leader. Accepting the offered bottle of water from one of the priests, the cool liquid helping to suppress the series of wracking coughs, a tight grimace spread across Maxwell's face as he slowly walked across the grassy field towards the cliffs, "That is most…disconcerting. Dealing with a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin will be exponentially more difficult with Yuu on her payroll. Still…I suppose it's better to fight the demons you know."

An annoyed grunt left Heinkel's mouth as she stared into the smoke-filled night sky, "It's almost like a fucking reunion, Maxwell."

"Quite…" Maxwell quietly concurred, the nightly breeze blowing inland from the Straight of Dover causing his silver hair to rustle softly. Folding one arm across his body, a gloved hand tightly clenching the opposite arm, he narrowed his violet eyes before continuing, "It is safe to say that if Yuu truly is working for that abomination our plans will need to be…_thoroughly_ adjusted. But let's not worry about that for the moment. Do you have any new information on that Protestant bitch?"

Heinkel took a moment to gather her thoughts while she watched Yumiko harshly order the other paladins to promptly dispose of the remaining vampire corpses. Stoically watching as one of the paladins tried to argue with Yumiko, only for the shorter Japanese woman to snap back a response that quickly cowered him into submission, she held the phone to her mouth and answered, "Still no sign of Integra Hellsing."

"There's no need to rush such a delicate matter. Integra Hellsing shall receive judgment for her heretical beliefs," Maxwell's voice trailed off as the bishop paced down the cliff away from the recently established base of operations for the Vatican. Out of all the contingencies accounted for during the crusade's preparation, including Ragyo Kiryuin deciding to become personally involved, he never even bothered to consider that Yuu would be involved. As he sighed and stared at the full moon rising over the waters, violet eyes narrowing suspicious at the faint redness permeating the pale orb, Maxwell finished in an excited tone, "You should also know that due to Ragyo Kiryuin's little…outburst…in London I am ordering you to leave Anderson and Nudist Beach alone until such time as that woman has been thoroughly dealt with."

"I see…" The corners of Heinkel's lips twisted into a smug smirk, "Why sacrifice our own troops when Nudist Beach is more than willing to throw themselves at that monster of a woman?"

"Exactly," Maxwell's previous excitement slowly bled away as he stared at the fiery conflagration in the distance, his breath coming out in faint wisps due to the late autumn weather. Despite his reasonable belief that every Protestant should either be forced to covert to Catholicism or burn forever in the deepest pits of hell, which to be perfectly honest are the only logical choices, Maxwell viewed himself as a man of priorities. Stopping that monster in the guise of Ragyo Kiryuin, a known threat actively working to destroy humanity, should be paramount over defeating one of the Church's most hated enemies at least for the time being.

His face pulling into a grimace while he reached into his vest and pulled out an unsealed letter, the broken wax Papal insignia easily visible, Maxwell paused to collect his thoughts before speaking in a low tone, "I also have new orders from His Holiness. Due to the ongoing altercations involving the Hellsing Organization both Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki are to be captured and brought to the Vatican for containment and interrogation."

The cell phone in her hand audibly crackled as Heinkel tightened her grip, minute cracks appearing across the plastic casing. Grey-green eyes narrowing while her shoulders slouched forward, which were the only signs of her increasing displeasure at the worsening situation, she gritted her teeth before sighing loudly, "Understood."

An awkward silence existed for several seconds before Maxwell felt a hand politely clamping his shoulder. His silver eyebrows quirking when the priest standing just behind him leaned forward and whispered into his ear, the contents of the message causing the bishop to tense, he momentarily frowned before nodding in turning. As he followed the priest back to the Church's base of operations, men and women of God rushing around in preparation for the crusade, Maxwell rubbed a tired eye before speaking into the phone, "Apprehending Ryuko will require time, effort and the strength necessary to overcome the inhuman power contained within their Kamui. Not to mention their inherent regenerative capabilities. No…this is not something we can simply rush, which is why I shall leave everything in your capable hands. Do what must be done, Wolfe."

For nearly half a minute after Maxwell hung up the steady dial tone of the phone continued to drone relentlessly in the paladin's ear, her mind rapidly preoccupied with processing everything she just heard. Her glasses shifting opaquely due to the flames encompassing the city as she turned towards Yumiko and the other paladins, her phone already safely placed back into her cassock's deep pockets, Heinkel opened her mouth to relay their newest orders when an explosion of raw power pulsed across the city.

"This power!" Yumiko's mouth was slightly agape as she stared at the twin bursts of red and blue light momentarily erupting into the night sky from the south, her body tensing when a wave of alien power swept over the paladins. Biting her lip while easily shaking off the sensation permeating every muscle of her body, hidden eyes watching the multicolored stars briefly twinkling into existence, she gripped her katana and exclaimed, "Heinkel, it's exactly like –"

"Maxwell's orders were to observe Integra Hellsing's movements and _not_ to engage."

Heinkel remained completely unfazed by the outburst of power as she cut off Yumiko, a freshly lit cigarette already placed firmly between her lips. Taking a moment to savor the taste of tobacco before swinging her arms outwards, twin pistols sliding deftly into place, she slowly marched past her fellow paladins before adding, "We're moving out. It's obvious that Integra Hellsing is not hiding in this neighborhood. Let's check the one to the north."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>"Damn it…"<p>

As he hovered effortlessly in the glowing skies over London, the constant propulsion from Mugetsu Gufū easily allowing him to counterbalance the pull of gravity, Ichigo looked around the burning landscape for any sign of Ryuko. Barely a second after activating their Kamui she had rushed towards the horde of undead soldiers with the red Scissor blade held proudly in her hands, which was a stark contrast to the way the vampires had attempted to flee upon witnessing her display of power. His brow creasing into an annoyed frowned when a burst of ruby light erupted in the distance, the familiar spiritual energy of Ryuko and Senketsu washing over him, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder why they would use Senketsu Senkou. It wasn't as if the vampirized soldiers in the streets were strong. On the contrary they were roughly the same strength as a tenth seat shinigami. Ryuko was more than capable of defeating them without even using the Scissor blade, which could only mean one thing.

"She's going out all from the start," Ichigo muttered, more to himself than anyone else, before glaring at the unconscious vampire hanging limply from his left hand, "But I really can't blame her."

The half-dead vampire, blood spewing from his nose and mouth, was one of the many reasons he was finding it increasingly difficult to blame Ryuko for wanting to use Senketsu's full power to defeat Millennium. Before Ichigo appeared in front of the soldier and caught the Seele Schneider in his bare hand, the rapidly rotating spiritual particles failing to scratch Mugetsu's armor, the vampire had been preparing to murder an entire family. Several longs had passed before the vampirized soldier finally noticed something was wrong but by then it was too late. As he tried to free his blade from the teen's supernatural grip, red eyes widening in recognition, Ichigo had simply punched the vampire's face with enough force to shatter both his nose and goggles.

Briefly looking around before landing on a nearby roof, a small shower of blue stars accompanying Mugetsu's rapid transition back to her base configuration, Ichigo didn't spare the unconscious vampire a second glance before allowing the soldier to collapse onto the surface. As he focused upon where he last sensed Ryuko, the Life Fibers in his body locking onto the familiar sensation of Senketsu's power, Ichigo paused and looked upwards in surprise when two large zeppelins slowly emerged from the smoke and ash enveloping the city.

"_**Are those…blimps?"**_

Mugetsu couldn't hide the sarcastic tone in her voice as she stared in disbelief at the two aircraft floating lazily over the city. A feminine growl echoing through Ichigo's mind when her multicolored eyes shifted towards the ruby light in the distance, the Kamui appreciative of Senketsu constantly showing off his power, she hummed thoughtfully and looked up at her wearer when something came to mind, _**"Do you think Millennium would be stupid enough to be waiting on those things?"**_

"Yeah…" Ichigo muttered absentmindedly while staring at the larger of the two zeppelins, the black and red checkerboard-pattern standing out more than anything else. His face twisting into a scowl as he expanded his senses outwards, the heavily concealed spiritual energy similar to Uryu's, Ichigo tightened his grip around Tournesol and added, "There are several Quincy on that ship and I'm willing to bet the Major is one of them. We need to stop him!"

Silence fell across the rooftop once Ichigo finished, Mugetsu continuing to give her wearer a long look before turning her attention towards the aircraft floating innocently in the sky. Multicolored eyes narrowing in deep thought as she pondered what to do, several ideas passing through her mind in quick succession before being summarily discarded, her entire form rippled angrily when she finally replied, _**"You're right. Millennium needs to be stopped but we should meet up with Ryuko and Senketsu first. It frays my Life Fibers even thinking about asking that smug Kamui for help but this isn't an enemy where my power will be enough. We're going to need – "**_

The sound of nearby gunfire and screaming cut the Kamui off midsentence, her wearer quickly rushing across the rooftop and leaping into the air despite her calls for him to take a moment to think. His brown eyes narrowing when he found the source of the fighting, several vampires rapidly overtaking and massacring dozens of surviving citizens, Ichigo tightened his grip on Tournesol while blue energy continuously erupted from the vent on the back of Mugetsu's armor. As he smashed into the ground with enough force to buckle the pavement, the previously ecstatic vampires sliding to a halt upon sensing the spiritual energy emanating from the Life Fibers in his body, Ichigo wasn't given a moment's rest before the undead soldiers raised their weapons and opened fire.

"Sorry…" Tournesol blurred into motion while Ichigo's voice remained completely steady, the sapphire hardened Life Fiber blade easily deflecting or stopping the metallic projectiles with laughable ease. Chancing a look even as the gunfire doubled in intensity, a sense of relief washing over his features upon seeing the people were still safe, the orange haired teenager's eyes were cast in shadow as a blue aura surrounded his body, "But I can't waste any time. Mugetsu Zangetsu."

An ephemeral black and white blur was the most any of the vampirized soldiers saw before they were cut down with impunity, crimson soaking their formerly white uniform while blood arced through the air. When he reappeared standing behind the fallen soldiers a moment later, Tournesol held limply in his grip while the blue energy erupting from Mugetsu quieted down to nothing, Ichigo forced himself to ignore the bodies now littering the streets. Barely paying attention to Mugetsu's childish grumbling about nearly being hit by bullets, the Kamui staring accusingly up at her wearer when he ignored her, the former substitute shinigami frowned as he focused on the distinctive signature of Ryuko's Life Fibers.

"Come on, Mugetsu," Ichigo let out a tired sigh, the events of the night beginning to catch up to him, and turned away from the newly deceased vampires, "We should get moving – "

It was the slight change in the pervading spiritual energy that caused Ichigo to instinctively lean out of the way moments before a thin column of superheated flames tore through the air, the highly compressed elemental attack barely missing his shoulder before slamming into a building. As the concussive force from the explosive detonation of power buffeted his body, Mugetsu muttering veiled threats under her breath at whoever dared to singe her Life Fiber, Ichigo couldn't help but frown at how familiar the spiritual energy felt. His expression twisting into a scowl when a shadowy figure emerged from the writhing flames, licks of fire harmlessly clinging to his white uniform, there was a slight pause before Ichigo tightened his grip on Tournesol and growled, "Bazz-B…"

The aforementioned Sternritter slowly lowered his smoking index finger as he fully emerged from the flames, the minor grin on his face slowly vanished upon noticing Mugetsu's altered appearance. Hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform as he stomped to a halt down the street from Ichigo, his face illuminated by the surrounding conflagration, Bazz-B leaned back on one foot and scoffed, "That's quite the fancy transformation, Ichigo. Your Kamui must be pretty fast if you can dodge my Burner Finger One without even fucking looking."

Bazz-B's face scrunched at the nauseating feeling of both Ichigo and Mugetsu's Life Fibers. It was concerning to the Sternritter that despite being surrounded by hundreds of burning and mutilated corpses the stench of Life Fiber still managed to nearly overwhelm his senses. As he considered himself fortunate Ichigo wasn't anywhere near the level of his old man or Ragyo Kiryuin, both of whom could kill him in a heartbeat, Bazz-B finally took notice of the teenager's continued silence and smugly smirked. But before the Sternritter could say anything he felt a trembling hand weakly grasping at his uniform.

"S-Sir…" The heavily injured vampire coughed up a large amount of blood as his fingers fumbled to hold onto Bazz-B's pants, "Y-You have to – "

Without even waiting for the undead soldier to finish Bazz-B pulled his foot backwards before slamming it against the man's bloody face, waves of immense flames surging forth from his sneaker upon making contact. As the vampire screamed in pain before falling silent, his body rapidly consumed by the intense blaze until nothing remained but ash and charred bones, Bazz-B spat on the ground, "Who the hell gave you permission to touch me, you undead bastard?"

Ichigo's anger rose at the Quincy's callous treatment of the wounded vampire, "Why the hell did you do that? Wasn't he your ally?"

"Are you talking about these undead freaks?" Bazz-B didn't give the smoldering corpse a second glance before stomping his foot against the ground, the brittle bones shattering into dust underneath his sneaker, "Nah, I couldn't care less about them. As far as I'm concerned they're just weak assholes that couldn't cut it as real Quincy."

Sweeping an arm across his body before his opponent had a chance to respond, wisps of spiritual flames clinging to his gloved fingers, Bazz-B grinned at the tense look on Ichigo's face before he forced the flames covering the street to taper away until nothing remained but faint glowing embers. His head cocked slightly to the side while the previously trapped civilians took the opportunity to leave, only to freeze when several vampires leapt from the adjoining rooftops with their fangs bared menacingly, the Sternritter didn't take his eyes off Ichigo as he pointed a finger over his shoulder and fired off a series of Burner Finger One that pierced the skulls of each soldier.

"Like I said…I don't give two shits about these fake vampire punks," Bazz-B ignored the perplexed look on Ichigo's face as he flicked his wrist, a spiritual crossbow forming into existence in his left hand, "And besides, murdering people for shits and giggles just doesn't sit well with me."

Ichigo slightly lowered Tournesol at the Sternritter's remark, his face emotionless as he glanced over Bazz-B's shoulder at the safely retreating civilians before looking at the newly deceased vampires. Once he was sure they were safe, at least for the time being, he scowled and asked, "So why are you helping the Major?"

The flames that previously enveloped the street returned in full force the moment Ichigo finished his question. As the fleeing humans screamed in fear at barely avoiding being burnt alive, the intensity of the inferno enough that the pavement began melting, Bazz-B folded his hands back into the pockets of his uniform and scoffed, "Don't think for a second it's that simple. I normally don't get within fifty feet of that smug, fat bastard, but I have my orders."

A light aura surrounded Tournesol as Ichigo tightened his grip around the hardened Life Fiber blade, Mugetsu growling protectively upon understanding the hidden meaning behind the Sternritter's words. His attention momentarily shattered when a building spontaneously collapsed, the constantly increasing temperature beginning to melt the nearby structures, Ichigo slid one foot along the pavement and scowled at Bazz-B, "Do you think I'll just let you win?"

"Hell no," Bazz-B frowned as he took a single step towards Ichigo, flames rushing up around his body. One hand rubbing his left shoulder, a mild of wince of pain escaping his lips, the Quincy paused before continuing, "His Majesty ordered me to take you down…but I don't feel like having you kick my ass. And my shoulder is still killing me from fighting that sadistic ice bitch back at Honnouji Academy. So I'm going to ask you this just once – go find somewhere to hide for the next hour or two. Fuck, I don't care if you leave the city. Just don't come back until dawn."

"Like hell I'm going to run away!"

The power behind Ichigo's exclamation not only took Bazz-B by complete surprise, if the widening of his eyes was any indication, but also managed to repulse the intense flames creeping along the ground. As his body was enveloped with an aura the same color as his Life Fibers, sapphire light shining from within Mugetsu's armor, Ichigo felt his Kamui share his anger at the Quincy as he tranquilly added, "Thousands of people are dying because of the Major. I'm going to stop him…even if that means going through you. So I'm going to just ask you once – step aside and let me pass."

Bazz-B stared at Ichigo for several seconds, the expression on his face unreadable, before the corners of his mouth slowly began twisting into a smirk. Deftly unbuttoning his cloak and tossing it over his shoulder, the surrounding flames rapidly consuming the garment, the Sternritter held his arms outwards and chuckled, "Well, I can't argue with that logic! But don't think for a moment that ugly Kamui of yours is going to be enough to defeat me!"

"_**Did he just call me ugly?"**_

Stomping a foot against the ground as his spiritual crossbow dissolved back into its constituent particles, the pavement beneath his feet almost completely melted, Bazz-B curled all but two fingers on both of his hands and grinned, "Let's see what you're made of, Ichigo Kurosaki! Twin Burner Finger Two!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #29 – How to Train a Kamui (Part Two)<strong>

_July 15th, 1984_

Isshin Kurosaki, formerly known as Shiba, could tell something was wrong the instant he entered the high-security laboratory underneath Revocs. After several rather invasive tests, one of which required a sample of his Life Fibers for verification, the former shinigami captain wasn't at all surprised when he walked through the previously sealed doors and found Rei Hououmaru desperately trying to keep the constantly curious Junketsu from touching and breaking any of the expensive equipment. Newly maroon eyes watching as the dark skinned secretary tried to hold onto the Kamui's sleeve, which failed when Junketsu easily pulled herself free, he turned towards a thoroughly exasperated Ragyo and asked, "Junketsu trouble?"

"I see you're as tact as always, Isshin."

Ragyo Kiryuin's world-famous silver hair dimmed slightly as she sat down in a chair, perfectly manicured fingers rubbing at her temple to stave off the oncoming headache, "Junketsu is supposed to be the epitome of clothing, a marvelous uniform woven from the joining of our Life Fibers. Her existence as a Kamui is unique, nothing on this planet can even begin to compare to Junketsu's innate majesty, yet…"

"_**Oh…what's this?"**_

A loud crash, which was punctuated by the sound of glass shattering and Hououmaru's panicked shouting, caused the Kiryuin matriarch to pause midsentence. Her maroon eyes watched as Junketsu hopped onto a table and examined several delicate pieces of equipment, white sleeves fumbling to hold onto the sophisticated objects, Ragyo let out a small sigh before raising her right hand into the air. Curling her index finger inwards as a single rainbow Life Fiber materialized from her body, the thread gently wrapping around the distracted Junketsu's uniform, there was a moment's pause before the excited Kamui found herself flying across the room and into Ragyo's waiting grasp.

"As you can see Junketsu is quite…precocious," Ragyo's white heels clicked softly against the ground as she slowly stood back up, Junketsu's eyes widening excitedly before throwing herself upon the woman. Quickly enveloped in a shower of radiating blue light, a massive blush adorning Isshin's face as he forced himself to stare at the infinitely boring and non-sexual data scrolling across a nearby monitor, Ragyo was already clad in Junketsu's active configuration when she reemerged.

"I've already conducted several tests," Ragyo continued scientifically as she rubbed her wrist, maroon eyes examining the rainbow light permanently shining from Junketsu's white and blue armor, "Despite thoroughly examining Junketsu's Life Fibers and Banshi for any abnormalities, including any chances in her underlying weave patterns that might have developed in the last six months, I still don't know why the Kamui is so…_revealing_…in Life Fiber Override."

Coughing awkwardly in a desperate attempt to distract himself from Ragyo's obvious…attractiveness…Isshin looked at Hououmaru for spiritual support only to feel betrayed when he noticed the shorter woman already leaving the room, As the metal doors resealed with a pressurized hiss of air, the dark skinned secretary waving at him before escaping to freedom, he took a moment to gather his through before turning to face Ragyo. Steeling his mind upon seeing her barely concealed breasts, Junketsu innocently accentuating rather than hiding her sizable bosom, Isshin folded his arms and asked, "Hang up just a second. I thought we agreed to call it Life Fiber Empowerment?"

"Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Isshin?" Ragyo rolled her eyes at the only man she would ever truly love before folding one arm under her bosom, "You know exactly why we decided to call it Life Fiber Override."

Someone without a shred of real intelligence would instantly assume Life Fiber Override was draconian and barbaric, meant to subsume Junketsu's free will and sentience beneath that of her chosen wearer. That could not be further from the truth and Ragyo was both willing, and very able, to beat that notion into the heads of her detractors. The only reason she, and eventually Isshin, had chosen it was very simple – the Kamui was much too excitable and curious to pay attention. If they couldn't override Junketsu's natural inclination to barrage the wearer with questions about everything in sight nothing would ever be accomplished. While Life Fiber Override was incredibly useful it did not stop Junketsu from immediately resuming her line of questioning once the transformation was finished.

"_**I want to see what that does, Mother! Look! It's spinning!"**_ Junketsu's multicolored eyes focused on one of the Life Fiber centrifuges on the opposite side of the laboratory, her tone full of excitement at the prospects of examining it.

The permanent rainbow light from Isshin's hair brightened as he chuckled slyly at Ragyo's predicament, which earned him a love tap to the side of his head. As the force from the blow caused to take a stumbling step backwards, Junketsu worriedly asking if her father was alright, Isshin rubbed his chin and sagely commented, "Override is good and all but I still think Empowerment works better…or maybe Synchronization. That actually sounds way cooler."

Ragyo shook her head and wistfully sighed at Isshin's childish playfulness. Although she would never dare admit it to anyone, least of all to Isshin, he did have a valid point. In the grand scheme of things, once Junketsu continued maturing and moved out of her precocious phase, Synchronization sounded and felt better than Override. Closing her eyes as she leaned back against a nearby desk with her legs crossed, Junketsu's bikini-like armor barely covering her modesty, the Kiryuin matriarch smirked at the large blush adorning Isshin's face before reaching into her exposed bosom and pulling out a photograph, "I understand you've been quite busy with your work in Karakura Town. It's quite the shame my dearest Satsuki hasn't been able to see her godfather, now it is?"

With practiced flair Ragyo pulled the photograph backwards at the exact moment Isshin appeared to teleport the short distance between them, his fingers reaching for the image of her daughter. As she dangled the picture just out of his reach, Junketsu's laughter echoing in her mind, Ragyo smirked maliciously and taunted, "I'll let you have it under one condition, Isshin."

Isshin felt cold dread seep into every Life Fiber of his being at Ragyo's tone. Slowly backing away from the Kiryuin matriarch, his maroon eyes glancing towards every available exit, his cleared his throat and muttered, "I don't know. Maybe I'll just visit another day."

"Don't be absurd," Ragyo chuckled at Isshin's nonsensical excuse before blurring forward and wrapping her arm around the former captain's neck. Her fingers lightly caressing his clothing, Junketsu's curious questions about what she was doing blatantly ignored, Ragyo leaned forward and whispered seductively into his ear, "The only thing you need to do, Isshin, is take a single photograph with me. Right here and now."

It was at this particular moment in time, as he stood in the laboratory underneath Revocs with Ragyo pressing her body against him, that Isshin Kurosaki decided on a course of action that would forever change the fate of the world. Taking a deep breath while clearing his mind of all distractions, the mental image of his lovely wife cheering him on, he waited a moment before reaching out and tearing the photograph from Ragyo's fingers. In the split second before Ragyo noticed what happened, her maroon eyes glancing at her currently empty hand, Isshin vanished in a burst of speed and ran towards the only exit.

"Even if our friendship is purely platonic I shall never betray my lovely Masaki!"

Shouting triumphantly as he slid to a stop and ducked downwards, Ragyo's extended fingers missing his neck by mere inches, Isshin sprinted out in the hallway with a large smile on his face. His shoes rapidly echoing against the floor as he raced towards the emergency stairwell, the picture of a sleeping Satsuki tucked firmly in the pocket of his coat, Isshin frowned when he heard Junketsu's laughter getting louder. Grimacing as he pushed his body to go faster, beads of sweat dripping down his face, the former shinigami captain didn't need to look over his shoulder to know Ragyo was catching up.

"Platonic?!"

The rainbow light from Ragyo's hair permeated the entire hallway as she ran past Souichiro, who was calmly drinking a cup of coffee with a newspaper tucked underneath his arm. Ignoring the slightly puzzled look from her husband, who simply shrugged his shoulders before continuing on his way, Ragyo's lips curled into an angry scowl as she nearly descended on Isshin with armored fingers reaching to throttle him, "It's one simple picture, IIISSSSSSHHHIIINNN!"


	47. Chapter 47: Police and Thieves

_Here is Chapter 47 and I must say things are starting to get interesting. I mean, this chapter basically covers most of OVA VI and VII without going too far into rehashing the content. There's Nudist Beach, Ichigo and Ryuko fighting against the Jahrtausendarmee (or Millennium if you will) and of course Iscariot's around but they are staying low for the moment. Anyway...I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you can._

_Oh, there's still the whole pureberry (Satsuki) versus freshberry (Ryuko) debate going on. Personally I would rather Ichigo end up with...hang on, why am I tell you? You should all go to my profile and vote on who you would want Ichigo to end up with. This story is always changing so who knows? Perhaps I'll take your advice and pick the best girl based on that poll._

_Also, as I say before almost every chapter, I have a tvtropes page for this story. You should go check it out when you have a chance. There's a lot of stuff there that you might have missed while reading almost 700,000 words (a new record, I might add).  
><em>

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 47 – Police and Thieves<strong>

"Boy, do I hate being right all the time."

Pip Bernadotte stared at the dozens of monitors lining the wall of the Hellsing Manor's main security room with a light smirk spreading across his face, the object taking up most of one particular screen drawing his undivided attention. Propping his feet on the desk in front of him as he leaned backwards in the chair, one hand holding onto his slouch hat, the mercenary turned to the man next to him and chuckled, "It looks like we have some unexpected guests, Monsieur Anderson."

Standing at full height next to the relaxed leader of the Wild Geese, his glasses gleaming opaquely due to the artificial light filling the room, Alexander Anderson's tone was dangerously calm as he asked, "How long until they get here?"

"Given the current wind speed and distance to downtown London…ten minutes," Pip replied offhandedly with a small shrug, one hand reaching into his coat pocket for the half-empty carton of Lucky Strike. Expertly placing the cigarette between his lips, the smoke and tobacco helping to steady his nerves, he scratched his chin and commented, "But I have to say, these Quincy are rather boring. With the information provided by your boss I expected something more…dramatic…like pillars of blue fire or some other supernatural bullshit."

Anderson ignored the flamboyant wave of Pip's arm as he continued staring at the screens, the large zeppelin currently hovering over the edge of London clear as day, "It just makes killing them all the easier. Now, is yer pet vampire in position?"

Crouched down on the highest roof of the Hellsing Manor with the Harkonnen Mark II unbuckled and sitting at her side, blonde hair rustling in the cool breeze, Seras Victoria let out a tired sigh as she continued prepping the massive weapon. It irked the fledgling vampire greatly that nobody even tried to use her actual name. There was her Master's 'Police Girl,' Mr. Bernadotte's demeaning 'ma chere,' and now Alexander Anderson's gruff insults. If she had the time and inclination she would march right down to the security room and give both men a piece of her mind. But as she stared into the glowing horizon at the shadowy object floating in the sky, flecks of red bleeding into sapphire irises, she knew things were about to get rather bad.

"I happen to have a name, Mr. Anderson," Seras grumbled before hefting the massive weapon off the ground, wincing slightly at the sound of metal scrapping against concrete, "It would be nice if you actually used it."

"Don't mind him, ma chere. He's just a little on edge," Pip chuckled at the light groan that came through the radio. Pulling his feet off the desk while removing the cigarette from his mouth, the mercenary smirked at the screen displaying Seras and added, "Besides, thanks to your new toy we have enough firepower to make the military blush like a little girl. These Quincy and vampires won't even make it to the front door."

"The undead do not concern me," Anderson roughly tore the receiver from Pip's hand, earning a mild protest from the mercenary in the process, and gruffly asked, "Integra Hellsing claims ye were able to track Ichigo and Ryuko from their Life Fibers. Is that correct, vampire?"

"Yes," Seras replied, shoulders sagging in annoyance as she adjusted the strapped for the Harkonnen Mark II, "And my name is – "

"If ye can sense Life Fiber than ye can sense the unholy energy of the Quincy," Anderson leaned over the desk while cutting Seras off midsentence. Green eyes vehemently locked on the zeppelin in the distance, his ears picking up the slightly hurried voices of the Wild Geese mercenaries over the radio, the former priest's lips curled into a snarl as he continued, "And trust me, vampire, Millennium will send at least one of their so-called Sternritter to deal with the likes of ye. So tell me, can ye sense anything on that airship?"

Seras opened her mouth to dismiss Anderson's strange question when she felt something prickling at the corners of her mind. While the large distance to the zeppelin made it somewhat hard to pinpoint exactly what she was sensing, pure crimson eyes narrowing at the slightly off-putting sensation, she swallowed the small lump building up in her throat before answering after a moment of hesitation, "It's hard to describe but there's someone strong on that thing."

The tension melted from Anderson's shoulders at that particular piece of information. It would be difficult, but not impossible, for them to take down a single Sternritter given the vampire's supernatural strength and abilities. Two of them, on the other hand, would have been quite troublesome. As the former priest took a step back from the desk in order to think, the light shining from the wall of monitors reflecting ominously off his glasses, Pip leaned forward and took a large drag from his cigarette, "Millennium must believe we're pushovers if they only sent a single Sternritter. Heh…I have to admit I was a bit worried there. Perhaps we might all live through this hellish night in one piece."

Casually stubbing the nearly spent cigarette in the ashtray on the desk before stealing the microphone back from Anderson, the former priest giving him a mildly annoyed glare but remaining mute, Pip's smirk slowly vanished as he leaned forward and flipped a switch on the control panel. His teal eye narrowing slightly when two lights on the screen shifted from red to vibrant green, a faint burst of static coming across the headset dangling from one ear, Pip waited a moment before depressing the button on the microphone and announcing, "All right, Wild Geese, this is the moment where we finally earn our paycheck. We're about to encounter some unwanted company a few colors shy of the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin. So buckle down and get into position. It's time to show these Quincy a proper English welcome."

As he removed his finger from the microphone and sat back in the chair, the sounds of his men rushing into place coming through the radio, Pip had a sneaking suspicion that some of his men weren't going to make it through the night. The plan, which he thought was quite brilliant for such short notice, relied on preventing the vampires from breaching the manor, where they would be all but unstoppable in close quarters. The only two people currently available that could fight in such cramped conditions were Anderson and Seras but he didn't like leaving all his eggs in one basket. While he didn't doubt Anderson could singlehandedly defeat most normal vampires it would be much better, not to mention safer, to keep Millennium away from the manor for as long as possible.

"You know…" Scratching his cheek while standing up with a grunt, another cigarette already between his lips, Pip paused before lighting it and muttered, "In Brazil I managed to catch a glimpse of Alucard's fight against that well-dressed Sternritter right before that strange barrier went up. While nothing will compare to watching a seventeen-year-old girl regenerate her head after it's been blown clean off her body I'm curious, Monsieur Anderson. Will this Sternritter be anything like Nui Harime?"

"These Quincy are nothing like that monster in the guise of a woman."

The underlying venom in Anderson's guttural reply caused the mercenary to quirk an eyebrow as the former priest turned away and slowly walked towards the exit, his footsteps echoing heavily within the enclosed space. His cigarette nearly falling onto his lap when two tailor bayonets flashed out of the nudist commander's sleeves, the black and green blades shining ominously in the ambient light, Pip didn't say a word as Anderson continued, "I've witnessed firsthand the limits of their unholy power, watched as they fell victim to an even greater monster. Beneath their blasphemous arrogance they are just as mortal as the two of us. If ye can tear through their defenses they bleed just like a pig…it just takes a little more effort to pierce the skin."

A mildly disturbed expression adorned Pip's face as he stared at the former priest before eventually shaking his head and turning back to the monitors. Sighing wearily while folding one hand against the back of his neck, a thin trail of smoke drifting upwards from the cigarette perched between his lips, the mercenary gave a soft chuckle before commenting, "It's funny…I'm sure Millennium wouldn't be charging to their deaths if that woman from Brazil was around. Watching her fight Alucard was very amusing…not to mention how that Kamui accentuated –"

Pip nearly fell out of his chair when a bayonet flew through the air, the sharp blade severing his cigarette in two before embedding itself several inches in the far wall. Standing in the doorway with his left arm extended backwards, lips twisted into a snarl, Anderson huffed and looked over his shoulder at the nervous mercenary, "I put in a request for assistance the moment yer stupid Protestant boss decided to let yer other pet vampire out of the country. He should be here soon."

"That must be one hell of a man."

Furtively glancing at the bayonet sticking out of the wall, a small trickle of sweat trailing down from his forehead at how easily the blade pierced the reinforced steel, Pip narrowed his one good eye at the zeppelin approaching the outer limits of the Harkonnen's range, "So does this man intend to show up before the fireworks? It would be quite anticlimactic if he happened to be caught in the crossfire."

Halfway out the door, one hand clenched around the frame, Anderson's tone contained just a hint of annoyance as he answered, "Trust me, ye'll know exactly when you see him."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The ruby undertone permeating Ryuko's hair intensified as her armored fingers flexed around the Scissor Blade's curved handle, the jagged red and black lines covering the hardened Life Fiber weapon glowing in the conflagration enveloping London. Lips twisting into a nearly imperceptible frown when the already heavily injured vampire she was fighting pulled a hand away from his bloody shoulder and sprinted across the rooftop, his broken gasmask exposing glistening fangs, Ryuko mentally counted to three before taking a single step forward and swinging the Scissor Blade vertically through the air, "Ichiban Genkai!"<p>

A shockwave through the night as the invisible blade slammed into the vampire's body with enough force to not only pulverize the surrounding rooftop into dust but also nearly split the entire building in half. While she would normally not consider using her full power against undead freaks of nature roughly as strong as most of the club captains back at Honnouji Academy, maybe even stronger, after seeing what happened to the people Millennium murdered Ryuko just didn't have it in her heart to give a shit. Turning around even before the dust kicked up by her attack settled, a burst of steam shooting out of Senketsu's vents, Ryuko's heels clicked ominously against the roof as she stared at the last of the dozen soldiers that had the smart idea to ambush her after she saved nearly one hundred people from their clutches.

"What's the matter, jackass?"

Ryuko's sarcastic question was punctuated by the metallic sound of the Scissor Blade cutting through the air, her uniquely shaped blue eyes narrowing when she heard a wet squelching sound. Glaring daggers at the increasing unnerved vampire while forcibly ignoring the urge to look over her shoulder, the fact there were two impacts not lost to her, Ryuko pointed the Scissor Blade at the soldier and scoffed, "You and your undead pals were so confident when you fucking ambushed me! Not so high and mighty when fighting someone that can kick your ass, are you?"

The vampire muttered a string of choice German curses under his breath when Ryuko took a single step forward, his crimson eyes shifting across the rooftop at his most likely dead fellow soldiers. His entire body tensing as he pulled a Seele Schneider from his belt before vanishing in a bastardized version of Hirenkyaku, the blue spiritual blade pulsing with energy when he reappeared standing behind the teenager, the vampirized soldier involuntarily gasped when he saw the Scissor blade somehow already interposed in front of Ryuko's neck. As the spiritual particles composing the Seele Schneider continued to grind harmlessly against the crimson blade he failed to notice the sly smirk slowly stretching across the teenager's face. Smashing her elbow into the vampire's exposed stomach with an audible crunch, most of his ribs breaking on impact, Ryuko spat on the ground as he flew across the roof and crashed into the building across the street.

"These bastards are really starting to piss me off," Ryuko propped the Scissor Blade on her shoulder, wisps of red-tinted energy courtesy of Senketsu Senkou clinging to the weapon, and glanced around the burning landscape, "But at least their fancy weapons are completely useless!"

Senketsu gave the Kamui equivalent of a frown as something prickled at the corner of his mind, his transfigured armor rippling minutely around Ryuko's body while he tried to understand the strange feeling coursing through his threads. It was only after realizing how quiet it was, as well as the lack of a certain voice, that it hit him. His multicolored eye widening as he quickly looked around the vicinity, the strange action not lost to his wearer, Senketsu hummed thoughtfully before turning his attention to Ryuko, _**"Where's Ichigo?"**_

"Huh?"

Quirking an eyebrow at the strange question, which earned her an annoyed growl in response, Ryuko rolled her eyes before irritably pointing a finger over her shoulder towards the spot where she knew Ichigo was standing. When she didn't hear anything, not even one of Mugetsu's irritated comments, she turned around and emitted a strangled gasp upon noticing that she was completely and utterly alone. The Scissor Blade scrapping against the roof as she sagged her shoulders, the red highlights permeating her hair dimming slightly alongside her emotions, Ryuko smacked her forehead and grumbled, "God damn it…"

"_**Calm down, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu cut his wearer off when he suddenly detected a rapid increase in energy, the sensation washing off his stitching quite familiar to the Kamui. Pointing in the general direction as best he could, which involved shifting his pauldrons around, he looked at Ryuko and announced, _**"I can definitely sense Mugetsu. She is most certainly that way."**_

For nearly twenty seconds Ryuko's hopeful blue eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of her friend, Senketsu doing his best in assisting her efforts by helpfully trying to narrow down the exact location of his fellow Kamui. When she couldn't see anything besides the conflagration engulfing London, the burning flames a constant reminder of the thousands of people already dead or worse, she scoffed skeptically and asked, "Are you sure about that?"

Almost as if fate were simply waiting for the proper moment an explosion of blue light suddenly overwhelmed the darkness of the night. While her twin toned hair tingled at the energy washing over the city, her Life Fibers instantly recognizing the source of the attack, Senketsu quietly readjusted his pauldrons back into proper place and bluntly replied, _**"Yes."**_

Ryuko's eye twitched at the smugness in Senketsu's tone before she shook her head and grumbled. There were far more important matters to deal with at the moment – like working together with Ichigo to kick Quincy ass. Holding the Scissor Blade horizontally in front of her chest, the red and black lines covering the weapon glowing with the same level of brightness as her hair, Ryuko bent her knees to shift into Senketsu Shippu only to pause when a massive gust of wind tore across the city. Her hair whipping chaotically around her head as the massive checkerboard-patterned airship slowly descended out of the smoky skies, blue eyes reflexively squinting when one of the brilliant searchlights passed across the partially destroyed rooftop, Ryuko couldn't help but smirk at her phenomenally good luck.

"Well, would you look at that, Senketsu?"

A wide grin stretched across her face as she stared at the illuminated gondola attached to the underside of the airship, the strange sensation pulling at the edge of her mind cementing what she already knew. The Scissor Blade pulsing with power as she imagined how many Quincy were aboard the zeppelin, wisps of red energy evaporating into the night, Ryuko chuckled smugly and added, "It looks like Millennium is just begging us to come up there and kick their ass!"

As much as he wished to share Ryuko's enthusiasm in putting an end to Millennium's plans, a small jet of steam blasting out of his armor, Senketsu growled apprehensively when a strange shiver rippled through his Life Fibers, _**"I have a bad feeling in my stitching about this."**_

Ryuko pursed her lips when Senketsu's suspicion bled across the connection, their synchronization allowing her to fully understand the Kamui's distrust of the situation. Walking towards the edge of the shattered rooftop with the Scissor Blade resting on her shoulder, one foot accidentally kicking a vampire's corpse, she watched the zeppelin floating over a particular neighborhood before asking, "Hey, you think something's going on over there?"

"_**Maybe,"**_ Senketsu gave his best imitation of a frown while staring at the airship, _**"But be careful, Ryuko. We can't just go rushing into fights anymore. This isn't anything like Honnouji Academy."**_

Flashes of her fight against Alucard, the ancient vampire easily shrugging off her best attacks with contemptuous ease before overpowering her, passed through Ryuko's mind before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Giving her Kamui a confident smirk before leaping into the air with enough force to shatter whatever remained of the rooftop, twin trails of dust clinging to her heels while red energy trailed behind the Scissor Blade, Ryuko's expression tensed when she heard the nightmarish cacophony of groans coming from the hundreds of ghouls shambling in the streets below. Her face twisting into a scowl as she forced herself to not look at the innocent people caught up in Millennium's insanity, Senketsu doing his best to comfort her, Ryuko nodded at her Kamui but didn't utter a single word until she nearly reached the zeppelin's location.

"You hear that, Senketsu?"

Ryuko's voice was little more than a whisper as she skidded to a stop, her heels digging into the concrete with ease. Ducking behind a ventilation duct, the aluminum outcropping helping to conceal her presence in shadow, she carefully peered out from behind her cover and nearly gasped at who she heard talking, "Hey, is that…"

"Walter…" Integra Hellsing's tone was resigned, a mixture of apprehension and foreboding permeating her voice. One gloved hand tightly clenching the open door of her car, several strands of platinum blonde hair falling over her face, the leader of the Hellsing Organization was ignorant of Ryuko's presence as she gave her butler and half-hearted glare, "Live through this. Consider that a direct order. Understand?"

The sound of leather crinkling filled the air as Walter C. Dornez adjusted his fingerless gloves, the burning flames reflecting menacingly off his monocle, "If you insist, Ma'am."

His hands clasped firmly against the small of his back as Integra quickly restarted the car, rubber squealing against pavement when the wheels momentarily failed to find purchase, a bead of sweat dripped down Walter's face at the man slowly stalking away from the pile of burning corpses blocking the far end of the street. As the shadows surrounding the grey haired Sternritter seemed to contort and writhe, most of the grey haired man's face hidden between the high white collar and the officer's cap emblazoned with the Quincy Zeichen, the aged butler didn't hesitate before springing into action. One foot sliding outwards across the road as he swung his left arm around, dozens of reflective carbon nanotube wires emerging from his sleeves, Walter's hopes of defeating the Quincy in a single strike were dashed when the Captain simply leaned to the side and caught all his wires with a single hand.

"Just my luck, it had to be you," Walter grumbled warily as his grey eyes took notice of the miniscule amount of blood dripping from the Sternritter's fingers, "This must be the blut vene I've heard so much about."

Squinting when the Deus Ex Machina's searchlights focused exclusively on him, the bright lights nearly blinding him, Walter scowled when the Major's familiar smug voice echoed throughout the area, "That is indeed correct. It's heartening to know that even after nearly sixty years you still manage to find new and exciting ways to interrupt me during my dinner. Speaking of interruptions…it seems we have quite the unexpected guest."

Walter perked up when two of the airship's searchlights shifted positions until they were focused on a nearby rooftop. Craning his head upward alongside the Captain when the lights illuminated a single figure, her body clad in familiar revealing but powerful armor, the former vampire hunter's eyes widened in surprise, "Miss Matoi?"

The aged butler's confused question would go unanswered as Ryuko glared daggers at the silver haired man standing in the street, her annoyance and anger growing when the Quincy tilted his head slightly to the side and stared right back with a passive expression. Scowling at the emblem stitched onto the man's hat and coat, her fingers tightly clenching the Scissor Blade as she realized he was a Sternritter, Ryuko spat on the ground as a burst of steam shot out of Senketsu. She should have known something was off about the cameraman from the embargo vote the moment he handed her a folder containing information about Xcution. If Ragyo Kiryuin hadn't attacked a few moments later, requiring her to not only tear through an Anti-Life Fiber barrier but also carry a bomb out of Parliament, she would have hunted the bastard down.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies, Ryuko Matoi."

The Major's lips twisted into a caricature of a smile as he watched Ryuko through the dozens of monitor lining the command center, the scathing glare adorning her face nearly enough to give the experienced Quincy goose bumps. Leaning back comfortably in his chair, the remains of the well-prepared dinner long forgotten, the blond haired man couldn't help but chuckle at the major wrench in the Schatten Ausrufung that was Ragyo Kiryuin's second daughter. It was as the old saying went – no battle plan survives contact with the enemy. Knowing that one of the two Life Fiber Hybrids currently positioned in London was standing in front of him, her every muscle promising to cut off his head, caused the Major to excitedly clap his hands together, "I had hoped the information we so painstakingly gathered could have been used against Xcution. But it seems fate has conspired against us. Speaking of which…I'm sorry to say, my dear child, that you aren't supposed to be here just yet."

"Shut the hell up already!"

Ryuko didn't know what pissed her off more, the Major's condescending voice or his stupid laughter, but both of them made her want to beat the crap out of him. Clenching the Scissor Blade in both hands while the ruby undertone in her feathery hair intensified, Senketsu's multicolored eye widening at the unspoken command, Ryuko's face twisted into a determined scowl as the hardened Life Fiber weapon transformed accompanied by a metallic echo. She knew better than anyone else how dangerous it was to use Decapitation Mode while wearing Senketsu Senkou. Sparring against Ichigo's childish dad in Karakura Town, and getting her ass handed to her, had beaten that fact into her skull.

Pointing her greatsword at the zeppelin, her sour disposition worsening when she heard the Major's amused chuckling, Ryuko spat on the ground and shouted, "Keep laughing, because I'm going to come up there and beat the shit out of you!"

"How very rude. Didn't your mother ever teach you proper manners?" The Major continued smirking when Ryuko's snarled at his casual mentioning of her mother, which seemed to still be quite the sore point for the teenager. Gazing at the connected monitors lining the inner wall of the command center, his yellow eyes gleaming at the image of Ryuko, he crossed his legs while pleasantly adding, "But putting aside such matters for the moment, are you familiar with the proverbial butterfly? With but a simple flap of its wings, order is thrown into complete chaos! What was once a foregone conclusion becomes nothing more than motes of dust in the vanishing wind! That is what you are, my dear child!"

"What the hell are you talking –"

Ryuko was cut off when the Captain appeared in front of her using Hirenkyaku, his speed and proficiency with the technique enough to put the four Sternritter that helped at Honnouji Academy to shame. Raising the Scissor Blade as the Sternritter's leg arced through the air, an armored forearm braced against the side of the greatsword for support, she was caught completely by surprise when the physical force behind the blow actually sent her tumbling backwards along the rooftop. A series of rather choice curses leaving her mouth as she stabbed the Scissor Blade into the concrete for support, which managed to bring her body stop a couple of feet from the edge of the roof, Ryuko spat to the side before glaring daggers at the silent man.

"That was a lucky shot," she reluctantly growled before raising the Scissor Blade over her shoulder, the jagged lines covering the weapon glowing with an eerie crimson light. Flexing her fingers while carefully synchronizing with the Life Fibers composing the weapon, Senketsu's words of encouragement bringing a smug grin to her face, Ryuko's blue eyes were firmly locked on the Captain as she exclaimed, "But let's see how you handle this! Ichiban Genkai!"

An explosion of pressurized wind tore across the rooftop as Ryuko swung the Scissor Blade horizontally in front of her body. His shadowed crimson eyes stoically following Ryuko's weapon as the invisible blade curved through the air, the amount of energy even in the weakened Ichiban Genkai pulverizing the concrete between them, the Captain waited until the last second before bending his knees and leaping over the attack with inches to spare. Quietly landing back on the rooftop with his white overcoat billowing behind his body, the Captain didn't utter a single word to the shocked Ryuko as the buildings across the street slowly began falling apart.

Calmly unbuttoning his collar while dozens of tons of concrete and metal crashed loudly into the street, exposing the rest of his nearly emotionless face, the Captain continued to remain mute as he shifted his body into a fighting stance. It was only when Ryuko growled angrily and raised the Scissor Blade to fire off another Ichiban Genkai that he tilted his head to the side and sprinted across the rooftop. Pivoting counterclockwise around his right foot when Ryuko managed to react faster than expected, his crimson eyes carefully tracking the hardened Life Fiber weapon as it passed precariously close to his body, the Captain hardly emitted a grunt before rearing his right arm back and smashing his palm against the teenager's exposed stomach.

"Gah!"

A strangled gasp, more from surprise than actual pain, tore its way out of Ryuko's throat as the Captain hit her hard enough to not only create a localized sonic blast but send her soaring a quarter of the way across London. Calmly standing back up to his full height while watching the trail of destruction created by Ryuko's impromptu landing, one hand holding onto his officer's cap when a gust of wind threatened to knock it off, the Sternritter stared up at the zeppelin and the Major before vanishing in a burst of Hirenkyaku.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"You saw through my illusions, eh?"<p>

Zorin Blitz scoffed angrily when the last of her illusionary body faded away into nothingness, destroyed by that vampire bitch's infuriating interference. She knew weaving an illusion against such a foul creature wouldn't be easy, especially from more than a kilometer away. Her attempts to peer into Seras Victoria's soul and dredge up the most painful memories she could find, shattering her mind and leaving her a vegetable, had been easily rebuffed. The vampire's twisted spiritual energy was nearly equal to her own, which meant her illusions wouldn't work unless she was standing right next to the bitch. But as long as the Daten was accurate, and the bitch had yet to drink the blood of a human, she still had a shot of killing her.

Growling under her breath, the small cut oozing blood down her tattooed cheek ignored for the moment, Zorin smirked sadistically when the Hellsing Manor's second floor erupted in gunfire. In the brief moment of time it took the mercenaries to recover from the illusion, their minds nearly broken by the power of her epitaph, several vampires leapt through the windows and proceeded to slaughter as many defenders as possible until the vampire bitch killed them. It was too bad that she never expected the undead soldiers to actually succeed in their mission. They were merely a diversion to keep the bitch occupied.

"That was quite clever of you, not that it matters," she continued, irritated at how easily her blut had been torn, "But you'll still die screaming!"

It didn't take long for the Wild Geese to resume firing, but by then it was already too late. Leapfrogging across the deadly minefield that was the Hellsing Manor's front yard by using Seele Schneiders as footholds, the spiritual energy within the blades short-circuiting any nearby claymores, the vampires at the front of the charge avoided the hailstorm of bullets before taking aim at the front doors and destroying them with a few well-placed rockets. As the resulting explosions tore through the fiery night Zorin Blitz chuckled before taking a single step forward and vanishing using Hirenkyaku. Easily catching up with the undead soldiers after only a few seconds, the expression on her face quickly shifted when a veritable deluge of bayonets burst forth from the destroyed entrance.

"What the hell is going on?"

Spiritual energy coalesced into invisible platforms beneath the Sternritter's feet as she stomped to a halt in midair. Her heterochromatic green eyes widening from a mixture of surprise and disbelief when the barrage of bayonets managed to skewer almost a dozen vampires, the undead creatures too close to dodge out of the way, Zorin cursed before spitting on the ground. Nothing in the Daten said anything about the Hellsing Organization having someone able to overwhelm the supernatural reflexes of vampires using bayonets, which meant she was dealing with a potentially dangerous adversary.

"_Verdammt! I forgot about the bitch!"_

Berating herself for forgetting about the vampire bitch, Zorin quickly placed her scythe in front of her body moments before Seras fired the Harkonnen. An irritated grimace twisting across her face as the depleted uranium rounds slammed into the bladed weapon, muscular arms quivering under the strain while discharges of spiritual energy sparked in the night, the Sternritter couldn't believe her stupidity. Getting distracted in battle was expected from someone like Candice or Liltotto, not one of the Sternritter recruited by His Majesty prior to his initial campaign against the Soul Society. It was infuriating that the only reason the mercenaries were still alive was because of the bitch taking potshots at her head.

Seras Victoria's presence meant it was virtually impossible for the Jahrtausendarmee to bypass this stupid tactical nonsense and simply travel through the shadows into the manor. Even if she was but a weak and pathetic mockery of Alucard, the undead bitch would still instinctively sense the technique. The vampirized soldiers would be slaughtered down to the last man before they even knew what hit them. But as she strafed across the front yard using Hirenkyaku, avoiding the rounds from the Harkonnen trailing just behind her body, Zorin realized the biggest threat was the person throwing those stupid bayonets. The entire operation was in jeopardy of falling apart unless she took them down.

"I've had enough of this shit…"

Wisps of spiritual energy clung to Zorin's fingers as her scythe began glowing with a fierce sapphire light, a sound reminiscent of a chainsaw echoing in the chilly autumn night. Tensing her knees before vaulting straight into the air moments before the Harkonnen tore through the surrounding landscape, the Sternritter's body was silhouetted against the full moon as she twisted her upper body and sneered, "Let's see you deal with this! Täuschung –"

A single bayonet shot out of the manor before she could finish charging her attack. Scowling in mild annoyance at the interruption, her head leaning to the side and easily avoiding the blade, Zorin barely noticed the thin metal wire connected to the bayonet. Quickly raising her left arm in front of her face when the cluster of pincushion grenades tied to the other end of the wire exploded several feet from her body, the Hellsing Manor was temporarily illuminated in a cacophony of colors as the Sternritter was hit with enough Anti-Life Fiber munitions to damage a Three-Star Goku Uniform.

Breathing heavily as she slammed into the ground, light burns covering part of her left arm from the explosion, Zorin cursed profusely when she heard heavy footsteps coming from the manor, "That does it! I'm through playing the fuck around with you!"

Tightly clasping a new pair of bayonets hands as he stalked forth, Alexander Anderson paid no heed to the impaled corpses lining the front yard of the manor. Boots stomping to a halt in the middle of the driveway, his glasses gleaming opaquely in the moonlight, the former priest scoffed at the barely injured Sternritter, "Did ye think I would fall for yer pitiful illusions? I have stared down the beast in the guise of the woman, fought against her followers intent on sacrificing humanity to Life Fibers. Compared to such beasts ye are nothing, Quincy."

"You!" Zorin spat on the ground, the hatred for her previous humiliation momentarily forgotten, "Why is Nudist Beach still in London?"

"I'm here to clean up England's mess," Anderson answered, nodding offhandedly towards the manor behind him, before crossing his arms across his body and growling, "By the time dawn breaks yer body is going to be rotting in the ground."

The Sternritter narrowed her eyes at the nudist's comment. Even if he possessed enough spiritual energy to function within her more dispersed illusions, it would be simple dealing with Alexander Anderson now that the bastard wasn't hiding in the shadows. The only issue would be killing him without the undead bitch blowing her fucking head off, which made the surrounding silence all the more unnerving. As she scanned the shattered windows of the manor for any sign of the mercenaries, her vampirized troops quickly surrounding the former priest with their fangs glistening in the dark, Zorin chuckled mockingly and asked, "Is that right? Well, let's see how you feel after I torture you, cutting you apart one limb at a time."

"That's quite the threat coming from an unholy creature like yerself," Anderson gutturally replied, his shoulders tensing when he noticed a speckle of light in the sky, "But ye made one mistake, Quincy. Ye assumed I came here alone."

Looking upwards as a faint whistling noise steadily growing louder, the Sternritter barely had enough time to curse and leap away before a massive object crashed into the Hellsing Manor's front lawn. As she flew backwards through the air, bolstered not only by her speed but also the shockwave slamming chucks of dirt and rocks against her body, Zorin gritted her teeth while her mind tried to fathom what the hell just happened. There was no way that was an airstrike or a bomb – not even the Hellsing Organization was insane enough to try something like that so close to their own headquarters. And she couldn't detect a trace of nausea-inducing spiritual energy, which meant this wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki or Ryuko Matoi.

As the cloud of dust dispersed and allowed her to see what had nearly crushed her, Zorin Blitz's mismatched eyes widened in shock, "What the scheiße?!"

Standing ominously on the lawn in front of the Hellsing Manor was a massive dark grey bipedal tank, metallic servos whining as its nearly forty-foot frame loomed menacingly over both the stunned invaders and surprised mercenaries. As multitudes of interlocking armor panels experimentally opened and shifted, the digital lights composing the machine's face blinking into existence, the Sternritter noticed the kanji for Nudist Beach painted on both of its multi-jointed legs and growled out of sheer frustration.

A tank. A fucking bipedal tank almost certainly armed to the teeth. And as the undead soldiers retreated away from the manor, their gunfire covering the machine in hundreds of dancing sparks, she had the sinking feeling it was heavily armored as well. How the bloody hell had Nudist Beach hidden something like this from His Majesty? That was when it hit Zorin. This had been Anderson's goal all along – delay her offensive long enough for this machine to arrive. Snarling angrily at being played so easily, fingers tightly gripping her scythe, the Sternritter prepared to deal with this minor obstacle only to freeze when bursts of purple light sparkled into existence from three very specific places on the tank.

"It seems I arrived not a moment too late!"

Completely naked apart from a pair of gloves, boots and a well-placed belt, Aikuro Mikisugi smirked from within the tank's heavily armored cockpit while the mysterious purple light shining from his nipples and crotch continued intensifying. Tightening his grip on the curved controls before twisting them in opposite directions, the machine instantly reacting by leaning forward and splaying its arms outwards, the bright purple light became overwhelming as he flamboyantly continued, "Introducing the fabulous Nudist Beach Commander Aikuro Mikisugi and his DTR Model Ray!"

There was an awkward silence as both the Jahrtausendarmee and Wild Geese stared in confusion at the posing DTR. More than one person, mercenary and vampire alike, had their mouths agape when their minds proved temporarily unable to correlate the menacing and highly dangerous bipedal tank with its extremely enthusiastic and bombastic pilot. Although the vampirized soldiers quickly recovered their senses and retreated from the bipedal tank, the mercenaries hiding inside the heavily fortified Hellsing Manor wondered if they had somehow been caught in another illusion.

Standing next to a shattered window with a single teal eye staring out from under his slouch hat, Pip Bernadotte propped the AK-47 against his shoulder and chuckled, "Gentlemen, I take back my doubts about Monsieur Anderson. This truly is one hell of a man."

"It looks like the bastards are falling back, Captain," one mercenary commented, a pair of military binoculars held against his face as he zoomed on the Sternritter in the distance. He didn't need supernatural senses to see the pissed off look on the Quincy's face. When his comrades began cheering, victory all but assured in his minds, he turned to Pip and added, "I gotta say, when Nudist Beach promises reinforcements they fucking deliver. That DTR looks like something out of a movie. I bet it has enough firepower to take down Ragyo Kiryuin."

Another member of the Wild Geese rubbed the back of his neck, "Shit, how screwed up is Japan if they have something like this?"

"Don't break out the wine just yet. This battle is far from over," Pip cautioned faint wisps of smoke rising from the cigarette newly placed between his lips. Five of his comrades were already dead, slaughtered when the vampirized soldiers briefly penetrated the manor's defenses. And while he was appreciative of Nudist Beach's assistance, which likely stopped Millennium from breaching the perimeter and killing more of his men, they were the ones hired and paid by the Hellsing Organization to guard the manor. Letting another group clean up their mess left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Alright people, that's enough sitting around!" Pip declared while tossing the cigarette on the floor before crushing it underneath his boot, "That tank might have scared them away but those vampire bastards will be back soon enough. So let's make sure Millennium's next visit to the lovely Hellsing Manor will be something they remember all the way to Hell."

As the Wild Geese nodded at their captain before moving into action, several members shouting orders while others quickly carried crates of spare ammunition and explosives out from storage, Pip pressed a finger to his ear and gave the DTR another glance, "So ma chere, what do you think of our nudist reinforcements?"

Standing on the fourth floor of the manor with spent shell casings littering the ground around her feet, Seras Victoria ignored the nickname as her crimson eyes narrowed. Even though the DTR Model Ray was blocking her line of sight she could still sense Zorin Blitz out in the yard, the Quincy's presence nearly impossible to miss. Grimacing as she stepped away from the window while her eyes returned to their normal sapphire color, the Harkonnen Mark II held vertically towards the ceiling, Seras gazed at the enormous bipedal tank before answering, "It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it in my entire life."

Pip briefly smirked at the response before his expression hardened, "That tank might make mincemeat of the soldiers but that Sternritter and her illusions will require a little more effort. Do you remember that interesting form the Quincy in Brazil took when he fought Alucard?"

"Yes," Seras frowned as she recalled the fight between Tubalcain Alhambra and her master before gasping in realization, "Wait, are you saying…"

The mercenary looked outside when Aikuro's loud and bombastic voice blared through the DTR's intercoms, his single eyebrow rising in curiosity when the nudist's tone quickly shifted towards frustration. As the seconds passed it became obvious not only to him but also the rest of the Wild Geese, most of whom momentarily stopped what they were doing, that Anderson must have said something about the DTR to piss off his fellow commander. This really was one hell of a man. Shaking his head before turning his attention toward the front yard, his teal eye narrowing when he noticed the vampires regrouping, Pip adjusted his slouch hat and slyly smirked, "Do not fret, ma chere, for this technique has a weakness. That other Quincy had to remove a rather special black glove to activate it. Can you see anything on that bitch out there?"

Running past several windows with the Harkonnen Mark II held deftly in her hands as she moved towards a more advantageous position, hopefully one that would allow her to shoot the Sternritter, Seras focused on the darkened form of Zorin Blitz before stating, "She's wearing a glove on her left hand."

"These Quincy are making it far too easy," Pip replied with a subtle grin, one hand carefully jamming a fresh clip into his assault rifle, "Now get into position. The first chance you get I want you to blow that smug bitch's hand clean off her body."

Back down in front of the manor Alexander Anderson coughed while calmly brushing clumps of dirt off his cassock. Grumbling in mild irritation as he was forced to walk around one of the DTR's armored legs, heavy boots softly sinking into the freshly overturned soil, the former priest had to begrudgingly give Olivier credit where it was due – the Model Ray was a spectacular work of art.

Sneering as he stomped to a halt directly in front of the DTR, bayonets shimmering into existence with a quick flick of his wrists, Anderson cocked his head upwards and scoffed, "Yer two minutes late, Aikuro."

The blinding purple light shining from the DTR brightened when Aikuro's voice blared across the tank's intercoms at a volume far louder than was necessary, "Getting the Model Ray through customs wasn't exactly easy. And it's quite annoying dodging COVERS while the General's constantly yelling in your EAR."

Anderson blatantly ignored his fellow commander's abrupt change in volume when he noticed movement further out in the field. Apparently the vampires had gotten over Aikuro's dramatic entry and were preparing to regroup. They were probably thirsting for his blood, enraged at being utterly humiliated by a simple human, but he had better things to do than slaughter the lot of them. Spitting to the side when shifting his attention towards the Sternritter patiently waiting in the darkness, the former priest tightly gripped the tailor bayonets before slowly stalking away from the DTR, "Use yer Dotonbori Robo to clean up this undead filth. I'll handle the Quincy."

Four circular turrets erupted from the DTR's legs and shoulders, each containing computer-assisted dual sewing machine guns, as the massive bipedal tank comically leaned forward until what functioned as its head was only several feet from the former priest and Aikuro's irritated voice passionately shouted, "DEEEE TEEEE AAAARRRR!"

"Like I said, use yer Dotonbori Robo to take care of these pathetic excuses for vampires," Anderson stoically repeated without bothering to turn around, a slight hint of annoyance in his tone, "This isn't the time or place for yer stupidity, Aikuro. Now, is the Model Ray fully operational?"

Inside the DTR's cockpit with one of his eyebrows sporadically twitching, Aikuro angrily stewed about his fellow nudist's continued usage of such a disrespectful name. He would be the first to admit that his initial designs for a manned Anti-Life Fiber bipedal tank might have been a little too…risqué for most people to appreciate. But that was completely beside the point! Physical appearances shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things when the DTR's only purpose was fighting against Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs. What was a little nudity in front of your enemies if it meant Life Fibers wouldn't devour humanity?

As he prepared to remind Anderson once more of the DTR's proper name Aikuro paused and narrowed his eyes when the cockpit shifted to an alarming red. When he looked at the three-dimensional radar displayed in front of him and saw dozens of undead rapidly moving towards the manor, most likely armed with supernatural weapons and powers, Aikuro couldn't help but grin. Judging from both their speed and the patented Kamui Equivalency Software installed within the DTR's IFF system the soldiers were roughly around a Two-Star Goku Uniforms in terms of strength, which meant the Model Ray wouldn't even break a sweat dealing with them.

"The coffee machine still doesn't work and the seat isn't the most comfortable…and don't even get me started on that awful name painted below the cockpit…"

Twisting the controls in opposite directions before pushing them forward, the purple light shining from his bare nipples intensifying with each passing second, Aikuro quickly shifted the Model Ray into combat mode. As the various weapons systems registered in the green, the sewing machine gun turrets rotating before independently locking onto individual targets, the DTR crouched down as the nudist bombastically declared, "But don't worry about me, Anderson. Dealing with a few vampires will be easy compared to teaching at Miss Satsuki's school!"

The DTR gave a loud metallic whine before _jumping_ straight into the air, drawing the terrified and undivided attention of the vampires sprinting through the front yard. Landing nearly three hundred feet away with a resounding crash, the impact large enough to set off the remaining claymores buried in the ground, the Model Ray ignored the hailstorm of bullets and rockets bouncing harmlessly off its reinforced carapace before quickly returning fire. Panicked shouts echoed through the night as the undead soldiers attempted to avoid the concentrated bursts of needles, the abnormal ammunition easily skewering through the undead too slow to react in time.

"Well, it seems things are going better than expected," Aikuro quipped when he picked up gunfire originating from the Hellsing Manor. Apparently the Wild Geese weren't too happy on letting Nudist Beach have all the fun, which was perfectly fine with the nudist commander.

Aikuro was brought out of his thoughts when the DTR's proximity sensors detected something rapidly falling through the air in his general direction. Tightly gripping the controls before pulling backwards and twisting them counterclockwise, the Model Ray leaping back towards the Hellsing Manor while its four sewing machine gun turrets continued firing on the vampirized soldiers, the nudist commander felt a bead of sweat trickle down his face when Zorin's scythe came precariously close to vertically bisecting the tank. As the DTR slammed into the ground before skidding to a stop, metallic servos and custom shock absorbers helping to reduce the impact, Aikuro blinked and leaned forward when the augmented interface brought up a damage report.

"Damn…so much for the vaulted Anti-Life Fibers armor. The General is going to have my head for this," Aikuro rubbed the back of his neck as he examined the holographic image of the DTR Model Ray, the large gash visible on the tank's right leg concerning but not problematic. Scratching his chin when he noticed Zorin smirking sadistically, wisps of blue spiritual energy rising from her glowing scythe, Aikuro hummed thoughtfully before the corners of his mouth curled into a grin.

"Now…there's no reason to be greedy, Miss Quincy," he announced flamboyantly over the intercom as the DTR stomped its legs into the ground for support. Raising the Model Ray's left arm into the air, the interlocking panels covering the extremity sliding open and revealing previously hidden missile launchers, Aikuro took a moment to memorize the stunned look on Zorin's face before smashing his gloved hand against a button and shouting, "Because I brought enough for the whole class!"

As soon as Aikuro pressed the button a salvo of High Explosive Anti-Life Fiber rockets burst forth from the Model Ray's spread left arm, the DTR barely staggering from the kickback. With each projectile measuring nearly four feet in length and containing an experimental starch and fabric softener warhead wrapped around a standard shaped charge, there was very little the Jahrtausendarmee could do against the missiles racing through the air at just below the speed of sound. Slamming into the ground in front of the soldiers with enough force to crumple the outer casings, there was a millisecond delay before the missiles exploded in a cacophony of fire and destruction.

Even before the nudist commander began raining death upon the vampirized soldiers Alexander Anderson was already on the move. Rapidly sprinting across the front yard towards the only target that truly mattered, he kept his green eyes firmly locked on the DTR Model Ray when it crouched and leapt backwards to avoid the Sternritter's surprise attack. Ignoring the impact tremor originating from the bipedal tank to focus on Aikuro's voice blaring through the intercoms, his lips pulled into a snarl in anticipation of what was coming, Anderson mentally counted down from four before leaning backwards and sliding along the ground.

Anderson's head had barely touched the ground before the swarm of Anti-Life Fiber rockets passed overhead, the deadly projectiles passing close enough that he could almost make out the red Nudist Beach kanji stenciled on the side. Dragging a bayonet through the dirt for balance as he leapt back onto his feet, one arm held in front of his eyes to protect them from the subsequent series of explosions, he peered through the flames while ignoring the uncomfortable warmth on his skin. Boots stomping onto the charred remains of vampires as he rushed forward with his arms crossed in front of his body, the former priest leapt through the smoke-filled inferno with his tailor bayonets aimed at Zorin's throat only for the Sternritter to block the attack with her scythe.

"Nice try," Zorin laughed at the infuriated expression adorning the nudist's face when she easily stopped his surprise attack. Sparks dancing from her scythe as she leaned forward until she was inches away from Anderson, the tattoos covering the right side of her face writhing in the shadows, she grinned sadistically and added, "But I know a diversion when I fucking see one. You verdammt nudists aren't as clever as you think!"

"Ye may have a point," Anderson conceded, venom tinting his words before the corners of his lips twisted into a mocking smile, "But what makes ye think Aikuro was the diversion?"

Zorin's heterochromatic eyes barely had time to widen in surprise at the nudist's cryptic words before he smashed his foot into her stomach. Grunting slightly as she staggered back several feet, more from the force behind the blow than actual physical injury, the Sternritter growled in frustration. Her part of the Schatten Ausrufung was supposed to be simple! Assault the Hellsing Manor and kill the vampire bitch before Alucard returned to the city. Nudist Beach and their insane tank were never supposed to be here! Scoffing when she attempted to kill the fleeing nudist only to find herself immobilized, courtesy of several bayonets pierced through her pants and into the ground, Zorin froze when she heard an increasingly familiar sound in the distance. Looking over her shoulder just as the DTR Model Ray fired a second salvo directly at her position, she angrily shouted, "You fucking son of a –"

Standing at a safe distance as the volley of missiles exploded around the Quincy, turning the surrounding area into even more of a fiery landscape, Anderson scoffed while calmly fixing the collar of his cassock. He had known from the very beginning that his normal methods of execution probably wouldn't work, rendered almost ineffective due to the unholy defense otherwise known as blut vene. But even if that was true, the nudist commander was sure it couldn't fully protect the Sternritter from the concussive force of several dozen High Explosive Anti-Life Fiber rockets going off simultaneously.

As he stared into the roaring flames with the light reflecting ominously off his glasses, Anderson cocked his head to the side when Pip Bernadotte's voice came across the radio, "That was quite the performance, Monsieur Anderson. I wish I could have seen the look on that bitch's face. It's too bad though…we didn't even get a chance to break out some of the heavier artillery thanks to that DTR hogging all the glory. Speaking of which, do you think –"

"No, ye cannot borrow the Dotonbori Robo," Anderson cut the mercenary off before he could finish asking the question, a barely perceptible frown crossing his face when he heard Aikuro loudly scream DTR in the background. Green eyes narrowing when he sensed movements within the flames, a single bayonet sliding into his free hand, the former priest growled, "Don't let yer guard down. She's not dead yet."

"Congratulations, Father Anderson."

The Sternritter's cold voice penetrated through the roaring inferno as a pulse of spiritual energy pushed back the encroaching flames. Slightly favoring her right leg as she slowly marched through the burning embers, blood trailing down her face and soaking her white uniform, Zorin pointed her glowing scythe at the former priest and sneered, "You succeeded in pissing me the fuck off!"

Pain blossomed through the nudist commander's body as Zorin closed the fifty-foot gap using Hirenkyaku and cut through his left shoulder using her scythe. Gnashing his teeth angrily while forcing the pain into the back of his mind, Anderson stomped a foot against the ground and flicked his wrists. With his breath coming out in slightly labored gasps he raised his tailor bayonets and barely managed to stop her second attack inches away from his body. As multicolored sparks jettisoned through the night from the point of contact, his arms quivering under the immense strain of holding out against the Quincy's supernatural strength, Anderson was caught off guard when she easily shattered his defenses and slammed her knee into his stomach.

"Your little toys might be useful against Life Fibers but did you think they could do anything to His Majesty?" Zorin mocked in a deranged tone, wisps of spiritual energy trailing through the air as she swung her scythe towards the recovering former priest's neck.

The corners of her lips twisting into a snarl when Anderson managed to duck beneath the deathblow and launch a futile counterattack, tearing a large gash in her already damaged uniform, Zorin grimaced before reaching forward and tightly clasping her free hand around his neck. It was becoming apparent that dealing with these nudists was more troublesome than she initially thought. She was already behind schedule in killing the vampire bitch, which the Major would undoubtedly report to His Majesty as her fault. Digging her boots into the ground for traction as she spun around and violently threw the nudist across the field, Zorin watched Anderson roll to a stop and laughed, "So what if you killed all the undead fodder. I already have reinforcements on the way. But you'll be dead long before then, crushed like a bug under my boot!"

Blood dripped from Anderson's left hand as he pushed himself off the ground, every muscle in his body audibly screaming in protest. Glaring at the Sternritter standing several feet away, the former priest tightened his grip on the tailor bayonets and gutturally asked, "Do ye expect me to beg for my life, Quincy?"

"So you don't fear death, eh?" Zorin scoffed at the defiant expression on the injured nudist's face, the massive scythe held in her left hand glowing with spiritual energy as she raised it above her head. "Let's fix that one limb at a time, shall we? First, we'll start with your –"

The Sternritter was forcibly cut off when Seras Victoria, crouched on the Hellsing Manor's roof nearly half a kilometer away, fired a single depleted uranium round from the Harkonnen Mark II. Spiraling inches away above the DTR Model Ray as it shot through the air and slammed into Zorin's raised left hand, the supersonic projectile was momentarily stalled by her blut vene before simply tearing through the spiritual defense like wet paper. Faster than she could register the pain radiating up the nerves in her arm, two of Zorin's fingers had disintegrated in a shower of blood and visceral while a third was left hanging onto the tattered remains of her hand by only a few scraps of flesh. Involuntarily letting go of her scythe as she gripped her wrist and cursed profusely, Zorin grunted when Anderson rushed forward and drove a bayonet into her already mangled hand.

"Verdammt!"

Fury laced Zorin's pain-filled voice as she reared her head back and slammed it into Anderson's face, causing him to reflexively release the bayonet currently stabbed through what used to be her left hand. Pulling the blade out of her hand with barely a grimace before tossing it away, she glared at the nudist with as much hatred as she could muster. If it weren't for that cowardly undead bitch constantly taking potshots from within the relative safety of the manor she would have already killed the former priest and dealt with the DTR Model Ray piloted by that stupid nudist.

Mismatched green eyes widened when realization dawned on the Quincy – the bipedal tank wouldn't attack as long as she remained relatively close to the nudist commander. The corners of her mouth curling into a sadistic grin as an aura of purple-blue spiritual energy surrounded her body, Zorin's left arm swung limply at her side as she vehemently exclaimed, "I've grown sick and tired of your stupid games, nudist! Täuschung Kaskade!"

The purple eye in the middle of the Sternritter's right palm opened with a wet squelch as she leaned forward and slammed her open hand against the ground. Almost immediately the entire field dissolved into an encompassing darkness, the tattoos and symbols on her skin writhing as they oozed off her body and surged relentlessly towards the former priest. Fingers curling into the dirt as the Quincy Zeichen etched into her forehead shone with a familiar purple light, Zorin's taunting voice echoed throughout Anderson's head, "Now let's take a look at what's buried in your twisted little mind. Try not to scream too much…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"…<em>greatly appreciated the hospitality, Father Anderson, but our orders come directly from Bishop Renaldo – you are to return with us to the Vatican."<em>

_Anderson didn't show any reaction when the young paladin mentioned his orders for the fifth time since he arrived. It was abundantly obvious to the older priest that the young man, whose complexion suggested he was barely out of puberty, had yet to be in the field. The way he held himself, the lack of seriousness both in his stance as well as tone and the annoying smug grin plastered on his face were all signs of someone that never once risked their lives in the name of God. Scowling softly as a flock of seagulls cawed out from over the harbor, the breeze causing his cassock to billow around his body, Anderson adjusted his glasses and sighed, "Sending two paladins halfway across the world just to deliver a simple message?"_

_The other paladin, his face obscured by the afternoon shadows, took the comment as a sign to hand the older priest an envelope emblazoned with the papal seal. Stepping back as Anderson read the confidential missive, his green eyes fervently scanning the contents, he turned to his compatriot before speaking, "A Vatican jet is currently idling at Osaka International Airport. It's set to depart in two hours."_

"_I suppose I shouldn't keep Renaldo waiting," Anderson muttered while tucking the letter inside his cassock, "Very well, shall we –"_

"_Father Anderson?"_

_Standing in the shadowed open doorway of the orphanage with his violet eyes narrowed slightly, the sixteen years old Enrico Maxwell gave the two paladins a brief but respectful nod before shifting his attention back to Anderson. A barely noticeable twitch in his left eye upon receiving a condescending look from one of the paladins in return, the teenager absentmindedly played with the cuff of his sleeve as he walked into the afternoon sunlight and added, "Yumiko has nearly finished preparing supper. Will you be joining us?"_

_Anderson momentarily frowned at the barely noticeable frustration in Maxwell's voice. It was incredibly obvious the lad had overheard every single word of the conversation, most likely from just inside the door. His shoulders relaxing as he turned away from the two paladins, the former paladin gave the teenager a disarming smile, "Unfortunately I won't be able to join ye tonight, Maxwell. I need to return to the Vatican for some rather important business. It shouldn't take more than a few days but I'm putting ye in charge of keeping the younger children in line."_

"_On such short notice?" Maxwell asked in mild curiosity, one hand curling into a fist when the same paladin sneered at him. _

"_Ye don't need to worry about me." Shooting a harsh glare out of the corner of his eye at the rude paladin, the young man nearly biting his tongue as he quickly shut his mouth and stepped away, Anderson walked up to Maxwell and placed a comforting hand on the teenager's shoulder, "If ye make sure the children say their prayers every night and keep Yuu out of my office I'll put in a good word for ye with Renaldo."_

_For a brief instant excitement was visible in Maxwell's eyes before he grimaced and turned to head back inside, "Very well…"_

"_Yer not still upset, are ye?" From the way the teenager paused in the doorway, his hand tightly gripping the wooden frame, Anderson knew he had hit the nail on the head, "We've talked about this, Maxwell. I know it may not feel right but Isshin Matoi is Ryuko's father. He had every right to take her back."_

"_You're hiding something, Father Anderson," Maxwell's voice was little more than a harsh whisper as he glared at the former paladin, "Ryuko's father shouldn't have been able to take her back! What do you –"_

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

* * *

><p>Zorin Blitz's heterochromatic eyes widened when she was summarily ejected from the memory, illusionary fragments of Anderson's thoughts and recollections drifting briefly through the encompassing darkness before vanishing back into nothingness, before asking in a slightly pained voice, "What the hell is going on? How could he…"<p>

The Sternritter stopped herself when she noticed that the nudist was still trapped within her illusions. It should have been impossible for anyone with his level of spiritual energy, human or otherwise, to partially break free of Täuschung Kaskade. His mind should have snapped like a twig, broken from the mental backlash, yet Anderson was still standing and conscious, which meant he must have thrown off her technique using nothing more than sheer willpower. While that would normally be a problem, especially with the vampire bitch waiting like a coward to shoot her other hand off, Zorin couldn't help but smirk.

Memories were rather fickle things. One could intimately remember every single moment of a favorite day or a conversation and yet mere seconds would pass in the real world. Thanks to the power bestowed upon her by His Majesty she could conjure up a target's worst memories, force them to witness the most tragic events of their lives until they broke, all within a span of a few seconds. And from what she already learned in Anderson's mind before getting kicked out, there was a lot of mental baggage she could use to break the former priest's mind before the undead bitch could fire off another shot.

"So you think you're tough, eh?" Zorin mocked while the surrounding shadows writhed angrily, the myriad of symbols flowing from her left arm expanding through the darkness, "It's too bad…I'll just have to go a little deeper into your pathetic mind!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"…<em>uncharacteristic of you, Anderson," Bishop Renaldo gave a disapproving sigh as he walked through Saint Peter's Square, a light crackle of thunder echoing through the increasingly overcast skies, "I did not think you were one to promote nepotism."<em>

_Anderson chuckled at the familiar scolding tone from the older bishop, his short blond hair shifting as a bitter wind tore across the city, "I promised the lad I would put in a good word for him. Whether he qualifies, on the other hand, is something I'll leave to ye."_

_The older man frowned slightly at the response from his compatriot as droplets of rain began falling around them. It had been so long since his last conversation with Anderson that he'd forgotten about the man's propensity to disregard specific orders when it came to accomplishing missions. The unofficially retired paladin knew fully well that he was the only person with the capacity and authority to approve candidates for Iscariot, which was a lengthy and secretive process unknown but to the highest levels of the Church. Adjusting his glasses with two fingers while careful not to smudge the lenses, Renaldo coughed to clear his throat before responding, "You should be aware that I've already disciplined the paladins sent to retrieve you from Kobe. Such inappropriate behavior shall not be tolerated for agents of God." _

"_Ye should just give them a slap on the wrist," the former paladin suggested with a hint of mirth, "I was young and foolish once myself, ye know. Or do ye not remember what happened in Germany?"_

"_That's beside the point, Anderson. Their lack of manners reflects poorly on both Iscariot and the Church." There was a short pause following Renaldo's reply, the thinly veiled anger in the man's words apparent to his younger colleague, before he clasped his hands against the small of his back and continued in a more contemplative tone, "If my memory is correct your mission in Germany was a resounding success despite your exuberance. Anderson…you have killed more abominations against the Lord than any other paladin in the last century. I must implore that you reconsider your position."_

"_Reconsider, ye say? It's like ye said ten years ago – I didn't officially retire. I mere took an extended leave of absence," Anderson retorted calmly while a clap of thunder loudly tore across the heavens, "Speaking of which, the quality of yer newest paladins isn't quite up to par, Renaldo. They have potential but lack any true experience in the field, which spits in the face of Iscariot's true purpose." _

"_Things have quieted down somewhat over the last decade," the bishop admitted with a slight frown. As the scattered rain turned into a light drizzle, the previously chilled wind growing fiercer, Renaldo turned to the priest and added, "But some interesting news has leaked out of England. Arthur Hellsing has fallen gravely ill…"_

"_That Protestant bastard's still alive, huh?" Anderson mulled over the news with a mixture of elation and amusement. The prolonged suffering and death of the Hellsing Organization's leader would undoubtedly throw the heathens into complete disarray. There might even be a power struggle between the heirs if they're lucky, a vicious civil war that the Church could easily exploit to once more take its rightful place in England. Staring up into the grey skies with raindrops falling onto his face, Anderson rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm tempted by yer offer, Renaldo, but I have to decline…at least for the moment. The children back at the orphanage still require my services. Heinkel and Yumiko both have the potential to become great paladins, if they would stop fighting each other. Even young Yuu, the little troublemaker, has quite the mind for a six year old child."_

"_And what of young Maxwell?"_

"_The lad is ambitious and with a good head on his shoulders," Anderson answered with a touch of respect as they ascended the steps towards the basilica, the rain now coming down in sheets around the men, "If yer not careful he might just steal yer spot as leader of Iscariot."_

"_I'm not getting any younger, Anderson," Renaldo quipped back with just a touch of amusement, the cross hanging from his neck swinging slightly, before sighing, "Perhaps I should start looking for a successor, someone to make sure the heretics in England don't get too full of themselves. Do you remember the larvatum diabolus we fought in Russia nearly fifteen years ago?"_

_Anderson's chuckling echoed throughout the mostly empty basilica, drawing the confused attention of the group of American tourists nearby, "Weren't ye punched through a wall by the creature?"_

_The leader of Iscariot murmured in disapproval at the old memory. Turning away from Anderson with his glasses shining brightly in the ambient light, Renaldo's footsteps echoed on the marble tiles as he shook his head and spoke, "Only because the young and foolish paladin accompanying me was far too headstrong to prevent his soul from nearly being devoured. It's a miracle of God that I can still walk normally after all these years."_

_For several tense seconds Anderson didn't move as he watched the older bishop slowly walk away. Being reminded of his greatest failure always left a bad taste in his mouth, especially when it was Renaldo that brought it up. He had assumed the demon was weak, easily dispatched by his blessed bayonets without much effort. Finding out that not only was the beast smarter than it looked, but also possessed regenerative capabilities, nearly cost him his very soul. Still, if there was one positive thing he learned from Russia it was that every larvatum diabolus had the same critical weakness. Destroying that caricature of a mask adorning their face was guaranteed to kill the beast, even if it wielded sacrilegious powers that spat in the face of God._

_Scowling in mild annoyance, Anderson shook his head before following Renaldo out of the main basilica and into an adjacent corridor. Briefly nodding at the Swiss Guard members when they snapped off a respectful salute, he pursed his lips into a grimace while mulling over his next choice of words very carefully. It wouldn't be wise to rush into the ensuing conversation unprepared. Folding a hand into the pocket of his cassock as lightning flashed through the windows lining the hallway, Anderson cleared his throat and growled in a low tone, "Renaldo, there's something I think ye should know about –"_

"_The Cardinals have already informed me of your rather…descriptive phrases about the CEO of Revocs."_

_Renaldo cut off Anderson before he could finish speaking. One hand scratching his chin in thought as he came to a stop and turned towards the nearby windows, rain harshly pelting the surface while thunder crackled in the distance, a flicker of annoyance crossed the bishop's face before he asked, "Why did you spread such nonsense about someone willing to create most of the Church's attire for a mere pittance of the normal cost?"_

"_I heard a few rumors," the evasive tone in the priest's nonsensical response caused Renaldo's frown to deepen. Aware of the reaction as he stood next to the bishop, Anderson silently watched the storm rage over the Vatican before explaining, "Apparently Ragyo Kiryuin is not nearly as magnanimous behind closed doors. If ye believe the more insane theories than she's a ruthless monster that can turn her most ardent opponents into zealots that praise her like a damned goddess. But it's more likely she's just a powerful woman lacking both morals and decency, which isn't good for the Church's reputation." _

"_Perhaps…" There was a momentary lapse in the conversation when Renaldo trailed off, his eyes narrowing upon hearing faint voices coming from further down the hallway. Turning back towards Anderson the bishop lowered his voices and added, "Rest assured that Iscariot is currently investigating Ragyo Kiryuin's past actions. There is something about that woman that bothers me, Anderson. An instinctual feeling in the very depths of my soul cried out when she arrived yesterday. All the standard tests suggest she's completely human but may my soul burn eternally in Hell if she's not a monster."_

_Anderson opened his mouth to reply, a question on the tip of his tongue, but stopped when a dull burst of rainbow light suddenly permeated the corridor. Calmly turning around with the barest of sneers crossing his face, the priest watched in hidden disgust as the CEO of Revocs and one of the most prominent clothing designers in the world walked towards them without a single care in the world. Adorned in a pure white business suit that greatly accentuated her figure, which helped draw attention away from the multicolored light emanating from her silver hair, Ragyo Kiryuin swept an arm through the air as she turned towards the Cardinal walking at her side._

"_I can have tailored uniforms, cassocks and robes for roughly ten thousand people shipped and delivered in two months", the woman's heels clicked softly against the floor as she strutted past the two men, her maroon eyes momentarily shifting from the bishop to the younger priest, before motioning to the dark skinned woman next to her, "Thanks to the measurements you so helpfully handed to Hououmaru each and every article of clothing will be absolutely perfect. I assure you, my dear Cardinal, that –"_

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?"<p>

Angrily growling in annoyance when she was forcibly ejected from Anderson's mind for the second time, Zorin Blitz narrowed her mismatched eyes as she ran through everything she just witnessed. When she decided to delve deeper into the former priest's twisted subconscious, pulling strands of nightmares and terrifying memories to the surface with contemptible ease, it had been with the sole intention of completely shattering his mind. That the nudist had personally met Ragyo Kiryuin came at a complete surprise. Daten on the Life Fiber bitch was sorely lacking, which meant if she could tear the information from Anderson's mind than His Majesty would most likely forgive her mistakes in dealing with the undead bitch.

"So you're acquainted with Ragyo Kiryuin, eh?"

Zorin ignored the sensation of glass shattering as she pulled her fingers out of the darkness oozing across the ground. It was hard to comprehend but the former priest's resistance to her illusions was destabilizing the Täuschung Kaskade, which was slightly concerning. At the current rate it would take just one more failure for the mental backlash to utterly destroy the technique, granting Seras Victoria enough time to shoot another round through her momentarily stunned body.

Seething as she pointed her palm directly at the still frozen nudist, the large purple eye dilating as a tempest of spiritual energy pulsed from her body, the Sternritter laughed sadistically while the Quincy Zeichen emblazoned on her forehead burst into radiance, "Did you enjoy the trip down memory lane, Father Anderson? Because I'm going to fucking shatter your mind until you're nothing more than a drooling vegetable!"

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm impressed that you're still alive, Mr. Anderson."<em>

_Ragyo Kiryuin's regal smirk didn't falter in the slightest as blood stained her white business suit a deep crimson, courtesy of the blessed bayonet piercing her heart. Sighing sensually as she slowly curled her perfectly manicured fingers around the blade before removing it with a wet and nauseating squelch, the Kiryuin matriarch ignored the accompanying spray of visceral in order to focus on the man standing across the rain-soaked rooftop. Tossing the weapon away as the wound on her chest rapidly regenerated, the rainbow light disappearing as both skin and cloth knitted back together, Ragyo's maroon eyes flickered to the side when the distinctive sound of police sirens reached her ears, "It would seem the authorities responded to Hououmaru's anonymous call a little faster than expected. But then again, you ARE the man guilty of murdering dozens of innocent men of the Church."_

"_I saw what ye did to the Holy Conclave!" Anderson bit back while blood dripped from the coattails of his cassock, none of which belonged to him. Pointing his remaining bayonet at the monster of a woman, blood from his fellow paladins staining the holy blade a deep vermillion, he painfully bit his lip and exclaimed, "Those red threads woven in their minds were controlling them! Bending them to yer will like puppets! What sort of abomination against God are ye?"_

"_Oh?"_

_The rainbow light radiating from Ragyo's silver hair momentarily dimmed at the contemptuous response, a look of genuine surprise crossing her face at his answer, "I can honestly say you have piqued my interest. The ability to discern Marionette Threads already woven inside minds suggests you have quite the tolerance to Life Fibers. It's such a shame I won't be able to convince a man like you to work for me. La vie est drôle…"_

_Lightning forked through the heavens as Anderson stalked towards the amused woman, a single bayonet deftly sliding into his empty hand to replace the one previously lost, "Bite yer tongue, foul creature! Monsters like ye don't have the right to speak. So laugh…but ye will die on this rooftop for what ye have done!"_

"_What I have done?" Ragyo quirked a silver eyebrow at that threat before sighing and shaking her head, "Oh, you sound just like my former husband's organization. And honestly, they've been trying a lot harder to kill me."_

_Folding her arms underneath her bosom, the tight-fitting business suit accentuating her figure, Ragyo chuckled at the look of utter hatred adorning Anderson's face. His shoulders tensing when the sound of tires screeching to a stop came from the streets below, several familiar voices barking orders to the local police, Anderson glowered when the rainbow light from the Kiryuin matriarch's hair flared back to its normal brilliance, "Quite frankly, Mr. Anderson, I cannot understand where you are coming up with these dreadful accusations. You were the one that rushed through the Vatican spreading awful rumors about me. You were the priest that barged into my meeting with the Holy Conclave, a secure business meeting I might add. And you were the one that killed all those poor, innocent men who had the misfortune of coming across a deluded maniac who saw monsters everywhere he went."_

_Anderson didn't bother listening to anything else Ragyo had to say before rushing forward in a burst of speed. Stomping through puddles of water as he sprinted at the bemused CEO of Revocs with his blessed bayonets glistening in the rain, he was caught completely off guard when she vanished into thin air moments before his blades could pierce her unholy flesh. An angrily snarl leaving his throat as he quickly skidded to a stop and looked around the rooftop for any sign of the woman, Anderson's entire body tensed when he felt Ragyo standing behind him. _

"_Don't take this personally," Ragyo whispered, her voice fading away into the storm as Anderson spun around in an attempt to behead her, "This was simply business."_

_There was barely a five second pause before the door to the stairwell was blasted open and an Iscariot paladin, both older and far more experienced than the two sent to Kobe, rushed onto the rooftop. Aiming a heavily modified pistol at the fugitive priest, the barrel pointed directly at Anderson's heart, the grizzled man narrowed his eyes and shouted over the pouring rain, "Alexander Anderson! For your crimes against both God and the Church you have been sentenced to death! Drop your bayonets and get on –"_

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Excruciating pain was all Zorin Blitz felt when she was ejected from the Täuschung Kaskade without a hint of warning. As the mental backlash coursed through her mind, briefly turning her every waking thought into lances of white-hot agony, she involuntarily screamed when a tailor bayonet was thrust clean through her right hand in a shower of blood and visceral. Her breath coming out in short, panting gasps as she stumbled away from the enraged nudist commander, the destroyed purple eye embedded in her palm leaking a clear fluid, Zorin bit her lower lip before shouting with as much venom as she could muster, "You…fucking…verdammt! How did…you…?"<p>

Her question was answered when Anderson silently threw a bayonet, the blade easily penetrating through the flesh and bone of her shoulder. Barely able to comprehend how the weapon bypassed her blut vene through the fresh pain, Zorin tried to flow spiritual energy through her veins only to come to a startling realization – she couldn't. All of the injuries she acquired during the assault were taking its toll, reducing her strength to the point where the damned mercenaries could actually hurt her. Harshly gagging as Anderson took advantage of her momentary distraction to drive his knee into her solar plexus, spittle and blood leaving her mouth as the air was driven from her lungs, Zorin staggered backwards in pain as the nudist flicked his wrist and summoned another bayonet.

"So what now, Quincy?"

Cursing loudly when Anderson reached out and callously tore the bayonet out of her hand, the blinding pain forcing her down to one knee, beads of sweat dripped down Zorin's face as the former priest scoffed derisively, "Yer hands are all but useless and yer abominable defenses are shattered, cast away like dust in the wind. Ye cannot win but go ahead and try to run…the vampire perched on the rooftop will be more than happy to blow yer head clean off yer shoulders."

"Scheiße! I…would…rather…" Zorin trailed off, blood leaking from her mouth as she glared at the nudist commander, "…be fucking killed…by you…than that vampire bitch!"

Anderson's glasses gleamed menacingly in the pale moonlight as he gripped the front of Zorin's uniform, eliciting a pain-filled cough from the woman. Pressing a bayonet firmly against the underside of her chin, the weapon drawing a faint trail of blood, he leaned forward and growled, "While I would like nothing more than to end yer unholy life…I have special orders from the General. I'm supposed to capture one of ye Sternritter for questioning, to see what yer hiding from us, but since yer in no position to argue I think we can start now. The monster ye blindly follow, the demon ye call 'Yer Majesty,' what is his true name?"

Barking laughter, starting as little more than a whisper before escalating in volume, filled the air as the Sternritter's mouth twisted into a sadistic mockery of a smile. Trails of blood leaking from her mouth as the Quincy Zeichen etched onto her forehead began shining brightly, Zorin smirked at the nudist before leaning forward and muttering, "Vollstandig: Wahniel."

In the few seconds it took the Sternritter to convey her intentions Anderson had already leapt backwards, his feet barely touching the ground as he moved to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. His arms crossed protectively in front of his body when a deafening explosion of spiritual energy erupted from Zorin's injured form, green eyes briefly taking note of the five-pointed star adorning the column of light, the former priest grimaced at the hidden vileness lurking just beneath the veneer of false humanity. Much like the unholy powers of Ragyo Kiryuin and Alucard, who were both walking plagues of death and misery upon the earth, the energy permeating the Quincy's body was something that shouldn't exist.

"I'm almost out of range," Anderson growled, one finger pressed firmly against his ear as he continued sprinting away from the Sternritter. Ignoring the pain running rampant through his body, he looked over his shoulder and snorted, "Ye know what to do, Aikuro."

"Understood!"

Aikuro's lips curled into a conniving grin as his fingers expertly danced across the DTR's controls. Briefly quirking an eyebrow when an annoying red warning flashed on the holographic interface, his thumb perched over the last button needed to initiate the sequence, he couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the situation. The General had been complaining to everyone back at headquarters that they needed to test the DTR in order to, in her words, 'vaporize those bastards in Xcution until not a single Life Fiber remained.' Knowing that he was going to be the first one in Nudist Beach to test the Model Ray's final weapon, which Olivier had vowed to never allow, brought a wide smile to his face.

"Mr. Bernadotte! I highly recommend your men button their shirts and zip up their flies! Things! ARE! ABOUT! TO! GET! LOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD!"

Stars of brilliant purple light once more burst into existence around the bipedal tank's frame as Aikuro forcibly smashed his finger onto the button. Laughing bombastically as the DTR's mouth pulled apart, exposing the humming weapon of mass destruction hidden inside, the nudist braced himself before shouting in an even louder volume, "BECAUSE THIS QUINCY IS ABOUT TO FACE DOWN NUDIST BEACH'S UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULTIMATE TRUMP CARD!"

"BLEAAAAAAAAAACH!"

"STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARCH!"

"CAAANNOOOOOOOOOOON!"

"FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!"

There was a brief but audible crescendo as energy gathered in front of the DTR before everything simply _exploded_, the air itself appearing to catch on fire as a purple beam of superheated bleach and starch erupted from the Model Ray's mouth. Roaring across the front lawn faster than the speed of sound, shattering every window in the Hellsing Manor while simultaneously destroying Integra's prized rose garden, the beam slammed into the pillar of spiritual energy in a display of light that could be seen from London. As the supersonic attack fought to penetrate the seemingly impenetrable shell, minute glowing cracks slowly appearing on the surface, Aikuro leaned forward and blinked when he noticed something emerging from the point of contact.

"Well now…that's completely unexpected."

Hovering several dozen feet above the ground with wings of spiritual energy spreading out from her shoulders, each of which contained a large unblinking purple eye, Zorin Blitz gave the nudist an unnerving sadistic smirk as she effortlessly held off the Bleach Starch Cannon using her newly regenerated left hand. Startled out of his bewilderment at the situation when the beam suddenly flickered before vanishing and various warnings began blaring throughout the cockpit, Aikuro kept one eye carefully locked on the transformed Sternritter as he quickly shifted the controls, "Alright…Life Fiber sensors are offline, the long-range radar isn't functioning and power output is down nearly thirty percent. But this bargain sale isn't quite over!"

Purple energy crackled around the DTR Model Ray as the armor on its right arm folded away, exposing an enormous tailor blade. Grinning cockily as the light shining from his nipples and crotch intensified, Aikuro blew a strand of hair out of his eyes before twisting the controls clockwise. Immediately large jets of steam blasted out of the bipedal tank's feet as it darted across the front lawn towards the hovering Quincy, servos mechanically protesting as the DTR's remaining energy was diverted to its right arm. His eyes narrowing in concentration as he twisted the DTR's controls, Aikuro tensed when Zorin vanished moments before the blade cut through her body.

"Damn it!" Aikuro grumbled as the tailor blade sliced into the ground, the sudden shift in momentum causing him to lurch wildly inside the DTR's cockpit. Gritting his teeth as the Model Ray skidded to a stop before twisting around, he had just enough time to register something rapidly approaching on the sensors before a Heilig Pfeil slammed into the bipedal tank and split it neatly down the middle.

"Armselig…"

Zorin spat derisively as she appeared in front of the Hellsing Manor using Hirenkyaku, one hand wrapped around the glowing scythe propped on her shoulder. A sadistic grin stretching across her face when she heard the beautiful sound of the DTR crashing to the ground, the massive tank exploding in a torrent of heat and flames, the Sternritter rolled her mismatched eyes as the mercenaries within the building opened fired. Ignoring the bullets bouncing harmlessly off her blut vene as she swung her free arm upwards and deflected the depleted uranium round from the Harkonnen, Zorin glanced at her most likely fractured forearm before smirking at a stunned Seras, "You seem surprised. Did you expect your rounds to kill me? Sorry, but all that's left for you maggots to do is die. The only question is…where do I fucking start?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh?" Quilge Opie muttered thoughtfully as he lowered the binoculars from his eyes, the burning plumes of smoke rising from the city a mere afterthought, "I didn't know Nudist Beach possessed such advanced technology."<p>

Placing the binoculars he had been using to observe the events transpiring at the Hellsing Manor on the table next to him, the Sternritter leaned back in his chair and frowned when several bursts of spiritual energy assaulted his senses. From the latest reports the Schatten Ausrufung was proceeding nearly on schedule, the only issue being the presence of two Kamui instead of only one as His Majesty predicted. But such surprises were to be expected when it came to such delicate matters. Even Nudist Beach's continued interference, despite claiming they would leave the country once the embargo vote passed, had been planned to some small extent.

"This is most disappointing," he mused silently to himself, one hand scratching his chin as the other reached for the steaming cup of tea on the table. Unperturbed when an explosion erupted in the distance, courtesy of Ichigo's escalating fight against an increasingly frustrated Bazz-B, Quilge sampled the hot beverage before shaking his head in mocking disappointment, "Using Vollstandig when your opponent is not even wearing a Kamui? You may be facing Alucard's heir but that does not excuse your actions. Therefore I think it's most fair to assume you are going to die quite soon, Zorin."

"That's the understatement of the night."

A mischievous grin plastered on his face as he materialized from behind a nearby wall, his body forming out of nothingness and shadows, Schrodinger visibly sagged when Quilge didn't take the bait. After waiting several seconds for his fellow Quincy to ask for an explanation, one eye twitching when the Sternritter continued drinking his tea without acknowledging his presence, the cat-like teenager grumbled under his breath before cheerfully continuing right where he left off, "It was quite the interesting sight. Both of Zorin's hands were nearly gone and to top it all off Alexander Anderson managed to break out of her Täuschung Kaskade through sheer willpower!"

Quilge's eyes briefly widened at that particular piece of information, the cup of tea hovering inches from his mouth. It was common knowledge amongst the Sternritter that Zorin's technique was inescapable to anyone weaker than her, which said wonders about the true extent of the former priest turned nudist's talents. Smirking as he sat forward while using a single finger to adjust his glasses, he turned to Schrodinger and commented, "The orders His Majesty gave the Major were quite clear – destroy the undead abomination known as Seras Victoria before she awaken her full powers. As long as Zorin accomplishes that objective, whether she lives or dies does not matter."

"One would think you would be more supportive of your fellow Sternritter, Quilge," Schrodinger huffed as he walked towards the edge of the roof and sat down, hands clasped together against the back of his neck. Staring at the raging conflagration while his feet swung lazily in the air, the screams echoing throughout London bringing a smile to his face, he yawned loudly before looking over his shoulder, "Anyway, while you were drinking that disgusting tea I've been busy getting everything ready for the Schatten Ausrufung. I was nearly caught a few times but nobody can stop me. I can go anywhere I want, after all."

Frowning softly as he placed the cup back on the small table, the liquid nearly gone, Quilge arched an eyebrow at the peculiar phrasing, "Copying the Grand Couturier's mannerisms now, are we?"

"She copied me!" Schrodinger whined indignantly, his cat-like ears twitching as he growled, "I was saying that _decades_ before that Life Fiber monster was even created!"

"You shouldn't get upset over something so trivial. After all, the Grand Couturier is one of the few people capable of actually killing you," Quilge sarcastically chastised, a condescending smile slowly stretching across his face when his fellow Sternritter stiffened at the blunt reminder of his mortality. Scowling when Schrodinger decided to respond to his answer with a rather rude gesture, Quilge carefully removed his glasses and held them between two fingers before continuing, "His Majesty was quite insistent that you never engage Nui Harime for that very reason. To her, life is but a game and we are nothing more than toys for her enjoyment. However, there is a certain method to her madness."

Schrodinger stared blankly at the older man, a confused expression evident on his face, "Huh?"

"Consider what she said in Brazil…or rather the fact that she said anything at all," Quilge offhandedly remarked while holding a single finger in front of his mouth, the gloved digit doing little to conceal the smug tone in his voice, "Precedent implies that the Grand Couturier never speaks more than is necessary, especially when confronting those most likely to survive encountering her. So we must ask ourselves why her clone so readily divulged her purpose in seeking Kinue Kinagase, a woman determined to kill her, in the presence of Alucard."

"Wow, it's almost like you're saying Nui Harime isn't an insane Life Fiber monster," Schrodinger sarcastically quipped while turning his attention back to the burning city.

Perking up when he felt a shift in the ambient spiritual energy, his cat-like ears twitching excitedly at the only thing it could mean, the teenage Sternritter leapt to his feet and gave Quilge a mischievous grin, "Oh my, Seras Victoria is nearly dead but our dear comrade seems more interested in torturing her little boyfriend. Normally I would go remind Zorin of His Majesty's orders…but she was quite insistent that I not interfere. Well, it isn't like stalling will give Seras Victoria the opportunity to drink someone's blood, right? Auf wiedersehen!"

As Schrodinger stepped backwards and fell off the roof, his body vanishing into the fires raging below, Quilge raised a hand to his face and frowned. It would be quite detrimental to the Schatten Ausrufung if Seras Victoria became a full-fledged vampire. Her increased strength and speed, not to mention regeneration, would most likely overwhelm the average Sternritter before they had a chance to fight back. However Zorin was already in Vollstandig, which could be used to her advantage. Vampires, until Life Fiber Hybrids, possessed no known resistance to Quincy spiritual energy. If she hoped to avoid His Majesty's displeasure Zorin would move quickly to kill Seras Victoria before she became acclimated to her newly evolved power.

All of this was predicated, of course, on Zorin being utterly blind to her surroundings.

"You know this is entirely your fault," Quilge sighed melodramatically when a vile burst of spiritual energy pulsed outwards from the Hellsing Manor, his hand already reaching for the pair of glasses folded neatly on the table next to him, "It's considered bad manners to give your enemy time to reach their full power. But I wish you the best of luck. For the unholy creature you've just unleashed upon the world will surely show you no mercy."

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kamui Tales #30 – The Temporary Guest<strong>

"You're late, Ichigo!"

Casually leaning to the side when his father came barreling out the front door, the older man's outstretched arms missing him by only a few inches, Ichigo Kurosaki rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Late for what? It's five in the afternoon."

"That's not the point!" Isshin passionately exclaimed as he rebounded to his feet. Smirking as he sprinted past a completely bewildered Orihime, the teenage girl having only the faintest of clues as to what was going on, he managed to avoid his son's obvious punch before counterattacking with a headlock, "I just got a message from an old friend! She's going away on business for a few weeks and asked if I could watch her daughter."

It took Ichigo's mind less than a second to process what his old man was trying to say. Angrily smashing an elbow directly into Isshin's stomach, eliciting a painful moan from the doctor when he was forced to let go of his son, Ichigo turned around and shouted, "Who the hell would trust you with their child? Wait…you have friends?"

For a brief instant a look of shock and disappointment crossed Isshin's face, the biting words from his son momentarily paralyzing him, before he quickly recovered. Smugly chuckling while stroking his chin in a failed attempt to appear smart, he stared off into the distance and sighed, "We were more than just friends. It all started one mysterious day twenty two years ago –"

"I don't care," Ichigo interrupted, cutting his dad off before he could start the flashback. Slinging his school bag over his shoulder as he walked towards the front door, Ichigo looked over his shoulder at Orihime, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"R-Right," Orihime gave Isshin a mildly concerned look before perking up and tilting her head to the side, "So what project do you want to do? I was thinking about making a diorama on the history of Revocs. They make the cutest clothes, you know. It's just really strange that nobody in town sells the brand…"

One last thing, Ichigo!"

Sliding in front of his son just before he could reach the front door, Isshin glanced dramatically over his shoulder before leaning forward and whispering, "My friend's daughter is a little…strange…but don't let her behavior fool you! She's quite nice once you get to know her."

"Don't drag me into your delusions," Ichigo grunted, physically pushing his father out of the way before walking through the front door and looking around. Nothing had changed since that morning. Even the crack in the wall, courtesy of the old goat's morning routine, was still visible on the stairs. In fact, the only difference he could find was the pink suitcases stacked neatly in the living room.

"Gosh, it's really nice to finally meet you, Ichigo!"

Sitting on the edge of the couch with her legs swinging through the air, Nui Harime's sapphire eyes widened happily as she clapped her hands together, "Mr. Kurosaki said a lot of nice things about you! I wonder if half of them are true?"

Ichigo couldn't help but stare at the newest addition to the household. He could have sworn the living room had been empty when he walked inside, which meant this girl managed to get there in the same amount of time it took him to blink. That was a speed he would be hard-pressed to match with such precision even in his bankai. Pushing such thoughts aside as he turned around and harshly grabbed the front of his dad's shirt, Ichigo pointed towards the waving Grand Couturier and growled, "Alright, start explaining. Who the hell is this girl and why does she sound like Orihime?"

"That's an easy question!" Nui's cheerful voice exclaimed as she vanished from the couch only to reappear standing next to Orihime, who immediately looked back and forth in order to understand how the girl teleported several meters in the blink of an eye. Folding her hands behind her back as she leaned forward, Nui shook her head before continuing, "Maman left on business so she asked your dear old dad to watch me for a few weeks. They're old friends, you know, and who better to watch me than maman's dearest friend in the whole world?"

"Ichigo, this is Nui Harime," Isshin explained while carefully stepping around the Grand Couturier, "She'll be staying in the spare bedroom down the hallway. I trust you'll be able to keep your male urges in check. Her mother isn't exactly the most forgiving woman in the world."

"This is perfect!" Orihime exclaimed as a strange idea came to mind, completely obvious to Ichigo scowling before punching his dad in the face, "Now that Nui's staying with you, we can have three versus three on game nights. Tatsuki, Nui and me versus you, Chad and Uryu! We finally have balanced teams."

Nui's blonde pigtails bounced slightly as she tilted her head to the side, a blank expression crossing her face as she drowned out the stupid dribble from the orange haired teenager. The fact that Orihime's voice possessed similar inflections, not to mention pauses between certain words, was rather insulting. She was the only one allowed to sound so cute and friendly, not this pathetic human, but Lady Ragyo's orders to be on her best behavior were quite clear. And that's forgetting about the way Mr. Kurosaki was subtly watching her every move. It was almost like he didn't trust her!

"Wow, Ichigo has more friends?" Tapping her foot against the ground as she spun around, Nui's blue eyes widened in false mirth as she exclaimed, "I can't wait to see them!"


	48. Chapter 48: The City of the Dead

_So here is the next chapter of **To My Death I Fight**. I had to watch OVA VIII quite a few times in order to make sure everything here was canon...except that since this is a universe where Hellsing, Bleach, and Kill la Kill exist together, canonical events must happen a little differently. Just look at Anderson. Anyway, I hope you enjoy all the hard work I put into this chapter. There were some parts that were just so frustrating to write (mostly due to my incessant need for perfection) but in the end everything worked out pretty good. There are also a few call backs to various scenes, pieces of information and other things scattered throughout the Hellsing Arc (which started technically at the very end of Chapter 40).  
><em>

_*The Freshberry/Pureberry poll is still going strong on my profile. Both Satsuki and Ryuko are nearly tied in terms of votes (14 vote difference as of this posting)._

_*A big thanks to my beta reader for slapping some sense into me whenever I try and do anything stupid. And catching all the grammatical mistakes I inevitably make when writing 15,000 to 20,000 word chapters._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 48 – The City of the Dead<strong>

"…latest satellite imagery shows the full extent of Millennium's attack," a middle-aged priest, his graying hair partially receded, respectfully explained as he handed several laminated photographs to Enrico Maxwell. Stepping away as the bishop silently shuffled through the images, the priest waited half a minute before smugly adding, "We have all but confirmed the presence of no less than five Sternritter scattered throughout the city and surrounding countryside."

"Only five?"

Maxwell frowned at the disappointingly small number. Sighing while handing the pictures back to the priest, the leader of Iscariot scoffed and ran a hand through his silver hair, "The arrogance of their heretical king knows no bounds…"

"London has been humbled, your Excellency," a second priest, short blonde hair waving in the breeze, announced haughtily while his compatriots chuckled, "Not since the last world war has their capital known such fear and despair. The number of dead is already beyond estimation. Even as we speak the ranks of the undead are only increasing. It is but a matter of time until their last defenses crumble."

"God has banished them for their heresy. It serves them right. And yet…" Maxwell's smirk slowly vanished as something troubling came to mind, "What of their American allies?"

"Our agents in Washington reported that the President was unaware of the developing situation," the second priest's attention momentarily wavered as he scanned through the thick missive in his hand. After flipping to a particular section, highlighted a deep red, he coughed lightly and continued grimly, "When they attempted to mention the Revocs embargo, or more specifically the actions of their CEO, they were met with extreme and unwarranted hostility and disbelief by the cabinet."

"No doubt due to Ragyo Kiryuin's Mental Refitting," Maxwell growled, his eyes tightening in anger.

"Furthermore…" a harsh autumn wind blew through the Straight of Dover at the priest's response, carrying with it the stench of burning ash, "Fourteen minutes later a single powerful blast destroyed the White House, killing the President and most of his cabinet. The investigation is still ongoing. However, no evidence of any type of incendiary device or blasting agent has been found. The American government is on high alert as we speak. They are claiming it an act of terrorism but one of our agents managed to obtain this…"

Stepping forward and handing Maxwell a single glossy photograph, the priest waited until the initial shock wore off before continuing, "This photograph was taken by one of the local news networks. As you can see, it depicts a single woman in her late teens to early twenties with long black hair standing across the street from the White House approximately three minutes before the explosion. What drew our attention was the symbol on the sleeve of her jacket – the Quincy Zeichen."

Maxwell clenched his fingers around the photograph and scowled, "This explains the lack of Quincy in London. Their king might be more cunning that we initially thought. But there is something about all this that troubles me…"

The priests looked at each other in confusion when the leader of Iscariot trailed off, "What are you talking about, your Excellency?"

"According to the information provided to us by Nudist Beach, at least ninety percent of humanity must wear her disgusting clothing in order for Ragyo Kiryuin's plans to come to fruition," Maxwell clasped his hands against the small of his back as he slowly walked towards the edge of the cliffs. His brow furrowing at the burning conflagration on the horizon, the bishop narrowed his violet eyes and scoffed, "One would have expected a monster like her to find offence with the Quincy's actions. She should have interfered, or at the very least sent her lap dog. That she has decided to stand aside and allow this Babylon on the Thames to burn is most concerning."

The muttering between the priests grew at the bishop's explanation before one of them asked, "You're not suggesting…"

"No. No. No. The crusade shall proceed as planned," Maxwell shook his head while raising one hand in a placating gesture, cutting the concerned priest off. Turning around with one arm still tucked against the small of his back, the bishop smirked before continuing, "We simply need to wait until Alucard returns. Why allow our brethren to fall against the Quincy when Integra Hellsing's pet vampire will be more than happy to slaughter them for us? Let the Protestants solve their own problems! And once Alucard has dealt with Millennium and their Major's blood runs through the streets of London, we shall make our move!"

"Can you imagine it?"

Gesturing passionately through the air, Maxwell clenched his hand into a fist as he answered, "The knights of the Ninth Crusade marching into London, the light of God shining down upon the blasphemers and faithful alike as we graciously assist the survivors against the leagues of undead! The Protestant scum will beg for His Holiness's guidance in their darkest hour! We shall defeat the Hellsing Organization without having to lift a single finger!"

The gathered priests chuckled at Maxwell's declaration before one of them stepped forward and held out an arm, "You are truly benevolent, your Excellency. However, His Holiness has made it abundantly clear that the Vatican shall not sit back and allow Great Britain to destroy our most ancient adversary."

"Let the faithless thin out the ranks of our enemies," Maxwell replied, mildly insulted by the shortsightedness of those around him.

After sharing a glance with his comrades, one of the priests adjusted his glasses before politely inquiring, "And what of Sir Integra Hellsing?"

"It sickens me, but we cannot afford to antagonize England or her allies at this crucial juncture," Maxwell's mouth pursed into a grimace. While it was still only a minor afterthought in the back of his mind, the bishop hoped to God that Wolfe successfully captured Integra Hellsing both alive and unharmed. He was no fool. If anything were to befall that arrogant sow, accidental or otherwise, there was nothing they could do to stop Alucard from carving a bloody path all the way to the Vatican.

"And what better way to defeat a monster than another monster?" Taking a deep breath as he momentarily paused, Maxwell spared one final glance at the burning city on the horizon before scoffing, "If acting courteous to that arrogant bitch means she'll send her pet vampire after Ragyo Kiryuin, so be it. But I shall make sure she understands _who_ will be leading humanity to victory!"

"We can only hope the creatures end up killing each other, your Excellency," one of the priests smugly remarked.

"Yes, indeed we can," Maxwell smirked as his violent eyes swept across the columns of heavily armored papal knights kneeling on the frost-covered grass. Over three thousand men from different orders and sects, each of whom wielded a customized anti-tank rifle, were waiting patiently for him to give the order to march into London and liberate the blasphemers from Millennium and their undead forces. The power he felt was almost intoxicating, yet Maxwell would not allow it to affect his judgment. Arms clasped behind his back once more as he calmly walked between the priests, his gaze falling upon the four men standing at attention in front of the other knights, Maxwell watched proudly when they bowed and knelt on the ground.

"The Holy Father has ordered us here. He has promoted you, in absentia, to the rank of Archbishop as befits your task. Congratulations, your grace."

His armor bearing the ancient markings of the Knights of the Sagely Brethren, the cross stitched to his hood shimmering in the moonlight, the papal knight's thick accent was readily apparent as he humbly addressed the leader of Iscariot. Reaching into the satchel on his waist once Maxwell drew to a stop several feet away, the knight carefully removed a red and gold embroidered stole. Armored fingers delicately holding the garment as he respectfully held out his hands, he leaned forward and continued, "We the faithful assembled this night form the knights of the Ninth Crusade. We are yours to command, Archbishop Maxwell. Employ us as you command."

A wide grin stretched across Maxwell's face as he reached for the stole signifying his new station of authority. But when the autumn wind momentarily picked up, causing part of the silk-like clothing to brush against his skin before settling back down, his elation quickly dissipated. There was something _off_ about the sash, a feeling of strangeness that his mind couldn't quite piece together. In that brief moment of contact it had felt like some part of the garment had tried to latch onto his skin, it was almost like…

The new archbishop mentally cursed while keeping an outward façade of smug contemplation. He should have recognized this feeling of otherworldliness from the very start. It was nearly identical to the repulsion and disgust he had felt when that man from Nudist Beach brought out that Life Fiber. If the sash gifted to him by His Holiness contained these…these things, than that meant only one thing – the Church had fallen into Ragyo Kiryuin's demonic clutches.

If the Life Fibers have truly enthralled the Vatican, it was more than likely the Ninth Crusade was severely compromised. He needed to find a way to inform Wolfe of the situation, to let her know _not_ to bring Integra Hellsing out of London. And as much as he wished to simply refuse the sash, under the pretense of keeping it safe during the battle against Millennium, he knew he could not. It would not only be highly suspicious, drawing the unwanted attention of those already corrupted, but cause doubts amongst the rest of the crusaders. As his fingers brushed once more against the stole, revulsion causing goose bumps to course up his arm, he narrowed his eyes and scowled.

"_Nudist Beach claimed those with sufficiently strong willpower can overcome the eldritch control of Life Fibers. I am Enrico Maxwell, Leader of Vatican Section XIII and one of the most powerful men on the planet. I have stared death itself in the eye and spat on the undead! I shall NOT let alien fabric take control of my mind!" _

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Blood and visceral freely dripped down the Hellsing Manor's wall as Seras Victoria callously let go of her opponent's battered corpse. Uncaring of the wet squelch when the remainder of Zorin Blitz's face slumped to the ground, the full-fledged vampire turned to walk away only to pause and look back over her shoulder. To her surprise the spiritual energy composing the fallen Sternritter's Vollstandig was being drawn into the writhing mass of shadows emanating from her left shoulder, the darkness quickly devouring the energy. Angrily clenching her right hand into a fist at the notion of absorbing anything from the Quincy, Seras gazed upon the still body of Pip Bernadotte in complete silence.<p>

It had been naïve of her to believe they would all make it through the night. When Nudist Beach's DTR Model Ray arrived, the bipedal tank's firepower overwhelming Millennium's undead soldiers, she had breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of the fight being over. Then Zorin Blitz unveiled her Vollstandig and everything went to hell. The illusions conjured without making eye contact, combined with the Quincy's sadism as she brought her nightmares and insecurities to life, had nearly shattered her mind. By the time she blearily managed to regain consciousness Seras had screamed from the excruciating pain when her left arm was severed in a shower of blood, Zorin's manic smile the last thing she saw before her eyes quickly followed.

And then Pip…

Seras pulled her attention away from the captain's body when the last seven members of the Wild Geese slowly approached her. As the battered and injured mercenaries solemnly gazed upon their fallen captain, she turned around and declared in a slightly echoing tone, "I'm heading out."

"Heading out?" One of the mercenaries half-asked, looking at his fellow compatriots in confusion, "But where's there to go?"

"He told me to drink him in so that we could win this fight. That it was the only way to defeat the Quincy," Seras answered as she recalled Pip's last words, the writhing shadows twisting angrily around her body, "But right now, I think the captain and I are only getting started."

"Captain…" another mercenary muttered, running one hand through his shaggy blond hair as stared at Pip's body. Perking up when Seras began walking away, the full-fledged vampire's footsteps echoing hollowing in the corridor, he shouldered his weapon before calling out, "One last thing!"

Blinking curiously when she heard several pairs of boots stomping on the ground, Seras looked over her shoulder and saw the remaining members of the Wild Geese respectively saluting her, "Give them hell for us, sir!"

"Make those Quincy bastards pay!" Another mercenary added as he saluted the vampire, blood staining the bandages wrapped around his forehead, "Send every fucking Sternritter to Hell, sir!"

Seras nodded appreciatively at the mercenaries, the corners of her mouth curling into a light smile at the gesture, before turning around and breaking into a sprint. Her feet barely touching the floor while the glowing shadows replacing her left arm rapidly transformed into the nearest facsimile of a pair of wings, she twisted her body counterclockwise before leaping through the nearly broken frame of a window. As she hovered over the burning wreckage of the DTR, her crimson eyes scanning the burning horizon in the distance with a mixture of anger and vengeance, Seras froze upon spotting several military jeeps racing across the manor's front lawn. Shifting course when she recognized the gray haired man sitting in the lead vehicle, the vampire slammed into the ground just as the convoy screeched to a halt.

"Damn it…"

Grunting as he leapt over the side of the jeep and looked around, the needle-ridden corpses strewn throughout the yard painting a rather clear picture of what happened, Batou tensed when the members of Echo November One and Two aimed their weapons at Seras. He knew something like this would happen. Seras was the servant of the undead bastard that murdered two of their comrades, sentencing them to a fate far worse than being devoured by COVERS. But as much as he hated Alucard, there were more important things to worry about at the moment. Frowning when the shadows composing the vampire's left arm morphed into a nightmarish rendering of a four-fingered claw, Batou growled, "Stand down! She's on our side."

As the nudists hesitantly lowered their weapons, some more reluctantly than others, Batou ordered, "Begin sweeping the manor for survivors. I don't want to hear any complaints from that French bastard."

Batou missed the crestfallen expression spread across Seras' face as he watched his men hurry toward the Hellsing Manor, several of them carrying medical supplies illegally appropriated from the London Metropolitan Police. Rubbing the bridge to stave off the oncoming headache while ignoring the glowing shadows twisting through the air, the nudist commander turned around to focus on something of far more importance – the destroyed wreckage of the DTR Model Ray. As the remains of the bipedal tank burned brightly in the night, the two halves of the Anti-Life Fiber weapon creaking loudly as several minor explosions rocked the frame, Batou groaned loudly before shouting, "That son of a… Aikuro! Where the hell are you?"

"Keep your pants on. I'm right here."

Seras gasped in embarrassment when Aikuro Mikisugi strutted out from behind the DTR's destroyed wreckage naked as the day he was born. Covering her eyes when the nudist stopped directly in front of them, purple light shining brightly from his nipples and crotch, she asked in a strangled tone, "Why are you naked?"

"Nudist Beach is an organization with one goal – stopping Ragyo Kiryuin and Life Fibers!" Aikuro answered passionately, one hand running through his blue hair, "Thus it makes perfect sense that to defeat clothing one must abandon –"

A hand slapping harshly against the back of his head, courtesy of Batou finally getting sick of his nonsense, cut Aikuro off midsentence and caused him to stumble forward, "Don't start with that naked crap. You know damn well why we chose the name. Which reminds me…just how did you escape?"

"Sharp reflexes," Aikuro recovered fairly quickly while turning towards the DTR's flaming wreckage, earning a relieved sigh from the nearby vampire, "I managed to lean out of the way right before the Quincy's arrow cut the Model Ray in half. Incidentally, that was a little trick I picked up at Honnouji Academy. You wouldn't believe what some of the students did to beat the first period bell."

Batou couldn't suppress an annoyed grumble at his fellow nudist's answer. There were only four DTR Model Rays in existence, including the wreckage currently burning on the Hellsing Manor's front yard, and each was needed in the fight against Ragyo Kiryuin. And somehow, despite having nothing to do with it, he had the notion that Olivier was going to blame him for the loss of the DTR. Making a mental note to kick Anderson's ass whenever the bastard showed up, Batou turned to Seras, "Do you mind filling me in on what happened?"

"Millennium sent a Sternritter," Seras quietly explained, her crimson eyes turning away as she continued, "Mr. Anderson tried to stop her but she was too strong. And after she used that technique nothing we did could hurt her. I lost my arm and the captain…"

It took less than a second for the nudist commander to understand what Seras was implying, "Damn it… What about the Sternritter?"

Seras clenched her right hand tightly as she answered with conviction, "Dead."

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," Aikuro helpfully interjected, his hands folded into the pockets of a lab coat he somehow managed to procure. Staring at the city burning on the horizon, his gaze turned thoughtful as he added, "But it's likely there are more of these Sternritter in London. I just hope Ichigo and Ryuko are strong enough to stop them."

Batou's brow creased into a worried frown as Aikuro's comment caused him to think back to the Great Culture and Sports Festival. The four Sternritter that accompanied Ichigo and the others to Honnouji Academy ahead of the main Nudist Beach offensive had claimed their objective was taking out Ragyo Kiryuin. Yet evidence suggested Quincy had a natural weakness to Life Fibers. So why would Millennium, an organization essentially run by Quincy, launch an attack when both Ichigo and Ryuko were still in London? That fat bastard of a Major was far too cunning to not know they were still in the city, which begged the question of Millennium's true intentions.

Flinching when Seras suddenly leapt into the sky, the living shadows wrapping around her body before transforming into a set of wings, Batou watched her disappear over the horizon before turning to Aikuro, "Where's Anderson?"

"Last time I saw him he was running to escape the Bleach Starch Cannon's blast radius," Aikuro answered nonchalantly with a small shrug before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a standard issue Nudist Beach phone. Frowning when he tried calling headquarters only to receive nothing but static, he rubbed his chin and sighed, "Be honest with me, Batou. How bad is London?"

"It's too early to tell," Batou shook his head before answering, "Conservatively? We're easily looking at causalities in the hundreds of thousands, maybe even two million in a couple of hours. And that's not including the thousands of undead ghouls shambling in the streets. This is turning into a real – "

"It's about time ye arrived."

Alexander Anderson ignored the surprised expressions on the two men's faces as he stalked out of the shadows, one hand held against his bleeding shoulder. Effortlessly pushing Aikuro away when the nudist tried to dress his wounds, the former priest stomped to a halt in front of Batou and growled, "I need ye to take me back to London."

For several seconds Batou's mouth opened and closed as his mind attempted to formulate an effective answer to one of the stupidest questions he'd heard in years. It had taken all the skills he acquired over decades of service to the military, Revocs and Nudist Beach just to escape the hellhole that was now London. Realizing that his fellow commander was still waiting for an answer, he rubbed the back of his neck and bluntly asked, "Are you insane?"

"That Quincy possessed a rather nasty ability. She could peer into yer mind. Dredge yer deepest and darkest memories from the depths of yer soul," Anderson's green eyes narrowed as he stared at the burning conflagration in the distance, the dense smoke rising into the night nearly blotting out the moon. Momentarily pausing when the surviving members of the Wild Geese emerged from the Hellsing Manor, the more injured mercenaries helped by his fellow nudists, the former priest spat on the ground and sneered, "But when I kicked her out of my mind I got a glimpse into her own. All of this murder…sacrilege and blasphemy…destruction and chaos…it's all part of a greater plan involving Alucard."

"According to Kisuke Urahara's information Alucard is one of the most dangerous creatures in existence," Aikuro muttered contemplatively while subtly adjusting his lab coat until both of his nipples were exposed, "If these Quincy are planning something, it cannot be good for humanity."

It took Batou all of five seconds to come to a decision that he would most likely soon regret. Cursing under his breath as he ran towards the nearest jeep and vaulted over the vehicle's door with barely any effort, the nudist commander waited until he heard Anderson land in the passenger's seat before turning on the engine and shifting into rear. As the military jeep spun around, kicking up dirt and grass, he leaned over the door and shouted at Aikuro, "Keep trying to contact headquarters! Olivier needs to know what's happening! I also expect you to take full responsibility for what happened to the DTR Model Ray!"

Hands tucked neatly into his coat as he watched the jeep race off into the night, Aikuro slowly but surely became aware that he had an audience. Quirking an eyebrow as he turned around and saw the surviving members of Wild Geese staring at his attire, or rather lack of, he frowned when one of them asked, "Do you mind putting on a pair of goddamn pants?"

Without missing a beat he replied, "As a matter of fact I do."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Damn it…your Kamui is a real piece of work," Bazz-B grunted as he slowly picked himself off the ground, beads of sweat dripping freely down his face.<p>

After more than ten minutes of fighting Ichigo Kurosaki using the extensive Daten collected from the battle of Honnouji Academy, the only thing Bazz-B knew with any degree of certainty was that Life Fibers were bullshit. Nothing else could explain how the teenager blocked or dodged both Burner Finger One and Two, attacks with enough power to kill captain-level shinigami, with contemptible ease. And then there was that hardened Life Fiber weapon – Tournesol. It was one thing knowing it could simply ignore Blut Vene no matter how much spiritual energy you put into the technique. But it was another thing entirely to feel the blade cutting into your flesh. All in all, it absolutely sucked having to be the one forced to stall one of the few people in the world capable of easily kicking his ass.

Waves of flames erupted from Bazz-B's body as he staggered back onto his feet, a grin stretching across his face when the intense heat began melting the surrounding asphalt, "Did you seriously name that form Zangetsu? Goddamn, you really don't have any imagination."

Ichigo felt Mugetsu bristle angrily around his body, the Kamui incensed at the Quincy for daring to insult her beautiful form, as he ignored Bazz-B's comment. Tightening his grip on Tournesol while sliding one foot outwards, the roiling waves of molten rock flowing through the nearby street a mere afterthought, he had the nagged sensation in the back of his mind that something wasn't right. All of the Sternritter's attacks had been ineffective, the Life Fibers woven throughout his body and Mugetsu easily shrugging off the normally lethal bursts of fire. Yet Bazz-B continued fighting with everything he had. It was almost like…

"You're stalling me…" Ichigo announced in realization, Bazz-B's brief look of subdued surprise proof enough he was correct. His brown eyes narrowing when he searched for Ryuko's and Senketsu's spiritual energy, only to mentally curse when they were both further away than he originally thought, Ichigo scowled before continuing, "You've been slowly pushing me away from her. Why? Are you afraid of fighting both of us at the same time?"

"Heh…well, you figured it out."

There was a soft tearing sound as Bazz-B gripped the tattered remains of his right sleeve, the fabric soaked crimson with his blood, before tearing it away. Scoffing before sliding one foot backwards and pointing his hand at Ichigo, every finger but his thumb fully extended, he glared at the teenager as the ambient temperature suddenly skyrocketed, "But it's too late! I bet you're thinking 'If I defeat this guy, I can go help my girlfriend!' Well, that's not going to happen! Burner Finger Four!"

Almost instantaneously a broadsword constructed purely from blue flames emerged from the Sternritter's extended hand. Even though the corners of his mouth twisted into a smirk at seeing Ichigo's entire posture stiffen, the multicolored eyes of his Kamui narrowing at the power behind the attack, Bazz-B couldn't ignore the feeling of apprehension buried deep in his chest. He already knew there was not a chance in hell could actually defeat Ichigo, even if he used Vollstandig. All he needed to do was keep the teenager occupied long enough for the Major's signal that the last pieces of the Schatten Ausrufung were in position.

Once that was done he planned on getting the hell out of London.

Lazily swinging his right arm outwards, every building on that side of the street immediately falling apart when large chunks of masonry and steel disintegrated into ash, Bazz-B didn't give Ichigo any time to prepare before sprinting forward. Forming a spiritual crossbow in his left hand before firing several Heilig Pfeil in rapid succession, each containing enough power to level a building, he waited until the teenager was already dedicated to deflecting the arrows before vanishing in a burst of Hirenkyaku. Reappearing in the air with his arm arcing towards Ichigo's head, his eyes narrowing when he saw the hybrid already raising Tournesol, Bazz-B shouted as he slammed his attack against the hardened Life Fiber blade.

A massive explosion erupted across London as Bazz-B's technique smashed into Tournesol, the burst of blue flames rising into the smoke-filled skies drawing the undivided attention of nearly every remaining soul within the city limits. Gritting his teeth in frustration when Ichigo managed to block his attack, the fact the teenager was using both hands barely counting as a consolation prize, Bazz-B grunted before shifting the flow of his spiritual energy purely into Blut Arterie. Grinning maliciously when the sudden increase in power caused Ichigo to slide backwards along the ground, the teenager's feet digging twin trenches the asphalt for purchase, the Sternritter's elation quickly vanished when his momentum abruptly stopped.

"_What the hell? I put enough spiritual energy into Burner Finger Four to burn down half of fucking London and he's not even budging?"_

Bazz-B's mouth pulled into a grimace as he ignored his growing trepidation and attempted to overwhelm Ichigo's naturally superior defenses. Beads of sweat evaporating off his skin as the ambient temperature pushed past one thousand degrees, the heat enough to melt everything and anyone unfortunate enough to be within one hundred feet of him, the Quincy noticed the strained look on Ichigo's face and stiffened. If the teenager was struggling to hold back Burner Finger Four, then that meant his Life Fibers were beginning to reach their limit. He might actually have a shot at winning.

Twisting his body sideways as he sought to press the advantage Bazz-B froze when he noticed phantasmal cracks rapidly spreading across his technique. Eyes widening as Tournesol carved relentlessly through the spiritual flames, the Sternritter grunted while desperately throwing his body away from his opponent, _"Damn it! He's gotten –"_

His thoughts were cut off when Tournesol suddenly cleaved through the rest of Burner Finger Four, the hardened Life Fiber blade barely missing cutting off his hand. Astonishment spreading across his face when the blade continued arcing forward and cut deeply into his body, crimson rapidly spreading from his waist up to his neck, Bazz-B painfully coughed up blood as the subsequent release of energy sent him flying away from Ichigo. Bouncing along the ground while the last traces of his techniques dissipated into wisps of fire, he crashed through several tones of half-melted debris before coming to a stop inside one of the few buildings still standing.

"Damn it, that was too close."

Ichigo relaxed his grip around Tournesol when he felt the ambient temperature starting to decrease, the supernatural blue flames throughout the area vanishing without the Sternritter's conscious control. Softly clenching his armored hand into a fist, Ichigo couldn't help but think that it was only thanks to the Life Fibers woven inside his body and Mugetsu that he managed to defeat Bazz-B so quickly. It still didn't make much sense to the teenager but the resistance of his Life Fibers to Quincy spiritual energy allowed him to counter the Sternritter's attacks, ending what should have been a difficult fight in only a few minutes and saving hundreds of innocent people.

Frowning as he glanced briefly in the direction he last sensed Ryuko's spiritual energy, her power detectable even halfway across London, Ichigo sighed before turning his attention towards the fallen Sternritter. His fingers tightening around Tournesol as he slowly approached the building where Bazz-B crashed, Ichigo stopped and looked into one of Mugetsu's multicolored eyes when she growled irritably, "What?"

"_**Where are you going?"**_ Mugetsu's eyes narrowed as she glared at her wearer, _**"Ryuko and Senketsu are that way!"**_

Ichigo watched his Kamui helpfully point down the street with her pauldron, the fabric-like armor twisting and contorting, before replying, "I know, but there are a few things I want to ask this guy."

"_**That might be a problem, Ichigo,"**_ Mugetsu answered bluntly while staring into the damaged building. After several seconds passed without any movement from within the heavily obscuring dust and smoke, she swiveled her eyes back up to Ichigo and added, _**"You hit him pretty hard. And there was a lot of disgusting and tasteless blood. He might be dead."**_

"Trust me, it takes a lot more than that to kill someone like Bazz-B," Ichigo argued, memories of his fights against Grimmjow and Kenpachi passing through his mind as he pointed over his shoulder at the devastated street. Grumbling in annoyance when Mugetsu rolled her eyes and looked away, a condescending huff echoing in his head, he grabbed part of the Kamui and harshly pulled on it, "I wasn't trying to kill him! If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't have shifted my attack at the last second!"

Mugetsu bristled in annoyance at Ichigo's mistreatment of her uniform before giving him the Kamui equivalent of a scowl, _**"Just don't do anything like that again. Ragyo Kiryuin might have demonstrated that our Life Fibers can survive on the sun but I was the one getting hit by that Quincy's attacks. Look at my sleeves, Ichigo! They're actually scuffed!"**_

Despite the fact his arms were covered in scratches and burns, obtained from blocking Bazz-B's Burner Finger Four at pointblank range, Ichigo stared into his Kamui's accusatory gaze and countered, "You took more damage when we fought Sanageyama! Besides, if I didn't stop that attack he would have – "

Snapping his head upwards when he felt a familiar buildup of spiritual energy, Ichigo instinctively leaned to the side moments before a beam of concentrated flames exploded from the building in front of him. As the flames sputtered momentarily before flickering away, the trail of devastation behind him continuing for several blocks, Ichigo raised Tournesol and scowled when he picked up the sound of unsteady footsteps. Stumbling as he walked out of the building with wisps of smoke rising from his extended finger and blood dripping from the large gash on his chest, Bazz-B panted heavily while glaring at the teenager, "Fuck…you're strong. But what's with…that stupid look…on your face? A pathetic attack like that…isn't enough to kill me!"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," Ichigo's voice remained perfectly calm as he repeated what he told Mugetsu to Bazz-B. His eyes shifting from the Sternritter when he noticed the black and red checkerboard-patterned zeppelin passing relatively close to his position, the airship's floodlights sweeping widely over the destruction plaguing the city, Ichigo frowned contemplatively before adding, "But I'm curious about one thing. Who ordered you to attack me? Was it your boss or the Major?"

"Well, aren't you smart," Bazz-B chuckled dryly before spitting out a wad of blood. An unpleasant grin stretching across his face as he stepped backwards and raised his bloody right hand, every finger extended and pointing at Ichigo, the Sternritter shouted, "But like hell I'm going to tell you anything! Burning Full – "

The massive buildup of spiritual energy around Bazz-B's hand was quickly severed when Ichigo abruptly vanished from view, Mugetsu's boosted speed while in Zangetsu enough to allow the teenager to swiftly close the distance between him and his opponent. Wrapping his hand around the surprised Quincy's wrist before twisting it upwards, eliciting a wince of pain from the Sternritter, Ichigo tightened his grip and scowled, "Give up. It's over."

"I'm still standing, aren't I?"

Bazz-B ignored the pain coursing through his body as he wrenched his hand free from Ichigo's grip. Quickly leaping away from the teenager using Hirenkyaku, his breath coming out in heavily pants while sweat dripped down his face, the Sternritter didn't know how much longer he could keep Ichigo from leaving. Already his spiritual energy was starting to run low, a nasty side effect of needing to overcharge every attack just to have a shot at damaging that Kamui. Sneering in frustration when he noticed a familiar condescending look in Ichigo's eyes, Bazz-B's expression turned outright murderous as he passionately declared, "So unless you have the guts to kill me, this fight ain't over yet! Vollstandig: Feuer –"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

The sensation of Tournesol pressing against the underside of his chin, the hardened Life Fiber blade threatening to draw blood, caused Bazz-B to freeze. He couldn't understand what the hell happened. The Daten on Mugetsu gave a clear estimate of the Kamui's speed, which was part of the reason His Majesty ordered him to stall the teenager, yet he hadn't sensed Ichigo until it was already too late. Clenching his fingers tightly into a fist as he lowered his arm, Bazz-B glowered silently when Ichigo solemnly continued, "You told me you didn't like murdering innocent people. You even saved people from your comrades. So why the hell are you doing this?"

"It's like you said – I don't like taking out innocent people. It just doesn't sit right with me," Bazz-B scoffed as Ichigo pulled Tournesol away from his neck. Holding one hand against his bleeding chest, the Sternritter spat on the ground and turned around, "But you already know what Ragyo is planning, don't you? That monster is trying to feed humanity to fucking Life Fibers. His Majesty is determined to prevent that – through any means necessary."

"What kind of answer is that?" Ichigo demanded, grabbing the front of Bazz-B's uniform before exclaiming, "Look around! How is this helping to stop Ragyo Kiryuin?"

Before Bazz-B could answer Ichigo's question a loud screeching noise reminiscent of a speaker echoed across the burning city. Turning up towards the sky, his eyes widening when he spotted dozens of helicopters and gunships flying in formation, Ichigo tightened his grip around Tournesol when an insane but familiar voice madly preached, "…offer you my pity, but forgiveness? NEVER! Now prepare to be purged from the earth! Mowed down like grass! Crushed like bugs!"

"The hell is wrong with this guy?" Bazz-B sarcastically commented, grimacing slightly when Ichigo let go of his uniform. His previous exhaustion beginning to abate as he listened to Maxwell's insane laughter, the newly promoted archbishop's every other word a declaration of death, the Sternritter silently watched Ichigo turn around before quickly raising his hand into the air. As he prepared to summon a shadow portal back to the Silbern, Ichigo's distraction the perfect opportunity to fall back and retreat, the Sternritter stopped when dozens of spotlights flashed into existence around them.

"And all Quincy shall perish beneath the might of God!"

Ichigo and Bazz-B silently watched as over one hundred armored soldiers, each clad in white robes bearing the markings of the Knights of Malta, descended from the helicopters onto the surrounding rooftops. Scowling when most of the religious knights aimed their heavily modified weapons directly at him, Ichigo quickly turned around and looked upwards when Maxwell addressed him by name, "And you – Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi! You Life Fiber creatures are abominations against God! Monsters destined for the deepest pits of Hell! His Holiness has ordered the complete and utter eradication of you creatures!"

"Damn your voice is fucking annoying."

Firing off a single Burner Finger One at the nearest helicopter, the concentrated beam of flames piercing through the armor like paper, Bazz-B smugly grinned at the suddenly nervous knights before stomping his foot against the ground. As the ambient temperature instantly increased to the boiling point of water, causing the knights nearest the Quincy to fall down and scream in pain, Bazz-B ignored their suffering and chuckled, "I'm guessing you're one of those coward types, hiding behind your men and their fancy weapons. Man, you are a sorry sack of crap."

"Your blasphemy knows no bounds, Quincy!" Maxwell furiously shouted in response, the receivers built into the armor of every papal knight allowing the archbishop to easily hear Bazz-B's scathing insult. His voice continuing to rise as the gunships aimed their weapons down into the street, Maxwell was nearly screaming when hundreds of missiles fired simultaneously at Ichigo and Bazz-B, "Did you think the Church did not learn from the last encounter with your heretical king? We have learned, Quincy, and we have PREPARED!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Screw this silent bastard!"<p>

Ryuko's fingers dug into the half-tone piece of debris as she easily shifted it off her legs. Blowing a strand of feathery hair out of her eyes while slowly standing back up, the minor wounds covering her body already regenerating, steam burst from Senketsu's vents as she growled angrily. The Quincy was really starting to piss her off. Every single time she tried hitting him with the Scissor Blade, he would wait until the very last second before moving out of the way and countering with a punch or kick that sent her flying hundreds of feet away. While the attacks didn't hurt, having to constantly hunt down the stoic bastard was wearing on her last nerve.

And then there was the Sternritter's complete and utter silence. Satsuki's condescending smirk and constant arrogance at Honnouji Academy had made Ryuko wish nothing more than to punch her sister repeatedly in the face. In fact, it still did. Gamagori and Sanageyama's stupidity at the hospital hadn't changed anything. But she was willing to let all of that go if it meant being able to beat the ever-living shit out of the silver haired Quincy.

"Heh, but I finally managed to hit him," Ryuko's lips curled into a pleased grin. While a small scratch would normally not be to something to celebrate, seeing the shocked expression on the Quincy's face when the Scissor Blade cut into his arm had been worth getting kicked in the stomach.

"_**Perhaps,"**_ Senketsu mused as his wearer's arm snapped out, armored fingers clasping around the handle of the Scissor Blade. Humming softly as Ryuko pulled the weapon free from the rubble, red and black jagged lines immediately appearing on the crimson blade, he narrowed his multicolored eye before adding, _**"But be careful, Ryuko. Something tells me he was holding back."**_

"Is that right?" Ryuko muttered, the red undertone in her hair brightening as she reversed her grip on the Scissor Blade. Sparing a cursory glance at Senketsu's multicolored eye before sprinting forward, she leapt through the hole in the high-end apartment building while shouting, "Well he wasn't the only one!"

Ryuko's narrowed her eyes as she was immediately buffeted by the bitter autumn wind, the nauseating stench permeating the city causing her face to scrunch up in disgust. As she fell nearly thirty feet to the streets below, wisps of dust clinging futilely to Senketsu's armor, she tightened her grip on the Scissor Blade even before her high-heels slammed into the pavement. There was not a chance in hell she was going to let the Quincy ambush her for a third time. Staring in disbelief when she finally spotted the bastard, his overcoat the last thing she saw before he vanished into the distance, Ryuko raised a fist impotently into the air and seethed, "Hey! Get the hell back here!"

_**"Ryuko…"**_

"He's not getting away that easily!" Ryuko declared as she crouched against the ground, her Kamui returning to his original configuration in a burst of ruby light, "Senketsu Ship –"

"_**Wait, Ryuko!"**_ Staring passively down the street while his wearer stumbled forward awkwardly due to his sudden exclamation, Senketsu ignored Ryuko's annoyed growling and continued, _**"We have company."**_

Ryuko blinked owlishly at the Kamui before turning around, "Company?"

To her surprise, standing on the far end of the street with a slightly pleased smirk tearing at the corners of her mouth was Integra Hellsing. Chuckling in amusement as she gently bit down on the cigar in her mouth, which Wolfe had been polite enough to light, she didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that most of the paladins currently 'escorting' her were staring at Ryuko in complete bewilderment. They were supposedly Iscariot's finest soldiers. Instruments of God crafted to deliver righteous judgment upon the monsters across the earth. Yet the mere sight of a teenager girl in a rather revealing uniform, who just so happened to nearly instantly recover from getting kicked through a building, had rendered the entire lot of hardened warriors speechless.

"I see you're doing rather well, Ryuko," Integra commented as she sauntered towards the teenager, her cold eyes examining every inch of Senketsu.

The leader of the Hellsing Organization found it ironic that barely a month ago the concept of a Kamui would have been ludicrous. Sapient and semi-autonomous uniforms woven purely out of Life Fibers that granted their wearers enough power to fight on par with vampires and other supernatural creatures? She would have immediately deemed such nonsense laughable, even with the events surrounding the initial Revocs embargo. Yet personally witnessing Ragyo Kiryuin's assault on Parliament, as well as the Grand Couturier's surprising appearance in Her Majesty's chambers, had put such childish notions to rest. Despite Senketsu's brazen and revealing form, which accentuated Ryuko's already gifted figure, the power dwelling within the Kamui was no laughing matter.

Then again, compared to her experience dealing with Alucard something like this really shouldn't have come as a surprise.

Slowly removing the cigar from her mouth as she stopped several feet away from Ryuko, Integra glanced in the direction the Captain fled, "That Quincy was the same man I entrusted Walter to defeat. I presume you intervened?"

"Yeah," Ryuko replied with a small nod, the Scissor Blade propped against her shoulder as she turned around and scowled, "This guy came out of nowhere right before I could kick his boss's ass. Damn it, these Quincy are really freaking annoying!"

Integra quirked an eyebrow at Ryuko's statement, her attention drawn to the barely noticeable scratches on the teenager's skin, before replying in an amused tone, "I take it there aren't any issues?"

"This guy is fast…but he underestimated Senketsu," Ryuko smugly boasted. Smirking as her Kamui beamed at the praise, she exclaimed, "It took a while but I finally managed to hit him. I just got to take a few more punches and he'll be down for the count."

"I see…" Integra lightly tapped the end of her cigar, burning ash falling onto the ground, before placing it back into her mouth and asking, "And where is Ichigo?"

"I don't know. We got separated a while ago," Ryuko answered dejectedly. It shouldn't have been that hard to keep track of Ichigo, especially since she could easily sense Mugetsu's power over large distances. Yet she hadn't even noticed he was gone until Senketsu pointed it out. Perking up when she remembered Batou's plan, but more specifically her role in it, she pointed over her shoulder and announced, "Oh, that's right! I was supposed to meet Ichigo at your place. I can fly there and I'm sure Senketsu wouldn't mind carrying you."

"_**It shouldn't be a problem,"**_ Senketsu agreed, his sole eye narrowing in thought before adding, _**"Besides, a woman of her size and weight shouldn't be that much of a burden."**_

"What the hell, Senketsu?" Ryuko growled in embarrassment at the Kamui's blunt answer, drawing a raised eyebrow from Integra and Iscariot's complete attention. Folding her arms over her chest as Senketsu apologized, she huffed angrily and asked, "Anyway, do you want a lift?"

"That all depends…" Tossing her cigar into the nearest pile of burning debris, Integra glanced over her shoulder at Heinkel Wolfe, "Do you have any problems with this arrangement, Wolfe?"

A tense moment of silence followed Integra's sarcastic question before the corners of Heinkel's lips curled into a nearly imperceptible smirk. Holstering the heavily modified blessed pistol inside her cassock before slowly marching towards Ryuko and Integra, the paladin's opaque glasses hid her narrowed grey-green eyes as she replied, "Dealing with Ryuko will be far more trouble than it's worth. Given all that we know about her, I'm certain there is nothing we could do to stop her if she chose to leave. However…we do have our orders."

Immediately after Heinkel finished speaking more than a dozen metallic clicks softly echoed throughout the area as nearly every paladin collectively aimed their blessed weapons at the two women standing down the street. When Ryuko responded to the threatening display of firepower by tightening her grip on the Scissor Blade and moving protectively in front of Integra faster than most of the paladins could follow, Yumiko growled faintly under her breath and swung her arm outwards.

"Stand down unless ordered to engage. Is that clear?" The Japanese paladin's voice carried a scathing undertone as she stopped her comrades from doing anything foolish. And as her hidden eyes noticed the reactions from the other paladins, which ranged from reluctant acceptance to near insubordination, it was abundantly clear they were underestimating Ryuko's power.

"You've made quite the powerful ally, Integra Hellsing."

Ignoring the actions of her fellow paladins, Heinkel calmly tucked her hands inside the pockets of her cassock while complimenting one of the Church's most hated enemies and, at the current time, allies. While she would shed no tears if something were to befall Integra Hellsing, the paladin knew her cooperation was necessary if they were to stop Ragyo Kiryuin and Millennium. If that meant taking the young leader of the Hellsing Organization into custody until she guaranteed full assistance with the Church's plans than so be it. She just hoped several hours of speaking to Maxwell weren't enough to set Alucard on a murderous rampage across Europe.

"Ryuko's power is far above that of a human's," Heinkel calmly stated as she stopped several feet away from Integra, "I doubt I could stop her even if I tried."

While Ryuko growled angrily and glared daggers at the paladin for the perceived insult against her humanity, Integra frowned when something from her meeting with Maxwell at the museum came to the forefront of her mind. At the time she had assumed it to be of no great importance. A random thought that could easily be attributed to heightened nerves brought about from meeting one of the most loathsome men in the world. And with a threat like Millennium lurking in the shadows she had quickly forgotten about some of the meeting's more trivial details. But upon looking back, she narrowed her eyes as she recalled both Maxwell and Wolfe reacting to Alucard when he mentioned Ryuko's name.

"Your tone around Ryuko implies familiarity, Wolfe," Integra's tone was curt as she stepped closer to the paladin, "What is your connection to her?"

"Say what?" Ryuko's voice nearly caught in her throat when she heard Integra's out of the blue question. Twisting around until she was facing the older woman, she pointed the Scissor Blade at Heinkel and defensively exclaimed, "I don't even know her!"

"That's not a surprise."

Heinkel didn't react when Ryuko angrily turned around, her blue eyes narrowed dangerously at the comment. However, the paladin was not prepared to see the Kamui's multicolored eye narrow alongside his wearer's. Her attention luckily drawn away from the alien expression when several explosions tore through a nearby street, she calmly stepped around the Scissor Blade before gently adding, "To be honest, it would have been a surprise if you did remember. After all, you were only four years old the last time we met."

"Enough with the bullshit already!"

Ryuko gnashed her teeth in frustration before stomping over to Heinkel and gripping the front of her cassock. She was sick and tired of everyone in England claiming to already know her. First there was Anderson's little speech about raising her in an orphanage and now these people claiming to have grown up with her?! That made no goddamn sense! Even if he wasn't the best parent in the world, which she could understand in hindsight, her dad was the only person she remembered from her childhood.

Snorting angrily as she pulled Heinkel closer, Ryuko ignored the reactions from the other paladins and seethed, "When will you idiots give it a rest? There's no way any of that stupid crap Anderson said was true! I didn't grow up in a damn orphanage and I sure as hell don't know any of you!"

There was an outburst of muttering and whispers from the paladins upon the offhanded mention of Anderson's name. Although the atrocities committed by Ragyo Kiryuin over the previous weeks and the revelations from Nudist Beach shed new light on the traitor's actions thirteen years ago, it did not erase the knowledge that Anderson murdered members of the holy conclave. The former priest may have committed his sins in order to save humanity from an unholy monster but he still needed to face righteous justice for his many crimes against the Church.

Slowly stalking away from her fellow paladins, Yumiko's hand thumbed the sheathed katana strapped to her waist as she stared at Ryuko from beneath messy black hair, "How well do you know Father Anderson?"

"Only that he's a complete asshole," Ryuko bitingly replied, her blue eyes narrowing when she looked around the larger paladin and noticed Yumiko's hand curled around the weapon at her waist. Spitting on the ground before huffing in annoyance as she harshly let go of Heinkel's cassock, the paladin quickly smoothing out the wrinkles on her uniform, Ryuko took a step back and once more pointed the Scissor Blade at the larger woman, "So are you going to stop screwing with me or do I have to beat the truth out of you?"

"The truth…"

Heinkel's tone contained the barest traces of melancholy as she calmly reached into her cassock, mindful of Ryuko's fingers tightening around the crimson blade clenched firmly in her hand. Carefully pulling out the slightly yellowed photograph she recovered from Hanobaro House, the corners bent from its time in her pocket, the paladin remained silent as she handed it to a suspicious Ryuko. Heinkel was well aware of Integra Hellsing's interest in the picture, if the slight tilting of the young woman's head was any indication. It was too bad that she didn't have the time to scold the Protestant for her rudeness and lack of tact.

"You spent four years at the Kobe orphanage alongside Yumiko, Maxwell and myself," the paladin's gaze softened behind her glasses when she noticed Ryuko's fingers beginning to tremble, "You were very shy, always hiding from the other children in your room. I suppose that's part of the reason Maxwell took quite the liking to you."

"What…how…"

Ryuko found herself at a loss for words as she stared in mute shock at the discolored photograph. None of this made any sense! She would have remembered something, anything, if she grew up at an orphanage, damn it! Yet she couldn't deny the picture of a much happier Anderson crouched next to her clearly embarrassed younger self, the former priest looking like he was trying to cheer her up.

"_**Ryuko?"**_

Although he was unable to see the photograph due to the angle Senketsu could instinctively tell something was wrong. It was blatantly obvious to the Kamui that the subject matter of the previous conversation had been a sore point for his wearer, if the spike in blood pressure and Ryuko's rampaging emotions meant anything. Tightening around Ryuko when her fear and confusion bled across their connection, Senketsu looked upwards and asked, _**"Are you alright?"**_

"I'm fine, Senketsu," Ryuko muttered in a subdued tone, most of her anger and frustrating bleeding away. While she was still upset about the picture, there were far more important things to worry about at the moment. She could always hunt Anderson down and beat the answers out of him once she was finished kicking the Major's smug ass. Grumbling as she awkwardly handed the photograph back to Heinkel, Ryuko's eyebrow began twitching when something the paladin said came to mind.

"Wait a second," she growled before glaring suspiciously at the paladin, "How the hell was I friends with your stuck up boss? He's like ten years older than me!"

"Nobody knows. One day you just started following Maxwell everywhere he went. He never told us why," Yumiko muttered while shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Whatever, but one last question before I leave with Hellsing," Ryuko rolled her eyes while tilting her head at Integra, who sighed under her breath at the name. Propping the Scissor Blade against her shoulder, Ryuko suppressed a tired yawn and scoffed, "And it's been bugging me for a while. But what's your deal with Anderson? What did that bastard –"

Ryuko was cut off when dozens of loudspeakers simultaneously blared into existence, the harsh static causing her to wince and cover one ear. Growling under her breath as the noise quickly died away, she spun around and glared angrily into the smoke-filled skies only for her eyes to widen in surprise. Hundreds of helicopters and gunships, their silhouettes barely visible against the glowing horizon, were flying above the city. Bewilderment etched onto her face as she watched the multitude of aircraft fly overhead, the Scissor Blade held limply in her grip, Ryuko couldn't help but wonder who the hell these people were. Her expression twisting into an annoyed scowl when she noticed the symbols on the armored figures rappelling from the helicopters, Ryuko opened her mouth to demand answers from Heinkel when a familiar voice blasted out of the loudspeakers.

"England is guilty! The heathens are guilty!"

The passion permeating Maxwell's every word caused Ryuko to freeze with her mouth slightly agape. Staring in shock as the new archbishop's laughter echoed throughout the city, goose bumps broke out over her exposed skin when Maxwell gleefully continued, "You are all now sentenced…to your death. Death. Death! Death! DEATH! I can offer you my pity, but forgiveness? NEVER! Now prepared to be purged from the earth! Mowed down like grass! Crushed like bugs!"

"What the fuck?" Ryuko gasped while Senketsu's single eye swiveling upwards, "Is he for real?"

Integra angrily clenched her hands into fists. After the Grand Couturier's surprise appearance during their last meeting, her counterpart had reluctantly agreed to pool their resources in order to stop Ragyo Kiryuin and Millennium. But this…this didn't make any sense. Biting her lower lip as realization hit her, Integra stomped forward and seethed, "He wouldn't!"

"And all Quincy shall perish behind the might of God!"

Maxwell's fingers clenched the podium as the legions of papal knights moved to engage the remnants of the Jahrtausendarmee's undead army, their specialized holy weapons cutting through the vampirized soldiers. But none of that mattered in the slightest. The only thing of importance was killing any and all enemies of God. His left eye beginning to twitch when several pilots reported the fat bastard of a Major standing on the large zeppelin hovering over the far side of the city, Maxwell tightly gripped the nearest microphone and turned his attention towards Ichigo Kurosaki, "And you – Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi! You Life Fiber creatures are abominations against God! Monsters destined for the deepest pits of Hell! His Holiness has ordered the complete and utter eradication of you creatures!"

"Maxwell…" Integra could barely contain her fury when the Vatican forces opened fire on the city, machine gun and missiles slaughtering her fellow citizens who had been fortunate enough to survive Millennium's initial purge, "You have betrayed us."

"I cannot condone these actions."

Disappointment laced Heinkel's voice as she slowly stalked around Ryuko and Integra. In most circumstances she wouldn't have any compunctions about launching a crusade against heathens and heretics, especially those as blasphemous as the Quincy. Those who denied God needed to be purged, their souls expunged from the Earth. Backstabbing, betrayals and even classical offensives were all moral choices to be used in destroying such adversaries. But there were a few lines she adamantly refused to cross. The willing slaughter of innocent men, women and children, even if they were all heathens, was something she could never condone.

It was one thing to slaughter enemy soldiers in the name of God. After all, those willing to take up arms against the Lord deserved to be sent to Hell, sentenced to eternal torment and agony. But Maxwell's words left a bitter taste in her mouth. The dangers posed by the Quincy were well documented. Massive casualties were expected in destroying such an ancient and unholy enemy of the Vatican. But this was different. Purposefully ordering her fellow servants of God to murder thousands of heathens? Calling up the Church's full authority to destroy London while enemies such as Ragyo Kiryuin lurk in the shadows?

This wasn't _right_.

Spitting angrily on the ground as she sneered angrily into the encroaching conflagration, Heinkel stomped her foot against the ground and snarled, "Launching a crusade to kill these blasphemous Quincy and their heretical king is one thing, but this? This isn't God's work, Maxwell!"

Ryuko's armored fingers tightly gripped the Scissor Blade as hundreds of missiles slammed into the streets of London, the resulting destruction and chaos creating plumes of smoke and burning ash that temporarily obscured the glowing horizon. As Senketsu's shocked voice reverberated inside her mind, the Kamui unable to comprehend how a human could ever willingly order the deaths of millions of people, Ryuko gnashed her teeth and turned her growing fury upon the nearest available target.

Her feathery hair flaring wildly as she pointed the Scissor Blade at Heinkel, the crimson weapon glowing faintly due to her emotional state, Ryuko stared into the paladin's eyes and exclaimed, "So what was that crap you were saying? Because it sounds like my 'friend' just said he wants to kill everyone in London! Including Ichigo and me!"

The paladin didn't react to Ryuko's threatening gesture, her expression unchanged even with the Scissor Blade hovering inches from her face. A scowl quickly spreading across her face upon spotting Maxwell, the silver haired man safely held within a shatterproof box, Heinkel's voice remained steady even as a cold sensation crept down her spin, "Something's wrong."

Integra clenched her hand into a fist upon hearing Wolfe's callous response. Scoffing as she turned from the conflagration enveloping her fair city, she noted the expression on Ryuko's Kamui before narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the paladin, "What do you mean 'wrong'?"

"It does not matter, Integra Hellsing," Heinkel countered, her cassock billowing as she turned away from Ryuko. The paladin did not see the point in explaining herself further to the other woman. Given both the heightened animosity between their respective organizations and the supernatural power Integra Hellsing still commanded, it would be extremely unwise to admit that the vanguard of paladins currently escorting her comprised Iscariot's only planned response to Millennium's attack.

When they first received word that Millennium was moving towards London, Maxwell had confided that while committing most of the Vatican's forces against their ancient enemy would assure victory, the cost would be staggering. Even the most optimistic scenarios anticipated more than half of the papal knights perishing against the blasphemous power of the Quincy and their undead soldiers. They would be completely defenseless when Ragyo Kiryuin felt it was time to feed humanity to her eldritch master. Instead, Maxwell had thought it best to wait until Alucard returned to London. Although the loss of life would undoubtedly be tragic, allowing the vampire to deal with the Quincy guaranteed the Vatican would be at full strength when the time came to slay Ragyo Kiryuin and her unholy followers.

"Gather our forces," Heinkel's boots echoed softly on the pavement as she approached Yumiko, the Japanese paladin's face pulled into a tight grimace, "Maxwell has turned his back on God and must be brought back to his senses…by any means necessary."

"I'm way ahead of you!" Ryuko was sick and tired of standing around doing nothing while people died. Growling angrily, she swung the Scissor Blade outwards and shouted, "I'll deal with the bastard myself! Senketsu Ship –"

Senketsu had barely started shifting into his flight configuration when Ryuko suddenly found herself staring down several anti-vampire weapons, courtesy of the paladins rapidly moving to surround both her and Integra. The annoyed scowl on her face twisting angrily when one of the men attempted to grab her arm, she didn't even bother turning around before using that same arm to punch the offender hard enough to send him flipping backwards across the street. She couldn't believe these idiots thought they could take her down. Didn't they hear about her fight with that undead bastard? Shooting a harsh glare at Heinkel and Yumiko standing in the background, Ryuko prepared to deal with the rest of the paladins only to freeze when they aimed their weapons at Integra.

"Our orders are clear, Father Wolfe!" A nameless paladin declared while keeping his weapon trained on the forehead of a clearly unimpressed Integra, the anger simmering just beneath her eyes causing a bead of sweat to trickle down his cheek, "Sir Integra Hellsing is to be taken into custody and Ryuko Matoi dealt with!"

"Is that right?" Ryuko mockingly asked as she haphazardly spun the Scissor Blade around her wrist, the motion causing a couple of the paladins to involuntarily step away. While it would be extremely easy for her to take these idiots down, she needed to be careful in case one of them decided to shoot Integra. Fighting a pissed off Alucard was not something she wanted to do anytime soon.

Flexing her fingers around the Scissor Blade as a plan formed in her mind, Ryuko stiffened in surprise when loud gunshots echoed throughout the area and she felt several small objects impact her back. As Senketsu's multicolored eye narrowed angrily, Ryuko quirked an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. Standing several meters behind her with blood trailing from the small cut on his cheek, the idiot she punched earlier stared at her in complete shock while wisps of smoke drifted upwards from the muzzle of his pistol. The corner of her mouth curling into a half-cocked grin when she noticed the deformed slugs on the ground, she turned back to the nervous paladins, "Heh…so what was that about killing me?"

Integra ignored the collective firepower aimed at her person as she tilted her head towards Ryuko. Her expression remaining stoic even as the pistol pressed against the small of her back started growing mildly uncomfortable, she adjusted the hem of her sleeve and asked, "I hate to impress upon you any further, Ryuko, but I think it's time we returned to headquarters. So if you don't mind…"

"Right!"

There was the soft sound of Ryuko's heel clicking against the asphalt before she vanished in a burst of motion too fast for anyone but Heinkel and Yumiko to follow. Reappearing on the other side of Integra a moment later with the Scissor Blade held out to the side, the teenager smirked when every single paladin suddenly found their weapon falling to pieces. Senketsu's armor glowing with a faint crimson light as she pirouetted around, Ryuko didn't hesitate before reaching out and grabbing the nearest paladin. Effortlessly hefting the much larger man into the air with only a single hand, she glared at Heinkel before shouting, "Alright, last chance! Tell your friends to back off!"

Yumiko grunted and twisted her upper body sideways in response to Ryuko's actions, one foot sliding backwards as she drew her blessed katana from its sheath. Her black hair waving in the autumn breeze as the surrounding conflagration caused the polished blade to shimmering with an ominous glow, Yumiko frowned before tearing away the white scarf wrapped around her neck. Fighting against Ryuko was the last thing she wanted to do. The teenager's innate strength and speed, bolstered even further by that Kamui wrapped around her body, meant any battle was a foregone conclusion. She would be cut to pieces in seconds, even accounting for Ryuko's amateurish swordsmanship.

Holding her katana horizontally in front of her body, Yumiko spent several seconds mulling over her options before addressing her partner, "Maxwell's behavior aside, we still have our orders. Sir Integra Hellsing must be taken into custody before Alucard returns."

"This doesn't feel right," Heinkel spat in response, her lips pulled into a grimace, before snapping her head upwards when she felt an unholy presence rapidly approaching.

A familiar but darkened spiritual energy washed over the nearby streets as a stream of glowing shadows tore through the night sky before slamming violently into the ground directly in front of Integra Hellsing. Her body materializing out of the encompassing darkness as the force of the impact sent the surrounding paladins flying away, save for the man still being held by a surprised Ryuko, Seras Victoria's crimson eyes narrowed upon spotting Heinkel Wolfe. The shadows composing her left arm writhing chaotically when Yumiko instinctively reacted to her arrival, the blessed katana snapping upwards, Seras didn't relax her stance as she addressed her superior, "My apologies, Sir Integra. I tried arriving as quickly as possible but something prevented me from finding you."

"_**Ryuko, do you see that?"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye widened as he recognized the writhing mass of darkness twisting through the air, the memories of their fight against Alucard causing the Kamui to ripple slightly around Ryuko's body, _**"Look at her arm. It's just like –"**_

"Yeah, it's the same shadow crap as the undead bastard!" Ryuko growled before unceremoniously throwing the paladin somehow still held in her grip over her shoulder.

Seras' eyes shifted when she heard Ryuko speak with her Kamui. It was only now, after forced to drink blood and become a true vampire, that she finally understood how the teenager could have fought and survived against her master. Life Fibers were truly ancient and nearly unfathomable creatures, possessing unnatural power and regeneration. She could see why Nudist Beach, even with all their advanced weaponry and specialized Anti-Life Fiber ammunition, would have difficulty defeating something like Ragyo Kiryuin.

"Are you all right, Sir Integra?" Doing her best not to stare at Ryuko as she examined Senketsu's form-fitting armor, Seras waited a few seconds before looking over her shoulder and asking, "Any injuries?"

"Nothing more than a few minor scrapes thanks to Ryuko's timely interference," Integra replied stoically, her expression hardening slightly as she realized what most likely happened at the manor, "How's the headquarters?"

"We were attacked by enemy soldiers led by a Sternritter. With Nudist Beach's assistance we managed to kill every last one of them. However…" Seras momentarily trailed off when she vividly remembered the carnage following in the wake of Zorin Blitz's rampage through the manor. Her blood red eyes dimming slightly as shattered remnants of the nightmares the Quincy dredged up passed along the periphery of her mind, Seras stared crestfallenly at the ground before adding, "The mansion has been destroyed. And Mr. Bernadotte…he is dead, sir."

"I see…"

Integra had known the moment Seras arrived that only the most desperate of situations, such as Millennium launching a full-scale assault on the manor, could have forced the former police girl to willingly drink the blood of a human being. Calmly reaching into her coat while observing Senketsu's single eye staring at the newly transformed Seras, she placed the unlit cigar between her lips and stated, "You drank from Mr. Bernadotte, didn't you? You've finally become a true vampire."

"Yes, I have!" Seras happily exclaimed with a forced smile on her face.

"So, it's come to this," Heinkel's tone contained a mixture of respect and mild astonishment as she slowly approached the newly transformed vampire.

It felt rather strange to see the once naïve and cowardly vampire, who fled in terror during their confrontation in Badrick, emit such a powerful unholy aura. But the shadows clinging to the tattered remains of her shoulder, wisps of darkness and corruption curling through the air around her body, was proof enough to the paladin that Seras Victoria had evolved into the same creature as her arrogant master. Her mouth twitching imperceptibly as she swiftly reaching into her cassock, pulling out a heavily customized pistol before aiming it squarely at Seras' forehead, Heinkel didn't flinch when she found several sharpened shadows hovering inches away from her throat.

"You've become a true creature of darkness, Seras Victoria," Heinkel begrudgingly complimented as she lowered her weapon and stepped away from Seras, "I suppose we'll have to update your kill on sight orders. But know this – I will be the one to finally put a bullet through your heart. Ending your unholy existence once and for all."

"I'm looking forward to it," Seras replied, a slightly unhinged expression adorning her face as the tension lessened, "It won't be anything like last time. I'm much stronger now."

"Hang on a second!"

Ryuko's heels rapidly clicked against the ground as she moved between Seras and Heinkel, the fact that the vampire basically confessed to devouring someone's soul pushed aside for the moment. Ignoring the slightly unnerving sensation of the shadows twisting through the air around her body, Ryuko stared into Seras' glowing eyes and asked, "You said you came from your headquarters, right? Then you must know what happened to Anderson!"

"I sensed Mr. Anderson's presence after the battle. He was greatly wounded but still alive," Seras answered, causing Ryuko to sigh in relief at the news. Confused when the teenager turned away and mumbled under her breath at Senketsu, her enhanced hearing picking out key phrases like 'still able to get answers from that bastard', Seras grumbled quietly before half-heartedly adding, "Mr. Mikisugi survived the battle as well."

"You're fucking kidding me!" Ryuko's glare intensified as she turned back to Seras and exclaimed, "That naked asshole's in the city?!"

It was bad enough having to deal with the pervert at Honnouji Academy, but at least she had been able to count on Ichigo backing her up whenever the naked bastard tried any of his stupid tricks. And then there was that little stunt he pulled at the end of the Great Culture and Sports Festival. No matter how many times he apologizing, or bribed Mako into doing it for him, she would never forgive the bastard for stopping her from saving Ururu.

The crimson undertone in her feathery hair momentarily brightening as she tightened her grip on the Scissor Blade, Ryuko took a second to calm down, "Did the bastard at least leave his pants on? Because if he's running around London naked I'm going to –"

Ryuko froze midsentence when she heard the unmistakable sound of faint laughter on the wind, a cold sensation momentarily creeping down her spine moments before an extremely dark but familiar spiritual energy washed over the city. As both Heinkel and Seras perked up and turned in surprise towards the Thames River, the former shocked at how quickly the vampire managed to return, Ryuko narrowed her eyes. There was no mistaking this presence. Not after what happened the night they arrived in London.

"_**Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye quivered as he asked, _**"Do you feel that?"**_

Senketsu's armor crackling as she clenched her empty hand into a fist, Ryuko opened her mouth to speak but was surprised when Heinkel suddenly sprinted forward. Briefly watching the paladin effortlessly leap several stories into the air, her boots landing softly on the rooftop of the same building she crashed into just a few minutes earlier, Ryuko growled angrily as she flipped the Scissor Blade into a reverse grip, "Yeah, it looks like the undead bastard's back…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>An amused grin stretched across the Major's features as his arms fervently swept through the air in rhythm to the conflagration raging below, the screams of survivors mixing with the occasional explosion into a beautiful cacophony of music. This glorious night was the moment he had waited decades to witness. Despite the myriad of obstacles fate had deigned to place in their path, including garnering Ragyo Kiryuin's undivided attention, the Sternritter took pride in the knowledge that he would be one of the select few to watch His Majesty's plans come to fruition. Everything was nearly ready. The various actors were in position, ignorant of the fact that they were mere puppets to be discarded at His Majesty's whim.<p>

All that was left was to wait for the curtains to rise over the final act.

The sudden stiffening of the late autumn wind was the only warning the Major felt before an intimately familiar and dark spiritual energy washed across the city. Slowly lowering his arms when the HMS Eagle emerged out of the thickening fog enveloping the Thames River, the once proud and majestic _Invincible-Class_ VTOL aircraft carrier now little more than a dilapidated shell of its former self, the Major's yellow eyes shone with barely concealed anticipation as he pleasantly announced, "It would seem our guest of honor has finally arrived onto the stage."

"Hold still!"

Standing just a few feet away with an exasperated expression plastered on his face, the Doktor audibly growled when the Captain attempted to pull his bleeding forearm out of his grip for the fifth time in so many minutes. His brow creasing into a scowl when he was forced to circulate spiritual energy through his arteries just to keep the larger man from leaving, the Doktor shook his head as he began dressing the Captain's wound, "You know wounds from a weapon like the Scissor Blade will not regenerate. You'll get an infection if you don't let it heal properly!"

"Please, I seriously doubt our dear Captain can even get sick," Schrodinger's ears twitched playfully as he stood at attention next to the Major, gloved hands folded against the nape of his neck while pink eyes narrowed in thinly veiled amusement at the Doktor's angrily glare. The cat-like Quincy couldn't understand why the Doktor was so worried about the Captain's health. After all, the perpetually mute Sternritter hadn't gotten sick even once in his more than one thousand years of serving His Majesty. So the odds that he would get an infection, even from a wound caused by the Scissor Blade, were nonexistent.

"That's not the point!"

His fingers twitching as he angrily marched towards Schrodinger, any thoughts the Doktor had about punishing the disrespectful Sternritter were quickly forgotten when Quilge Opie appeared on the Deus Ex Machina in a burst of Hirenkyaku. Noticing the crimson splattered along the Quincy's left sleeve, tracing a path from his wrist all the way to the shoulder, the Doktor adjusted his specialized lenses as he leaned forward, "An injury? I didn't think the Vatican possessed anyone besides Heinkel Wolfe with enough power to wound someone of your stature."

"They don't," Quilge calmly replied with just the barest hints of disdain as he lazily swung his saber through the air before sheathing, the thick coating of blood splattering across the zeppelin.

Absentmindedly brushing a hand against the blood staining his sleeve, the action accomplishing little more than smearing the liquid deeper into the uniform, Quilge briefly took note of the Captain's wounded forearm as he walked towards the Major. Given that Ichigo Kurosaki was still fighting Bazz-B the last time he checked, it would be fair to assume that his comrade had sustained that injury while fighting Ryuko Matoi.

"Oh my," Quilge sighed when Ryuko Matoi's nauseating spiritual energy skyrocketed, undoubtedly a response to Alucard's arrival, "This is turning into quite the quandary, wouldn't you say?"

"And that is why we should be thankful to Alucard!"

The excitement permeating the Major's voice was nearly palpable as he firmly clasped his hands together. His thick glasses shining malevolently in the flickering light, the Sternritter stared out over the burning streets of London before continuing, "Trust is something that is easy to destroy but ever so hard to obtain. And thanks to his actions during that one fateful stormy night seven days ago, Alucard found himself bereft of both assistance and allies during his hour of need. I am speaking, of course, of Rip Van Winkle's usage of Heilig Königs Palisade. If either child had deigned to accompany Alucard, they would have easily torn through His Majesty's protection with complete ease, rendering our efforts at containing him all for naught."

"Rip Van Winkle accomplished her stated task to His Majesty's specifications," Quilge pointedly acknowledged, the corners of his mouth twisting into a displeased frown as he stared in the general direction of the Hellsing Manor. A disappointed sigh leaving his lips when he sensed Seras Victoria's distinct spiritual energy, Quilge raised a finger in front of his face and evenly added, "But the same cannot be said for Zorin. Her failure at killing Alucard's un-awakened progeny is most disconcerting."

"You should have seen it. Nudist Beach really brought out all the stops to kill her!"

A contemptuous smirk stretched across Schrodinger's face as the Sternritter tilted his head backwards, the memories of Zorin's pitiful final moments among the living still fresh in his mind, "They really didn't hold back! First there was Alexander Anderson, who possessed quite a lot of spiritual energy for a human. And then there was that amazing walking panzer with enough firepower to tear through Zorin's Blut Vene. She would have died before stepping through the front doors if not for her Vollstandig."

"One mustn't underestimate the tenacity of those who have fought against a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin," the Major lightly chastised, completely deafened to Schrodinger's response as he watched Alucard swiftly leap from the battle-torn deck of the HMS Eagle.

Quilge felt only the barest shifting of spiritual energy when the Captain took a single step forward before vanishing in an extremely rapid burst of Hirenkyaku. His lips pursed into a tight grimace as he watched his comrade race across the rooftops below, the former captain of the Jagdarmee pulled his hat further onto his forehead and grimly stated, "Zorin's death complicates the Schatten Ausrufung. If Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi were to realize the true extent of our plans…"

"Ah! But they won't!"

Raising an arm into the air while the corners of his mouth twisted into a manic grin, the Major stared at his outstretched fingers before harshly clenching them into a fist, "For you see, I have ingrained into their minds a singular and memetic notion. A self-replicating thought, if you would. That idea, my dear comrades, is quite simple – _insanity_!"

"Most people, be they human, shinigami or Quincy, view insanity as something to be avoided at any cost! For how could a rational being hope to understand the mismatched firing of neurons within the mind of the insane? Such a thing is incomprehensible! And so in their deluded obliviousness they refuse to believe anything else! They _cling_ to the narrow view of reality! So when I professed the desire for an endless war, an eternal conflict with blood running freely through the streets of London, our adversaries instantly believed that to be the truth! I was but a raving lunatic and His Majesty a madman! Nothing could be further from the truth!"

"I _love_ war," the Major momentarily paused as he took a deep breath, the crisp autumn air burning his lungs. Holding both arms outstretched in front of his body, the Sternritter's grin imperceptibly fell as he continued, "But a war without meaning or motives? A war created simply for the sake of war? Such nonsense! A war must always have a purpose, even if said purpose is obscured behind fallacies and delusions! The eternal war Integra Hellsing and her allies believed I was planning, the endless conflict Alucard so eagerly anticipated, does not exist! For tonight is both the beginning and end of this glorious battle!"

Pressing a finger firmly against the receiver attached to his glasses when it blared to life, Quilge calmly listened to the slightly muffled voice on the other end of the connection before turning in amusement towards the Major, "Integra Hellsing, Seras Victoria and Ryuko Matoi have been spotted in close proximity to where Alucard landed. The soldats eagerly await your orders to engage the vampire."

"Engage? You mean sacrifice," Schrodinger mockingly scoffed as he sat down on the zeppelin, one hand lazily propping up his chin, "None of these pathetic excuses for soldiers will survive what is about to happen."

"And so it came to pass…"

The Major's grin widened when he sensed a disruption in the boundaries between dimensions, a shadow portal in the shape of a six-pointed cross phasing into existence a few inches above the zeppelin's patterned surface, "That those, who had once gathered before a painted line of spears, found themselves reunited before the real thing. On one side His Majesty's most loyal soldats, the five hundred and twenty one vampire soldiers of the Jahrtausendarmee. On the other, two thousand nine hundred and forty three knights of the Roman Catholic Curia – the Ninth Airborne Mobile Crusade – led by a man whose mind has already fallen victim to Ragyo Kiryuin's dreadful control. And in the middle, we have England's Hellsing Organization with but three mighty soldiers still standing."

Holding his arms once more in the air as a man silently emerged from the shadow portal behind him, creeping darkness desperately clinging to his white uniform, the Major's yellow eyes gleamed wildly as he passionately continued unabated, "And last but certainly not the least we have our vaunted allies – Nudist Beach! An organization opposed to the tyranny of Life Fibers that through sheer coincidence has found themselves embroiled in this fateful battle. Five hardened members of this organization remain within the city, but the course of this war rests on the shoulders of two teenagers."

"Ichigo Kurosaki and Ryuko Matoi…" The Major's tone shifted as he mentioned the names of the two Life Fiber Hybrids, a sense of longing permeating his voice. Lowering his arms while pivoting around, the Major briefly glanced at the newest member of the Sternritter before turning towards the Doktor, "Two children with bodies woven completely out of Life Fibers, wielding weapons that can easily cut through our Blut Vene. Both are progeny of those directly touched by the Original Life Fiber, their very existence anathema against all of creation, and yet in their hands lay the keys to our salvation."

As the Major finished speaking and turned his attention back to the conflagration raging below, the Doktor took the opportunity to examine the new arrival. One gloved finger absentmindedly adjusted the focus on the side of his glasses, the Doktor's gaze rapidly crossed over the Sternritter's uniform before falling onto his white fingerless gloves, "It seems His Majesty completed the writing ritual ahead of schedule. How truly fascinating…"

"Doktor, you know it is quite rude to stare," the Major halfheartedly chastised, his attention focused on the thick and encompassing darkness beginning to wash across the city, "And here it comes! The final act of the Schatten Ausrufung is upon us. This is the night His Majesty has anticipated for over ninety years! The players are already on stage as the curtain rises over this Walpurgis Dawn!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A bitter autumn wind coursed through the suddenly quiet streets as the paladin glared venomously at the crimson abomination waiting in the darkness. The creature's slightly amused expression, the subtly shifting shadows contorting around his boots, enough to cause her fingers to twitch of their own accord. Grey-green eyes narrowing as the whispered prayers and hushed mutterings from the surrounding crusaders echoed loudly in the early hour, the deathly silence following in the wake of the vampire's arrival causing the air to unnaturally still, Heinkel resisted the temptation to growl.<p>

This didn't make any damn sense. Alucard _shouldn't_ be here yet. Even with his entire repertoire of unholy and eldritch abilities, powered by the souls he used to sustain his unnatural and blasphemous existence, he shouldn't have been able to cross the Atlantic Ocean so damn quickly! All of their contingencies and worst-case scenarios had predicted the vampire's return requiring at least another thirty minutes. And in most circumstances the undead monster's earlier than anticipated arrival would have been bad enough. But to appear during the zenith of the Ninth Crusade's battle against Millennium and their Quincy superiors, right when most of the soldiers were gathered in one place?

It _couldn't_ be a coincidence.

While Heinkel's mind tried to fathom the reasoning behind Alucard's sudden appearance on the battlefield, the vampire's mouth was stretched into a pleasant smile that contained just the barest hints of madness. He could feel the various energies suffusing the sky that burned so heavenly above the city, the familiar sensation in the deepest recesses of his darkened soul bringing back fond memories. Both of those teenagers, those two interesting creatures that professed the inane notion that they still possessed their humanity, were still around. In the depths of his mind he could instinctively sense their Life Fibers, the alien creatures shining like a beacon in the darkness.

One of the children, the temperamental girl he fought that rainy night, was even standing next to his master. How _amusing._

Grinning predatorily as blue-white spiritual energy quickly coalesced around the Captain's tightly clenched hands, the Sternritter's glaring stoically at him from underneath the white officer's cap, Alucard's entire body stiffened before he passionately shouted, "My lord and master, Integra Hellsing! Give me your orders!"

Situated in relative safety on the mostly intact rooftop of an old church as her servant's voice echoed across the night, Integra Hellsing gazed calmly at the scene unfolding below with a mildly detached expression. As individual strands of platinum blonde hair fell across her face, the light from the surrounding conflagration reflecting ominously off her glasses, she exhaled slowly before momentarily turning her attention towards the teenager standing several feet away. Armored fingers clenched tightly around the handle of the red Scissor Blade hanging limply at her side, the Kamui's multicolored eye shifting back and forth, Ryuko's face was set into an irritated scowl as she glowered at the vampire.

The leader of the Hellsing Organization understood quite well the teenager's frustration and annoyance, as misguided and pointless as it was, with her servant. After all, Ryuko's first encounter with Alucard hadn't been the most amiable. He had killed two members of Nudist Beach while injuring dozens of innocent bystanders before confronting her, resulting in a battle where she not only survived completely uninjured but also managed to inflict temporary wounds upon her servant. However, after Wolfe's departure she had given the teenager a single warning – no matter how angry she might be with her servant, despite any desires for revenge she still possessed, that she not leave her side.

"Alucard, take heed. Here are your orders."

Integra's authoritative tone resonated in the deathly quiet night as she addressed her servant. Sweeping an arm through the air while stepping towards the edge of the roof, the autumn wind causing her coat to billow around her body, the intense anger she felt making itself known as she continued, "Your silver gun shall turn the white army crimson. Your iron gun will stain the Quincy army scarlet. I would know my foes by the marks of red you leave upon their chests! Now search and destroy! SEARCH AND DESTROY! Run them down! Do not let any of them leave the island alive!"

An ominous wind blew through the streets as Alucard grinned at his master's words, "My master…it shall be done. As you command."

"Release Control Art Restriction – Zero!" Integra's tone didn't falter as she clenched her hand into a fist, "Announce your return! Say the words and release your full power! Now!"

The immediate silence that followed Integra's declaration was nearly deafening, the harsh and bitter wind blowing through the streets seeming to still as the full weight of her orders bore down upon her servant. Crimson eyes half-lidded as he exhaled slowly, Alucard drank in the nearly forgotten feeling of exaltation coursing through his blackened heart. He could feel the locks placed upon his powers by Abraham Van Hellsing, that epitome of a human who miraculously defeated him more than a century ago, slowly breaking apart, unraveling under his master's orders. As the seals woven into his gloves shone with a fierce blood red light that put the Wolfe and the Captain on edge, everything seemed to come to a crashing halt when pulse of vile spiritual energy tore its way out of his body.

With the singular exception of Heinkel none of the crusaders, trained to counter supernatural threats and monsters, were prepared for the unholy existence that was Alucard's true and unbridled power. Beads of sweat trickled down terrified and panicked faces when more than half of the gathered papal knights were violently driven onto their knees, shaking hands holding onto their weapons to keep themselves from collapsing entirely onto the blood-soaked street. On the other end of the spectrum, the undead soldiers were fairing exponentially worse. Their rudimentary ability to sense spiritual energy allowed them to glimpse Alucard's true power, the infinite darkness dwelling with the depths of the vampire's soul enough to make the battle-hardened soldiers take several fearful steps backwards.

Standing in the middle of all this with a passive expression on his face, the edges of Alucard's overcoat started dissolving away into flickering glowing shadows as he spoke, "I am the Bird of Hermes…"

Ryuko grumbled irritably under her breath as she glowered at the undead bastard, the unpleasant memories of their fight still fresh in her mind. She couldn't believe the vampire had this much power hidden up his sleeves. His strength had been completely unreal during their fight once he started getting serious, easily putting all of Nui Harime's psychotic power to shame. But this was an entirely different level of bad. The strange power radiating from Alucard was growing darker by the second and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that things were only going to get worse.

God damn it! Just how much was this guy holding back against her?

Fingers strumming angrily against the handle of the Scissor Blade while her eyes stared at the barely noticeable shadows emerging from within Alucard's overcoat, Ryuko perked up in surprise when Senketsu suddenly shivered violently around her body, "Senketsu? What's wrong?"

"_**I don't know,"**_ Senketsu shuddered a second time as he replied, his multicolored eye narrowing apprehensively while goose bumps broke out across his armored form, _**"But my Life Fibers started quivering strangely the moment that woman finished speaking. Stay on your guard, Ryuko. I have a feeling something really bad is about to happen."**_

She had been through a lot of shit since transferring to Honnouji Academy and meeting Ichigo and Mako. From months of fighting Satsuki and her stupid nonsense, hunting down Nui Harime for what she did to her dad and dealing with her psychotic bitch of a mother, Ryuko thought she developed a relatively accurate sense of danger. But Alucard and his vampire bullshit threw all that out the window, "Bad, huh? Worse than what happened to Junketsu?"

"_**Worse than what happened to Junketsu."**_

"That's bad," Ryuko muttered quietly as she mulled over Senketsu's answer. The red undertone in her feathery hair glowing faintly as she propped the Scissor Blade on her shoulder, Ryuko kicked her heel against the side of the roof before smirking, "Don't worry, Senketsu. If that undead bastard tries anything, we'll just have to find a way to kick his ass!"

Senketsu sincerely hoped Ryuko was right and that his power would be enough to deal with Alucard. It was shameful that he couldn't even explain to her why he had suddenly started shivering. Growling under his metaphorical breath as he gave the vampire one final unblinking look, the Kamui turned his attention to his wearer and said, _**"I suppose we could even ask Ichigo and Mugetsu for help. But perhaps we could ask that woman next to us for information. After all, she is Alucard's master."**_

"Oh yeah…"

As Ryuko started turning towards Integra, determined to get some damn answers about her servant, she froze when the barest sense of something seriously wrong prickled at the edges of her mind. She would normally have just ignored it, chalking it down to whatever the vampire was doing, but the source of the feeling creeping slowly down her spine and causing Senketsu no small amount of discomfort _wasn't_ coming from the bastard. Flipping the Scissor Blade around in her grip as she marched across the rooftop, her blue eyes momentarily locking with Integra's, Ryuko looked across the burning horizon before suddenly staggering back in shock when she found the source. The ship. That damned creepy ship the undead bastard arrived on.

"What the fuck?" Ryuko found herself nearly speechless when the Life Fibers composing her body reacted to whatever was on the ship, painting an extremely vivid and nightmarish image of something she couldn't even begin to understand. Angrily growling as she spun around and glared at Integra, her desire for answers growing by the second, she had barely managed to take a single step towards the woman before the undead bastard's voice echoed loudly in the quiet night and all hell broke loose.

"Here standeth the Bird of Hermes! EATING MY OWN WINGS!"

Heinkel's boots skidded along the ground as she hastily threw herself away from Alucard, the unholy miasma of vile energy erupting from his body sending shivers racing down her spine. The sheer intensity of the power radiating from the vampire was mindboggling, easily eclipsing anything she had ever felt. If they didn't find a way to kill him here and now, before he could reach the pinnacle of his strength, they might all be doomed. Cursing grimly as she flicked her wrists outwards, fingers expertly clasping around the familiar cold steel of her pistols as they slid out of her sleeves, the paladin's cassock fluttered violently around her body as she leaned sideways and unloaded both clips into the smirking vampire.

A sharp crackle echoed loudly in the darkness as a hailstorm of bullets exploded from the paladin's pistols in less time than it took her to blink. As the blessed rounds spun through the air and slammed into Alucard's grinning visage, blood and visceral spraying wildly as large chunks of his body simply evaporated into nothingness, the Captain grunted softly before deciding to make his move. Rushing forward using Hirenkyaku to bolster his speed, wisps of dust clung futilely to his overcoat as he stomped one foot against the ground and twisted his upper body. Fingers flexing tightly as he thrust his right arm towards Alucard, the Sternritter's stoic expression didn't waver as the spiritual energy surrounding his hand erupted forward and reduced what remained of the vampire's body into scraps of flesh and shadows.

As if reacting to some unseen signal, the soldiers still able to stand under the immensity of Alucard's power screamed loudly before rushing forward. The gathered crusaders, fear and terror evident in their eyes, raised shaking hands and fired everything they had at the amorphous mass of burning shadows. Hundreds of rounds pierced into the vampire's increasingly inhuman form, flesh quickly dissolving into writhing shadows under the deluge of bullets, while the undead soldats rapidly sprinted towards Alucard, hands desperately reaching for the Seele Schneiders clasped on their belts.

"What the hell?"

Sneering when the slides of her pistols clicked empty, the last of her rounds buried somewhere within Alucard's monstrous form, Heinkel ignored the chill racing down her spine as another pulse of power rippled through the night. It felt as if the very air was growing heavier. Nothing in the Vatican's archives or the detailed memoirs confiscated from Jonathan Harker mentioned anything of this nature! Had they underestimated the true scope of the vampire's power or had he simply been holding back this entire time?

"Damn it!" Crossing her arms as she crouched and leapt upwards, fingers expertly reloading her pistols in the blink of an eye, the paladin landed on the edge of a nearby roof before growling, "It feels like Hell itself is erupting in the streets! Just what sort of monster is Alucard?"

"To make…" Alucard's voice warbled with an audibly strained tone while bullets continued tearing into his form, "Myself tame…"

Anxious shouts of 'cease fire' resounded through the night when the vampire's voice suddenly trailed off, his body enveloped in a thickening cloud of acrid smoke that made it nearly impossible for anyone to view the writhing mass of burning shadows. Sharing confused expressions when nothing happened for several frightful seconds, the undead soldats winced when the receivers in their ears blared loudly before suddenly cutting off in a harsh and static-filled whine. Slowly backing away from the amorphous mass of shadow matter when it began growing in size, the blood-like substance threatening to spill forth and swallow them whole at any second, the soldiers tensed as every light within the city began flickering out one by one. The roaring flames that had previously turned the horizon a deep and menacing orange slowly faded away, leaving naught but a deep purple twilight.

"By all that is holy…" One crusader found his throat suddenly dry when he looked up into the sky and saw the pale white light of the full moon, the guiding beacon by which they had assaulted the heretic's capital, bleeding away into a deep and foreboding crimson. Forcibly looking away from the eldritch moon when his comrades began shouting in panic, a gasp leaving his mouth when hundreds of inhuman crimson eyes opened simultaneously amongst the shadows oozing towards them, he attempted to flee only for his body to fall apart in a spray of blood when dozens of impossibly sharp cards cut through his neck and limbs.

Fiery blood and twitching shadows clinging to their malformed bodies as they slowly emerged from the erupting mass of chaos, the white-clad forms of Tubalcain Alhambra and Rip Van Winkle were but a mockery of their former selves. The darkness composing Alucard's true form seemed to merge with the souls of the former Sternritter, warping and twisting their once human features into something that could only be called a caricature. As the thing that had once been Alhambra raised his only visible arm, a deep crimson glow covered the spiritual cards leaving his fingers as they spiraled through the air towards the armies.

"Fall back!"

The panicked order came across as little more than a terrified shout as the soldier leapt away from the vampire, his eyes widening when several X-Axis enhanced Heilig Pfeils pierced through his comrades before continuing unabated into the surrounding buildings. His boots rapidly stomping on the cobblestones when he managed to catch a glimpse of the way Rip Van Winkle's face was only half-formed, the entire left side of the former Sternritter's head replaced by the same sinewy darkness chasing him, the soldat pressed a finger against his ear and shouted, "Fall back to defensive position sigma! I repeat, fall –"

A choked gurgle cut off the soldat's desperate orders to retreat when a nodachi sliced into his neck, the polished blade severing his head in a violent spray of blood. Her sandaled foot touching down lightly onto the road, Alucard's shadowy mass replacing the entire right side of her body, the woman's long brown hair waved delicately as she effortlessly parried the Seele Schneider from another undead soldat. Adjusting her fingers around the sword as she spun around and bisected the Quincy, the symbol for the Third Division clearly visible on the back of her blood-soaked haori, the former shinigami captain's eyes were completely hollow as she walked through the rain of blood towards the retreating armies.

Ryuko's eyes stared in disbelief when the writhing shadows composing Alucard's body burst forth, the millions of souls and lives he'd absorbed over the centuries emerging as a tidal wave of death and suffering that quickly overwhelmed the soldiers below. This was the same bastard she thought she had a shot of beating? As she watched the blood and souls rush through the streets, killing anyone they came across, she came to a startling realization. She had thought her bitch of a mother and Nui Harime were bad, but how the hell could anyone defeat something like Alucard?

"This is the true face of the vampire Alucard."

Integra's cold tone, the nearly impassive tone in her voice as she answered Ryuko's unspoken question, easily reaching across the rooftop. Folding one hand within the pockets of her coat, the leader of the Hellsing Organization stared at the growing calamity below before continuing, "Blood is the currency of the soul, the medium by which life itself can be transferred. To drink blood is to take the essence of the soul into oneself. You understand the ramifications of this now, don't you Seras?"

A crestfallen expression momentarily crossed Seras' face as she stood up, the shadows composing her left arm settling slightly in the process, "Yes."

"I thought someone like you would understand such a concept…Ryuko."

Nearly a second passed in absolute silence before Ryuko whipped her head towards Integra, a furious expression burning in her eyes. Ignoring the incensed glare from the teenager as she gazed at the crimson moon hovering almost directly overhead, the stars slowly but surely winking out of existence, she sighed and looked over her shoulder. As the deluge of blood crashed through the streets, the screams and moans of the perpetually damned an unholy cacophony in her ears, Integra narrowed her eyes at Ryuko and explained, "After the Grand Couturier's unwarranted appearance I spoke with Olivier Armstrong. She explained to me the fundamental aspects of your Kamui. Including how it functions. It feeds of your blood, does it not? Your Kamui grants you incredible power, enough strength to fight a true vampire, in exchange for nothing more than devouring your very essence."

"What the hell did you just say?!"

Ryuko snarled angrily at what the woman was insinuating about Senketsu. Flipping the Scissor Blade deftly around her wrist until it was pointing directly at Integra, steam shot out of the ventilation grill on her upper back as she growled, "Are you comparing Senketsu to that undead asshole? Take a good look! I don't think Senketsu is going around eating everyone in sight!"

"Both Alucard and Seras reported that your Kamui is fully capable of speech and reason. That it somehow communicates with you," Integra's tone never wavered as she purposefully walked towards Ryuko, aware of Seras' worried expression as she stopped several inches away from the Scissor Blade and narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "But look at its brethren – the COVERS. They function by _devouring_ humans, feeding off our blood like stuck pigs. Torn down to their barest essence, Life Fibers are no different than my servant."

"Why you…"

The biting curse about to leave her mouth was suddenly cut short when the building started shaking violently. Planting the Scissor Blade deeply into the rooftop for support when she nearly fell onto her ass, blue eyes noticing Integra was completely unaffected while Seras seemed to have perfect balance, Ryuko stiffened when she felt Senketsu shudder once more around her body, "Let me guess. That undead bastard's not quite done?"

"_**Yes,"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye didn't pull away from the blood-like substance flowing through the streets, the moans from the damned causing his Life Fibers to subconsciously shudder. Grunting as a burst of steam shot out of the ventilation grill on Ryuko's back, the Kamui took a moment to compose himself before looking at his wearer and growling, _**"Stay focused, Ryuko. Even if that woman's telling the truth, and Alucard's on our side, whatever he's becoming is completely different than what we fought."**_

"Stop! It's impossible! How on earth could something like…like _that_ exist?!"

Maxwell pressed his palms against the surface of the shatterproof glass as he stared in disbelief at the carnage running through the streets, violet eyes quivering as the unholy glowing substance. This was impossible! It didn't make any sense! None of the documents describing Alucard made any mention of this! The detailed journals written by those who fought the vampire described his ability to summon souls from within his body. But this…this defied reason. No, it went against nature itself. It spat on the very concept of life and death.

"Wallachia…"

The archbishop found his throat suddenly dry when dozens of heavily armored figures emerged from the shadowy mass, blood dripping down their bodies while hands clasped tightly around jagged spears and razor-sharp halberds. Even from this height, with the transfigured moon's crimson light bathing London in an eerie glow, he recognized the insignia on the undead army's breastplates. Staggering backwards, one hand placed against the podium while tens of thousands of damned souls materialized from the writhing chaos, Maxwell's voice came out as little more than a whisper, "By God…it's true. Y-You consumed them all! Your own soldiers and subjects! You devoured _everything_!"

"You…you…"

Words rapidly failed the archbishop as his back slammed against the glass with a dull thud. One hand holding tightly onto the podium as the built-in radio blared with the voices of an uncountable number of crusaders, the holy knights screaming for evacuation only to be cut off by the blasphemous bloody substance overtaking them, beads of sweat dripped down Maxwell's terrified face when a shrouded figure slowly emerged at the epicenter of the calamity. His mouth opened in a silent gasp as wisps of writhing darkness clung to the tattered cape clasped around the man's broad shoulders, the archbishop swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking loudly enough for the speakers to pick up, "You're a fiend! A monster! A devil! You…DRACULA!"

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #31 – The Snow Day<strong>

Mugetsu sighed in deep satisfaction as she lounged lazily on the couch, her uniform stretched over the edge of the armrest. Ichigo's house was much better for a Kamui such as herself than that cramped and ugly room Satsuki gave him when he joined the Student Council. There was a lot more freedom to move around and relax, enjoying her daily ironing, without having her every actions closely watched by the Sewing Club. As she flipped over onto her back and yawned, white sleeves draped over her midsection, Mugetsu's multicolored eyes narrowed when a familiar presence hopped onto the couch, _**"What do you want?"**_

"_**We're doing a Kamui Tales!"**_ Senketsu waved fervently at his fellow Kamui, _**"So get up!"**_

"_**No,"**_ Mugetsu growled in annoyance before flipping onto her side, one sleeve purposefully slapping Senketsu in his lapels, _**"All that fighting in England was exhausting. Even with Ichigo's delicious blood I still want to take a nice, long nap. Go bother Junketsu or something."**_

Grumbling while rubbing a sleeve against his lapels, Senketsu gave the uncaring Mugetsu one final scathing glare before hopping off the couch. Why did the task of getting Mugetsu to help with anything always fall on his sleeves? Everyone knew they didn't see collar to collar, which really frayed his threads. It didn't make sense. After all, in his humble opinion he was the most popular character in the story. So obviously the problem laid with his fellow Kamui and nothing he could have possibly done.

His multicolored eye staring at the pictures hanging on the wall as he left Ichigo's living room and headed towards the front door, Senketsu gave his best impression of a frown. If he wanted to find Junketsu and finish making the omake he would he need to complete the monumental task of opening the door. After nearly a minute of fumbling with the knob, lapels drooping at his lack of fingers, Senketsu grinned when he finally managed to open the door…only to find several inches of snow piled up against the house. Visibly deflating in defeat while a gust of bitter wind caused him to rustle, the Kamui stiffened in surprise when a firm hand gripped the back of his uniform and picked him off the ground.

"What the hell are you doing, Senketsu?" Ichigo flipped the Kamui around while slamming the front door shut with his other hand before the entire house froze over.

"_**I was trying to find Junketsu for the omake segment. I asked Mugetsu first…but…well…"**_ Waving a sleeve in the general direction of the other Kamui, which earned him a faint growl from Mugetsu, Senketsu quickly changed topics and turned his attention back to Ichigo, _**"Where is Junketsu?"**_

"Satsuki brought her back to Kisuke's shop to check something out," Ichigo replied in a mildly annoyed tone as he walked into the living room with Senketsu in tow. Letting go of the Kamui as he collapsed into the chair opposite the couch, Mugetsu's eyes instantly zeroing in on the fact he was wearing other clothing, the teenager rubbed the back of his neck before sighing, "Why did you try going outside instead of asking Ryuko to take you?"

"_**Ryuko is currently sleeping in the spare bedroom right next to yours. It would have been rude to wake her up,"**_ Senketsu's neckerchief twitched as he motioned towards the stairs with his sleeve. Completely oblivious to Ichigo's annoyed reaction at his mentioning of the spare bedroom, otherwise known as Satsuki's new room, the Kamui hopped onto the other end of the couch from Mugetsu. It was really boring whenever Ryuko was wearing him. While he could surely find something to do – watch television, get ironed, annoy Mugetsu for everything she's done to him, get ironed – it just wasn't the same without Ryuko. Nobody else gave the perfect ironing, knew the secret to smoothing out all the creases in his threads with such expertise as Ryuko.

"_**So why are you bothering us?"**_ Mugetsu's eyes focused intensely on the sweater Ichigo was wearing, a faint growl reverberating across the living room as thoughts of tearing apart the offending garment passed through her mind, _**"Go find a coat hanger or something and leave us alone."**_

"_**I need someone to help with the omake!"**_ The Kamui angrily waved his sleeves at Mugetsu, sparks shooting between their multicolored eyes. Eventually turning away and huffing, Senketsu folded his sleeves and grumbled, _**"And I didn't want to ask Danketsu. Not after what she did last time…"**_

"Sorry, but Mugetsu can't help you with whatever…_this_…is," Ichigo really didn't care to find out what Kinue's Kamui did to Senketsu and frankly he would rather _not_ know. Simply thinking about this pretend little game was giving him a headache. Sighing as he stood up, Ichigo looked out the window into the raging snowstorm before adding, "I just came to pick her up. The iron finished heating and – "

There was a rapid flash of movement as Mugetsu leapt off the couch before throwing herself across the living room. Crashing into her wearer with nearly enough force to knock him over, the Kamui excitedly wrapped her pants and sleeves around Ichigo while her eyes shimmered with joy. She had nearly forgotten about Ichigo's promise to iron her thanks to all of Senketsu's stupid and annoying comments. And to think she wanted to take a nap when something like this was waiting for her!

"_**Don't forget the back of my sleeves this time, Ichigo!"**_ Mugetsu warned threateningly as Ichigo managed to untangle himself from her uniform. As the teenager walked towards the laundry room, the Kamui clinging tightly to his body, Mugetsu's voice slowly faded away, _**"And make sure the iron's at the right temperature. It was far too cold last…"**_

Senketsu sighed in depression when he found himself completely and utterly alone. As he hopped off the couch and began the long and slow climb upstairs, he couldn't suppress the jealousy he felt for Mugetsu. He would have loved to get ironed. It was one of the best parts of the day. His sleeves fumbling with the spare bedroom door once he reached the second floor, the Kamui was nearly bowled over when the door opened and Ryuko stepped out into the hallway.

"Senketsu? What are you doing out here?"

"_**Well…you were sleeping and I didn't want to bother you,"**_ the Kamui stumbled nervously over his words only to stiffen when Ryuko picked him up.

"Man, you look exhausted," Ryuko muttered, her blue eyes half-opened as a yawn tore its way out of her throat, "Have you been fighting with Mugetsu again?"

"_**She started it!"**_

"Well, it doesn't matter," Ryuko didn't bother listening to anything else her Kamui had to say as she shambled back into Satsuki's room. Carefully draping Senketsu over the special hook her sister had installed for Junketsu, the Kamui perking up before relaxing in contentment, she collapsed onto the bed and muttered into the pillow, "It's a freaking snow day so I'm going to get as much sleep as possible…"


	49. Chapter 49: Death or Glory

_I present to you Chapter 49 of **To My Death I Fight**. I do apologize for the large wait. We are ramping up towards the climax of this arc and everything needs to be just right. So if that takes a few more days...or a week...then so be it. This is my gift for you, my readers, and so it's going to be the best damn chapter I can possibly make it. With my beta reader's help of course. So enjoy the chapter and write a review if you can. There is exactly...one OC in this chapter. But they are not exactly new to the story. I actually first mentioned them quite a few chapters ago. But they shouldn't be too hard to spot. In fact, it should be fairly obvious who they are once they make their appearance.  
><em>

_Also, I rewrote the entire last section from Chapter 4 from scratch - it was the scene with Nui inviting herself into the back of Isshin's car. There were several large and outstanding issues with what I've written, mostly pertaining to how Isshin usually deals with a Grand Couturier wild encounter. I don't think actively threatening to kill her, and promising to do so, is something Isshin would normally say. Yeah...that was a plot hole I had to fix. So instead of a minor patch I just said 'screw it' and rewrote the whole thing. Over a year of practice with the Kill la Kill cast really helped me rewrite Nui Harime's personality and mannerisms much more accurately, especially when she still had her eye patch._

_So I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember that I have a tvtropes page for this story. You should go check it out sometimes and maybe add a thing or two._

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 49 – Death or Glory<strong>

"What the hell?"

A frustrated expression crossed Batou's face as he slammed his foot against the brake. Jolting forward as the military jeep came to a screeching halt accompanied by the acrid smell of burning rubber, the nudist commander craned his head upwards and frowned at Maxwell's stammering declaration. What, did nobody in the Vatican ever realize that the most powerful vampire in the world was Dracula? It was hard to imagine that Iscariot, the organization whose sole purpose was destroying supernatural threats, never made that connection. All the undead asshole did was spell his name backwards.

"Damn it, some people are just morons," the nudist scoffed as he vaulted over the vehicle's door.

Ignoring the sound of his combat boots disturbing a puddle of what was most likely not water as he landed on the ground, Batou swept his grey eyes across the surrounding area and cursed angrily. He had thought the inhuman crap he witnessed in South American had been nasty. Paramilitary and other anti-government groups brutally executing captured civilians without a moment's hesitation. But this was just sickening. Corpses of men, women and children lined the road, unfortunate victims of the ongoing battle. Shaking his head in disgust at the brutality, the nudist's stomach dropped when he noticed several bodies looked like something had tried _eating_ them.

These Quincy were some real sick bastards.

As he reached into the backseat of the jeep and picked up the M-15 Anti-Life Fiber Assault Rifle, the sound of someone landing on the opposite side of the vehicle not escaping him, Batou narrowed his eyes. There was something extremely wrong here. _More_ wrong than the hundreds of corpses strewn throughout the area. Refusing to look over his shoulder at the blood-red moon hovering ominously in the night sky, the crimson orb bathing the darkened city in an eerie light that caused his skin to crawl, the nudist couldn't shake the feeling that someone was constantly watching him. But aside from the gunships and helicopters flying in formation overhead they hadn't found any sign of life. Had the Quincy actually managed to kill three million people in the half hour it took him to leave and come back?

"Ye feel that unfathomably evil power?"

The sound of tearing cloth and linen drew Batou's attention as Alexander Anderson finished bandaging the wounds sustained from his battle against Zorin Blitz. His damaged cassock fluttering in the bitter autumn wind as he slowly marched past the front of the jeep and down the road, green eyes staring in transfixed fury at the crimson moon that seemed to pierce his very soul, there was a slight shimmer when the former paladin flexed his wrists and summoned a pair of tailor bayonets, "The vampire has released his full power onto the world for the first time in over a century."

Batou tightened his grip on the assault rifle at that piece of information. His boots scraping against the asphalt when something unsettling on the wind caught his attention, a faint but growing humming causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stiffen, he ignored the way the surrounding shadows appeared to writhe and turned to Anderson, "Alright, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means that – "

The former paladin's explanation was prematurely cut off when the deeply unsettling humming filling the air abruptly transformed into an increasingly growing cacophony of hellish screams and gurgling moans. Calloused fingers reflexively tightening around the pair of tailor bayonets as he turned towards the source of the noise, Anderson's mouth pulled into an angry sneer when the ground itself began to shake. As he stared across the crimson-lit city, his fellow commander taking a few hesitate steps backwards when the rumbling continued growing louder, the former priest's eyes widened when a veritable deluge of blood and death came roaring out of adjacent streets several hundred feet away.

"Oh, hell no!"

It took Batou less than a second to fully understand the situation before he turned around and sprinted away from the approaching torrent of undeath. He would need to be a complete idiot to think his weapon could do anything to that thing. Alucard already demonstrated the unnerving ability to rapidly regenerate from their specialized Anti-Life Fiber needles. If he tried fighting back, throwing everything in his arsenal at that thing, he more or less guaranteed a fate worse than being eaten alive by a COVERS. Wisps of condensation escaping his mouth as he pushed his body harder, exhaustion starting to overwhelm the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Batou had less than a second to cover his eyes when Anderson spun around and swung his arms forward.

Dozens of tailor bayonets, connected by a length of tightly woven detonating cord, flew out of the seals on the former paladin's gloves before stabbing deeply into the asphalt directly in front of the undead familiars. Gnashing his teeth as he waited several tense seconds for the tormented souls to get within range, Anderson's finger depressed the trigger in his hand before shutting his eyes as the entire street was temporarily engulfed in an explosion large enough to send a cloud of multicolored smoke rising high into the crimson-tinted midnight skies.

Even as the intense heat from the explosion brushed against the back of his neck, the abrupt shift in air pressure causing his ears to pop, Batou didn't try stopping to see if Anderson's attack did the trick. He highly doubted it did so much as slow down the oncoming wave of familiars, which meant he needed to think of something and fast. Moving to higher ground was the only feasible option that didn't involve him sprouting wings or suddenly gaining superhuman speed. The only question was whether they could reach the rooftops before the horde of undead souls overwhelmed and swallowed them.

A sudden flickering of blue light in the distance, the brightness a sharp contrast to the surrounding darkness, caught the nudist commander's attention. His eyes widening as he quickly recognized the familiar tint of the pulsating coloration, Batou shouted at Anderson, "Incoming airlift! Raise your right arm!"

Moments before the deluge of familiars overwhelmed the nudists, blood dripping freely from the weapons poised inches from their backs, they were suddenly and harshly pulled off the ground when an armored hand clamped tightly around their wrists. The deep sapphire light bursting forth from his transformed lower body increasing in brilliance as he avoided the tortured souls attempting to latch onto him, Ichigo Kurosaki tightened his grip on his two passengers before twisting his body sideways and flying vertically upwards.

Glancing over his shoulder at the undead familiars flooding through the streets, their moans and screams mixing together into an unholy orchestra, Ichigo sighed in relief before flying towards the relative safety of the nearest rooftop. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he had been only a few seconds later. The lifeless bodies strewn throughout the city, their souls conspicuously absent, was bad enough.

Carefully releasing Batou and Anderson as he hovered several feet above the top of the building, shimmering blue stars briefly surrounded Ichigo as Mugetsu transformed back into her normal active configuration. The stiff autumn breeze causing his orange hair to shift slightly as Tournesol appeared in his hand, Ichigo silently grimaced for a few seconds before speaking in a depressed tone, "Sorry about that. Alucard's spiritual energy makes sensing anything difficult."

Pushing Ichigo's answer aside for the moment, Batou frowned as he slung the assault rifle over his shoulder and walked towards the edge of the roof. A light grunt leaving his mouth as he crouched onto one knee and observed the thousands of souls meandering with a purpose through the streets below, the nudist commander scratched his chin before cursing under his breath. It might have been a very long time since he taken any sort of history class but he sure as hell recognized some of the more detailed armors. If he was right, and he hoped to whatever God did exist that he wasn't, than things were actually _worse_ than he first imagined.

"Alright," the nudist commander shook his head as he stood up and turned around, "What happened?"

Ichigo was momentarily silent as he stared at the ground with a troubled expression on his face. The failure to rescue anyone, to save innocent people from Millennium's vampirized forces or Alucard's indiscriminant slaughter, weighed heavily on his conscience, "One of the Sternritter from Honnouji Academy ambushed me. He said his mission was to stall me, to keep me away from Ryuko. I beat him…but then Iscariot came out of nowhere and opened fire. Their boss ordered them to attack everyone…including innocent people. And then Alucard arrived…"

Despite the viciousness of the Vatican's surprising betrayal, in paled in comparison to the moment when Alucard released his full spiritual energy. The disgusting and vile feeling of the vampire's power, that overwhelming darkness that spread across the city and made his Life Fibers quiver apprehensively, was on a completely different level from anything he ever experienced. It put the traces of fear he remembered from Ulquiorra's segunda etapa, which the espada used in order to show him true despair, in a new context. And then there were the souls. Millions of souls, consumed over nearly five hundred years, trapped in a cycle of torment and pain. Ichigo couldn't understand it. How could Alucard have been given free reign for so long?

Why hasn't the Captain-Commander already killed him?

"_**I can feel some of my Life Fibers still quivering, Ichigo."**_

Mugetsu lightly growled while shuddering in disgust around Ichigo's body as she vividly remembered the overwhelming dread coming from the HMS Eagle. There was something on the ship so powerful that it resonated with Ichigo and her Life Fibers from halfway across London, painting a nightmarish image in their minds. Even now, after all this time, her Life Fibers were still quivering in fear. Nui Harime's cold touch back at Honnouji Academy, when her perfectly manicured finger knowingly and curiously poked against one of the many banshi composing her form, had been horrible but Alucard's full power was at least ten times worse.

Craning her multicolored eyes upwards, the Kamui sighed mentally, _**"I'm starting to think Alucard might not be a vampire. His powers and abilities were never mentioned in that book Nudist Beach forced us to read. It would be wise to stay as far away from him as possible, Ichigo."**_

"So Iscariot stabbed us in the back?" Batou muttered, ignorant of the ongoing conversation, before shaking his head in annoyance, "That's just perfect…"

The nudist commander couldn't believe their bad luck. Trapped in the middle of war-torn London with Dracula's army of undead souls running rampant throughout the streets, killing and devouring anyone in their path, without any possibility of contacting headquarters in Osaka. And if Ichigo was telling the truth it appeared that the smug bastard in charge of the Vatican's operations went batshit insane and backstabbed the Hellsing Organization, which was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Batou knew from experience that it was only a matter of time before the vampire decided to personally deal with Iscariot.

At least his men were safe at the Hellsing Manor with Aikuro and the destroyed remains of the DTR Model Ray. Olivier was going to kill him when she found out.

"Ichigo, there's something you should know," Batou frowned as he walked towards the teenager, one hand adjusting the assault rifle strapped around his shoulder. Pointing his thumb at Anderson, the former paladin silent as he grimly watched the gunships firing upon Alucard's familiars, the nudist commander cleared his throat with a small cough, "According to Anderson, this entire battle is a damn smokescreen. Millennium's planning something big…and it involves Alucard."

The bitter autumn wind briefly picked up as Ichigo stared pensively at the ground, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. Whatever Millennium had planned for Alucard it couldn't be good. Even separated by several kilometers he could still detect the vampire's massive spiritual energy, his presence standing out like a beacon in the darkness and making him almost impossible to miss. Respectfully nodding at Batou for the information before turning around, fingers curling tightly around Tournesol's hilt when he sensed Ryuko's spiritual energy suddenly increase in power, Ichigo managed to take two steps before a familiar voice spoke up.

"_**What are you planning?"**_

Frowning at Mugetsu's question, Ichigo didn't break his stride as he answered, "I'm going to stop Alucard."

"_**Ryuko's synchronization with Senketsu during their fight against Alucard was nearly perfect. Almost equal to our own. Yet they still lost."**_

Mugetsu ignored the surprised reaction from the nudist commander as her multicolored eyes stared upwards at Ichigo in both concern and worry,_**"My power might be slightly greater than Senketsu's, Ichigo, but Alucard easily defeated Ryuko. Even with my superior speed, attempting to fight him is very risky."**_

"I know…but Alucard must have a weakness," Ichigo replied, his attention drawn to a series of explosions in the distance.

"Don't be an idiot, Ichigo," Batou growled as he reached out and gripped one of Mugetsu's pauldrons, his grey eyes narrowing at what he knew Ichigo must be thinking. The teenager was strong. Hell, he could probably kick the Grand Couturier's ass. But he wasn't about to let Ichigo fight someone that made a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin cautiously nervous. Isshin would kick his ass and kill him, in that order, if he found out, "You want to fight Alucard? All right then, what's your plan? The undead bastard already demonstrated that your Kamui don't possess the raw power necessary to put him down."

"You think I don't know that?!"

A burst of steam erupted from Mugetsu's ventilation grills before Ichigo turned around, easily pulling himself free of Batou's grip in the process. Clenching his free hand tightly into a fist as the tormented screams of Alucard's familiars faded into the background, the trapped souls flowing through the streets towards the remaining crusaders and vampirized soldiers, Ichigo glared at the nudist commander before stating, "Alucard's power is unreal. It's on an entirely different scale from anything I've ever felt. What do you think will happen to everyone if he isn't stopped? He'll devour their souls! He doesn't care if someone's innocent! Mugetsu's power might not be enough to defeat him…but like hell I'm just going to sit back and do nothing!"

For nearly half a minute Batou didn't say anything, instead choosing to watch the subtle movements of Mugetsu's eyes while he weighed his options. Grimacing when he heard Anderson's heavy footsteps slowly but methodically growing closer, the former paladin's face set in a nearly unreadable snarl, the nudist commander sighed deeply before reaching into one of his armored vest's many pockets, "Isshin's going to kick my ass. But we don't exactly have any other option. Here, take this."

Handing over the small device from his pocket, a local network radio receiver, Batou cautiously warned, "You were right about one thing, Ichigo. Alucard needs to be stopped before he devours all of London. But we can't forget about those Quincy bastards in Millennium. We still have no idea what they have planned for the undead bastard. For all we know they could be counting at you going after him."

Placing the radio device in his ear as he walked across the rooftop, Ichigo nodded appreciatively at Batou before turning to his Kamui, "Let's go, Mugetsu. Mugetsu Gufū!"

The nudist commander briefly squinted when Ichigo rocketed upwards into the night sky before changing trajectories, the intense blue light from his Kamui rapidly dwindling until it vanished into the darkness. As the eerily calm wind gently blew across the rooftops, the bitterness in the air helping to distract him from the feeling that he just made a monumentally stupid decision, Batou continued mulling over the single question that had been on the forefront of his mind since returning to London – stopping Alucard. He wasn't an idiot. Even if the vampire was technically working with them, or rather desiring nothing more than to slaughter a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin, he was still a walking nightmare. Taking him down in a standard fight would be difficult if not impossible.

An explosion, the close proximity enough to leave a sharp ringing in his ears, harshly tore Batou from his thoughts as one of the Vatican's helicopters crashed to the ground as nothing more than burning wreckage. His expression shifting into an angry frown as dozens of aircraft were destroyed in rapid succession, the nudist commander's eyes widened when one of the last remaining gunships attempted to retreat only for an invisible attack to effortlessly perforate through the armored exterior. He recognized that attack from the Great Culture and Sports Festival.

That was a Quincy's technique.

Grumbling as he turned towards Anderson, the former paladin's expression nearly unreadable, Batou sighed wearily, "I'm surprised you didn't try stopping Ichigo."

"I would like nothing more than to destroy his Kamui. It is a threat to humanity, a potential weapon ready to be worn by Ragyo Kiryuin and used against us. However…" Anderson's guttural voice trailed off when the remaining Vatican aircraft were destroyed, his attention focused on one helicopter in particular. Tightening his grip upon the pair of tailor bayonets as the helicopter crashed some distance away, he sneered, "I am willing to leave Ichigo alone for the moment. Now if ye'll excuse me…"

Batou frowned as the former paladin began walking away, "Where are you going?"

"Ichigo said Maxwell went insane with power. That it consumed him. But I don't buy it," Anderson ignored the deep-seated pain in his shoulder, the once white bandages stained red with his blood.

It may have been more than thirteen long years but he still remembered the Iscariot oaths and vows. All paladins were allowed free reign to attack and slaughter Protestants, provided that the heathens attempt to interfere with their sacred mission. The massacring of innocent people, admitted treachery and betrayal when faced with the Vatican's oldest enemy, was strictly forbidden. Grimacing as a lance of pain shot down his left arm, Anderson paused before half-looking over his shoulder, "Ye should head back to Aikuro. The General needs to know about the Quincy for when they inevitably stab us in the back."

Stalking purposefully across the rooftop once he finished speaking, his cassock billowing in the late autumn wind, Anderson was abruptly pulled to a stop when Batou reached out and grabbed his uninjured shoulder, "Look, I already know about your connection to Iscariot. But how the hell do you plan on getting over there?"

"I am more than capable of dealing with any damned souls that get in my way," Anderson growled in response as he pulled Batou's hand off his shoulder. Ignoring the darkened stain on his cassock, which was the result of aggravating his wounds, the former paladin ruefully added as he walked away, "Don't do anything foolish, Batou."

Before the nudist commander could process Anderson's hypocrisy, a look of confusion rapidly giving way to dawning realization, the former priest was already on the move. Rushing forward in an impressive burst of speed, the nudist's body was briefly silhouetted against the darkened crimson sky before he vanished into the surrounding shadows. Left completely alone on the rooftop, the faint screams and moans of Alucard's familiars the only sounds seemingly able to penetrate the encompassing shadows, Batou ran a hand down his face and sighed. Adjusting the assault rifle around his shoulder as he walked across the rooftop, the grey haired nudist found his attention drawn to the red and black checkerboard-patterned zeppelin passing overhead.

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><p>"That does it! Now I'm freaking PISSED!"<p>

Streams of turbulent ruby energy exploded from Senketsu's ventilation grills as Ryuko blasted down the street, her blue eyes narrowing into a furious scowl when yet another one of Alucard's familiars emerged from the shadows and tried to blindside her. Goddamn it, she was getting sick and tired of the undead bastard's little helpers. They were really starting to piss her off. Easily avoiding the undead soldier's sword by twisting her body sideways, the blood-soaked weapon missing her neck before shattering against Senketsu's armor, Ryuko growled angrily before curling her hand into a fist and smashing it squarely into the familiar's face.

As the undead soul's head burst apart in a shower of blood, the concussive blast accompany her punch knocking back every familiar within thirty feet, Ryuko scoffed and continued rushing forward while ignoring the slight pang of guilt in her chest. There would always be time later to feel guilty about killing these guys. But right now she had far more important things to worry about – like beating the crap out of the shinigami bitch.

Violently cutting a path through the horde of screaming familiars as she wove her way down the street towards her opponent, one hundred feet rapidly dwindling to ten, Ryuko pushed herself harder when several crimson eyes appeared on the shadows composing the captain's white haori. Like hell she was just going to let the undead bastard come in and pull some stupid crap. Curling her fingers tightly around the Scissor Blade as she hefted it over her right shoulder, the surrounding shadows rapidly retreating from the crimson aura enveloping her body, Ryuko stared into the undead shinigami's soulless eyes before swinging downwards. There was no way in hell she was going to miss hitting the bitch at this range!

"God damn it!"

Digging her heels into the pavement when the captain vanished in a burst of shunpo, Ryuko snarled and twisted around. This was starting to get annoying. Every time she attacked the woman, the bitch used her stupid speed technique. It was bullshit! But there was a silver lining. She just needed to remember to thank the mute Quincy bastard when she kicked his ass. Stiffening when she heard the faint sound of footsteps directly behind her, Ryuko growled and raised the Scissor Blade just in time to block the nodachi aimed at her neck.

"Not this time, you bitch!"

A blast of spiritual energy erupted outwards as Ryuko countered the woman's ambush, multicolored sparks dancing through the air while the cracking pavement underneath her heels shattered. Her mouth twisting into a frustrated snarl as she pushed back against the captain's supernatural strength, the Scissor Blade quivering as it struggled tooth and nail for every inch of leeway, Ryuko still couldn't wrap her mind around how this stupid fight started. One second she's walking away from Integra Hellsing and Seras to look for Ichigo, ignoring the woman's stern warning in the process, only for the bitch to appear out of nowhere and kick her into the waiting clutches of the undead bastard's army.

It hadn't been nearly as difficult as she originally thought to free herself from the veritable flood of blood and death. Even with Senketsu complaining about how the rancid blood would never come out of his threads, escaping from the undead souls had been rather easy. But when she finally managed to break free, cutting apart hundreds of the undead bastard's familiars in the process, the shinigami bitch had tried pulling the same stunt a second damn time.

And it had almost worked.

"You know something? I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."

Ryuko's lips curled into a smug smirk as she slowly but surely began pushing back the undead captain's nodachi. Bead of sweat trickling down her face at the effort of overwhelming the shinigami's zanpakuto and supernatural strength, she flexed her fingers around the Scissor Blade and snorted, "Ichigo told me all about you shinigami. But there's not a chance in hell I'm going to lose to a samurai wannabe like you!"

There was an imperceptible shift in the captain's emotionless expression at the comment before the atmosphere suddenly doubled in weight. Abruptly twisting her wrist, the sudden motion breaking the surprised teenager's amateurish guard and sending her staggering backwards, the undead shinigami shift her foot and attempted to pierce Ryuko's heart only for the teenager to leap out of the way of her zanpakuto. Writhing darkness clinging to her haori like water as she deftly followed the teenager's movements, the captain spun around the Scissor Blade arcing towards her neck before smashing her foot into Ryuko's bare stomach.

A strangled gasp escaped Ryuko's throat at the strength behind the kick, blood and spittle flying from her mouth as she was sent careening down the street. Her back slamming against the ground as she crashed through several cars before finally managing to regain her balance, Ryuko stabbed the Scissor Blade into the street and winced at the phantom pain rippling through her body. All right, so maybe the bitch was stronger than she first thought. Maybe stronger than Nui Harime. But there was still one key difference between them – her current opponent didn't have freaking regeneration.

Scoffing as she staggered back onto her feet, Ryuko opened her mouth to speak only to freeze when the captain took a single step forward before disappearing in a burst of shunpo she couldn't even follow, "What the –"

Ryuko choked when she felt something slice through the side of her stomach, leaving a large and jagged wound in its wake. Stumbling forward before falling to one knee as a copious amount of blood sprayed through the air, the teenager angrily bit out a curse when she suddenly sensed the captain standing right behind her. Goddamn it, she didn't even see the bitch move! But as she leapt back onto her feet and twisted around, Scissor Blade carving towards the surprised shinigami's back, Ryuko couldn't help but wonder _why_ the hell she hadn't already transformed into Senkou. That much extra power would have made kicking the captain's ass much easier.

"I finally got you!"

Shadowy blood dripped from the Scissor Blade's edge as the captain avoided the second strike and leapt away, the red stain growing across the back of her haori bringing a smug grin to Ryuko's face. She had _finally_ hit the bitch! Spitting on the ground when she felt her own wound rapidly regenerating, skin and flesh knitting flawlessly back together in less than a second, Ryuko rubbed a hand against her face and scoffed, "What's the matter? Didn't that undead freak tell you I could heal?"

_**"Are you alright, Ryuko?"**_

Ryuko shrugged her shoulders when Senketsu's worried voice echoed in her mind. Holding the Scissor Blade against her waist, fingers curling tightly around the crimson weapon's curved handle, she glared at her opponent and viciously scowled, "I'm fine. But she's tough, I'll give her that!"

_**"From her appearance, this woman is most like one of the shinigami Ichigo told us about," **_the Kamui's multicolored eye remained fixated on the undead captain waiting patiently down the road, the darkness clinging to her haori sending a shiver through his Life Fibers, _**"Her strength and speed are far greater than any Goku Uniform. Ryuko…we should shift into Senkou before she has a chance to release her zanpakuto!"**_

When Ichigo explained the basic rundown of shinigami, aside from wearing clothing that went out of fashion centuries ago, he explained that each of them had a special sword called a zanpakuto. While she didn't bother paying attention to the more boring details, especially when Kisuke Urahara started talking, one thing that stuck in her mind was that zanpakuto had two transformations that granted shinigami crazy abilities like illusions and controlling millions of razor sharp flower petals. But Senketsu was right. She couldn't afford wasting any more time.

"I was thinking the exact same thing! So let's hit her hard and fast!" Ryuko swung her arm outwards and grinned maliciously, "Senketsu Sen –"

"Bakudo Number Sixty Three – Sajō Sabaku."

Dozens of shimmering golden chains materialized above the captain as she spoke for the first time since the fight began, her voice echoing with the same disturbing hollowness as her vampire master. Zanpakuto held aloft while she curled several fingers inwards before clenched her hand into a fist, the spiritual chains immediately responding by whipping through the air towards the surprised teenager, the undead shinigami remained silent as the fully incanted Bakudo bound Ryuko's arms against her upper body before proceeding to constrict around her neck and thighs.

"H-Hey!" Forced to let go of the Scissor Blade, the hardened Life Fiber weapon clattering against the street when the chains abruptly tightened, Ryuko struggled against her bindings before indignantly shouting, "What the hell is this?"

Briefly losing her balance and nearly falling onto her ass, courtesy of the golden chains making it rather hand to stand up, Ryuko sputtered out an annoyed curse while her arms flexed in an attempt to break the technique. Whatever the hell the chains are, she thought with growing irritation, they were anything but normal. Gritting her teeth as she shot a venomous glare at the shinigami, Ryuko's eyes widened when she noticed the woman silently reciting something under her breath, her right hand braced firmly against the opposite arm. So that was her plan! The bitch knew she couldn't beat her in a straight fight so she used this stupid technique to hold her down long enough to get in a cheap shot.

Like hell she was just going to stand around and let that happen!

The ruby undertone in her feathery hair brightening as she redoubled her efforts to escape, steam shooting out from her Kamui while minute cracks rapidly began appearing across the ephemeral chains constricting her upper body, Ryuko let out one final defiant shout before the bakudo shattered into its composite spiritual energy. Having just enough time to notice a look of surprise cross the captain's face before she grabbed the fallen Scissor Blade and sprinted away, Ryuko felt a tingling sensation radiate through her body before a torrential burst of electricity tore its way through the exact spot she had just been standing.

Slightly out of breath as she crouched behind an overturned car, the Scissor Blade stabbed deeply into the ground next to her, Ryuko waited for the last vestiges of the captain's attack to dissipate before grimacing, "Alright…so maybe I should I have used Senkou from the start."

_**"That was too close for comfort, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye narrowed when he felt Ryuko's heart pounding in her chest. The shinigami's last attack had come far too close to hitting them, the massive amount of energy contained within that lightning blast sending a shiver throughout his Life Fibers. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened if Ryuko hadn't managed to break that strange binding so quickly, _**"But it seems these shinigami possess abilities other than their zanpakuto."**_

"No kidding!" Ryuko growled while cautiously peeking out from behind her cover at the captain down the street, a bead of nervous sweat trickling down her cheek, "Ichigo didn't say anything about shinigami using freaking magic!"

Senketsu listened to his wearer vent her frustrations before something troubling came to his mind, _**"Ryuko, be extremely careful. We have no idea what other tricks this woman has hidden up her sleeves, especially with the possibility of at least sixty more techniques like those last two."**_

The grating sound of steel crumpling screeched loudly as Ryuko's hand crushed the front fender of the overturned vehicle, "Say what?!"

_**"Right before we were trapped by that rather…uncomfortable…technique I heard the woman say something strange,"**_ Senketsu cautiously explained while repressing the growing urge to shudder. The strange sensation of those glowing ropes against his Life Fibers was not something he would soon forget, _**"She referred to it by a number – sixty three."**_

Ryuko glowered in frustration, the unwanted news nearly enough to make her slam a fist against the ground, but quickly perked up and looked over her shoulder when she felt a very familiar sensation. Asphalt shattering as she leapt out from behind her cover moments before the overturned vehicle was pierced by a concentrated beam of electricity, Ryuko dragged her hand against the ground for balance before spinning around and growling. All right, that was it. If the bitch wanted to take potshots, then she needed to stop pulling her punches and hit back with Senketsu's full power. And _thanks_ to the Quincy and the undead bastard, she didn't have to worry about any innocent people.

"I don't give a crap about how many freaking spells you have!"

Her defiant tone reverberated throughout the cramped streets as she noticed an orb of crimson energy rapidly coalescing around the undead shinigami's outstretched palm, the swirling flow of energy causing the woman's face to take on a sinister hue. A stubborn growl escaping her throat as she threw caution to the wind and rushed the captain completely undeterred by the technique's growing power, the ground buckling beneath her heels as blasts of ruby light burst from Senketsu's vents, Ryuko narrowed her eyes when the woman disappeared using shunpo right before the Scissor Blade could slice into her body.

"Because nothing's going to stop me…"

Pivoting around when she sensed the woman standing behind her, Ryuko hefted the Scissor Blade over her shoulder before angrily swinging it downwards against the incoming burst of crimson spiritual energy. A faint trace of a grin pulling on the corners of her mouth when the captain's attack slammed into the Scissor Blade with the force of a large truck before immediately deflecting to either side of her body, torrents of spiritual energy parting like water against the hardened Life Fiber weapon, Ryuko glared at the woman hovering in the air as a massive explosion lit up the surrounding area, "…from kicking your freaking ass!"

The ominous glow from the moon deepened at Ryuko's taunt before the captain began moving her arms. Brown hair waving in the wind as she gathered blue spiritual energy around her extended index fingers, flesh and clothing contorting as crimson eyes blinked into existence upon the writhing shadows composing her undead form, the shinigami's warbling tone echoed across the night, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus…"

"Oh no you don't!"

Ryuko wasn't about to stand around and let the bitch finish her little chant. Not this time. Feeling Senketsu tightening around her body as she shifted her grip on the Scissor Blade, the hardened Life Fiber weapon rapidly expanding into Decapitation Mode, she snarled and leapt straight towards the captain, "Like hell I'm going to let you finish – "

Time appeared to slow to an unbearable crawl when Ryuko blinked and suddenly found the captain hovering in front of her, white haori fluttering in the breeze while both hands were held inches from her stomach. Her eyes widening in shock as blue light and spiritual energy blended into a cacophony of destruction around the shinigami's hands, the teenager could not react before the woman thrust her arms forward.

"Sōren Sōkatsui."

A massive explosion tore through London as the spiritual energy contained within the high level Hado slammed into Ryuko, the unconstrained deluge of power sending the teenager screaming through the air while everything around her disintegrated into nothingness. Yet the undead captain's expression never wavered as she unsheathed her zanpakuto and gently landed back on the ground. Sandaled feet tapping lightly against the overturned pavement as she slowly stalked towards the fallen teenager, the writhing unholy darkness composing her body growing more prominent with every step, the woman's empty eyes widened when the smoke cleared, revealing a still conscious and incredibly pissed off Ryuko.

Despite the overwhelming power of an incanted Sōren Sōkatsui combined with the spiritual energy possessed by a captain belonging to the first generation of the Gotei 13 hitting her point blank in the stomach, Ryuko could remember several instances where she had felt worse. So what if her body was covered in cuts and bruises, blood rapidly being reabsorbed as her Life Fibers regenerated the damage. And sure, maybe Senketsu was complaining about the tears in his uniform that were already knitting back together good as new. The captain's attack may have taken them off guard, but it sure as hell beat getting her leg shot off by that undead bastard.

Her expression twisted into a defiant glare as she staggered back onto her feet, the extended Scissor Blade glowing faintly in her hands, Ryuko sneered and opened her mouth to curse at the captain only to pause when she felt something odd. She couldn't describe it but she felt, well not stronger, but more full of energy. It was strange. Barely two hours ago she had been exhausted and wishing she could just get some sleep. Now she felt perfectly fine. No, better than that. It didn't make any goddamn sense!

Reading his wearer's turbulent thoughts, Senketsu gave the Kamui equivalent of a nod, _**"I feel it too, Ryuko. Her last attack damaged us, yes, but it also increased our energy. How odd…"**_

"You think so?" Ryuko tightened her grip around the Scissor Blade's extended handle as she watched the undead captain slowly raise her arms, pale crimson moonlight reflecting off the zanpakuto clasped firmly in her fingers, and scowled, "But there's no time to think about that now!"

Heels springing forward off the ground the moment she witnessed the captain vanish using shunpo, Ryuko roared passionately as she twisted her upper body and slammed the Scissor Blade against the visibly surprised shinigami's nodachi. Almost immediately an explosion of spiritual energy and twinkling multicolored stars rippled outwards through London, the surrounding darkness torn away as the two combatants viciously struggled to overpower each other. Gritting her teeth as the street behind the captain abruptly shattered, the pavement disintegrating when the power contained within Decapitation Mode was redirected around its intended target, Ryuko shifted her grip on the Scissor Blade before rushing forward, her arms blurring into motion as she furiously exchanged blows with the shinigami.

"Not! So! Freaking! Tough! ARE! YOU?!"

Her voice continuously growing in volume and reaching a crescendo when the captain's zanpakuto broke through her guard and sliced deeply into her neck, bloody spraying through the air before the wound quickly knitted back together, Ryuko snarled as she swung the Scissor Blade against the shinigami's nodachi with enough force to send her skidding backwards several feet. Rubbing a hand against the side of her neck as she angrily spat on the ground, Ryuko growled in annoyance. Damn it! This wasn't working!

"Shō."

A surprised gasp escaped Ryuko's mouth when the Hado collided directly with her stomach, hitting with enough force to push her down the street and away from the captain. Digging her heels into the road as she quickly recovered her balance, the corners of her lips twisting into an embarrassed sneer at being caught off guard, Ryuko froze in bewilderment when a thick black and red miasma of spiritual energy enveloped the captain's increasing shadowed form. Flexing her fingers around her nodachi as she slowly rotated it clockwise in front of her face, hundreds of crimson eyes emerging from the darkness spilling forth from her body, the undead shinigami's expression shifted malevolently as she uttered four simple words.

"Bankai: Rengoku no Kurushimi."

Ryuko couldn't help but take several involuntary steps backwards when an enormous construct of bones violently tore its way free of the ground directly behind the captain, writhing flames and burning shadows coalescing around the bankai as it stretched to its full height of more than one hundred feet. A bone-chilling groan echoing throughout the area when the spiritual construct held up its arms, a phantasmal nodachi wreathed in blue flames and a set of shadowy scales materializing in either clawed hand, the bankai remained still for several long seconds before its head slowly craned downwards at the teenager standing below.

"H-Holy crap…"

Senketsu nearly perfectly shared his wearer's shock at the situation, although he did not agree with her choice of vulgar language. Shivering around Ryuko's body when the bankai's spiritual energy abruptly darkened, he tore his multicolored eye away from the towering construct and stammered in bewilderment, _**"This is a bankai?"**_

"Goddamn it," Ryuko ignored the nervous pounding of her heart as she gripped the Scissor Blade. She could literally feel the power radiating from the bankai. It felt, no, was stronger than Junketsu when she took over Satsuki's body back in Karakura Town. Damn it, defeating the bankai would be extremely difficult but like hell was she just going to let the bitch or the undead bastard win.

"Heh…and I thought kicking her ass would be easy!"

A deep crimson aura enveloped Ryuko's body as she glared at the captain, the bead of nervous sweat dripping from her chin ignored. Raising her arm protectively in front of her face when the bankai stepped towards her, the impact shattering the ground, Ryuko narrowed her eyes and stubbornly declared, "This is going to be tough, Senketsu. But like hell will I let some undead bitch beat us! Let's do this! Senketsu Senkou!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Consciousness returned painfully to Enrico Maxwell as he opened his eyes, the surrounding blur of colors coming back into focus accompanied by a lance of pain shooting through his skull. Several harsh coughs tearing their way from his throat as he gingerly touched the bleeding wound on his forehead, the archbishop grimaced before carefully pushing himself back onto his elbows. He just <em>couldn't<em> understand what happened. The last thing he remembered was witnessing that walking wasteland, that demon in the guise of a man, release the final restraints upon his power, inundating the entire city in his unholy presence, before something tore through the Ninth Crusade's airborne division.

The unrelenting sound of something scratching against the undamaged glass box tore the archbishop from his thoughts. Slowly craning his head upwards, Maxwell let out a strangled gasp at the nightmarish sight of Alucard's familiars converging upon his location. Eyes widening in shock as he fell backwards until he was pressed against the glass wall, terror and fear quickly succumbed to arrogance when he noticed the damned weren't able to get him. Laughing uncontrollably as bloodied fingers and rusted blades scrapped futilely against the box, Maxwell pointed a finger at the horde and exclaimed, "This is hardened tektite compound glass! Not a single one of you foul creatures will even be able to scratch it!"

"That is quite the remarkable boast…"

Maxwell's entire body stiffened at the unexpected response. Tearing his attention away from the shambling undead while twisting around until he was looking over his shoulder, the archbishop felt his blood freeze when he caught sight of a spectacled man calmly sitting on top of a nearby pile of debris. Bloodied fingers clenching tightly as the man slowly began clapping his hands, the incessant mocking sound grating on his nerves, the leader of Iscariot seethed as Quilge Opie leaned forward and smirked, "But it seems your words carry a hint of truth. Why, I don't think Alucard's familiars will be able to penetrate it."

"Y-You!"

The Sternritter's mocking and condescending tone grated relentlessly upon the archbishop's already heavily frayed nerves. Ignoring the pain radiating up his arm as he smashed a fist against the glass barrier, Maxwell furiously gnashed his teeth and shouted, "Quincy! What have you done? What is your _BASTARD_ of a king planning?"

"That is quite the interesting question," Quilge's smirk faded as he calmly adjusted his spectacles, the light from the crimson moon reflecting off the opaque lenses and making them shimmer with a sinister hue. Shaking his head while slowly unsheathing the ornate saber strapped to his waist, the Sternritter's tone contained a dangerous edge as he continued, "But I'm afraid that silence is golden. It would be rather inappropriate if strange ears were to rudely overhear our conversation."

"What are you talking about, you swine?" Maxwell glared impotently at the Quincy with all the hatred he could muster, "What is your heretical king trying to – "

A brief shimmer of blue-white light shone from the Sternritter's saber before a single Heilig Pfeil pierced straight through the tektite glass a few inches from the archbishop's visibly stunned expression. His eyes widening in utter shock when an explosion tore through the night behind him, the wet sensation trailing down his cheek all but forgotten, Maxwell could only watch helplessly as cracks rapidly spread across the glass box before it shattered. Wisps of smoke rising from his weapon as he casually observed the countless undead familiars swarming the newly vulnerable archbishop, Quilge took the time to smooth out a crease in his sleeve before responding.

"Unfortunately your usefulness to His Majesty has ended."

Lazily swinging his saber through the air before sheathing it with an audible click, the Sternritter raised a single finger in front of his mouth as he watched Alucard's familiars drag the archbishop kicking and screaming into the street. It was truly pitiful witnessing the leader of Iscariot behaving in such an ugly and dreadful manner, doubly so considering the man's previously arrogant and barbaric behavior. Nevertheless, it was clear from the Daten that Maxwell's usefulness against Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs had reached its limit. His inability to resist the influence of the Life Fibers wrapped around his neck meant he was a liability to His Majesty, which was quite shameful. The Vatican's resources and artifacts could have been useful in countering that dreadful woman's power.

The wind briefly picking up as nearly a dozen spears perforated Maxwell's body from every direction, the man's bloodied face frozen in an expression of pure agony, Quilge turned to leave only to quickly pause. It was very faint, nearly undetectable, but there was a noticeable disturbance in the ambient spiritual energy. Eyes narrowing beneath his spectacles as he glanced over his shoulder, the corners of his mouth curled upwards when he spotted several rather powerful grenades rapidly falling towards him.

"Oh?"

Flickering out of existence using Hirenkyaku right before the starch grenades bounced off the ground and exploded, Quilge reappeared standing on the edge of a nearby rooftop while calmly brushing a strand of hair from his face. He had to give his ambusher credit for planning such a well-timed attack. Any lesser member of His Majesty's army would have most likely been caught in the fiery inferno.

But _he_ was anything but a simple soldat.

His mouth slowly curling into a shadowed grin when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone rushing across the rooftop directly towards him, Quilge deftly unsheathed his saber before twisting around and easily parrying away the two tailor bayonets aimed at his heart and throat. Sparks of blue energy dancing through the air when he was forced to adjust his footing to prevent an incensed Alexander Anderson's third strike from stabbing through his eye, Quilge locked gazes with the former paladin and stated, "You are quite the dangerous man, Alexander Anderson."

Unperturbed by the furious expression on the nudist commander's face as he fired a single Heilig Pfeil from the edge of his saber, forcing Anderson to leap backwards to avoid getting hit by the spiritual attack, Quilge frowned when he noticed a tear on the sleeve of his uniform. It seemed he had underestimated his opponent's strength to some extent, but he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. Using two fingers to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the Sternritter turned his attention back to the nudist before raising a hand into the air and exclaiming, "How truly extraordinary! Not even His Majesty's Sternritter can escape from Zorin's Täuschung Kaskade without activating Vollstandig. Yet you managed to do so through sheer force of will! A remarkable feat, if I may say so myself."

"Bite yer tongue, _foul_ Quincy!"

"Yer false words fall upon deaf ears," Anderson refused to listen to Quilge as he flexed his wrists. Flipping the two bayonets into a reverse grip, he glared venomously at the Quincy and seethed, "For I am a servant of a higher power, set upon the world to cleanse it of monsters and abominations alike."

The battle-torn cassock fluttered around the nudist commander's body as he crossed his arms over his chest, the sinister crimson light from the full moon reflecting ominously off the bayonets clasped tightly in his hands, "So laugh yer annoying laugh, Quincy, for yer plans are already in tatters. The General knows about yer betrayal this night. Ye and yer king will not be able to step foot in Japan without facing the full might of Nudist Beach. But I vow to make sure ye don't live to see that day!"

"Oh my…"

A thoughtful frown pulled at the corners of Quilge's mouth. It was abundantly clear from Anderson's passionate threat against his life that the man was at least partially aware of the Schatten Ausrufung, including His Majesty's plans surrounding Alucard. The only question plaguing the Sternritter's mind was _how_ it came about. Could the nudist commander have somehow read Zorin's mind when she used Täuschung Kaskade? If so, that remarkable and seemingly impossible feat made Anderson a rather dangerous man. In any other instance he would immediately kill the nudist. However, any sort of overreaction on his part might lead to consequences down the line, especially if the man only possessed partial knowledge of their plans.

"Far be it for me to deny the validity of your threat…"

Deliberately trailing off while slowly raising his saber, strands of blue-white spiritual energy branching outwards from the weapon's guard into a facsimile of a bow, Quilge swept his free hand through the air before adding, "But your chances of defeating me are rather slim, wouldn't you agree? You no longer have your associate's grand panzer. The Wild Geese are all but destroyed, thanks to Zorin's efforts. And Seras Victoria is at her master's side. As someone acquainted with Ragyo Kiryuin's plans for humanity, sure you can – "

Quilge paused when half a dozen bayonets launched across the rooftop from the former paladin's outstretched hands. Firing an equal number of Heilig Pfeil from his saber, the arrows intercepting and shattering the incoming projectiles, the Sternritter brushed off his shoulder before continuing in a dangerous tone of voice, "His Majesty has expressed displeasure at the Jahrtausendarmee being forced to fight our allies in Nudist Beach. However, anything that threatens the success of the Schatten Ausrufung must be dealt with promptly. So there is certainly nothing stopping you from attacking me a third time, Alexander Anderson. Other than, of course, falling dead before you can take three steps…"

A tense silence covered the rooftop when it appeared that Anderson would take the Sternritter up on his challenge, freshly summoned tailor bayonets appearing within his fingers in a flash of light. Seething angrily from between clenched teeth as he relaxed his shoulders, the nudist commander allowed his arms to fall listlessly at his side before growling, "Tell me, _Quincy_. What are ye planning for Alucard?"

"That is a most interesting question."

The corners of Quilge's mouth twisted into a perplexed frown while he sheathed his saber with a small but audible click. Humming as he adjusted his spectacles, the Sternritter turned his back to the nudist commander and added, "You are truly a dangerous man, Alexander Anderson. However! I am afraid my lips are sealed. Silence is golden, after all…"

Vanishing in a burst of nearly silent Hirenkyaku, Quilge barely left before a bayonet sliced through the air and pierced into the roof where he had just been standing. Fingers clenched around his remaining bayonet while growling in frustration, Anderson did not say a single word as he turned his attention towards the street below. A tailor bayonet appearing in his hand as he sprinted across the rooftop before leaping off the side, the nudist commander ignored both the cold bitterness of the late autumn night as well as the constant groans coming from the undead souls below. He knew anytime before this night, before he knew what the Quincy were actually capable of doing, he would have launched himself at Quilge without a moment's hesitation. But his battle against Zorin Blitz at the Hellsing Manor demonstrated what would have happened.

He might have lasted a minute, maybe even two, but the end result would undoubtedly be death.

His boots smashed through the heads of two familiars as he crashed to the ground, crushing their skulls in a spray of blood while alerting the rest of the undead. Spinning around one familiar's attempt to skewer him on the edge of a rusted halberd, Anderson's hands flashed outwards before he began viciously and methodically cutting a large swath through the gathered ranks of undead. Bayonets severing limbs and heads with contemptuous ease, black metal steadily becoming stained with the blood of his enemies, the former paladin's mind remained singularly focused when he found himself facing an armored knight. Ducking underneath the knight's sword before reciprocating by stabbing his bayonets through his open mouth, Anderson grimaced when he came to a halt several feet from the fallen body of Enrico Maxwell.

"This was no way for yer life to end, Maxwell…"

Anderson's tone was full of bitterness and self-loathing as he reached down and tore away the intricate stole wrapped around the archbishop's neck. Clenching his fingers when he felt a familiar tingling in his hand, he swung his arm upwards before cutting the offensive garment to shreds. His eyes narrowing in anger while strands of glowing red Life Fibers floated gently through the air around him, the alien threads visible for only a few seconds before fading away into nothingness, the nudist commander shook his head before kneeling down in front of Maxwell's body. Reaching out and closing the archbishop's unseeing eyes, Anderson muttered a somber pray before venomously declaring, "But I vow to make that monster pay for what she did to ye."

The autumn wind briefly causing his cassock to flutter outwards as he stood back up, Anderson did not turn around when he heard the recognizable sound of a gun cocking behind his head, "I see ye have grown into a formidable woman…Heinkel."

An incomprehensibly long second passed in nearly absolute silence as Heinkel Wolfe kept her customized pistol trained on the back of Anderson's head. Her eyes flickering sideways to Maxwell's limp corpse, the artificial madness plaguing his mind having left him in death, she bit her lower lip before turning her attention back to Anderson and scoffing, "I heard every single word you just said."

"Then ye know Maxwell was not to blame for his actions," Anderson flexed his wrists as he slowly turned around, the tailor bayonets clasped in his hands returning to the seals etched onto his gloves. Seeing the once awkward teenager, who didn't possess the confidence to assert herself without Yumiko's support, had not only developed into a woman but was also Iscariot's finest paladin filled the nudist with both pride and sorrow, "He was being controlled by Life Fibers. The threads were woven throughout his stole, controlling his body like a blasted puppet. In all likelihood he succumbed to their tainted power long before the onset of the battle. If I arrived sooner I could have saved him…"

Heinkel kept her pistol stubbornly locked on the nudist commander even while her expression somewhat softened. Maxwell's sudden and inexplicable bout of madness and insanity, which she initially assumed had resulted from allowing his newfound power to corrupt his mind, had caught the Iscariot expeditionary force off guard. Knowing that their leader had not been in his right state of mind came as a small comfort. But that did not change a damn thing about what she was going to do with Anderson.

"You may have been right about Ragyo Kiryuin being an abomination," Heinkel's mouth twisted into a furious snarl as she stepped closer to Anderson, the muzzle of her pistol aimed squarely between the nudist's eyes, "But you're still a goddamn murderer, Anderson! Did you think the Vatican would forgive you just because you were telling the truth? More than a dozen cardinals died by your damned hands!"

Anderson's expression didn't waver at the accusation, "Ye have every right to kill me for what I've done. My soul is forever stained with the blood of the innocent, cast down by my own hands in a fit of unthinking madness. I fully expect to receive punishment for my crimes, to face the judgment of God and ask for the forgiveness I do not deserve. But I'm afraid that can wait, for there are far more serious matters to deal with at the moment."

It took less than a second for Heinkel to understand what Anderson was implying – Alucard. Despite the overwhelming and nightmarish powers of his army of familiars, the darkness enveloping the city casting the moon in a sinister crimson glow, she knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. For the first time in more than a century Alucard was vulnerable to normal anti-vampire weapons. By unleashing the legions of tortured souls trapped within his body, the vampire could _finally_ be slain, forever ridding the world of one of the most evil creatures to ever exist.

Breathing deeply through clenched teeth when something the nudist commander previously stated caught her attention, Heinkel slowly lowered her pistol away from Anderson's face and scowled, "What do you know, Anderson?"

"This entire battle, this rampant slaughter of the innocent, is all one giant smokescreen," Anderson's head whipped to the left when he felt an enormous wave of spiritual energy pulse across London. Even while surrounded by the encroaching darkness there was no mistaking the underlying corruption pervading the energy. It was far too similar to Alucard's power to be anything besides the vampire. But the nudist commander could not shake the feeling of how the dwindling energy reminded him of the shinigami back in Karakura Town.

Suppressing the urge to grimace as a lance of pain radiated from his injured shoulder, Anderson turned back towards Heinkel before gruffly adding, "Everything these Quincy have done, every barbaric act and murder, deals with whatever they're planning for Alucard."

The paladin's mind churned at the implications of what the Quincy could want with Alucard. Vatican reports and documents dating back to World War II showed the vampire and the Hellsing butler fighting against the Nazis in Poland, preventing a very familiar First Lieutenant from creating an army of vampirized soldiers. But the Jahrtausendarmee's exposure as an organization of Quincy hidden in the shadows threw all of that into doubt. The ongoing battle proved that well enough. However, a single disturbing thought continued tingling on the edge of her mind. If Iscariot had been mistaken about Millennium's aspirations for the last sixty years, then what else could they have been wrong about?

Scowling as she twisted away from the nudist commander, Heinkel raised a hand to her ear and announced, "This is Father Wolfe to all surviving paladins. The Ninth Crusade is lost. Maxwell is dead. All paladins unable to bear arms against the undead and Quincy are to fall back to the surrounding countryside and await further orders."

"…are you saying, Heinkel?" Yumiko's Takagi's perplexed question was lost in a sea of static before she asked, "What happened to Maxwell?"

Heinkel momentarily paused as she mulled over the question before calmly replying, "The stole gifted to him by His Holiness had been tainted with Life Fibers. Maxwell's mind was twisted until he was little more than a puppet for Ragyo Kiryuin. According to Anderson, it is likely Maxwell was compromised before arriving in London."

"You found Alexander Anderson!?"

Yumiko's eyes widened while she wrenched her katana free from one of the few vampirized soldiers fortunate enough to escape Alucard's initial rampage. Allowing the corpse to fall limply to the ground as she turned towards her fellow paladins, the variously injured men and women equally shocked at the news about Anderson, Yumiko tightened her grip around her weapon's hilt at the silence coming through the radio, "What are our orders?"

"I'm taking the fight to Alucard," Heinkel ignored the moans and gurgles as she stoically gazed upon the horde of undead souls marching their way towards her, "For the first time in living memory the vampire is in a form that renders him vulnerable to our holy weapons. With the last of his demonic restraints lifted, he has become mortal."

Snorting lightly under her breath when she glimpsed Anderson retreating into the shadows, the nudist's form briefly visible against the crimson moonlight as he effortlessly scaled the side of a building, Heinkel curled her hand into a fist and growled, "Those willing to lay their lives on the line for God, to charge headfirst against the forces of Hell, are to rendezvous one kilometer east of my current location. It's time we ended this once and for all…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ichigo's hair whipped around his face as he sped through the skies above London, the surrounding darkness retreating from the twin bursts of blue energy erupting from his transformed legs. Reflexively tightening his grip around Tournesol as he banked sharply to the left and looked down into the darkened streets, the moonlight bathing the shadows in an unnatural crimson pallor, Ichigo frowned when Mugetsu's voice came across loud and clear over the rushing wind, <em><strong>"We're getting close, Ichigo."<strong>_

"Yeah, I know."

Sensing Alucard's spiritual energy wasn't nearly as difficult as he originally thought. Even across the hundreds of square kilometers composing London the vampire's presence stood out like a bright beacon in the darkness. It almost felt like the bastard was taunting everyone capable of detecting spiritual energy to come directly to his location. But while something like that was worrying enough on its own, Ichigo felt a cold chill creep down his spine for a very different reason.

Alucard seemed far too _weak_.

It was likely that anyone that survived long enough to witness the overbearing sensation of death and terror that followed in the wake of Alucard releasing his final restraints thought that they were experiencing the vampire's full power. But Ichigo knew that wasn't close to the truth. While the vampire might have unlocked every seal on his power, releasing all the souls he devoured over the centuries under his direct control, it wasn't anywhere close to the strength he possessed during his fight against Ryuko. There was no doubt about it – the vampire was _actively_ suppressing his spiritual energy.

"Damn," Ichigo felt Mugetsu's multicolored eyes swivel towards him and scowled, "The bastard's holding back."

"_**Holding back?"**_ Confusion laced the Kamui's voice as she stared incredulously at her wearer, _**"Why would someone like him hold back? Do you think he knows we're coming?"**_

"I'm not sure," Ichigo didn't know if Alucard could detect spiritual energy like a shinigami. However, he knew the bastard was capable of sensing the Life Fibers woven inside his and Ryuko's bodies. If he managed to track them down when they first arrived in London, hunting them through the rain and lightning, it was more than likely that the vampire would sense him coming from a mile away. But Ichigo refused to let something as trivial as that dissuade him. There was too much at stake to worry about Alucard luring him into a trap. If he wanted any chance of stopping the vampire before he devoured every soul in London, then he needed to move hard and fast.

"_**Hmm…"**_ Mugetsu hummed as she turned her unblinking eyes away from Alucard and towards the checkerboard-patterned zeppelin in the distance. A faint growling reverberating through her threads as she sensed several Quincy on board the airship, she huffed and asked, _**"Are you still planning on fighting Alucard?"**_

"We might only get one shot at taking him down," Ichigo felt some of Mugetsu's emotions bleed across their connection as the sapphire energy bursting from her twin jets suddenly increased in intensity. He knew enough about Alucard's history, thanks to Yoruichi and Anderson, to realize that the millions of souls trapped in his body was the key to the vampire's power, "If we hit him with a Getsuga Tenshou before he can release his full power, it might be enough to beat him."

Mugetsu frowned in worry at Ichigo's determination before giving the Kamui equivalent of a nod, _**"Understood! My speed far surpasses anything Senketsu can achieve. Just don't do anything stupid, Ichigo."**_

"Don't worry, Mugetsu. I know what – "

A massive burst of spiritual energy exploding across the city caused Ichigo to stop midsentence as every muscle in his body stiffened in shock. Twisting around as he abruptly stopped somewhere over the Thames River, the sudden change in momentum causing Mugetsu to briefly complain, Ichigo's eyes widened in astonishment when he focused his senses on the source of the spiritual energy. There was no mistaking it. That was a _bankai_. But he didn't recognize the captain's spiritual energy in the slightest. While he was curious about the captain's identity, a more important question troubled the former substitute shinigami. How did the Soul Society manage to send a captain to London without anyone, least of all him, noticing?

"Wait…what the hell?"

Ichigo frowned in confusion as the bankai's spiritual energy settled down, allowing him to sense Ryuko practically standing on top of the captain. Hovering in silence when a burst of red light exploded upwards into the midnight sky as Ryuko shifted into Senkou, Ichigo felt his frustration and confusion at the situation growing. It was obvious Ryuko was fighting against the captain and their bankai. But that didn't make any sense. If the Soul Society sent a captain to London, it had to be either to take out Alucard or deal with Millennium and the Quincy. They had the same goals, damn it! So why…

The eerie wind weaving through the darkened city suddenly cut off as Ichigo realized there was something _off_ about the captain. With the initial surprise of seeing the bankai wearing off, he finally managed to get a clear picture of the captain's spiritual energy. And what he sensed was startling. Now he understood why Ryuko seemed so determined to fight the captain. Their power felt just like Alucard's– a seemingly bottomless chasm of darkness lurking just underneath the skin.

Yoruichi had been right. The bastard actually devoured a captain.

Completely ignorant of her wearer's thoughts, Mugetsu's armor briefly rippled around Ichigo's body at the familiar vileness underlying the captain's spiritual energy. That sensation wasn't something she would ever forget. Not after the vampire blew several holes through her pristine uniform. Narrowing her eyes at the strange construct towering over the skyline, she turned to Ichigo and asked, _**"What is that thing, Ichigo?"**_

Ichigo blinked at the question before replying, "It's a bankai."

"_**A bankai?"**_

Mugetsu was well aware of the term. Her creator and Ichigo had gone into great detail about shinigami and their zanpakuto after retreating from Honnouji Academy in the wake of the Great Culture and Sports Festival. But she never thought she would witness one with her own eyes. She could feel her Life Fibers quivering under the enormous power radiating from the bankai. It was simply incredible that shinigami were capable of matching Ichigo and her full power…and Mugetsu did not like that one bit.

"_**It seems a lot bigger than what you told me your bankai looked like, Ichigo."**_

"Well, mine was a little different…"

"_**This shinigami feels a lot stronger than that annoying Quincy we fought,"**_ Mugetsu's eyes narrowed hatefully as she remembered their earlier fight against Bazz-B, the burns and scorch marks his flames created still fresh in her mind. Growling when the enormous bankai suddenly lurched forward faster than she thought possible only for a massive explosion of ruby energy to drive it backwards, the Kamui watched Ryuko temporarily retreat from the construct before bluntly stating, _**"Humph. Senketsu might actually have difficultly beating something that powerful."**_

Ichigo tightly clenched his hand into a fist at Mugetsu's comment before twisting around and flying at full speed towards the imposing bankai in the distance, all thoughts of stopping Alucard forgotten, "Ryuko is strong but fighting a bankai isn't something that can be decided by strength alone. There's no telling what abilities the captain's zanpakuto has."

"_**While I don't have a problem helping Senketsu, if only to show I'm the better Kamui, I feel a strange quivering in my threads,"**_ Mugetsu gazed down into the darkened streets as a stray thought passed through her mind, _**"Alucard absorbs souls by drinking blood, right?"**_

Ichigo tilted his head around to face one of Mugetsu's eyes, "The bastard tried to pull that stunt against Ryuko, remember?"

"_**I know,"**_ Mugetsu was silent for a moment before adding, _**"But I can't help but feel we're forgetting something important."**_

Pulling his attention away from his Kamui when he felt something flicker against the edges of his senses, Ichigo turned back over his shoulder and asked, "Important? Like what?"

"_**Well…"**_ Mugetsu's multicolored eyes swiveled around on her wings until she was staring at Ichigo, _**"Alucard's been sent on several missions against Quincy, right? Including one just a few hours ago. So what happened to them?"**_

A look of startling realization crossing his face at Mugetsu's question, Ichigo barely managed to sense the slight explosion of spiritual energy in the distance before a circular hole was torn clean through his torso. Two pairs of eyes simultaneously widening at the unexpected wound while the abrupt shift in momentum caused him to lurch forward with thick streams of blood spraying through the air, Ichigo had just enough time to wonder what was happening before another dozen similar attacks pierced his body from every conceivable angle and direction. Grimacing when his right leg was severed just above the knee, the limb quickly dispersing into blue Life Fibers, he rapidly descended through the air as he lost his balance before harshly slamming onto a roof.

"Damn it!"

Cursing at the phantom pain as he stabbed Tournesol into the mostly shattered roof and slowly pushed himself back onto his feet, Ichigo didn't bother looking at his already regenerated leg. As his wounds rapidly healed, the circular holes perforating both his body and Mugetsu's armor flawlessly knitting back together, he craned his head upwards and scowled, "What the hell hit us?!"

"_**I don't know,"**_ Mugetsu's normally passive tone carried a hint of anger. She was having difficulty understanding what happened. One second Ichigo was flying towards Ryuko and the next something managed to bypass her uniform, one of the toughest armors on the planet, and tear a hole in his body, _**"But we should be careful, Ichigo. There's no telling – "**_

The Kamui's cautious warning quickly devolved into surprised stammering when hundreds of what looked like playing cards suddenly materialized out of nothingness just beyond the edges of the building. Gripping Tournesol tightly with both hands while protectively raising the blade in front of his body when the cards briefly shimmered before they rapidly began rotating in a sphere around them, Ichigo felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his forehead when he noticed the barrier cleanly slicing through the rooftop.

And it was slowly growing closer.

So this was their plan all along. Whoever he was fighting must have already known his Life Fibers would easily be able to regenerate all the damage from their first attack. They were probably hoping something like this would be enough to overwhelm his regeneration and kill him. But Ichigo wasn't exactly keen on letting that happen. His inability to feel pain and regeneration aside, allowing someone to slice his body to ribbons was at the very bottom of things he wanted to try out before dying.

"Mugetsu Zangetsu!"

Sweeping Tournesol through the air while Mugetsu shifted into her advanced configuration accompanied by a burst of blue stars, Ichigo took a moment to steady his breathing before calmly placing a hand over his right wrist. His eyes narrowing in determination when a thick layer of turbulent energy instantly enveloped the hardened Life Fiber weapon, a pulse of power repelling the shadows as his Life Fibers further synchronized with Mugetsu's, Ichigo bent his knees before vanishing in a burst of speed towards the encroaching whirlwind of razor sharp cards.

Gritting his teeth when the several tears appeared on Mugetsu's armor, Ichigo swung Tournesol vertically downwards through the air while shouting, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

A crescent of sapphire light erupted outwards into the surrounding midnight skies as the massive amount of energy contained within Tournesol exploded against the swirling tide of razor sharp cards. For just a moment the technique appeared to resist Ichigo's attack, the hardened Life Fiber weapon shaking as it slowly pushed forward, before something audibly shattered and everything began disintegrating. The thousands of microscopic blades composing the Getsuga Tenshou simultaneously struck at every card within range, tearing them apart in a wave of power before detonating and completely shattering the technique.

"Alright…now where did he go?"

Ichigo scowled as he stared across the darkened landscape. Whoever ambushed him was good…but not good enough to deal with Mugetsu's power. It had taken a little more effort than he anticipated but their Getsuga Tenshou easily destroyed the technique. Half-listening to his Kamui comment on the burning remnants of cards falling like confetti through the air, Ichigo stiffened when he felt a powerful spiritual energy suddenly appear behind him. Eyes widening upon seeing a man dressed similarly to Bazz-B standing on the opposite end of the roof loudly snap his fingers, Ichigo barely had time to notice the ground shaking before a veritable storm of card tore upwards through the building beneath his feet.

Tendrils of darkness spread out from beneath Tubalcain Alhambra as the former Sternritter reached up and gripped his fedora moments before an intense burst of wind tore across the roof. Glowing eyes staring into the thick plume of smoke while the shadows replacing his left leg below the knee writhed chaotically, the undead Quincy's emotionless façade twisted into an annoyed frown when the dust cleared, exposing a mostly unscathed Ichigo.

"I get it now."

The sound of footsteps echoed softly across the roof as Ichigo emerged from the dissipating smoke looking little worse for wear, the only sign of Alhambra's vicious attack being the glowing cuts and abrasions covering Mugetsu's armor that were already knitting back together. Frowning thoughtfully while listening to his Kamui express her annoyance and hatred of the Quincy for daring to damage her uniform, Ichigo propped Tournesol against his shoulder and continued, "I'm going to take a wild guess. Alucard absorbed your soul after you lost to the bastard, didn't he? It's why your spiritual energy feels almost like his…and how your cards cut through Mugetsu."

Ichigo quickly removed Tournesol from his shoulder when Alhambra's posture suddenly shifted and he swept his arms forward, sending a maelstrom of cards spiraling through the air towards him. A faint sapphire light covering the hardened Life Fiber weapon as it became little more than a blur, slicing through each and every one of the Sternritter's cards, Ichigo's tone didn't waver as he added, "You Quincy don't deal well with Life Fibers…but Alucard doesn't have that problem."

A brief disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy caused Ichigo to stiffen before he instinctively twisted his body sideways, the all-penetrating bullet aimed at the junction of his neck missing him by only a few inches. Twin jets of blue energy violently blasting from Mugetsu's armor as he watched the attack continue through the building across the street, he shifted his balance before rapidly rushing across the roof towards Alhambra. That last sneak attack confirmed his growing suspicions. He was fighting against not one but _two_ undead Quincy, which complicated everything. He needed to defeat this guy before his friend took another potshot or worse – decided to team up against him.

Using Mugetsu's superior speed to easily overwhelm Alhambra's efforts to evade his attack, Ichigo swung Tournesol at the former Sternritter's arm only to frown in mild confusion when he felt the blade momentary meet with heavy resistance. Choosing not to follow the undead Quincy when he retreated using Hirenkyaku, droplets of shadowed blood dripping onto the roof, Ichigo turned around and stared at the bleeding gash on Alhambra's arm before commenting, "So…you can use Blut Vene."

Thanks to the mysterious and baffling friendship between his old man and Uryu's dad, which only came to light after the Great Culture and Sports Festival, Ichigo had a pretty good understanding of most Quincy abilities. While most of the techniques used by Bazz-B and the rest of the Sternritter still didn't make a lot of sense, especially when compared to what Uryu bragged he could do, Ichigo grimaced as he recognized the brief resistance he felt before Tournesol cut into Alhambra's arm. There was no question about it – thanks to Alucard the Sternritter's Blut Vene worked against Life Fibers.

That was going to make things a little difficult.

"_**Ichigo…"**_ Mugetsu's tone was tense as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance at the undead Quincy hovering above them. Although the Kamui still had the strong urge to shudder in disgust at the writhing shadows composing Alhambra's form, her full attention was completely focused on how he was _floating_ in the air, _**"How is he floating?"**_

"It's something most Quincy and shinigami can do," Ichigo explained offhandedly, his attention firmly locked on Alhambra.

"_**Could we do something like that?"**_

The innocuous question momentarily threw Ichigo off balance. Why _hadn't_ he tried air walking while wearing Mugetsu? It hadn't been all that difficult to learn back when he was a shinigami. Kisuke's torture disguised as training had made damn sure of that. He certainly had enough spiritual energy to relearn the technique. The only question was whether the same principles applied since his body was made entirely of Life Fibers. And, to be perfectly honest, he was annoyingly frustrating having to fight opponents that could float. While Mugetsu's flight configuration could cover large distances faster than shunpo and Hirenkyaku, it wasn't all that useful when fighting someone that could simply stand in the air.

"I don't see why not," Ichigo scowled when Rip Van Winkle slowly emerged from the shadows in front of him, a faint smirk pulling at the edges of her mouth as she stood opposite of Alhambra on the roof. Tightening his grip around Tournesol as he was forced to split his attention between the undead Quincy, Ichigo narrowed his eyes and warned, "Get ready, Mugetsu. It looks like Ryuko and Senketsu will have to wait just a little longer…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Damn it!"<p>

A small burst of superheated steam erupted from Senketsu's ventilation grills as Ryuko sat with her back pressed firmly against the partially destroyed dividing wall, her chest steadily rising and falling with every frustrated breath. Blue eyes sweeping angrily across the most destroyed office while her fingers expertly reached for the transformed Scissor Blade lying on the glass-covered marble tiles next to her leg, Ryuko waited until the hardened Life Fiber weapon was firmly in her grip before cursing under her breath. Five minutes. Five whole freaking minutes! She fought the captain and her stupidly broken bankai for five minutes before things went to hell. God damn it! That stupid Hat-and-Clogs wasn't kidding when he said a shinigami's bankai was their ultimate trump card.

Normally she wouldn't care if someone released the 'absolute pinnacle of their strength' besides wondering how to use Senketsu's power to kick their ass. There were enough of those morons back at Honnouji Academy. But how the hell was she supposed to fight something that can turn anything into ash just by freaking looking at it?

Ryuko grimaced before smashing her fist against the ground hard enough that her knuckles left a visible indent in the marble tiles. The Scissor Blade gripped tightly in her hand as she cautiously leaned out from behind the wall, the line of shattered windows across the office bathing everything a deep crimson light, Ryuko narrowed her eyes when she saw the fiery visage of the captain's bankai only a few streets away. Quickly ducking back behind the wall when the skeletal giant's head shifted subtly in the darkness, the teenager waited several seconds before letting out an angry snort.

There was not a chance in hell she was going to allow the stupid bankai to get another good look at her. Watching her arm literally disintegrate into ash was _not_ something she wanted to experience a second time. Even if it didn't hurt and her Life Fibers regenerated the damage just as quickly, having something like that happen against was not at the top of her list.

Pushing herself into a kneeling position while her high heels scrapped against the floor, Ryuko felt the ruby undertone in her hair brighten as she turned towards Senketsu's single eye and grumbled, "Alright, so maybe attacking that thing head on wasn't such a good idea. But what else was I supposed to do?"

Senketsu stared unblinkingly at Ryuko for several seconds before replying, _**"I warned you it was a bad idea attacking the captain without a plan, Ryuko."**_

"I'm sorry, alright?"

Ryuko hastily turned away from her Kamui in mild embarrassment when she felt his worry and concern bleeding across their synchronized connection. She should have known better than to ignore Senketsu's sensible warning and attack the bankai like a damn idiot. Had she learned _nothing_ from Honnouji Academy and fighting the undead bastard? She didn't even make it halfway to the bankai before an unsettling blood-red light shone from its empty eye sockets and most of her right arm, besides the Scissor Blade, exploded into a fine mist of ash. If not for her inherently strong regeneration and Senketsu instinctively shifting into Shippu before the bankai could attack a second time she might have been killed.

Running a hand through her dual-toned hair as the stiff autumn wind caused goose bumps to break out across her exposed stomach, Ryuko glowered thoughtfully before the corners of her mouth curled into a smug grin, "Heh…but I think I figured out the secret of her bankai. It can't do shit if it can't see us!"

"_**Yes, I noticed that as well,"**_ Senketsu gave his best impression of an excited node as his multicolored eye swiveled away from the bankai and towards Ryuko, _**"We should be fine as long as we avoid the bankai's gaze. Still…we should be extremely careful. We don't know what other abilities it might have."**_

"It's already freaking overpowered!" Ryuko shouted angrily while waving her right arm through the air, "What else does it need to do? It already turns everything it sees into ash!"

"_**I'm not so sure about that,"**_ Senketsu could feel his wearer's annoyance and confusion bleed across their connection as he briefly paused before continuing, _**"It was brief, but when the bankai attacked I noticed an intense heat coming from inside your right arm. Instead of simply turning everything it sees into ash, I think the bankai actually causes whatever it looks at to ignite and burn until nothing remains but ash."**_

Ryuko grumbled under her breath at Senketsu's answer. Knowing how the bankai turned her arm into ash was great and all, but it didn't get her any closer to coming up with a plan to beat it. And as much as she wanted to retreat and get reinforcements, preferably Ichigo since he already dealt with shit like this, Ryuko knew that was out of the question. There would be no telling what sort of evil or sadistic bullshit the undead captain would pull if she tried running away. Not to mention Ichigo had own problems. It had been brief, nearly forgotten after watching her arm dissolve into a fine cloud of ash, but she felt Ichigo and Mugetsu fighting at least two Quincy.

Dragging him into her fight wouldn't help anyone.

The shattered glass covering the floor crackled loudly under Ryuko's heels as she stabbed the Scissor Blade into the ground and stood up. One hand gripping the wall as she chanced another glance at the bankai in the distance, Ryuko huffed angrily before narrowing her eyes and scowling, "So the bitch thinks her bankai is unstoppable, right? Fine! Let's see how she feels after we hit it with Niban Genkai!"

Senketsu immediately felt a worrisome chill course through his threads at that declaration, an act that wasn't missed by his wearer, _**"Ryuko, do you remember what happened the last time we tried using Niban Genkai?"**_

"Yeah…but thanks to the vampire bastard and Millennium there aren't any people left to get hurt," Ryuko tightly clenched her free hand into a fist upon remembering all the millions of people lying dead throughout the city, "Besides, I don't think we have much of – "

Whatever Ryuko was about to say died on the tip of her tongue when everything around them simply _disintegrated_. In the split second it took the teenager to understand what the hell was happening the building began loudly collapsing as several floors and thousands of pounds of concrete and steel sublimed directly into ash, the air instantly growing thick under a cloud of the superheated material. Gritting her teeth as she rushed forward and nearly lost her balance, courtesy of both the collapsing building and the captain's bankai causing part of her left leg to evaporate, Ryuko vaulted over what was left of a table before leaping through one of the broken windows and out into the night.

For a moment she could feel nothing besides the superheated ash enveloping her body, the normally lethal boiling temperatures not so much as uncomfortable against her skin, before she left the expanding cloud of ash and slammed into the bitterly cold autumn night. Her breath coming out in visible wisps as she continued freefalling towards the ground, bursts of ruby light shimmering from within the parts of her body that were simply _gone_, Ryuko mentally shifted Senketsu into Shippu before twisting around and blasting vertically down the street away from the collapsing building.

"What the hell?"

Ryuko's bewildered exclamation could clearly be heard despite the fact nearly half of her throat had been caught within the bankai's effects. Banking sharply to the left while ignoring the sensation of her Life Fibers flawlessly knitting together the normally lethal wounds, Ryuko glared in the direction she _knew_ the bankai was waiting and snarled, "It didn't even freaking see us!"

"_**It might have known where we were all along,"**_ Senketsu couldn't help but briefly ripple around Ryuko's body at the unsettling sensation of feeling parts of his uniform disintegrate only to quickly regenerate a few seconds later, _**"We weren't exactly subtle when we crashed into the building, Ryuko." **_

"I didn't exactly have many options!"

Sparks danced off the edge of the Scissor Blade as Ryuko flew close enough to the ground for the weapon to scrape against the asphalt. Her face twisting into an annoyed scowl as she abruptly leaned backwards and came to a quick stop, the street melting slightly under the constant deluge of energy erupting from her transformed legs, Ryuko turned around towards the bankai hidden just beyond the roofline and spat, "Fine! If the bitch wants to play dirty than I guess we'll just have to take her out instead!"

"_**Ryuko…"**_

"I already know what you're going to say, Senketsu," Ryuko growled lightly under her breath as she felt, rather than heard, the Kamui's growing concern for her safety through their synchronized connection. Fingers tightening around the Scissor Blade as she easily hefted the transformed weapon into the air, a deep crimson aura flickering around her body, Ryuko stared straight into Senketsu's multicolored eye and declared, "Do you remember what Yoruichi told us about the undead bastard? I don't think this bitch has been alive for a long freaking time. So as far as I'm concerned we're just finishing the – "

Ryuko gasped indignantly when she felt something suddenly clasp around Senketsu's wing and awkwardly pull her towards the ground. Growling furiously as she was slammed face-first into the pavement, a brief shimmer of ruby light surrounding her body as Senketsu automatically shifted out of Shippu, Ryuko spat on the ground before angrily pushing herself back onto her feet. All these surprise attacks and blatantly bullshit abilities were really starting to piss her off! Senketsu's heels clicking softly as she glanced around the suspiciously deserted street, the faint droning sound pressing against her ears ignored in favor of finding whoever attacked her, Ryuko never noticed the shadows rippling under her feet. Blue eyes widened when the darkness erupted upwards, thick trails of blood sprayed through the air as writhing maws of solidified darkness pierced Senketsu's armor and latched onto her arms and legs.

"Hey! Get the hell off of me!"

As the seconds passed it rapidly dawned on the teenager that despite her best efforts, and Senketsu's power, she wouldn't be able to tear her way free from the eldritch familiars biting deeply into her body. Thinking quickly when she noticed the writhing shadows growing thicker, the crimson hue of the full moon dimming as oozing streams of darkness flowed forth from the surrounding buildings, Ryuko flipped the Scissor Blade around and attempted to sever the shadows entrapping her right arm. When that failed to work, the unholy substance parting like water as the hardened Life Fiber weapon cut through it, she cursed loudly and profusely before redoubling her efforts to escape.

"_**Ryuko!"**_ Several bursts of steam erupted from Senketsu's ventilation grills as the Kamui desperately tried to help Ryuko escape, his armor fearfully rippling at the vile shadows, _**"I can't break free!"**_

"There's no way I'm getting caught by that bastard a second time!" Memories of her recent unpleasant journey into the heart of Alucard's undead army flashed through Ryuko's mind as a turbulent ruby aura exploded from her body, "So screw that! Senketsu Senkou!"

For a brief moment it appeared as if the increased strength from Senkou would be enough to tear apart the surrounding darkness. Blood and visceral violently spraying through the air as she tore her ensnared left arm free, brilliant ruby light shining from the jagged wound before it quickly knitted back together, Ryuko reached over and tightly clenched her fingers around the familiar latched onto her other arm only to pause when she felt a chill race down her spine. Jets of steam escaping from Senketsu in quick succession as she gazed upwards, every muscle in Ryuko's body froze when she noticed hundreds of familiar eyes imposing themselves upon the miasma of darkness oozing down the surrounding buildings.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

Shocked eyes widening when the low droning in the background devolved into a full-blown cacophony of the damned, Ryuko could only scream as her body quickly began dissolving into ash.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"God damn it…"<p>

Heinkel Wolfe ignored the pain rampaging through her heavily burnt right arm as the last masked demon faded away into oblivion. Breathing heavily while blistered fingers twitched around her pistol, the paladin grimaced as she looked at the damaged flesh underneath the tattered remains of her sleeve. It was surprising that her regeneration couldn't easily repair the damage sustained in her battle against the vampire. But that was the least of her concerns. She was lucky the larvatum diabolus's aim had been so terrible. Several more inches to the left and that blasphemous emerald blast would have taken her arm off entirely.

Roughly tearing away the remains of her sleeve, the burn fabric flaking apart in her fingers, Heinkel stiffened and glanced over her shoulder when she heard Yumiko shouting loudly in her native tongue. Her straw-blonde hair rustling in the wind while she watched her friend carve a path of destruction through the undead ranks while the rest of the paladins stood unyielding against the relentless tide of familiars, she tensely exhaled through clenched teeth before turning her full ire upon the vampire standing before her.

Even in the darkness she could still make out the amused and sadistic grin stretched across his pale face.

"You stand before me…I'm impressed."

Shadows clung viciously to the ancient vampire's overcoat as he gazed passionately at the paladin from his perch upon the pile of metal and shattered concrete, blood pooling around his boots from innumerable impaled corpses. Leaning forward when Heinkel made no move to confront him, to continue their dance until only one of them remained, Alucard placed a hand over his heart and mockingly asked, "What's wrong, Iscariot? Your goal is nearly within reach. Don't tell me that pathetic creature wore you down. Your arm is only damaged, muscle and sinew still intact."

The vampire's manic smirk widened as he briefly paused, hints of insanity tearing at the edges of his face, before his crimson eyes widened, "Are you going to give up…to die like a dog…when victory is so near at hand?"

"…shut the hell up, vampire."

Heinkel scowled angrily at the vampire as the pistol in her right hand, the metal cracked and warped from the previous battle, slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. She wasn't Alucard's damn entertainment. Her only mission was to bring about an end to the vampire's eternal reign of terror and bloodshed, to destroy Alucard when he was at his most vulnerable. Reaching into her cassock while Alucard's condescending grin grew even wider, Heinkel narrowed her eyes and sneered, "You are a plague! A blight that will never cease consuming souls until there is nothing left! If you are not destroyed than all of humanity is doomed! I am prepared to do whatever it takes to see you destroyed, vampire!"

A deafening silence blanketed the city as the paladin extracted a thin wood box from her cassock, glowing blue seals etched onto every visible surface. His amused grin transforming into a disgusted frown at the energy radiating from within the confines of the box, Alucard's voice grew progressively more sinister as his eyes narrowed, "What is _that_?"

The sudden shift of the vampire's tone threw the paladin off balance. Standing firm while the darkness surrounding Alucard grew thicker, shadows expanding along the ground while a crimson aura enveloped his body, Heinkel ignored the increasing heaviness of the air. Her fingers clenching into the box as she raised it above her head, the seals rapidly unraveling, her face twisted into a grimace before she smashed the box against her knee and grasped the obtained once contained within.

"It's been centuries since I've seen one of those _things_…" Alucard stared at the artifact clenched within Wolfe's fingers with an expression of absolute loathing, "The Nail of Helena."

The hatred and disgust in the vampire's voice drew the undivided attention of those still fighting when the unrelenting flood of undead familiars dissolved into shadows. Ignoring the other humans muttering incessantly in the background as he stared at the Nail of Helena held foolishly in Wolfe's hand, Alucard scoffed derisively, "The Shroud of Turin…the Holy Grail…the Lance of Longinus…should I assume you are threatening to use the last of the so-called holy artifacts of Rome against me?"

So it seemed even an unrepentant monster like Alucard could sense the power of miracle permeating the holy artifact. Nervous fingers curled tightly around the Nail of Helena as she pointed the artifact at her heart, Heinkel glared into the ancient vampire's widening eyes before exclaiming, "Yumiko! Retreat as far away from here as possible! I don't want you –"

"Wolfe, stop it!"

Alucard's desperate plea caught Heinkel by surprise, causing her to involuntarily relax her grip on the Nail of Helena, "Do you know what that thing will do to you? I have witnessed firsthand what happens to those that use such _things_ in the name of God! You'll become nothing more than an unthinking monster! Devoid of humanity and reason! Don't succumb to power! Retain your humanity! Even if by some miracle that _thing_ allows you to defeat me…will it be worth it…if you become nothing more than a monster in the end?"

A solemn wind blew through the deserted streets as the vampire king's expression fell, the manic look in his eyes fading away alongside the crimson aura, "This fated battle between us…would you really push it this far…into the realms beyond mortality? A monster such as myself…a pathetic creature of such weakness that I could not bear the weight of a human life…who threw away his very soul for power…if I am to ever be defeated, it must be by a human! Don't do it, Wolfe. Don't become a monster…a monster like me…"

For a moment Heinkel truly considered listening to the vampire's strangely desperate pleas before steeling her nerves, "I wish I could have defeated you with my own two hands…but it's become clear that no matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to kill you. Do not think this is about power, vampire. I am fully aware of what this artifact will do to me…of what it will transform my body into…but I am a member of Iscariot! It is our sacred duty to lay down our lives for the sake of God! To rid the world of heathens and monsters! If the price to save humanity is to become a monster…then so be it."

Ignoring Alucard's final attempt to dissuade her from her current path, Heinkel breathed deeply and prepared to plunge the Nail of Helena into her heart only to be forcibly prevented when a bayonets pierced straight through her hand. Blood dripping onto the ground as the sudden shock caused her to let go of the nail, the holy artifact clattering twice before rolling to a stop, Heinkel's eyes widened in disbelief when Alexander Anderson landed in front of her. Grunting as she pulled out the bayonet, the wound hissing shut, she opened her mouth to speak only for the former paladin to turn around and punch her square in the jaw.

"Yer still the same idiot girl as always! Never thinking about the damned consequences when ye go off and do something foolish!"

Carefully picking up the discarded Nail of Helena as Heinkel staggered backwards with blood spewing from her mouth, Anderson took one look at the holy artifact before throwing it away. He couldn't believe the damn girl was foolish enough to even attempt using such a thing. The holy artifacts of Rome weren't toys! Green eyes narrowing furiously as he turned his back on the highly intrigued Alucard, Anderson's voice was dangerously stoic when he spoke, "The vampire was right about one thing – only a human can kill a monster."

"I've spent years fighting against a terrible monster…tracking her minions and servants in order to slaughter them. But never did I give into the temptation to use the abhorrent power of Life Fibers," Anderson angrily bared his teeth as he reached out and grabbed the still recovering Heinkel by the front of her cassock, "Ragyo Kiryuin and that blonde demon are far worse monsters than Alucard! So what stupid reason do ye have for throwing away yer humanity?!"

Heinkel stammered at the older man's words before regaining her composure and shouting back, "God damn it, Anderson! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Alexander Anderson…"

The pressure relentlessly pressing down upon their shoulders vanished as the vampire stared at the nudist commander, his deathly pale face twisting into an expression of amusement and deranged respect, "You are quite the remarkable man. Any ordinary human would have long succumbed to such debilitating wounds…their flesh bleeding out within minutes."

Anderson growled at the vampire's unwanted praise. Two tailor bayonets flashing into existence within his hands as he harshly released Heinkel's cassock and turned around, he narrowed his eyes at Alucard and exclaimed, "I don't care for yer damn praise, vampire. But tell me something – how many shinigami did ye devour?"

Faint laughter broke the silence that followed Anderson's question as Alucard slowly descended the pile of rubble, his boots echoing with each deliberate step he took towards the two humans. Baring his teeth slightly in amusement at the rapidly changing situation, the vampire's face was hidden in shadows when he finally stopped chuckling and answered, "Only one…but she was the strongest out of those three fools four hundred years ago. But captain or not, shinigami are nothing more than spirits in the guise of humans…pathetic monsters attempting to replicate humanity. They could never have hoped to kill a monster such as myself."

"However…" Alucard tauntingly trailed off when he stepped onto the street, the shadows warping around his body before he continued in an amused tone, "That particular captain's bankai was quite interesting. A powerful ability meant to utterly crush and destroy one's enemies. It should be amusing to see how that monster girl deals with such lethality…"

The wind gusting through the streets suddenly picked up as Anderson's eyes widened in realization at the vampire's comment. Chuckling when he noticed the bayonets in the nudist commander's hands shaking out of anger, Alucard's grin grew increasingly deranged as he stomped to a halt, "Do you intend to fight me, Alexander Anderson? With such debilitating wounds it's only a matter of time before you bleed out and die. Do you foolishly believe that a human such as yourself…a normal man possessing neither regeneration or special abilities…has any hope of defeating a monster in your present condition?"

"I don't think I will defeat ye vampire…" Anderson's tone brooked no arguments as he crossed the tailor bayonets in front of his body, "I _know_ it."

A surprised gasp escaped the vampire's mouth, lips curling into a mirthful grin as anticipation coursed through his black heart. The certainty in which Anderson believed he possessed the ability to kill him momentarily startled the vampire. For several seconds silence reigned across the street, the monotonous lack of noise broken only by a faint muttering and scoff from Heinkel as she pulled out her remaining pistol, before Alucard threw his head backwards and began laughing madly. Yes! This was it! His fangs glistening in the moonlight as he leaned forward, the sound of his psychotic laughter causing the two humans to tense, the vampire king manically exclaimed, "YES! You are a man worthy of respect, Alexander Anderson! A pinnacle of humanity that reminds me of that _man_ from one hundred years ago! So come! Fight alongside your protégé…your successor…and attempt to pierce my heart with your bayonets!"

The sound of rapid footsteps immediately followed Alucard's insane proclamation before Yumiko landed into a tight crouch on Anderson's right, her dark eyes staring furiously at the vampire while she flicked blood off her katana. Shifting her attention momentarily to the nudist commander, the paladin scoffed and growled, "Don't think this changes a damn thing, Anderson. Once we deal with Alucard I'm taking you back to the Vatican."

The former paladin nodded at Yumiko before grimacing, "Once the vampire _and_ Ragyo Kiryuin are destroyed…their bodies buried deep beneath the earth…I will gladly surrender to ye and face judgment for my crimes."

"God damn it," Heinkel cursed lightly as she removed her damaged glasses, the lenses badly cracked and frame bent. Never in her wildest dreams did the notion of fighting alongside Anderson, one of the worst traitors in the Vatican's history, cross her mind, "Can you even fight in your condition, Anderson?"

"I've fought far worse than vampires for over a decade in worse condition," Anderson replied, his eyes narrowed when the darkness composing Alucard's true form shifted. Clenching his fingers tightly around the tailor bayonets, the former paladin loudly exclaimed, "A few wounds won't slow me down! Now get ready – he's coming!"

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales [Alternate Weave #1 – Ryuko]<strong>

Ryuko knew something was seriously messed up when she opened her eyes just seconds before harshly slamming into the ground. Biting back a string of curses as she picked herself off the ground, the taste of copper momentarily filling her mouth, Ryuko rubbed a hand against the back of her neck and growled, "What the hell just happened?"

"_**Are you all right, Ryuko?"**_

Senketsu's comforting voice reverberating inside her mind instantly snapped Ryuko out of her confused stupor. The last thing she could remember before smashing face-first into the ground was that bitch's bankai somehow sneaking up on them, which didn't make any sense. How could something over one hundred feel tall sneak up on anything? Growling as she pushed that thought to the back of her mind and looked around for the captain, all but certain the shinigami would try another cheap trick, Ryuko's eyes widened in astonishment upon noticing she wasn't in London but Osaka.

And it was still on freaking fire.

"What the hell? How did we get to Osaka?" Ryuko whipped her head back and forth in confusion, the noticeable absence of the Scissor Blade not a priority at the moment, "Where's that shinigami bitch?!"

"_**What are you talking about, Ryuko?"**_

Senketsu felt worry course through his threads about Ryuko. Her behavior after regaining consciousness was different yet he couldn't detect any issues with her body. Both her blood pressure and heart rate were perfectly normal. In fact, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her – no injuries or anything. Swiveling his multicolored eye towards Ryuko's face, the Kamui asked, _**"And what's a shinigami?"**_

The honesty of her Kamui's question threw Ryuko off balance, causing the teenager to involuntarily raise her voice, "What are you talking about? We were just fighting her a minute ago! You literally _just_ warned me about her bankai's ability to turn shit into ash…including my freaking arm!"

"_**I do not recall saying such a thing,"**_ Senketsu was almost certain Ryuko was suffering from a concussion. Tightening protective around her body, a hint of confusion bleeding across their connection at the lack of any head injuries, the Kamui gave his best impression of a frown before adding, _**"Furthermore, such an ability would undoubtedly be lethal. If we had been hit but such an attack, you would still be missing your arm." **_

"Hold on! Don't tell me you – "

The intimately familiar echo of a high heel clicking arrogantly against the ground cut Ryuko off before she could finish the question. A cold feeling coursing through her body as she slowly turned around, several large and violent explosions dotting the fiery inferno of a landscape, Ryuko felt her breath hitch when she saw Satsuki standing directly behind her with Junketsu in her activated configuration, "Satsuki?"

"It is clear from your confusion that you finally grasp the futility of your actions, Matoi," Satsuki's condescending voice pierced through the crackling conflagration as she continued marching towards Ryuko, Bakuzan clasped tightly in her right hand, "But even so, you shall meet your end here in Osaka!"

As Satsuki slowly strutted across the desolate landscape, completely confident in her assured victory over those that would defy her, the only thoughts passing through Ryuko's mind were about what the hell was happening. Her sister's behavior didn't make any sense! It was almost as if she went back in time to when Satsuki was still a total bitch! But cliché shit like that only happens in bad movies and books. Mouth twisting into a snarling frown when she noticed Bakuzan in Satsuki's hand, which she was pretty damn sure was shattered by Ragyo, she bit her lower lip and growled, "Is that right? But I have a question for you, Satsuki! Where's Ichigo?"

Satsuki's brow creased into a suspicious frown at Matoi's behavior. The Ryuko Matoi she knew, that she was molding into the perfect weapon to use against her mother, was prone to fits of childish anger and rage. Allowing her emotions to dictate her actions instead of tempering her mind. Yet the teenager standing before her seemed more annoyed by some inane trivial nonsense than their ongoing battle, when not two minutes ago Matoi had rudely proclaimed the notion of defeating her. Flexing her fingers around Bakuzan's hilt as she raised the blade to her shoulder, Satsuki's voice remained perfectly stoic, "Your words fall on deaf ears, Matoi. The name Ichigo means nothing to me!"

Heels exploding off the ground as she rushed forward with Bakuzan slicing dangerously through the air, Satsuki's focused eyes widened in disbelief when Matoi appeared to casually lean out of her blade's path. That was impossible. Even with her increased synchronization, brought about by the Grand Couturier's actions and the Tri-City Schools Raid Trip, there was no explanation for Matoi's new speed and reaction time. It brought everything Inumuta gathered about Senketsu's capabilities into question. Gritting her teeth at the implications of such knowledge, Satsuki attempted to follow through with a strike to the solar plexus only for Matoi to nonchalantly dodge it at the very last second.

It was almost as if she were fighting against the Grand Couturier.

"Damn it! This doesn't make any sense!"

Ryuko's already worsening scowl deepened as she continued avoiding her sister's attacks, the black hardened Life Fiber weapon passing inches away from her body. Since when was Satsuki this damn slow? Increasingly frustrated by the situation, Ryuko reached out and harshly grabbed her sister's wrist before shouting, "I'm not going to ask again. Where the hell are Ichigo and Mugetsu?"

"Still you persist with this nonsense?" Satsuki demanded as she ripped her arm free of Matoi's grasp, an act that required a tremendous amount of strength. Ignoring the slight tingle of pain in wrist, the muscles undoubtedly bruised despite Junketsu's defensive capabilities, she pointed Bakuzan at her opponent's throat and sneered, "And what is this…Mugetsu? Is that the name of yet another Kamui created by your late father?"

That settled it. Something was seriously messed up. There was no way Satsuki wouldn't remember they had the same dad. Her sister's mind was like a steel trap. She never forgot a damn thing. Her hands tightly clenching into fists as realization dawned upon her, Ryuko didn't bother moving out of the way when Satsuki rushed forward and slammed Bakuzan's hilt squarely into her bare stomach. Barely flinching as the accompanying release of power exploded through the ruins behind her, Ryuko's eyes were cast in shadow as she swung her arm forward and punched Satsuki squarely in the face.

A twinge of guilt tore at her heart when she saw her sister stagger backwards, blood spewing from her mouth. Damn it, was she really that much stronger than this Satsuki? A love tap like that would have barely even fazed the sister she knew. Steeling her nerves as she walked towards the recovering Student Council President, Ryuko snorted derisively and folded her arms, "I get it now. So let me just get this off my chest – this whole freaking plan of yours ain't going to work!"

Satsuki wiped away the trail of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth before responding, "Do you believe you possess the ability to best me, Matoi? I may not know how your power increased in such a short amount of time but it will not be enough to derail my ambitions!"

Ryuko didn't bother waiting for Satsuki to make the next move before she stepped forward and promptly vanished in a burst of speed. Reappearing not a second later already standing several inches away from her sister, she scoffed angrily before reaching out and once more grabbing Satsuki's wrist, "Stopping you is damn important but that's not what I meant! So listen up, Satsuki Kiryuin, because I'm only going to say this once! Your stupid academy is not nearly enough to take down that rainbow bitch!"

A cold chill raced down Satsuki's spine at the comment, "How do you –"

"Know about your dear old mom?" Ryuko let go of Satsuki's arm and stepped backwards, "Does it really matter?"

"I suppose not," the tension draining from her body when Matoi showed no further indications of hostility, Satsuki ignored Gamagori's worried exclamations in the background as she sheathed Bakuzan, "You seem quite sure of yourself, Matoi. Therefore let us assume that you speak the truth, that your words carry validity. How would you deal with my mother if she were, in fact, the person you so callously claim her to be?"

As Ryuko opened her mouth she was blindsided when Mako slid into view right next to her, a familiar red blade hugged tightly against her chest, "Um…Ryuko? You dropped this."

Awkwardly but sincerely thanking Mako for returning the Scissor Blade, her friend happy at being able to help, Ryuko nearly fell onto her ass when everything began shaking before a massive explosion rocked the city. Pivoting around when a pink figure came soaring out of the ruins accompanied by a burst of explosions, she glared at Nonon Jakuzure as the pink haired girl cheerfully saluted Satsuki, "And that is that! I destroyed the Nudist Beach as per your orders, Lady Satsuki!"

And that was another checkmark on her growing list of things that proved she was somehow in an alternate, crazy universe. There was not a chance in hell Jakuzure would have stood a chance against the Nudist Beach she knew, especially when led by Olivier Armstrong who could destroy a Three-Star Goku Uniform with her bare hands. Not to mention Jakuzure was in her Symphony Regalia Mark II, which Ryuko clearly remembered Ichigo nearly destroyed while that nudist bastard went after Senketsu.

"At last we have delivered the deathblow to the fools who dared oppose us! And with Nudist Beach destroyed the objective of our raid trip has been accomplished!"

A brilliant backdrop of pure white light enveloped Satsuki as she calmly leapt upwards and onto the back of a waiting helicopter. Ignoring the blood still oozing from the corner of her mouth, the young Kiryuin locked gazes with Ryuko before sneering, "I'm still waiting for your answer, Matoi!"

"I'm not going to beat around the bush with some vague answer bullshit!" Ryuko pointed the Scissor Blade at her sister and exclaimed, "Your bitch of a mother has Life Fibers woven inside her freaking body! You won't be able to kill her with just Bakuzan!"

For a brief second a genuinely surprised and slightly fearful expression crossed Satsuki's face before it was quickly extinguished, "I have no idea what you are talking about but it would be wise to keep your pathetic delusions to yourself, Matoi. And do not let your new found power go to your head. For the next time we meet shall be our last!"

Ryuko was silent as Satsuki and her forces retreated from Osaka, her face a mask of stoicism. As the last traces of Honnouji Academy vanished into the surrounding conflagration, she collapsed onto her knees and cursed loudly to the heavens, "God…_fucking_…damn it!"

Mako clasped her hands against her cheeks in shock at Ryuko's choice of language, "Oh my gosh! Did Lady Satsuki hurt you, Ryuko?"

"Mako!"

Desperately grabbing her friend's shoulders, Ryuko's voice cracked as she asked, "Does the name Ichigo ring a bell?"

"Hmm…nope!" Closing her eyes as she answered, Mako missed the crestfallen expression on Ryuko's face, "Why? Are they someone important?"

Senketsu's worried voice echoing in the recesses of her mind when she noticed Mikisugi and Tsumugu, both men naked as the day they were born, Ryuko could barely muster up the energy to whisper as the full weight of her situation became apparent, "Yeah…he was pretty damn important…"


	50. Chapter 50: Zu der Nacht des Krieges

_I do apologize for how long this chapter took. More than two months...that's how long it's been since Chapter 49 was posted. But given that this chapter is a rather pivotal moment for my story (it's also my 50 chapter!) I wanted to make sure it was perfect. This is the climax of the Hellsing Arc, where everything comes together. A lot of your theories, some of which you PM'd me, were wrong. Some of you were correct, so please accept a heartfelt congratulations for guessing correctly._

_So I really don't have anything else to say besides acknowledging that this is Chapter 50...posted on the eve of To My Death I Fight's second anniversary. So I want to thank all of you, my faithful readers, who've continued reading this story over the course of its evolution. Now, some of the earlier chapters were a bit...rough...but as my writing's improved I've gone back and fixed them. Applying what I've learned and making them better. The entirety of Chapter 11 is a rather good example. Most of it was rewritten, the quality brought up several orders of magnitude._

_But enough about that! You came here to read the chapter. So I hope you enjoy it!_

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 50 – Zu der Nacht des Krieges<strong>

Hushed voices filled the _Deus Ex Machina's_ command center as soldats, some beginning to sweat profusely, constantly relayed daten to their superiors. With Zorin Blitz's advanced battalion obliterated, the London force decimated and Alucard's familiars rampaging through the city, the daten able to be gathered was severely limited. In less than an hour what had been an assured victory had turned into a massacre. As explosions continued echoed in the background, causing the zeppelin to momentarily list sideways, the Major stared at the wall of screens stretching before him and smiled in complete satisfaction.

"This night is simply full of surprises."

The stout Sternritter's yellow eyes gleamed with dark exhilaration when the familiar visage of Alexander Anderson suddenly appeared on the screens. Watching in veiled amusement as the nudist commander prevented Heinkel Wolfe from using the Nail of Helena against Alucard, the vampire's expressions cycling through a myriad of emotions, the Major leaned backwards and pondered the situation. It would seem he had grossly underestimated the man's tenacity and determination. Alexander Anderson was quite the spanner in the works. He had anticipated with great excitement Heinkel Wolfe using one of the Vatican's many artifacts to even the playing field against the vampire. Turning her flesh and blood into that of a monster.

But for a man like Alexander Anderson to directly confront Alucard while injured, slipping through the vampire's innumerable army of undead souls to prevent someone seeking his death from using a dangerous artifact? The irony of the situation brought an excited smile to the Major's face. Everything he had planned, decades of constant backbreaking work to achieve His Majesty's vision, had been thrown to the side. Scattered like leaves in the wind from a single man's actions!

Yet it made no difference to the Schatten Ausrufung.

Calmly drinking his tea while a soldat updated him on the newest daten transmitted from the battlefield, the vampirized soldier nearly out of breath by the time he finished, the Major didn't react when the secured doors to the command center slammed open and a bloodied Bazz-B angrily marched into the room.

"Oh dear…" the Doktor's pleased expression vanished as he turned away from the live feed displayed on the monitor. His trained eyes quickly deducing the extent of the Sternritter's injuries, he shook his head and sighed, "It would appear you took His Majesty's orders to delay Ichigo Kurosaki a bit too literally."

The condescending tone in the Doktor's voice, the way his fellow Quincy shook his head in disappointment, irritated the hell out of Bazz-B. Rudely brushing aside the blonde haired man when he attempted to examine his injuries more carefully, the pain from aggravating his wounds worth seeing the annoyed expression on the Doktor's face, Bazz-B frowned and stomped to a halt when he found the Captain barring his path. He should have expected the mute bastard doing something like this. Narrowing his eyes when the Sternritter didn't say anything, Bazz-B looked at the bandages wrapped around the Captain's left arm and grinned, "Heh…was Ryuko Matoi too much for you, Hans?"

Hans Günsche, otherwise known as the Captain, pulled his officer's cap further down over his eyes before responding with a flurry of hand signs. Scoffing at the silent man's sarcastic answer, Bazz-B didn't say anything as he stormed around the Sternritter. There was just no point in arguing with the guy. His mouth twisting into a frustrated sneer when his attention was drawn to the live feed of Alucard laughing insanely on the screens in front of him, Bazz-B spat and turned to the Major, "I don't know why you're watching this crap. They don't stand a chance against that monster."

"One mustn't deny the tenacity, the sheer _determination_ to win at any personal cost, that our friend in Nudist Beach possesses."

The image of a grinning Alucard disappeared when the Major pressed a button on the remote in his hand. Sweeping an arm through the air when the shadowed silhouette of Alexander Anderson and the two paladins from Iscariot took the vampire's place, the stout Sternritter grinned proudly, "Years of resisting the tyrannical rule of Ragyo Kiryuin, of countering that illustrious woman's desire to cover the world in Life Fibers, have ingrained in Alexander Anderson's mind a singular notion. To destroy…to _utterly_ decimate…any threat to humanity no matter the cost!"

Clenching his hand tightly into a fist as the events unfolding within the ruins of downtown London continued along their unexpected path, the Major's grin widened even as Bazz-B frowned, "A truly laudable goal. One worthy of admiration! Yet it is virtually impossible to _kill_ Alucard! Greater beings have tried and failed, fallen at the might of that pathetic being rampaging below. But watching these humans struggle to overcome that indomitable monster, pushing tirelessly against the threads of fate to achieve victory in an otherwise hopeless battle? My pulse quickens in anticipation just imagining it!"

Bazz-B couldn't help but scoff at the Major's grandiose speech. Cocking his head slightly to the side as his attention was fully drawn to the battle erupting across the wall of monitors in front of him, the Sternritter frowned in confusion. He couldn't understand what the hell was going on. Alucard was supposed to be an all-powerful monster on the same level of His Majesty. Someone that scared even a bitch like Ragyo Kiryuin. So how were these humans fighting the bastard on relatively equal grounds? It didn't make any damn sense!

As he snorted in annoyance at the smug expression on the Major's face, Bazz-B's attempt to retort was cut off when one of the vampirized soldats turned away from their station and shouted, "Sir! We're picking up a massive spiritual energy! Its speed is nearly eighty kilometers per hour and is heading directly towards us!"

A curious silence fell across the room as the video on the wall of monitors shifted from Alucard to a darkened figure soaring through the skies over London. It was incredibly obvious to the Sternritter what, or rather who, was flying towards them. With Integra Hellsing's arms tightly gripping her shoulders for support while tendrils of fiery shadows writhed through the air, Seras Victoria's crimson eyes shone ominously in the darkness right before she vanished off camera.

"At her current speed she will intercept the _Deus Ex Machina's_ course in just over four minutes! What are your orders, sir?!"

"Orders, you say?"

There was no mistaking the veiled amusement in the Major's voice, "We will do _nothing_. The fraulein and her pet shall board without opposition. Do not bother trying to stop them."

It warmed the Sternritter's heart to witness everything falling neatly into position. And all it took to draw Integra Hellsing's complete and undivided attention away from Alucard was nothing more than a simple aerial bombardment of their location. A pointless strike against such targets but nevertheless effective at achieving results. While it had cost the Deus Ex Machina the last of her armaments, rendering them vulnerable to counterattack, it was well worth the cost. There was just one small thing to consider.

"Oh dear…it would seem our guests are intent on making quite a mess of things," the Major's yellow eyes were visible behind his glasses as he leaned backwards in the chair, the cup of tea slowly cooling at his side forgotten, "Perhaps we should consider, Doktor, preparing to shift operations?"

"Yes, of course."

The Doktor nervously bit his finger hard enough to stain the glove crimson as he replied. Even with assistance it would take an exorbitant amount of time cataloging and transferring every last piece of daten within his laboratory. Under the best conditions it would take nearly half an hour to complete the process, which didn't take into account the undead monster currently approaching them. Not to mention the arduous and dangerous process of unsealing SHI, which he could not do on his own!

"But I'm afraid such strict conditions will require that I prioritize specific daten," the Doktor's mouth twisted into a displeased grimace at the mere thought of having to leave even a single piece of the research he spent nearly a century collecting behind. It was unthinkable to a man of science such as himself! Yet there was no other viable course of action. Sighing dejectedly at the situation, the Doktor adjusted his multi-lensed spectacles as he turned to leave, "Also…it will be impossible for me to unravel the seals around SHI and prepare it for transport."

"I shall go with you."

The articulated voice of Walter C. Dornez drew the Doktor's attention when the newly ascended Sternritter slowly emerged from the shadows, the abrupt shift in lighting causing his monocle to shimmer as he calmly adjusted his white fingerless gloves, "The seals require the input of one of His Majesty's Sternritter, do they not? Therefore you will require my aid in preparing to transport SHI back to the Silbern."

"HA! What a load of bull!"

Intense blue flames licked the ground around Bazz-B's feet while his mocking laughter filled the chamber, "Do you think anyone here believes that excuse?! You just want to go with the Doc because you're afraid of meeting your old 'master!'"

Bazz-B quickly stopped laughing when several razor sharp wires composed of spiritual energy materialized around his throat. The flames emerging from his body growing in intensity at the unprovoked attack from a fellow Sternritter, Bazz-B scoffed and reluctantly relaxed his guard when Walter flexed his fingers and dismissed the threads, "Integra Hellsing is _not_ my master. My loyalty lies with His Majesty and no other. It would be wise to remember that…Bazzard Black."

The blue flames surrounding Bazz-B writhed at the condescending expression on Walter's face before dying down once the Sternritter left the room with the Doktor. It pissed him off that the bastard acted so high and mighty just because His Majesty decided to award him for seventy years of undercover service. Frowning in thought when he noticed Hans shaking his head, Bazz-B was about to ask the mute bastard what the hell he was suggesting when the Major stood up and proudly stared at the wall of monitors.

"Gentlemen…it would seem our work is nearly complete."

There was no mistaking the pride in the Major's voice as he spoke, his yellow eyes enraptured with the climatic battle raging in the ruined city below, "The stage is set…the pieces are in place…and Alucard remains blissfully unaware. The memories he stole from our comrades useless! I do believe congratulations are in order. Your role in the Schatten Ausrufung, of distracting those two children, has guaranteed our success! Now…I must insist that you both leave before Integra Hellsing and her pet arrive."

"I am the fraulein's sole objective, the archenemy that she must destroy at all costs!"

With a dramatic flourish gesture the Major turned his back on the image of Alucard and exclaimed, "The antithesis to her organization, representing everything she stands against. She believes with every last fiber of her soul that my death is the solution to her problem. Anything that threatens to get in her way will be ripped apart by her pet! Torn to shreds by that monster in the guise of a young woman!"

The Captain's stoic expression briefly shifted at the Major's passionate declaration. Pulling the white officer's cap firmly over his eyes while communicating rapidly via sign language with his other hand, he remained completely silent when his fellow Sternritter chuckled in response, "Your assistance is most appreciated, Hans, but we must _not_ underestimate Seras Victoria at any cost! We are no longer dealing with a vampire holding onto the dissolving threads of her humanity, clinging to that which she will never recover! Nonsense! This is a creature far more dangerous to us than either Ryuko Matoi or Ichigo Kurosaki!"

His glasses shimmering opaquely as he pressed a button on the remote in his hand, the live feed on the screens instantly shifting to a combination of Ichigo and Ryuko's current fights against Alucard's familiars, the Major grinned, "These children, whose existences border on the edge of _madness_, possess bodies and weaponry that render our techniques useless. We would not stand a chance against either of them if they were so inclined…yet that is their weakness! For all their power they are unable to take a life! How disgustingly ironic! That those touched by that _filthy_ creature…their bodies composed of naught but Life Fibers…value the existence of a human life to such an extent!

"Seras Victoria…on the other hand…does not have that problem."

Clasping his hands against the small of his back when blaring sirens filled the command center, a soldat frantically warning him that Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria were thirty second away, the Major chuckled and turned to Bazz-B, "She possesses the necessary drive to slaughter us! To rip our bodies apart and devour our souls! We can look no further than our fallen comrade for proof of Seras Victoria's power! For within her twisted souls rests a piece of Alucard's very essence, a power so dark and inhuman that Zorin could not hope to win! Attempting to stop such a creature would be an exercise in futility."

As Hans nodded and turned to leave, Bazz-B snorting under his breath before following him a few seconds later, the Major sat back down and smirked. It always filled his heart when everything fell into place. Of course, one could never account for every variable. But it was far too late for Integra Hellsing or her pet vampire to stop the Schatten Ausrufung. For the Walpurgis Dawn was nearly upon them and nothing, not even his death, could stop it.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuko Matoi panted heavily as she knelt in the middle of the street, beads of sweat freely trickling down her face. Glaring venomously at the bankai looming just beyond the skyline, she angrily spat on the ground before reaching for the Scissor Blade impaled next to her foot.<p>

"God damn it!"

Ignoring the crimson light shining from within the depths of her body as her left hand finished knitting back together, Ryuko experimentally flexed her newly woven fingers into a fist and seethed angrily. This captain was a real pain in the ass! Nothing she tried against the bitch freaking worked! Her high heels sliding against the cracked asphalt as she slowly stood back on her feet, Ryuko spat to the side and sneered, "You got any ideas, Senketsu? Because we're going to freaking die if we don't figure out a way to beat that thing!"

"_**Calm down, Ryuko. Getting angry causes your blood to taste exceptionally sour,"**_ Senketsu ignored the resulting indignant curse from his wearer as he narrowed his single eye and glanced upwards, _**"But I'm afraid I don't have any ideas. This bankai is completely different from anything we've ever faced. More importantly, I can sense from your heart rate and blood pressure that you are growing tired and exhausted."**_

"Gee, thanks for the help!" Ryuko scoffed irritably at her Kamui's response, "But it's not like I wanted to get into a freaking fight at two in the morning!"

While forced to fight in the early hours of the morning was one of the reasons she wanted nothing more than to pound the shinigami's face into a bloody pulp, it wasn't why she was so freaking pissed. No, the main source of her growing anger was that she couldn't hide from the bitch's stupid bankai. Every time she tried to lay low and figure out a way to beat the thing, the undead bastard sent his shadow creatures to pin her down and let the captain get in a free shot. It was annoying as hell! Pursing her lips into a tight grimace as she reined in her irritation, the ruby undertone in her hair dimming in the process, Ryuko took a deep breath and steeled her nerves.

She couldn't keep running forever. And hiding was out of the question. Whether she liked it or not, and she _really_ didn't like it, she needed to attack the captain directly. Which meant willingly throwing herself against that overpowered thing. Just one thing bothered her.

There was no question in her mind that the captain's bankai was overpowered. That was the only word Ryuko felt that accurately described something that turned _everything_ into ash with only a glance. At the beginning of this stupid fight that thing needed only to make eye contact for a single second to dissolve whatever unlucky part of her body and Senketsu it locked onto before their regeneration fixed the damage. But something changed. She didn't know it if was because the bitch never fought someone that could recover after having half their body turned into ash or not, but the last couple of attacks had been rather pathetic.

"_**We should move, Ryuko."**_

Blinking when Senketsu's concerned voice derailed her train of thought, Ryuko looked into her Kamui's single eye as he warned, _**"The longer we stay here the more likely Alucard will send his familiars after us."**_

"Don't remind me."

Ryuko didn't show the slightest trace of strain as she hefted the Scissor Blade onto her shoulder, the transformed hardened Life Fiber weapon resting between her neck and Senketsu's armor. While beating the crap out of the captain was her number one priority at the moment she couldn't forget about the undead bastard. He was up to something. She could _literally_ feel it. So the sooner she kicked the bitch's ass, the quicker she could meet up with Ichigo and take down the vampire once and for all.

As the sound of her heels clicking lightly against the pavement echoed off the nearby buildings, disturbing the deathly silence and causing the encompassing darkness to ripple, Ryuko carefully glanced around before leaning over and whispering, "Hey Senketsu, did you notice the bankai getting weaker?"

That question caused the Kamui to quickly divert his attention towards his wearer, _**"Yes…I noticed something odd after our last escape."**_

Ryuko subconsciously flexed her newly regenerated hand at Senketsu's comment. She didn't want to think about the second time the undead bastard pinned them down. Feeling his familiars tearing into her body while the shinigami took potshots was not something she enjoyed. A fierce grin breaking out across her face when an idea came to mind, Ryuko pulled the Scissor Blade off her shoulder and chuckled, "Heh…I figured it out, Senketsu. This stupid bankai is probably a one shot deal! Which means soon it won't be strong enough to stop us from destroying it!"

Senketsu's multicolored eye narrowed while an uneasy sensation rippled through his threads. Weakened or not, directly attacking the captain's bankai was dangerous. The only reason Ryuko hadn't yet died was because of her innate Life Fiber regeneration. And even that seemed to be gradually slowing down. It was foolish to charge headfirst against something so strong without a strategy. Yet despite his reservations the Kamui could feel Ryuko's determination bleeding across the synchronized connection, her desire to win overriding the fear causing her fingers to shake.

She believed their combined power was enough to defeat the shinigami. And with everything on the line, from Ichigo and Mugetsu to the innocent people still trapped in the city, the Kamui couldn't help but feel the same way.

"_**Very well then!"**_ Senketsu shouted passionately as a burst of steam escaping from his form, _**"Let's show this thing our true power, Ryuko!"**_

A vicious smirk stretched across Ryuko's face as she bent her knees and leapt straight into the air, the force from her ascent shattering the surrounding landscape. Pushing off the edge of a rooftop with her heel right before a burst of crimson light enveloped her body, Senketsu seamlessly shifting into Shippu without a word, Ryuko tightened her grip on the Scissor Blade when the bankai turned around and unleashed an unearthly groan. So this thing was already waiting for her, huh? Well, that's just want she wanted! Spinning tightly through the air as thin trails of superheated ash sublimed directly from her body, Ryuko twisted sideways and angled down into a nearby street before chuckling.

"It looks like I was right, Senketsu," Ryuko ignored the not-so-subtle crimson glow from her Life Fibers as the eldritch threads repaired the relatively minor damage to her body, flesh and armor knitting back to perfection in a matter of seconds, "That thing really is getting weaker!"

Frowning as she quickly banked sideways almost enough for Senketsu's wing to scrape against the building to her left when the skeletal colossus's burning nodachi suddenly cleaved through the air, the phantasmal weapon crumpling the building behind her in a titanic explosion of fire and darkness, Ryuko looked over her shoulder and snarled. Like hell she would let something like that stop her! Grimacing in determination as she blasted upwards into the darkness of the night, trails of burning ash leaving her body as she continued flying higher and higher into the sky, Ryuko took a deep breath before shifting from Shippu into Senkou, the noises from the ruined city fading as she raised the Scissor Blade over her head.

Within seconds a vibrant crimson aura surrounded her body as the Life Fiber weapon was enveloped in a turbulent maelstrom of energy, the black and red lines covering the blade glowing brightly. Clenching her fingers tightly around the Scissor Blade as both her and Senketsu's Life Fibers synchronized with the weapon, the blade vanishing beneath the intense energy surrounding it, Ryuko shouted over the rushing wind, "Hey bitch! I've got something for you! NIBAN GENKAI!"

A burst of superheated steam blasted out of Senketsu's ventilation grills as Ryuko swung the Scissor Blade and everything simply _vanished_ in crimson light.

Her eyes nearly forced shut as the chaotic energy enveloping the Scissor Blade temporarily turned night into day, bathing nearly half the city in a brilliant red light, Ryuko didn't react when gravity reasserted its unrelenting authority. Breathing heavily as the maelstrom of power flickered and quickly faded away, allowing her to view the nearly half a kilometer long trench cutting through the heart of London, Ryuko grimaced and refused to think about anyone that might have been trapped waiting for help that would never come.

This was why she had been so nervous about using Niban Genkai against the captain, especially with the Scissor Blade in Decapitation Mode. If it weren't for Ichigo's dad deflecting the technique with his freakish strength back in Karakura Town a lot of people could have died. Innocent people. Maybe even some of her friends. All because she had been too stupid to stop for a moment and think about the consequences of using something so obviously dangerous in the middle of a city. But thanks to the vampire bastard she didn't have to worry about any innocent people getting caught in the crossfire.

She hoped.

Grimacing tiredly as she freefell towards the earth, Senketsu shifting out of Senkou in a flash of crimson stars, Ryuko's eyes widened in shock when the charred visage of the bankai emerged from smoke. For a nightmarishly long second she watched as the skeletal construct reached towards her with its boney fingers, an unholy light blazing in its empty eyes, only for it to disintegrate feet from her body. Sighing in relief while Senketsu's concerned voice echoed within her mind, Ryuko never noticed the rapidly approaching ground before she crashed into it headfirst.

"Alright…that wasn't the best landing…"

Ryuko groaned as she opened her eyes. She hadn't expected Niban Genkai to use nearly all of her remaining energy. It painfully brought to mind the first time she used the technique against Sanageyama back at Honnouji Academy. But then again, she had pushed all of Senketsu's power into that attack just to make sure the bitch didn't survive. If she learned one thing from Satsuki's school it was that overkill was only a matter of perspective. Leaning on the Scissor Blade for support as she slowly picked herself off the ground and grimly saw the trail of destruction caused by her technique, Ryuko tried to take a step forward only to stumble when a wave of exhaustion hit her

Damn it! She hadn't felt this tired since fighting Junketsu! Constantly regenerating must have really taken a toll on her body!

"It looks like that did the trick, Senketsu," Ryuko's mouth curled into a tired but proud grin as she watched the last trace of the bankai disintegrate, "I guess even a freaking shinigami couldn't do squat against our power!"

"_**Yes…but I feel lightheaded, Ryuko. The world won't stop spinning,"**_ Senketsu's multicolored eye swiveled dizzily around, _**"I think I might need more of your blood."**_

Ryuko gave a mocking snort at her Kamui's impetuous tone, "Hey, I thought you didn't need much blood anymore?"

"_**That is correct. However using Niban Genkai used up most of the blood stored in my threads."**_

Senketsu's eye narrowed in thought as he drank Ryuko's blood, the nourishing liquid filling his threads with energy. It was strange absorbing Ryuko's blood like this, especially when the initial donation from the Seki Tekko was usually more than enough to sustain him for hours, _**"I should be fine in a few minutes. But more importantly, that was rather reckless. You should be more cautious in the future, Ryuko."**_

"It's not like you were coming up with anything better."

Ryuko rolled her eyes and sighed when Senketsu bristled at the lighthearted comment. Giving her partner a reassuring smile while apologizing, Ryuko turned away from the smoke-filled trench and frowned. She could have sworn she felt Ichigo and Mugetsu's energy, which probably meant they were wrapping things up. Rubbing the back of her neck while stifling a yawn, the exhaustion plaguing her body already fading, any thoughts she had about tracking down Ichigo were brought to a violent halt when a bloodstained nodachi was thrust through her heart, skewering her from back to front.

"What…the…hell?"

Blood trailed down Ryuko's stomach in thick rivulets as she limply collapsed to her knees, a breathless gasp leaving her mouth as she stared at the zanpakuto impaled through her body with shaking eyes. When did the bitch get behind her? How the _hell_ did she survive? Coughing harshly as she looked over her shoulder into the captain's dead and soulless eyes, the lower half of her body replaced with fiery darkness that constantly writhed and shifted, Ryuko lurched forward when the shinigami twisted her zanpakuto. Flecks of blood leaving her mouth when the captain began slowly removing her nodachi, Ryuko's expression of agony suddenly vanished as she reached up and grasped the blade stabbed through her heart.

"Did you forget?"

Ryuko ignored the zanpakuto cutting deeply into her fingers as she grinned, "I ain't exactly a normal human!"

A burst of crimson light pierced through the night as Ryuko twisted her impaled body around and swung the Scissor Blade. For a brief moment a look of genuine surprise crossed the undead captain's face at the sudden attack before her trained muscles automatically reacted. Fingers letting go of the zanpakuto impaled through the teenager while her knees tensed in preparation to use shunpo, the shinigami was caught off guard when the hardened Life Fiber weapon transformed mid-swing, extending back into Decapitation Mode and severing her head in one fell swoop. Blood oozing onto the ground as the captain's body dissipated into tendrils of fiery darkness while the nodachi stabbed through her heart slowly shattered like glass, Ryuko bit her lower lip and coughed.

"Freaking bitch!"

Collapsing onto her back with a dull thud as the copious amount of blood coating the surrounding street transformed into Life Fibers, returning to her body while the normally lethal wound on her chest knitted shut slower than usual, Ryuko watched the last traces of the captain's zanpakuto vanish before grinning. She did it. She finally freaking did it! She kicked the ass of someone strong as hell without relying on anybody else. No Ichigo or Ururu save her at the last minute. She did it all by herself! The only way this moment could have been even better was if she didn't feel like she was just run over by a truck.

"Damn it…" Panting heavily as Senketsu returned to his normal uniform, Ryuko stared at the crimson moon hovering in the sky, "I can't move."

"_**T-The world is spinning again, Ryuko."**_

Senketsu's multicolored eye swiveled around dizzily before closing. Fighting the captain must have taken more out of him than he originally thought if Ryuko's nourishing blood was no longer helping. Even they couldn't keep regenerating forever. His lapels and sleeves fluttering briefly as he tried mustering the energy to move only to fail, Senketsu quickly gave up and sighed tiredly, _**"I-I don't think I'll be able to transform anymore…"**_

The Scissor Blade slipped from Ryuko's fingers as she listened to Senketsu. She really wanted to kick the vampire bastard's ass, maybe break into that stupid zeppelin along the way, but she had literally nothing left. It was taking everything she had to not fall unconscious. Closing her eyes as the bitter autumn wind caressed her face, Senketsu apologizing for being unable to help her, Ryuko sighed in exhaustion. She didn't like it but right now she had to leave it to Ichigo and Mugetsu to finish the fight.

She just hoped nothing bad happened to them.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Pieces of loose asphalt stung harshly against Yumiko Takagi's bruised face as she violently stabbed her katana into the middle of the street.<p>

Her strained fingers reflexively tightening around the hilt of the reinforced blessed weapon as it punctured through the asphalt like water, the repugnant smell of burning rubber filling the air as her boots scrapped against the ground, the paladin ignored the pain radiating up her legs when she finally managed to arrest her momentum. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this exhausted. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest. But she refused to let the vampire survive the night. Narrowed eyes glaring from within the shadows of her black hair, a thin trail of blood oozing down her face, Yumiko gnashed her teeth before blasting back down the street.

Tucking the faintly shimmering katana firmly against her waist as she approached the waiting Alucard, his tattered cape billowing in the bitter wind while his antediluvian broadsword reflected the crimson light from the full moon, Yumiko waited until she saw the amused glint in the undead creature's eyes before suddenly pivoting sharply on one foot. With a sharp metallic ringing reminiscent of cold steel her tightly coiled right arm exploded forth like a spring, flickers of blue light lagging behind the blessed weapon as it carved through the air faster than the speed of sound.

For a brief moment Yumiko was certain she finally managed to overwhelm Alucard's defense. But when her blade was less than an inch from his body, the supernaturally sharp edge poised to slice between the plates of his armor, she stiffened when he suddenly dispersed into shadows.

"What the hell?"

Yumiko was snapped back to reality when an increasingly familiar chill raced down her spine. Throwing herself forward right before Alucard's broadsword brutally cleaved her body in half from shoulder to hip, one hand planted firmly against the pavement as she spun around mid-flip, she barely glimpsed the burst of energy exploding from the vampire's weapon when it slammed into the ground before she was sent flying backwards through the air. Darkness tinting the edges of her vision as she painfully bounced several times off the ground before rolling to a stop, Yumiko's eyes widened when she staggered back onto her feet only to witness Alucard descending rapidly through the air, his face twisted into an expression of sadistic insanity as he swung his weapon at her neck.

The bitter wind tearing through the city lessened as the paladin realized avoiding Alucard's strike would be impossible, which left her with only one course of action. Off hand braced firmly against the sharpened blade of her katana as she raised it above her head, Yumiko tensed when the vampire's sword smashed into her weapon with enough fore to nearly shatter the pavement underneath her feet.

From the moment her blade clashed against the vampire's in a shower of sparks it took every last scrap of willpower Yumiko possessed to not grimace at the pain radiating down her left arm. Forcing the excruciating pain to the back of her mind while she struggled against Alucard's advantageous strength, katana visibly shaking as her muscles screamed in protest, she gritted her teeth before abruptly pulling away. Immediately twisting to the side as her guard collapsed, Yumiko bent her knees and leapt backwards before Alucard's broadsword could carve into her body.

"Your skill is quite formidable, Iscariot."

Alucard's heavily accented voiced betrayed his growing admiration for the paladin as her labored breathing was replaced with stubborn determination. It was truly magnificent to find such a worthy adversary on this most meaningful of nights. Brutally pulling his broadsword out of the ground in a shower of debris while his mouth curled into an approving smirk at the intensity of the paladin's expression, Alucard did not hesitate as he rushed forward to once again meet the human in battle. Their blades clashing until only one was left standing!

He wasn't even halfway before the rapid stomping of boots against the ground drew his attention.

Crimson eyes narrowing while he shifted his weight forward, Alucard nimbly spun around the tailor bayonets clasped within Alexander Anderson's hands. The pavement crumpling underneath his boots as he avoiding the nudist's second attack before proceeding to counter with a thrust to the heart, the vampire's expression grew increasingly exhilarated when the human detonated a smoke grenade, vanishing into the expanding mist and barely avoiding getting skewered.

"Impressive, Alexander Anderson."

Respect permeated the vampire's words as the acrid smoke left in Anderson's tactical retreat covered the surrounding area in a thick cloud that made it nearly impossible to see. Any normal opponent would have been handicapped by such limiting visibility, blind to the paladin subtly maneuvering on his right in preparation for an attack, but to Alucard it might as well have not even existed. Easily tracking the injured nudist commander beyond the edges of the smoke, the vampire waited until Yumiko was nearly upon him before abruptly spinning around, parrying the paladin's katana with enough force to send her crashing into the side of a building.

Dispersing the already thinning cloud of smoke with another swing of his blade, Alucard's eyes narrowed when he glanced upwards and saw Alexander Anderson silhouetted against the full moon. It was a bold but impressive feint to use one's allies in such a manner. Sparks dancing through the air as he raised his broadsword and blocked the nudist's attack with a single hand, Anderson's face twisted into an expression of righteous fury as he desperately tried to overwhelm him, Alucard chuckled maliciously when the former paladin kicked off his chest plate and landed several feet away.

"You are a worthy adversary," Alucard's body was enveloped by shadows as he loomed over the nudist commander, his eyes twin pinpricks of light in the darkness, "So come! Come Alexander Anderson! Try and pierce my heart with your bayonets!"

Anderson staggered backwards and spat out a wad of bloody saliva, the motion aggravating his cracked ribs. He couldn't die, not when a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin still walked the earth, "I'm not foolish enough to fall for yer taunts, vampire. But ye can rest assured that ye shall perish by my hands."

His expression darkening in morbid curiosity at the nudist commander's threat, the conviction in Anderson's voice at odds with the way he was subtly attempting to slowly back away from him, Alucard's train of thought was broken when he heard the barely audible clicking of a subsonic priming detonator. Eyes widening when he cast his gaze downwards and saw a circular metallic device attached to the front of his armor, a piercing red light pulsing rapidly upon its curved exterior, the vampire grimaced in annoyance when the Detergent Mine exploded in a massive inferno of multicolored flames.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Integra Hellsing's stride did not falter as she marched through the bleak corridors of the <em>Deus Ex Machina<em> with a single purpose in mind. Tightening her grip upon the sheathed sword in her left hand when several muffled explosions rippled through the airship the leader of the Hellsing Organization paused when her foot accidentally kicked the prone body of one of Millennium's vampirized soldats. Someone or something had killed the soldier before they arrived. An annoyed snort leaving her lips as she callously rolled the corpse over with the heel of her boot, Integra narrowed her eyes in disgust when she saw the state of the body.

The corpse, or rather what was left of it, was nothing more than a half-dissolved mass of flesh, thickly congealed blood pooled across the floor while the soldier's bones were nothing more than a liquefied organic sludge that caused her nose to wrinkle. Biting down on her cigar as she knelt and tore off the soldat's goggles and gasmask, accidently peeling away the skin around his eyes in the process, Integra contemplated the expression of pure agony on what remained of the Quincy's face.

"These men died fairly recently."

Wiping her hand against the corpse's sleeve before standing back up, Integra stared at the dozen or so vampirized soldats splayed throughout the corridor. Each and every one of them appeared to have suffered the same cause of death. Taking a long drag from her cigar as she half-turned to face Seras, the recently ascended vampire's crimson eyes gazing pensively at the corpse in front of her, she exhaled a puff of smoke and stated, "I'd estimate these men died within the last ten minutes. And that death must have been excruciatingly painful."

Seras clenched her hand into a fist and snarled angrily, "It serves them right after everything they've done!"

Not finding anything at fault in her servant's passionate declaration, Integra turned her attention back to the various corpses and narrowed her eyes, "A most fitting end for cowardly and pathetic mockeries of men. Yet something troubles me. Seras…these soldiers did not fall in battle. Which begs the question of _what_ killed them."

"It's master…"

Seras couldn't help but gasp when the strange sensation of familiarity emanating from the undead corpses gave way to realization. Suddenly everything made sense. Her crimson eyes glowing brightly from within the shadows created by her bangs of platinum blonde hair, the vampire snapped her head upwards and spat, "These men…_Quincy_…have master's power running through their veins. But it's like poison to them. Master's power is destroying them from the inside out. Eating away at their very soul until nothing remains. What's the point of becoming a damn vampire if you end up _melting_ in the end?!"

"Not everyone is worthy of receiving His Majesty's gift. Some lesser souls must unfortunately make due with what's available around the house."

The intercoms built into the corridor whined momentarily before the Major continued speaking in the same jovial tone, "It's so good to hear your lovely voice again, fraulein. I hope my invitation wasn't too disrespectful. I didn't quite know how a woman of your stature would respond. So I decided to go with something a little…_flashy_. Sorry about that…"

Integra sneered at the smug arrogance permeating every single word spewing from the Major's mouth. That he had the audacity and gall to claim the concentrated artillery strike fired from his airship, which nearly killed her if not for Seras, was a personal invitation left no doubt in her mind about his sanity, "You insane, cowardly swine…"

"Yet here you are, searching for me much like the moth is drawn to the proverbial flame!"

Completely at ease despite Integra Hellsing and her pet vampire stalking through the _Deus Ex Machina_ with only a single goal in their minds – his complete and utter destruction – the Major leaned back in his chair and chuckled deeply when an explosion caused the command center to briefly shake, "But let us get back on topic. You were professing curiosity about the rather abysmal state of the soldats lying dead at your feet. Why their very souls have been scattered like dust on the wind. The answer, my dear fraulein, is quite simple. They were nothing but experiments! Failed attempts at combining the spiritual essence of the creature you call Alucard with that of a Quincy! Unfortunately the procedure inevitably results in a rather gruesome death for the test subject."

Integra's face scrunched in barely repressed annoyance as she was forced to listen to the Major's barbaric nonsense. Allowing Seras to take point when the corridor suddenly turned to the left, she calmly stepped over the half-dissolved corpse of yet another soldat before removing the cigar from her mouth and scoffing, "Experimenting on your own men? You truly are an insane little man, Quincy."

"I can assure you that I am of quite sound mind."

A deranged smirk adorned the Major's face as he animatedly clenched a single hand into a fist, "Those soldats lying dead at your feet were nothing more than _pawns_! Used only to be discarded upon the completion of their task. All one thousand vampirized soldats of the Jahrtausendarmee were created for a single purpose – the slaughter of every living soul within London only to _fall_ before the combined might of the Hellsing Organization and Vatican! Your little pet surviving Zorin's assault was not anticipated but such failures happen to even the best commanders from time to time."

With a nearly contemptuous flick of her wrist Integra tossed the half-smoked cigar to the ground when the corridor abruptly split in two. Translating the sign bolted to the wall in front of her from German into England, her eyes drawn to the Quincy Zeichen etched above it, she snorted and turned to the right before bluntly asking the Major, "Since you love to hear yourself speak, Quincy, perhaps you can say something relevant. Who is your leader, the man you refer to as your king? What is he planning?"

Another bout of smug laughter echoed throughout the nearly empty corridors as the Major passionately responded, "His Majesty is a man who detests meaningless conflicts. Why, the very thought of a protracted battle fills his heart with despair!"

Seras seethed at the Major's hypocritical answer. Hearing that fat bastard of a Quincy not only insult the men and women lying dead in the streets of London but also Mr. Bernadotte and the Wild Geese made her want to tear him apart limb from bloody limb. But before she could say anything the Sternritter jovially added, "I look forward to finally meeting you in person, fraulein. Auf Wiedersehen!"

A screech of feedback echoed irritatingly over the intercoms as the Major bid them a temporary farewell before the connection was completely severed. Her glasses glowing opaquely in what little ambient light existed in the corridor, Integra's fingers tightened around the sheathed blade in her left hand as she quickened her pace. The actions of the Quincy and his associates were beyond reprehension. How Nudist Beach could have allied with such an organization, even against a monster like Ragyo Kiryuin, bothered her but for the moment her focus was on the task at hand – ending the Major's pathetic existence.

It was the distant rhythmic sound of heavy boots steadily tapping against the floor that pulled Integra from her thoughts. Coming to a halt herself as Seras stepped protectively in front of her body, the vampire's crimson eyes piercing through the darkness while the shadows extruding from her shoulder morphed into a facsimile of an arm, the leader of the Hellsing Organization narrowed her gaze when a very familiar figure slowly came into sight.

"Go on ahead, Master Integra."

Seras could barely contain the anger building rapidly within her soul when the Captain came to a halt several meters away from them, his white Sternritter uniform standing in sharp contrast with the bleak colors of the corridor. When Integra incredulously protested her decision, the vampire clenched her hand into a fist and stepped forward. Even with the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around his left arm, the Captain's power was as clear as day. This Quincy was far stronger than the _bitch_ that killed Mr. Bernadotte, "Find that Quincy and kill him! Every word that spews from his mouth infuriates me! Make him pay for everything he's done!"

The silence that followed Seras' declaration continued for several seconds before Integra smirked and placed one of her last remaining cigars between her teeth. Savoring the familiar taste of tobacco before lighting the cigar, she opened her mouth to wish her servant the best of luck when something odd caused her to pause. With the edges of his overcoat fluttering around his body, the Captain slowly shook his head at the two women before stepping to the side and leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

"So the attack dog didn't come to play after all…"

Integra scowled when the Sternritter slowly blinked at the insult before raising his arm and pointing down the hallway, his expression never changing. Biting down on her cigar as she scoffed and marched around Seras, who had yet to take her eyes off the Captain, she exhaled a cloud of smoke before sneering, "I see…very well then. Leave him be, Seras. But if he should attempt anything…don't hesitate to destroy him."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A ragged cough tore its way free from Alexander Anderson's lungs as the nudist commander returned from his brief foray into unconsciousness.<p>

That was the last time he ignored the standard Nudist Bleach safety procedures when dealing with high-impact explosives. He should have damn well known better than detonating a Detergent Mine when he wasn't at least one hundred feet away. Fifty feet if you were behind cover. Cursing angrily at his stupidity Anderson snarled and slowly staggered back onto his feet, the sharp ringing reverberating in his ears already tapering off. It would be a cold day in hell before he let a little explosion kill him. Not before sending both the vampire and the abomination of woman to their justly deserved fates in whatever damnation existed for their kind. The fingers on his left hand sporadically twitching due to the pain radiating from his injured shoulder, Anderson clenched his jaw and stared in annoyance at the inferno roaring a few dozen feet down the street.

"Is everything ready?"

With nary a sound Heinkel Wolfe emerged from the surrounding darkness, her tattered cassock fluttering gently as she landed next to the nudist commander with her pistol trained on the crackling flames. Her mouth twisted into a grimace, Heinkel narrowed her eyes and scowled, "It would have been helpful if you explained how the hell they worked, Anderson! I only managed to anchor one of the verdammt things!"

"They're not that hard to operate," Anderson scoffed under his breath. Nudist Beach technology was incredibly intuitive and easy to both learn and operate. It had to be if they were to have any chance of standing against a monster the likes of Ragyo Kiryuin and her personal execution squad. Spitting out a wad of bloody saliva, he twisted around and exclaimed, "So what are ye still doing here?! Go anchor the other one before – "

"HA! HA! HA!"

Bouts of manic laughter emanated from within the roaring inferno when a dark and foreboding wind swept out of nowhere, dispelling the flames and sending cold chills racing down Anderson and Heinkel's spines. Slowly clapping his hands in a mocking gesture as he emerged from the remaining smoke completely unscathed, red overcoat forming out of shadows when he rapidly shifted back to his familiar vampiric form, Alucard grinned at the nudist's infuriated expression. This was turning out to be a most interesting battle. Despite his best efforts it seemed he continued to underestimate Alexander Anderson's ingenuity. To place an explosive upon his body not only without being detected but also in a manner that didn't draw attention? Risking life and limb simply to destroy him?

_Excellent_…

"I haven't felt this excited in _ages_!" Alucard chuckled darkly as he tilted his head slightly to the side, fang-filled mouth twisting menacingly in the night, "That was a most interesting display of tactics, Alexander Anderson. Any other monster would have been killed in an instant. Their flesh torn from bone! So congratulations! You have my _full_ attention…"

Wisps of darkness flickered around Alucard's overcoat as he stood amongst the fading embers, daring the two humans to make the first move. His expression turning sadistic when a new pair of bayonets emerged from within Anderson's sleeves while Wolfe expertly placed another clip in her remaining pistol, the vampire grinned viciously as the shadows around his body writhed. Continuing to laugh psychotically as the Jackal and Casull slid fluidly into his outstretched hands, Alucard did not hesitate to snap his arms forward and open fire on the humans.

Anderson was already in motion before Alucard even raised his arms. Throwing himself sideways upon recognizing the shimmer of steel in the vampire's hands, the nudist ducked his head down as the building behind him disintegrated under a hail of high-caliber gunfire. A pained grunt involuntarily leaving his mouth when he landed on his injured shoulder behind the burnt remains of an overturned truck while pieces of concrete and rubble rained downwards, he gnashed his teeth and grimaced when the front of the vehicle, engine block and all, exploded. Blown apart by a single shot from the Jackal.

Which missed him by several feet.

The nudist didn't believe for a _second_ that the vampire missed. There was not a chance in hell that the monster that demonstrated the ability to behead a moving target from over three hundred feet away would actually miss hitting him, which meant the abomination was up to something. Mentally cursing as he rolled onto his back, rounds from the Casull constantly piercing through the carriage of the truck before continuing on through the building to his right, Anderson reached into one of his cassock's many pockets and frowned when he pulled out the last strand of detonation cord. Damn it! He barely had enough left for a single bayonet!

"That's just _perfect_…"

Pieces of shrapnel burned lightly against his cassock as he carefully wrapped the last detonation cord around his bayonet. Narrowing his eyes in concentration when the vampire fired another round from the Jackal, vaporizing part of the truck and the building behind him, Anderson subtly moved towards the rear end of the overturned truck only for his head to snap upwards when several shots pierced through the night. His free hand clenching into a fist when Heinkel exploded out of an adjoining alley with her pistol firing, the nudist commander felt his heart skip a beat when the abomination returned fire.

This was his chance!

Leaping back onto his feet before vaulting over the truck with the single tailor bayonet held tightly between his fingers, Anderson flexed his wrist and prepared to throw the weapon at the vampire only to stumble when intense pain wracked his body. Blood spewing from his mouth with every cough as the strain of battling an abomination against nature aggravated his injuries, the nudist commander ignored the pain and snapped his arm forward with all his remaining strength. Gnashing his teeth when the quivering in his arm caused the weapon to miss the vampire by several inches before detonating in a large explosion down the street, Anderson panted heavily from exhaustion as he landed on the ground.

"It looks like your wounds have finally started catching up with you…Alexander Anderson."

Derisive mockery dripped from the vampire's mouth as he turned his full attention back to the nudist commander. Leaning forward slightly while folding one arm against his back, he grinned excitedly at the furious expression on Anderson's face, "So what are you going to do? Will you give up? To die like a dog when your goal is nearly within reach? Or will you continue fighting until the bitter end…your body broken and shattered beyond all recognition!"

Anderson spat out blood while two new bayonets appeared in his hands, "Ye think I'm going to give up, vampire? I will not stop until ye lay dead at my feet!"

The vampire's eyes imperceptibly widened at Anderson's passionate declaration. Despite the wounds bleeding his life's blood upon the ground the human simply refused to surrender and die. Any normal man would have already succumbed to such debilitating injuries long ago, perishing like a dog in the streets, yet Alexander Anderson possessed the drive to keep fighting until the bitter end. To stand and fight until the last traces of life left his body. Such perseverance from one of his enemies excited the vampire down to the deepest recesses of his twisted and corrupted soul.

It was the barely audible fluttering of cloth descending through the autumn night that caused Alucard's expression to twist sadistically. He had been growing weary of waiting for the paladin to stop playing dead. Deftly twisting his body sideways while turning around, his eyes momentarily locking with Yumiko's as her blessed katana arced through the air towards the base of his neck, Alucard chuckled while raising the Casull before unloading several rounds into the woman. His smirk quickly vanishing upon realizing he only managed to shoot the paladin's outer garments, the vampire tore his attention away from the bullet-ridden nun robes as his right arm exploded into finely cut chunks of flesh and bone.

"_What?"_

Her upper body clad in a form-fitting long-sleeved black shirt as she landed in a soft crouch behind the vampire with her blessed katana held tightly at her waist, Yumiko snarled and ignored both the pain from her left arm and the copious amount of blood spraying through the air. Furiously narrowing her eyes while spinning around on her heel, she took advantage of Alucard's momentarily injured condition to drive her weapon directly towards his heart.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Integra Hellsing's coat fluttered gently around her body as the blast-proof doors of the <em>Deus Ex Machina's<em> command center opened with a hiss of pressurized air. Almost immediately she was forced to scrunch her nose in disgust at the pervading scent of decaying flesh. Strewn throughout the chamber with some still in their seats were the half-dissolved corpses of soldats, their expressions betraying the painful agony that had been their death. Her boots stomping against the metal plating of the floor as she marched forward, the stylized Quincy Zeichen on the ground briefly drawing her notice, she came to a stop alongside Seras when her eyes fell upon the chair facing the wall of screens on the opposite side of the chamber.

Strutting forward while Seras narrowed her eyes in preparation for whatever may come, the writhing darkness emerging from the severed stump of her left shoulder twisting back into a clawed facsimile of an arm, the leader of the Hellsing Organization reached into her coat and snarled, "Show yourself!"

"Ah…it's so good to finally meet you in the flesh, fraulein."

A half-cocked smirk was plastered upon the Major's face as the chair slowly spun around with a metallic whine. His expression growing increasingly amused at the twin looks of rage and hatred, he leaned backwards and sighed, "I've been expecting you for quite some time."

The sound of gunshots echoed throughout the chamber as Integra removed the Sig-Sauer pistol from the holster hidden within her trench coat and opened fire on the Quincy. She did not care about whatever garbage the man had to say. All that mattered was ending his pathetic excuse for a life before he dragged them all through the mud. Snarling when she noticed that the Sternritter was completely unaffected by the bullets, she narrowed her eyes when the last round in the clip ricocheted off his face, exposing a briefly visible dark pattern on his skin.

"Blut Vene…" Integra spat out the vile words while releasing the empty clip from her pistol, causing the Quincy to chuckle lightly.

"This is quite correct," the Major casually swept several bullet casings off his uniform while his yellow eyes narrowed mirthfully, "However I'm afraid it will require something with a bit more firepower to pierce the blut His Majesty bestowed upon me."

"Is that right?" Integra holstered her pistol and took a step backwards, "Seras…kill him."

"Right!"

The Major watched with veiled amusement as the shadows emerging from the vampire's left shoulder twisted and contorted. His expression remaining unchanged when the darkness suddenly tore into the floor, steel plating and wiring breaking under the force, his eyes lit up in surprise when the vampire literally _pulled_ one of the airship's eighty-eight millimeter cannons from the storage bay below. The corners of his mouth tightening into a smirk as he leaned forward, yellow eyes focused on the shadows controlling the weapon like a well-trained orchestra, the Major did not move an inch when Seras fired the weapon.

Hands politely folded across his lap as the shell spiraled through the air towards him accompanied by an explosive blast of noise, the Major chuckled lowly when a translucent barrier spun into existence feet away from his body. The leather in his chair crackling as he watched the shell literally disintegrate against the spiritual shield, brass dissolving away before his very eyes, the Sternritter noticed the shocked expression on his guests' faces and raised a finger, "Oh…my apologies. I should have warned you about the barrier."

Integra stared as the barrier cutting halfway through the chamber, pulses of light shimmering across its faintly blue surface, "Barrier?"

"I'm sure you're aware of the technique my late comrade Tubalcain Alhambra used against Alucard," the Major absorbed the look of shock on the vampire's face before reaching for the remote on the nearby table. Raising it over his shoulder before clicking one of the buttons, causing the wall of screens to burst into life and show part of the battle between Alucard and Alhambra, he cocked his head slightly to the side and grinned, "This, however, is nothing like that! It is as different as night is from day! It is the culmination of nearly a century of experimentation, the result of the esteemed Doktor mixing Alucard's essence with that of a Quincy and shinigami's!"

A loud thump echoed throughout the chamber as Seras angrily shouted and fired the flak cannon a second time only for the shell to dissolve once more upon making contact with the barrier. Raising his hand in a placating gesture at the infuriated vampire, the Sternritter jovially added, "I'm afraid this barrier is quite impenetrable, impervious to all but a select few beings. However it does possess a singular weakness. Due to the contrasting spiritual energy woven throughout its structure it is rather unstable. Thus in approximately fifteen minutes it will shatter, allowing you to kill me to your heart's content!"

Integra clenched the sheathed blade in her hand at the Sternritter's words while Seras unceremoniously dropped the flak cannon onto the ground, the metal plating buckling under the weight of the weapon. Marching forward until she was standing only a few inches from the barrier, she bit the inside of her cheek and scoffed, "What are you planning, Quincy? What is the point of telling us the weakness of your technique?"

"Because I am in possession of certain knowledge. Information that I believe you will be quite interested in hearing," the Major smirked at Integra's furious expression before turning around halfway in his chair and pressing another button on the remote. As the images on the screens shifted to the currently ongoing battle between Yumiko and Alucard, the vampire transformed back into his original form, he briefly watched the paladin desperately struggle against the ancient vampire's monstrous strength before leaning backwards and mirthfully asking, "Have you ever wondered about the magnificent existence that is Alucard? What sort of eldritch creature the vampire truly is?"

An explosion rocked the zeppelin, causing the lights to temporarily flicker, before Integra scoffed in disgust, "Such an inane question."

The smirk adorning the Major's face widened as he turned away from the battle raging on the screen, "It is common knowledge that Alucard is a vampire…much like our friends in Nudist Beach know that Ragyo Kiryuin is a Life Fiber Hybrid. But such titles are meaningless! Proverbial garbage that carries no weight! Completely and utterly _useless_ in the grand scheme of things! What I wish to know is rather simple – whether you are aware of Alucard's true position upon the corrupted hierarchy that governs the world!"

As the Major finished speaking Integra was forced to narrow her eyes when every screen in the chamber exploded into brilliant light, the Wandenreich's sensors and cameras rendered temporarily useless as the Detergent Mine placed upon Alucard by Alexander Anderson detonated. Clapping his hands together in genuine appreciation at the display of raw power by the nudist commander, the Major's face was shadowed in various shades of white and black as he enthusiastically announced, "It would seem our mutual friend from Nudist Beach is putting up quite the impressive fight. The paladins from Iscariot are quite strong but they lack the instinct, the determination to win at all costs against an unimaginable monster, that Alexander Anderson obtained after years of fighting against Ragyo Kiryuin. But it seems they are still putting up a greater challenge against the vampire than the shinigami from four hundred years ago."

Integra stared at the Sternritter with absolute contempt, "I'm well aware of the Soul Society's attempt to kill Alucard. They sent three of their captains after my servant but he proved too strong. Two were killed during the battle while the third was devoured. Who if I'm not mistaken is the shinigami currently fighting Ryuko Matoi. And in the aftermath the Soul Society deemed Alucard the most dangerous supernatural creature in existence."

"A most succinct assumption…but incorrect, fraulein."

The Major smiled at the surprised expression on Integra's face while the intense light on the screens faded showing Alucard in his normal form. Ignoring the shadows writhing around Seras as the Harkonnen visibly shook, the vampire's restraint at killing him barely kept in check, he raised a hand into the air before curling his fingers into a fist, "Alucard is quite the dangerous adversary but he is not the _most_ dangerous. That title belongs to the creature masquerading as a human being…the illustrious emissary of the being known as the Original Life Fiber! I am speaking, of course, about Ragyo Kiryuin. The woman who betrayed the world!"

A tense silence permeated the room for several seconds after the Sternritter's declaration, broken only by the occasional explosion. Both hands clasped across his chest while the _Deus_ _Ex Machina_ momentarily struggled to remain airborne, the Major's glasses shimmered as he asked, "Tell me…do you believe the puppet that arrived at Parliament, that pale facsimile of a monster, possessed Ragyo Kiryuin's full strength?"

"No," Integra forced her voice to remain detached while she mentally counted the seconds until the barrier dissolved, "I've seen Ragyo Kiryuin's capabilities. Nudist Beach was quite forthcoming about what happened at Honnouji Academy."

"Ragyo Kiryuin is a woman who has only fought seriously twice in her existence," the Major's smug voice echoed slightly around the chamber as he cocked his head to the side, "But a battle against Alucard? Both monsters giving their all in order to wipe the other from existence? I'm afraid such an engagement would leave most of London in ruins. Crushed under the overwhelming power of two creatures that defy human logic! And when the dust settles, exposing the lifeless corpses of those unfortunately caught in the whirlwind, both vampire and Life Fiber _beast_ will both still be standing."

"How pathetic."

There was no hiding the derision in Integra's voice. Ignoring the live feed of Yumiko severing Alucard's arm in a flash of motion, blood spraying through the air, she stared into the Major's soulless eyes and sneered, "Is that it, Quincy? Sixty years of planning…countless millions killed…all so that you and that cowardly king you follow can have a shot at killing Alucard."

"When did I ever say I wanted to _kill_ Alucard?"

Integra stiffened in shock at the sheer inanity of the question, "What?!"

The Major's chair creaked softly as he gripped the armrests and slowly stood up. Marching forward until his face was nearly pressed against the barrier opposite of Integra, his yellow eyes shimmered with barely repressed glee, "The purpose of this glorious night…the Schatten Ausrufung…was never to kill Alucard. Such a feat lies beyond even the unfathomable power of His Majesty. The objective of the Schatten Ausrufung has always been to force Alucard into a situation where the release of his full power was the only logical choice! That has not changed! But I'm sorry to say the tragic events that transpired on October 21st has caused His Majesty to add a second act…"

A bead of sweat trickled down Integra's face at the date, "You don't mean…"

"All of this…" the Major accentuated each syllable with a dramatic sweeping of his arm, "…was to limit Ragyo Kiryuin's power! To force her into the light by slaughtering all three million, one hundred and fifteen thousand, eight hundred and seventy five inhabitants of London!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Thick streams of blood oozed onto the ground when Alucard twisted sideways a moment before Yumiko's katana pierced his heart, the blade instead puncturing through his right lung from back to front. Gurgling as his flesh began burning from contact with the blessed weapon, visceral darkness evaporating out of the wound, the vampire lurched forward before his expression shifted. Bloody lips stretching into a fang-filled grin before his form suddenly dispersed into darkness, his entire body vanishing in a flourish of shadows, Alucard's insane laughter filled the air as the bewildered paladin took a cautious step backwards.<p>

"Impressive, Iscariot…"

Alucard's voice echoed from the very shadows covering the city as he reappeared some distance down the street. The dozens of misshapen crimson eyes blinking across the surface of the writhing darkness swiveling as he fully reformed himself, the vampire ignored the torrents of blood spilling from his wounds and stared at the swordswoman, "Your speed is quite remarkable. That substitution caught me off guard. It's rather impressive for something that can only be used once…"

The faint sounds of battle carried over the bitter wind winding through the streets as the vampire trailed off, copious amounts of blood dripping from both his ragged stump of an arm and destroyed lung. Yet the anger on the swordswoman's face continued to amuse him. From the way she head her weapon, blade shaking under her grip, the paladin seemed ready to correct her mistake. Such bravado filled his twisted heart with anticipation. But it was nothing more than empty bluster. Her left arm was fractured from their earlier exchange, which meant every movement had to be causing her intense pain.

He couldn't wait to see how she would overcome such a debilitating injury.

"You've been quiet, Wolfe. Surely you don't think the battle's over?"

Alucard couldn't suppress the mocking grin stretching across his face when Heinkel appeared behind him, mouth pulled into a contemptuous scowl as she pointed her pistol directly at his head. Did she think the mere _threat_ of a bullet would be enough to stop him? How insulting. Stepping callously in the blood pooling throughout the street as he deliberately turned away from the swordswoman, Alucard chuckled at Wolfe before adding, "Do you believe the insignificant loss of an ARM means anything? That this battle could _possibly_ be decided _without_ one of us dying?"

The vampire's condescending laughter echoed loudly through the night as darkness burst forth from his body. Dozens of inhuman crimson eyes blinked into existence across his body as shadows spewed from the bloody stump of a shoulder before coalescing into an arm. Smirking at the shock and fury etched upon Wolfe's face when he stepped forward, the pools of blood covering the street streaming into his body, Alucard held the newly reconstructed hand in front of his face and grinned, "Even in this state my regeneration remains as strong as ever! You've blown your greatest chance to kill me, Iscariot!"

Yumiko ignored the slight trembling of her left hand and snarled, "My next strike won't miss your neck, vampire!"

There was a momentary silence following her declaration before Alucard turned around, his attention focused fully upon the injured Anderson to the paladin's left, "How does it feel, Alexander Anderson, to know that all your efforts were for naught? That you risked life and limb only for your partner to flinch away at the very last second! It must be disappointing to know that the renowned paladins of Iscariot have fallen so far…"

"Shut yer mouth, vampire!"

Spittle flew through the air when Anderson suddenly interrupted the vampire's speech, crimson moonlight shimmering across the surface of the tailor bayonets as he crossed them in front of his body. His expression unchanging despite the nudist commander's unsubtle threat, Alucard laughed arrogantly as fiery shadows slowly oozed from the darkness composing his body before exclaiming, "The truth hurts, doesn't it Anderson? If it weren't for your arrival Wolfe would have cast aside her humanity for a scrap of miracle! Becoming little more than a monster devoid of both intelligence and reason! The antithesis of humanity! And this swordswoman…at the first sign of danger she flinches away! Cowering at the prospect of dying in battle!"

"And how does any of that matter?"

Anderson briefly coughed as he stared into the dark pits of corruption that were Alucard's soulless eyes before growling, "A true warrior of Iscariot does whatever it takes to destroy a threat to humanity. It does not matter if it's a vampire, hollow, Quincy or Life Fiber abomination. They fight until the bitter end, until their blood flows in rivers upon the ground. But ye cannot expect children to overcome their instincts."

Ignoring the slight tensing from the two paladins at his last comment, Anderson spat a wad of blood onto the ground and sneered, "It takes years of fighting against monsters before ye can repress that overwhelming fear of death! I have spent decades slaughtering monsters that could devour my very soul! Death does not frighten me, vampire! But for all their power, neither Heinkel nor Yumiko has ever _struggled_ against monsters that could tear them asunder! They have never fought against an abomination so dark and vile that the afterlife flees in its presence!"

"So speak your lies, vampire," Anderson grimaced at the pain radiating down his left arm before gnashing his teeth and finishing, "Because these children will be the ones that finally end yer existence once and for all!"

The barest trace of a pleased smirk appeared on Alucard's face at the human's passionate declaration. Alexander Anderson was truly a remarkable man to instill such confidence in his allies. To encounter such an opponent upon such a night, when his very existence was on the line, filled his heart with exhilaration. Shadows covering his face when he sensed Wolfe shift her aim towards his heart, the vampire momentarily stiffened before he reared his head backwards and laughed. As the humans shared tense looks of confusion at his sudden shift in personality, they were caught completely off guard when an enormous eruption of crimson spiritual energy exploded in the distance. Sharpened fangs glistening in the multicolored light as a fierce wind tore through the streets courtesy of Ryuko's Niban Genkai, Alucard continued laughing at the monster girl's energy.

She truly was an interesting creature…

"Verdammt!"

Heinkel stared over her shoulder in astonishment at the crimson energy spiking upwards into the moonlit sky, "What the hell was that?"

"HA! HA! HA! That monster girl continues to surprise me!"

Alucard's mouth twisted into a condescending smirk at the way the three humans tensed at his mentioning of the creature calling herself Ryuko Matoi. There was no question that the girl was powerful, perhaps even stronger than the boy fighting the two Quincy he devoured. But it was pathetic the way the monster girl still claimed to be clinging onto the remnants of her humanity. The progeny of Ragyo Kiryuin, that monster in the guise of a woman, could not be anything less than such a monster themselves. The very notion that creatures such as they still professed their humanity was a grave insult to those who truly possessed the right to make that claim. Ryuko Matoi was a monster in the truest sense.

"Life Fibers are truly fascinating. No matter how much you wound these creatures…whether it be tearing out their heart or turning them into dust…the Life Fibers inside their bodies will always regenerate the damage," Alucard's footsteps echoed against the pavement as he slowly stalked towards Wolfe, his voice continuously growing louder, "That monster girl and her Kamui accomplished a feat I deemed all but impossible! They destroyed that shinigami's bankai with a single swing of her blade! There isn't a doubt in my mind – she is truly the daughter of that one of a kind monster, Ragyo Kiryuin!"

An overwhelming pulse of spiritual energy exploded from the vampire's body as he finished shouting, his overcoat dissipating into shadows and leaving him clad in a full-body black straightjacket. His mouth stretched into an insane and bloody grin when Anderson's two bayonets screamed through the air towards his heart, Alucard deftly twisted counterclockwise around the projectiles before rushing straight at Wolfe. Wisps of shadows clinging to his arm as he cocked it back, darkness wrapped around his fingers as they straightened to a sharp point, the vampire couldn't restrain his expression of pleasure when his attack missed Wolfe and instead pierced through the building behind her.

"Scheiße!"

Heinkel ignored the new hole in her already tattered cassock as she frantically leapt backwards, determined to put as much distance between herself and the crazed vampire. Sneering lightly while pieces of mortar and concrete rained upon the ground from the vampire's attack, she snapped her arm upwards and took a moment to steady her aim before firing directly at Alucard's black heart.

Blood sprayed across the ground as the blessed rounds tore through the vampire's undead flesh. Snarling when she witnessed Alucard moving in such a way that her bullets hit every part of his body except his heart and neck, Heinkel didn't stop firing until the clicking of an empty clip drew her full attention. Eyes widening when the Casull and Jackal appeared in the vampire's hands, she didn't hesitate before leaping through the broken window of the restaurant to her left, rolling across the glass-covered floor seconds before a deluge of armor-piercing rounds shot through the air.

"Damn it…Maxwell was right," Heinkel grunted when her back slammed against a table. Grumbling lightly in annoyance when a pitcher of cold water rolled off the table, soaking her head and shoulders in the process, the paladin placed a new clip in her pistol and sneered, "I should have gone for the larger magazine."

Heinkel scoffed as she cautiously stood back on her feet. Ignoring the streams of water dripping from her chin onto the floor when Yumiko went flying past the restaurant's shattered windows, katana held tightly against her waist, she shook her head at the explosion that followed her partner's attack against the vampire. Something was wrong here. The abilities Alucard possessed nearly half an hour ago weren't nearly this powerful, which meant the vampire was growing stronger the longer the battle continued. She needed to find a way to kill the vampire before he became too powerful to destroy.

As she moved to help Yumiko against the vampire Heinkel stiffened when Anderson sprinted through her line of sight a few seconds later. The fingers on her left hand subconsciously reaching towards the pocket of her cassock at the look in the nudist's head, she watched the nudist vanish to the left before scoffing, "This better damn well work, Anderson."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The Major watched with detached aplomb as he allowed the full weight of the revelation to sink into Integra Hellsing's mind. It was quite obvious from the unsubtle clenching of her hand, the grinding of her teeth in anger, that she viewed his words with the same mixture of revulsion and hatred reserved for only the most evil of men in the world. Men who would gladly sell out humanity for nothing more than fun and profit. Yet that could not be further from the truth.<p>

"One should not underestimate the deviousness…the intelligence…of Ragyo Kiryuin."

Lowering his arm as he broke the tense silence following his previous revelation, the Major's mouth curled into an amused smirk when a wavering aura of spiritual energy surrounded the vampire. From the expression of rage permeating her inhumanly glowing crimson eyes it would seem she didn't quite like what he was saying. A faint chuckle escaping his lips as he turned away from the women, hands clasped tightly behind his back, the Sternritter stared at the screens illuminating half the chamber before pleasantly continuing, "Ever since the events that transpired at Honnouji Academy she has stayed within her daughter's former bastion, protected by a barrier that neither His Majesty nor Alucard can penetrate! But she is not staying idle, fraulein. With each passing day she mentally orders that _thing_ to weave thousands of new COVERS! Every hour that she draws breath allows the Grand Couturiers to place the final touches upon the garment that would envelop the world in Life Fibers!"

"How would I accelerate Kisuke Urahara's research into destroying the barrier? What method could I use to pierce through the protective veil surrounding her? These were among the questions that plagued my every waking moment. And do you know what method, what course of action, I devised to take down that illustrious woman?"

His white uniformed fluttering slightly when he abruptly twisted around towards the two women, the Major held a clenched fist in front of his face and smugly sneered, "Nothing! Not one thing! There is nothing that can be done to destroy the Life Fiber Infinite Woven Barrier before Ragyo Kiryuin begins the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet!"

"That's foolish coming from you, Quincy," Integra's voice contained more than a hint of derision as she glared contemptuously at the Major, "Nothing is impenetrable. Even the most impregnable barriers eventually shatter. But you and that coward you call a king didn't even bother trying."

"His Majesty is not a man to leave anything to chance. Even if there existed the slightest possibility his power could penetrate the barrier surrounding Honnouji Academy he wouldn't be in any condition to stop Ragyo Kiryuin," an ominous shimmer of artificial light reflected off the Major's thick glasses as he calmly turned his back on Integra Hellsing and her pet vampire. Once more grabbing the remote from his chair and pressing a button, he sighed contently when the screens shifted from a laughing Alucard to a map of the world, "Which is the reason we decided to force her hand."

Integra gasped in dawning horror when her gaze was drawn to the flickering number at the top of the screens, "You didn't…"

"By slaughtering every living soul in London I have tipped the scales in Ragyo Kiryuin's favor! I have granted her the one thing she required to begin her masterstroke – the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet! And by doing so…_limited_ the forces she is able to bring onto the battlefield!"

"For you see…despite Ragyo Kiryuin's vaunted intelligence it is her sole desire, that ephemeral goal she has worked endlessly towards making a reality these past twenty years, that shall be her downfall," there was barely a moment's pause in the Sternritter's speech before he dramatically swept one arm through the air and passionately exclaimed, "She will be so _enraptured_ that her grand plan can finally commence that she will throw caution to the wind! So devoted is she to that _thing_ beneath her manor that she will leave the protection of her bastion to carry out its unholy will! By giving her exactly what she wants I have granted Nudist Beach the chance to defeat her! To cast her down into the dust!"

A cold feeling coursed down Integra's spine at the passion behind the Quincy's words. Something about the phrasing of his answer, the way he spoke, bothered her tremendously and yet she could not understand what it was, "How do you know all this?"

His mouth curling into a pleased smile as he walked back to his chair, the Major sat down and folded his hands together before answering, "Because, fraulein, we leaked the outcome of this little skirmish to Revocs nearly ninety minutes ago."

Several rapid bursts of light emanated from the oscillating barrier when Integra angrily snapped her arm upwards and emptied her Sig-Sauer's full clip at the Major, each bullet aimed at the Quincy's forehead, "You despicable, vile Quincy! You and your coward of a king are truly the lowest of the low! Soulless men who would throw humanity to the dogs for some ill-conceived plot to take down Ragyo Kiryuin!"

"…Oh? Cowards, are we? The lowest of the low?"

A slight frown momentary adorned the Major features before he smirked and raised a hand into the air, "Tell me, fraulein, as you stand here due in no small part to the support of your pet vampire…what does that make _you_? Those that died tonight were nothing more than casualties of His Majesty's glorious _will_! Victims of the eternal struggle between humans and monsters! I do not deny what I did! You, on the other hand, did so…much…_worse_. I killed over three million people. But it was YOU that unleashed Alucard upon them!"

"How _dare_ you claim Alucard would lay a finger on my countrymen!" Integra angrily retorted while subtly aware of the way Seras was tensing next to her, "I gave him strict orders to deal with all assaulting forces – both Quincy and the Vatican. He would never dare go against my instructions!"

"You are thinking far too _literally_, Integra Hellsing," the Major leaned forward in his chair moments before an enormous explosion rocked the zeppelin, causing the aircraft to visibly shake under the intense deluge of wind, "What you should have considered from the very start was _what_ Alucard would do at night's end. You know better than anyone how Alucard sustains his unholy power. So tell me – what do you think will happen to the blood of three million souls laying about London? He will absorb them! Sentencing them to an eternity of painful agony! And you have the nerve to question my morality?"

The corners of the Sternritter's mouth pulled into a pleased smirk as the _Deus Ex Machina_ slowly stabilized from the power unleashed by Ryuko Matoi. Already he could see dawning realization in both Integra Hellsing and her pet vampire's eyes. It would seem they indeed failed to comprehend, to understand beyond more than a cursory glance, the sinister power of the creature know as Alucard. Even the vampire's sole protégé, the only other being since his first steps in undeath that fully embraced the same eldritch power, appeared perturbed by the news.

"But I'm afraid I'm not here to debate the question of morality," the Sternritter mused, folding his hands together and leaning backwards in the chair, "For as we speak Ragyo Kiryuin is undoubtedly leading the attack against those opposing her plans – the trained soldiers of Nudist Beach, the spiritually aware inhabitants of Karakura Town, shinigami or otherwise, but most importantly Isshin Kurosaki. The only man on earth that possesses the ability to defeat the illustrious Ragyo Kiryuin once and for all!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"I see your injuries haven't slowed you down at all, Iscariot!"<p>

Alucard's accented voice betrayed the exhilaration coursing through his veins when the swordswoman parried his onslaught without fail, showers of sparks illuminating the darkened streets as her blade clashed multiple times against his own weapon. The corner of his mouth curling into a half-smirk when he was forced to twist sideways to avoid Yumiko's sudden counterattack, her sword coming precariously close to piercing his throat, Alucard's smirk widened when a wet sensation trailed down his cheek, a small rivulet of blood oozing from the freshly opened wound. It would seem Alexander Anderson's speech bolstered the swordswoman's spirits, eliminating the last traces of doubt in her mind.

"Yes…"

Wisps of burning shadows flickered from the edges of the vampire's tattered cloak as he leapt backwards to avoid Yumiko's continued assault, blue trails of light arcing inches behind the katana in her hands. The confident smirk stretching across his face growing when the paladin darted forward faster than he anticipated and slammed her weapon against his sword with enough forward to send a metallic echo reverberating through the hollow streets, Alucard's eyes widened in unparalleled excitement at the way her arms trembled, "Despite your wounds you continue to challenge me! To drive your blade through my heart!"

Dark torrents of spiritual energy burst from Alucard's broadsword following his exuberant proclamation. Gripping the handle of his blade tightly with both hands as he swung against Yumiko's katana with enough power to send her skidding several meters backwards, her guard momentarily broken from the sheer strength behind the strike, the vampire was stopped from pressing the advantage when several smoke bombs detonated at his feet. Ah…so it seemed Alexander Anderson finally decided to strike. His smirk widening in amusement right before he vanished into shadows, avoiding the bayonets poised to pierce through the separation in his armor's plating, Alucard could not help but laugh excitedly upon rematerializing in the air above the nudist commander.

With his crimson eyes glowing ominously in the shadows he swung his blade downwards at the former paladin, intent on vertically cleaving the man in half. As thick fissures rippled down the heavily damaged street, causing dust and smoke to rise upwards into the night, Alucard felt his pulse quicken at the lack of blood and visceral coating the ground. Anderson had actually managed to avoid the attack. In his grievously wounded state no less. Despite his weakening condition, which continued growing worse by the minute, the man somehow tracked his movements and avoided the attack.

_Excellent_.

"You continue to impress me, Alexander Anderson," Alucard commented, dust clinging to the broadsword as he pulled it out of the ground. Turning his attention to the swordswoman and nudist commander standing quite some distance away, their labored breathing audible to his ears, the vampire's mouth slowly curled into a sly smirk, "I was under the impression that a man of your stature would be above such dishonorable tactics."

Anderson's breath came out in nearly ragged pants, a thin trail of blood oozing from his hairline, as his boots scrapped to a halt against the pavement. The numbness slowly spreading throughout his body was growing worse. He was already having difficulty feeling his fingers. Soon, perhaps in only a few minutes, the loss of sensation will travel the rest of the way up his arm, ending at the wound he received from the Quincy. Once he finished dealing with the vampire, sending his blackened soul to the pits of hell and denying that cowardly king of the Quincy whatever he was planning, he would seek medical attention.

He _almost _smirked at the notion of Orihime Inoue using her miraculous powers to heal his wounds.

The trembling plaguing his fingers vanished at the vampire's word, "A monster has no right to talk about honor. I am a commander of Nudist Beach, a sworn member of the bulwark standing firm against Ragyo Kiryuin and her eldritch ilk."

"With that being said…" Anderson's voice trailed off as he slowly crossed the tailor bayonets in front of his body, "Let us have a fair and cowardly battle."

Standing several feet to the right of the former paladin, fingers subconsciously tightening around the blessed katana, Yumiko felt a shiver ripple down her spine. She hadn't heard that phrase for over three years. Not since that _fiend_ personally visited Harobaro House.

At the Kobe Orphanage, before Ragyo Kiryuin's monstrous actions twisted him into a murderer, Anderson had constantly regaled them with stories of his exploits in Iscariot. He went into great detail about the various abominations he'd slain throughout the years, ranging from masked creatures to eldritch monsters residing in the darkest corners of reality that could drive men insane with but a glance. Although he'd heavily sanitized his stories to prevent the younger children from having nightmares there was one important tenet Anderson drove into their minds. An idea a few of her fellow orphans took to heart more than others.

There was no such thing as honorable combat.

It was a fallacy. A well-wrapped lie created by men who had never stood on the front lines against the monsters relentlessly seeking to destroy humanity. The only point of battle was making sure you were the only one standing at the end. Even if that meant stabbing your opponent when his back was turned or using an equally cowardly tactic, as long as you didn't betray your comrades or endangered innocent lives everything was fair game.

"Follow my lead, Anderson," Yumiko scoffed while sliding her right foot backwards, darkened eyes glaring venomously at the vampire, "You _know_ how many centuries the Vatican has waited to kill Alucard!"

Anderson nodded in acknowledgement at Yumiko before turning his undivided attention onto the waiting vampire. He knew better than perhaps anyone how long the Catholic Church has striven to kill the undead monster, to wipe the soul-devouring abomination off the face of the earth. At one time he would have gladly allowed Yumiko to strike the finishing blow against the vampire. But this was no time for such courtesies against a monster like Alucard. Especially since he was all but certain Ragyo Kiryuin was waiting in the wings.

"Well said…"

An aura of constantly flickering darkness surrounded Alucard as he tightly gripped his broadsword with both hands and raised it skyward, the ancient blade shimmering in the crimson moonlight. Yes…it was here, in this dead and forsaken city, where the heavy weight of his past will finally shatter under his rapidly oncoming future. Not even that _man_ a century ago filled his black heart with such exhilaration. He could feel it down in the depths of his expansive soul – these humans would be the ones who finally granted him that which he sought after for all this time.

"Now…" the vampire's voice deepened as he swept his arm outwards, mouth twisted into an amused smirk, "…allow me to return the favor!"

The former paladin barely had a moment to register the meaning behind Alucard's words before spiritual energy exploded from the vampire, disintegrating the ground beneath his feet in burning darkness. Hunched over slightly as he struggled to remain upright under the heavy but intangible weight pressing down upon his shoulders, Anderson's eyes widened when the vampire took a single deliberate step forward before promptly vanishing. Instinctively throwing himself to the side less than a second before Alucard's blade crashed into the spot he'd just been standing, sending up an eruption of dirt and pulverized asphalt into the air, the nudist commander quickly leapt back onto his feet and summoned two new bayonets into his clenched hands.

It was greatly concerning that something like Alucard, who was capable of subsuming an entire city with naught but their own power, could have missed. But that was not what truly bothered Anderson at the moment. He was effectively blind in the wake of the vampire's attack, he dust floating in the air burning his throat and causing his vision to blur. It would be the perfect opportunity for the vampire to kill him. So for Alucard to forego taking the initiative, especially when he was already halfway to death's door, could mean only one thing.

He wasn't the vampire's target.

Alucard's expression betrayed the overwhelming insanity lingering just beneath the surface when he emerged from the smokescreen enveloping the nudist commander, wisps of dust clinging to his tattered cloak. His crimson eyes narrowing when he noticed the swordswoman was only a few feet away, her blessed blade gleaming brightly in the crimson moonlight as she thrust it straight towards his heart, the vampire waited until the weapon was nearly pressed against his chest before vanishing in a flourish of shadows. Grinning madly when he reappeared behind the paladin, darkness wafting from his broadsword as he tightly gripped it with a single hand, Alucard didn't hesitate before swinging it towards Yumiko's neck.

A metallic screeching echoed loudly through the streets, shattering whatever windows still remained intact, when Alucard found his broadsword halted by the swordswoman's hastily raised blade. Surprise turning into adulation at the paladin's quick reaction to his attack, the vampire chuckled and pushed down upon her faintly glowing blade with just a little more power and _shattered_ it.

Shards of specially forged metal shimmered brightly in the crimson moonlight around a heavily shocked Yumiko before the darkness wrapped around Alucard's broadsword exploded inches from her body. Violently launched backwards through the air by the overwhelming force of the spiritual explosion, parts of her uniform torn while burning wounds covered her arms, she was saved from slamming into the ground when Anderson threw himself into her path. Bayonets lying forgotten upon the street as he protectively wrapped his arms around the unconscious paladin, boots skidding dozens of meters before sliding to a halt, he stared melancholically at Yumiko's current condition.

"Damn it…"

Anderson seethed out a rare curse as he gently laid Yumiko down upon the ground before quickly checking her pulse. It was strong and steady, which meant she wasn't suffering from any unseen injuries. His breath growing increasing ragged as he struggled back onto his feet, beads of sweat trickling down his face, Anderson ignored the blood still oozing from his injured shoulder and turned around. Despite the nearly complete numbness throughout his left arm, any residual feelings he might have lost under the pain, he still managed to flex his fingers and summon a new pair of tailor bayonets. But it was nothing more than a feint. He no longer had the strength necessary to engage the vampire in combat.

Which meant the outcome of this battle rested entirely upon Heinkel doing what needed to be done.

"You still wish to fight?"

Alucard couldn't help but proudly smirk at the exhausted nudist commander's determination to continue fighting despite the growing odds. It was obvious the man could barely stand under his own power. Any normal human would have long succumbed to such debilitating wounds. Their minds unable to resist the tantalizing embrace of death. Yet this man refused to surrender, to lay down his arms and die like a dog. Yes…Alexander Anderson was a man worthy of respect! A paragon of humanity whose iron will never once faltered during this long and arduous battle.

"Or perhaps you are waiting upon Wolfe?"

There it was – the subtle stiffening of Anderson's shoulders upon his mentioning of the missing paladin. It was arrogant of the humans to believe he would not notice one of them was absent for nearly half the battle. And while Wolfe's constant vanishing acts had greatly piqued his interest, the point of their plan eluded him. What purpose would a surprise attack be at this point when the swordswoman was lying unconscious on the ground, her body nearly broken, and Anderson was barely able to stand?

"Yes…your plan was dependent on Wolfe doing something. Was it not?"

The vampire's antiquated armor clanked softly with every step as he slowly marched towards Anderson, broadsword held lazily to his side. Crimson eyes narrowing slightly in veiled interest while faint screams could be heard on the horizon, Alucard's cloak billowed ominously as he added, "Perhaps she is still waiting for a signal? Go ahead, Anderson. Muster up your last dredges of energy and summon her! Make your final stand!"

Anderson's expression remained completely passive as the darkness enveloping the edges of his vision receded. He refused to give the vampire what he wanted. Deliberately glancing at the surrounding buildings, which undoubtedly garnered the vampire's attention, his breathing steadied as he replied in a polite tone, "Yer offer is tempting, vampire. So allow me to respond with two pieces of information. One – do not presume ye have the power to order me around. I would rather die than listen to the filth that spews from yer mouth."

An amused expression pulled at the edges of Alucard's mouth, "And the second?"

"Two…" the nudist commander's tattered cassock fluttered lightly in the breeze as the barest trace of a smirk appeared on his face, "…fighting ye to the death was never the plan."

Alucard's eyes narrowed at Anderson's threat before something on the edge of his vision caught his attention. Dawning realization cross his features when he spotted a strange device anchored upon the building directly to his right, clawed metallic talons digging sharply into the concrete, the vampire's already pleased smirk grew rapturously at the ingenuity of his opponents before the Anti-Life Fiber Laser Tripwires Mark 2.9 on either side of the street sensed an obstruction blocking their connection. In the following instant an intense beam of blue light burst from the devices and Alucard, who was standing between them, _vanished_, vaporized under temperatures far in excess of the sun's surface.

Fingers tightly clenching his furiously bleeding shoulder as he cautiously watched what remained of the legendary vampire blow away in the breeze, Anderson sighed in relief when it became apparent Alucard was not coming back. Heh…the abomination actually fell for their trap without any provocation. For a moment he had been convinced the vampire wouldn't trigger the weapon, that all of their effort had been for naught. But there was no point worrying about hypothetical situations. The plan had gone off without a hitch.

Even in the paranoid depths of his mind Anderson didn't see Alucard regenerating from _nothing_.

"Anderson!"

The nudist commander was pulled from his thoughts when Heinkel Wolfe shouted out his name before leaping from the second floor of a nearby building. Landing in a crouch only a few feet away from Anderson, boots crunching against shattered glass, the paladin grunted as she stood up and looked at the now-smoking devices with newfound respect. These were _standard issue_ Nudist Beach weaponry? She didn't think even Iscariot, who had access to the billions of dollars locked away in the Vatican's coffers, could develop such devastating technology. If they did, she was damn sure Maxwell would have arrogantly flaunted such designs in front of Integra Hellsing.

Looking away when the device spontaneously exploded in a shower of blinding sparks, the acrid smell of burning chemicals faintly reminding her of laundry, Heinkel stiffened when she saw Yumiko lying unconscious on the ground with burns covering most of her upper body. Verdammt! She spent too much time setting up Anderson's weapons and allowed the vampire to nearly kill her partner. It was fortunate for Anderson the plan worked otherwise she would have killed the man herself, Alucard be damned.

"God damn it, Anderson," Heinkel rushed over to the former paladin when he knees suddenly buckled from exhaustion. Managing to catch Anderson right before he could collapse to the ground, she wrapped his good arm around her shoulders and scoffed, "Just what the hell kind of weapon was that?"

"Nudist Beach technology at its finest."

The bayonets in Anderson's hands clattered against the pavement as the last of his strength left him. Breathing heavily as he reluctantly relied upon Heinkel for support, he frowned before grunting, "The Anti-Life Fiber Laser Tripwire Mark 2.9. Designed by Aikuro to emit a Calcium Hypochlorite beam, disintegrating anything in their path. The name might be a mouthful but they get the job done…"

Anderson paused and spat out some more blood. He didn't mention that Aikuro's invention had a few kinks that needed to be worked out. While violently exploding in a flash of light after a single use was the most noticeable defect, a far more serious limitation was that the beam was quite narrow. Which meant the target would need to stand in a very specific place for the weapon to work. And experience has demonstrated that Ragyo Kiryuin was anything but stupid. Monster or not, she would never walk into such an obvious trap.

With more strength than a man in his condition should be capable of achieving Anderson pulled his arm away from Heinkel's shoulders, his footsteps momentarily faltering before he managed to regain his balance. Cutting off the paladin's protests with nothing more than a slight scowl, upon which she nodded and quickly went to check on Yumiko, he turned away and glowered at what little ash remained on the street. It was strange. Although not a trace remained of the vampire's terrible presence, the constant sense of subdued dread gone, the unnatural darkness plaguing the city, including the crimson moon in the sky, remained. Perhaps they were simply effects that would dissipate over time, slowly dissipating until things returned to relative normalcy.

"Ye needn't worry about Yumiko," Anderson didn't need to turn around to know Heinkel's concern over her fallen friend, "She was merely caught upon the edge of an explosion. Her wounds aren't nearly as severe as they appear."

Heinkel didn't acknowledge Anderson's comment as she knelt next to Yumiko and carefully examined her friend's injuries, the copious burns covering the swordswoman's chest and arms rather concerning. Sighing in relief when she didn't find anything worse than several broken bones and second-degree burns, which are easily treatable by the Vatican's medical division, she ran a hand through her straw-blonde hair while suppressing an exhausted yawn. Now wasn't the time for rest. Alucard might have finally been destroyed after more than five centuries of terror but there were still a few things they needed to address.

But before any of that they needed to deal with the Quincy.

"Destroying the Quincy will be difficult, Anderson," Heinkel reluctantly confessed while turning towards the nudist, "And there's still the matter of what happened to Maxwell…"

Anderson briefly stiffened before replying, "Ryuko and Ichigo are more than powerful enough to deal with the Quincy."

It was fortunate he witnessed Integra Hellsing's departure alongside her other pet vampire after the Quincy's aerial bombardment leveled several city blocks. While the children might be powerful thanks to the unholy Life Fibers composing their bodies and Kamui, they refused to kill. Integra Hellsing, on the other hand, possessed no such moral compunctions. She would order her vampires to slaughter the Quincy, violently massacring their entire army, without the slightest hint of hesitation. With any luck she's already butchered that Sternritter and begun helping Ichigo and Ryuko finish off the rest of the Jahrtausendarmee.

"As for Maxwell…for the time being we should consider the Vatican lost," Anderson ignored Heinkel's astonishment to his supposedly blasphemous statement as he slowly marched forward. Coughing up blood while his vision briefly swam, he clenched his teeth tightly and continued, "The only way to safely liberate those who have been enslaved by Life Fibers is to kill the one responsible for ensnaring their minds. We need to eliminate the very source of the corruption."

Heinkel's straw-blonde hair shifted slightly in the breeze as she contemplated the former paladin's words. It seemed her initial assumptions in the wake of Maxwell's inglorious death were correct after all. The only way to save those controlled by Life Fibers, whose bodies have become nothing more than puppets dancing on strings, was to kill Ragyo Kiryuin. But with Maxwell gone she was now the highest-ranking officer in Iscariot aside from Father Renaldo. It fell upon her shoulders to gather those that survived the battle and bring the fight directly to Revocs.

Grimacing at the notion of fighting yet another eldritch abomination, one much worse than Alucard in some regards, she silently reached into her cassock when she noticed Anderson walking away, "I'm sorry, Anderson, but I can't let you leave."

As the former paladin turned slightly and looked over his shoulder, gaze steady and defiant despite his deteriorating condition, Heinkel sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Did he actually think she would drag him back to the Vatican in chains now of all times? Grumbling angrily into the palm of her hand while hastily removing a cell phone from the depths of her cassock, the casing slightly dented from the battle but still useable, she huffed, "Verdammt! Don't be so damn stubborn, Anderson! You're _literally_ dying! At least let Iscariot's medical division look at your wounds!"

Anderson's frown lessened as he wiped a hand against his bloody mouth, "There's a GPS chip woven into my collar. And it shouldn't be long before Aikuro's done informing Olivier about the Quincy. Once he's finished, we'll rendezvous with Batou and the children before heading back to Karakura Town."

Heinkel arched a single eyebrow in confusion, "Karakura Town?"

"There's a young woman that possesses quite the unique ability," Anderson momentarily paused at the memory of Orihime Inoue's true abilities, which he personally observed in the aftermath of the Great Culture and Sports Festival. Healing the wounds from during his scuffle with Armstrong was one thing, but regenerating the gaping wound in Satsuki Kiryuin's abdomen in seconds was entirely different, "She can heal even the most grievous of injuries, flesh knitting back together in seconds. Now grab Yumiko and follow me. Bethnal Green is only a few blocks from here. Let's just hope someone managed to force Aikuro to wear pants."

Heinkel's eyes widened in disbelief when Anderson scoffed under his breath and began marching away, his boots crunching against the scattered debris. She didn't think people were even capable of possessing such miraculous powers. Frowning in thought as she carefully wrapped an arm underneath Yumiko's neck, the paladin carefully picked her partner off the ground before asking, "Hang on, Anderson. What is this girl's –"

The rest of her question died as nothing more than a strangled gasp when an enormous burst of dense spiritual energy exploded throughout the city. Nearly brought to her knees by the eruption of power while Anderson was forced to stab a bayonet into the ground for support, Heinkel grimaced as she struggled to stand under the phantasmal weight pressing down on every inch of her body. As beads of sweat dripped freely down her face, muscles quivering under the increasing pressure, she could only watch in abject horror as shadows swirled out of nothing, mind completely blank when the writhing darkness rapidly coalesced into a familiar form.

Reappearing in the middle of the street with a single ominous step, darkness clinging to his tattered cloak, Alucard's face twisted into a disappointed scowl, "It seems your trump card did not work, Alexander Anderson."

The permeating silence that followed his declaration, the expressions of utter disbelief etched upon Anderson and Wolfe's faces at his continuing survival, caused the vampire to gaze suspiciously at the humans. Did the failings of a single weapon completely destroy their motivation to bring about his demise? Instead of staring in confusion they should be charging forward! Intent on resuming the battle! Sneering contemptuously at the notion that his nemeses were unable to grant him the one thing he desired above all else, that their strength was still not enough, Alucard narrowed his eyes before vanishing in a burst of speed, crimson moonlight reflecting off his broadsword as he rushed towards Anderson without abandon.

In the blink of an eye the vampire easily tore through the nudist commander's hastily constructed defenses, the man's token resistance shattering into shards of metal under the intense assault. Shadows dancing across the ground as he relentlessly pressed forward while the broken remains of Anderson's bayonet rained downwards around him, Alucard could not help but feel cheated. Where was the agility the nudist displayed only a few minutes ago? Even in his wounded state the man had been able to dodge his attacks with impunity. Yet now he faltered under such a trivial strike?

A hiss of annoyance escaped from between Alucard's lips at the answer. With an arm tucked inside the billowing folds of his tattered cloak while he angrily shifted one foot outwards, the vampire did not hesitate in the slightest when he thrust forward and impaled his opponent upon his tarnished blade.

"ANDERSON!"

"Your weapon did not work," Alucard's voice was strained as he watched the life quickly drain from Anderson, Wolfe's shouting fading into the background. There was an emptiness building within his soul, a sensation colder than the touch of death. The man dying upon his weapon had been a worthy adversary, someone possessing the willpower to fight until the bitter end without compromising his humanity.

"Do you understand, Anderson? Iscariot?!"

The vampire's frustration was made apparent when he ignobly pulled his weapon from Anderson's body, the nudist lurching before limply collapsing onto the street. With his mouth twisting into a sneer at the hollow victory, the notion that even a man such as Alexander Anderson could not kill him, Alucard turned his gaze towards Wolfe only to find the paladin aiming her pistol at his heart, an expression of pure rage etched onto her face.

His form wavering as he slowly marched towards the paladin, antiquated armor bleeding into shadows until he was once more in his normal state, Alucard quirked a single eyebrow at Wolfe's determination. Boots echoing loudly while the Casull and Jackal slid into his waiting hands, the vampire's tone shifted when he spoke, "How interesting. Even after watching Anderson bleed to death, impaled upon my blade, you still wish to fight me, Wolfe?"

For several seconds Alucard's full attention was solely focused upon Wolfe's weapon aimed squarely at his heart. It would take little more than a simple squeeze of her finger to send the blessed round into his body. Yet she stayed her hand, refraining herself from attacking. He couldn't understand her reasoning, the logic behind such an insane choice. Frowning at Wolfe's strange behavior, the late autumn wind blowing through the street causing his overcoat to rustle slightly, Alucard narrowed his eyes when he noticed an extremely subtle shift in the paladin's expression. Quickly becoming aware of a presence rising behind him, weapons snapping upwards to deal with the threat, the vampire gasped in genuine surprise when an intimately familiar nail was thrust straight into his heart.

"Go to…Hell ye…undead…bastard…"

Blood spewed from the gaping hole in Anderson's chest as he weakly collapsed backwards onto the ground, fingers slowly slipping away from the holy artifact. As darkness tinted the edges of his vision, the sound of Alucard's demented voice distant and faint, the former paladin began chuckling. Although he was dying, his life slipping further away with every passing second, the nudist managed to get the last laugh. With his final breaths, he made sure the children would be safe from the vampire.

The Nail of Helena was perhaps the most dangerous artifact in the Vatican's possession, obtained through methods and rites nobody quite remembered. In the hands of the righteous it was a weapon of last resort. Only to be used in the direst of circumstances, when all other options had failed. But in the wrong hands, if something like Ragyo Kiryuin's servant were waiting in the shadows, it would undoubtedly lead to humanity's destruction. There would be no telling what a foul abomination like that woman could achieve with it.

Which is why he had snuck back in the midst of the battle and recovered it.

He'd originally planned to give the artifact to Kisuke Urahara upon their return to Karakura Town. Maxwell's ultimate fate was far more than a tragedy. It was proof positive that the Vatican had been compromised to its highest levels. His Holiness and the conclave subsumed by Life Fibers. And since Heinkel had willingly broken the seal placed upon the Nail of Helena, returning it to Section III would be the same as directly handing it to Ragyo Kiryuin, an unacceptable risk. However, it was Alucard's recovery from nothingness that inspired him to come up with a different use for it instead.

Perhaps it was fitting that a monstrous weapon be used to defeat a monstrous existence like Alucard.

"One…down…" Anderson's voice was barely above a whisper as the light faded from his eyes, "Two…to…go…"

Seething angrily at the fallen nudist commander, frustration and contempt building upon his face, Alucard snarled as he gripped the artifact lodged firmly in his heart. Fangs grinding against each other as he removed it in a shower of visceral and blood, the _thing_ continuing to emit its detestable spiritual energy the entire time, the vampire stared at the nail in confusion before shattering it out of existence. Alexander Anderson's effort, the culmination of his indomitable human will condensed into one final unpredictable strike, should have killed him. The nail's power should have burned his body from the inside out, rendering him nothing more than an empty husk. Yet it had been just as ineffective as a wooden stake – futile and useless.

"You…you FOOL!"

An unmistakably _human_ agony permeated Alucard's voice as he stood angrily over Anderson's body, crimson eyes burning with barely controlled rage, "Even with the Nail of Helena you couldn't kill me! You achieved NOTHING! All of this was completely POINTLESS! All of your planning led to nothing more than an early death, Alexander Anderson!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"And thus the tale of Alexander Anderson comes to its inevitable end…"<p>

The conniving smirk never left the Major's face as he watched the nudist commander perish. Turning away from the screens when the battle moved onto the final act, the disappointed look upon Alucard's face sickening, he chuckled at Integra Hellsing's shifting expression before continuing, "Even after throwing everything he possessed at the vampire, pulling out plan after plan, the concept of victory eluded him! Forever out of his reach! For he was merely human…and no human could ever hope to destroy a monster like Alucard!"

A series of cascading explosions in the distance physically shook the _Deus Ex Machina_ moments after the Sternritter dramatically finished speaking, the aircraft immediately listing to the right as it began losing altitude. Hands clasped tightly behind his back as he turned away from the woman and her pet vampire, the dozens of empty monitoring stations throughout the command center displaying countless errors and warnings, the Major dramatically held his arms outwards and declared, "But such power! One cannot help but stand in awe at the power of such a marvelous weapon! The pinnacle of human technology clashing against a creature so inhuman that his mere presence disrupts the barrier between life and death! And yet…it failed. Do you know why, fraulein?"

Integra Hellsing tried to ignore the image of Alexander Anderson's broken body displayed upon the screens. While troubling, the nudist had been an unfortunate casualty of Alucard's orders to purge London of invading forces. She did not understand why he'd eagerly thrown himself headfirst against her servant, especially after nearly dying against a Quincy back at the manor. Yet Anderson had shown no hesitation in rushing into battle alongside those paladins from Iscariot the moment he returned to the city.

"I'm through playing this little game."

A few strands of platinum blonde hair fell in front of Integra's eyes as she angrily stepped forward, the previous train of thought pushed to the back of her mind for the moment. It was obvious the Major was stalling. Yet his reason for doing so eluded her. The only ones who could possibly benefit from such a tactic were Seras and herself. Narrowing her eyes while standing only inches from the barrier, the spiritual energy faintly reflecting her image, Integra tightened her grip around the sheathed sword in her hand and barked at the Quincy, "In less than six minutes this barrier will fall, and with it your life. Your stalling is pointless, Quincy."

"Oh, I wouldn't call it _stalling_…"

Chuckling in amusement at Integra's responding snarl, the Major's glasses shone opaquely as he raised a single hand into the air, "Stalling would imply I had an ulterior motive. That there is another plan in the wings, waiting for the right moment to strike! Let me assure you that I have no such thing! My only purpose at this point is to tell you everything you need to know about the Schatten Ausrufung. So sit back and relax, fraulein. After all, you have the best seat in the house for when the sun dawns upon Alucard for the final time!"

"With that said…"

The Sternritter trailed off when most of the command center was suddenly cast into darkness, shards of broken glass raining down around them as a surge of electricity shattered more than half of the light fixtures. Brushing some debris from his sleeve before calmly turning off the blaring alarm with a simple click of the remote, the Major clapped his hands together before finishing, "…let us talk about _Alucard_."

Fully aware of how the constantly writhing shadows emanating from the vampire's left shoulder twisted at his words, contorting angrily in response to their host's emotional state, he chuckled before sweeping an arm through the air, "During that moment when he seemed defeated…when his corporeal form vanished into dust…you were concerned! Shocked! And why wouldn't you be? Witnessing one of the most powerful beings in all of existence, your vaunted family servant, disintegrate into nothingness would render even a hardened soldier speechless! Yet that girl standing to your right wasn't worried in the slightest…"

Seras stiffened when the Quincy shifted the focus of the conversation onto her shoulders before clenching her remaining hand and answering, "It's hard to explain, Master Integra. But when Master disappeared I felt in the depths of my soul that he was unharmed. That Mister Anderson's weapon failed to kill him."

"Such an _interesting_ conundrum. How could Seras Victoria have known Alucard did not perish?"

Arrogance dripped from the Major's every word as he pointed a finger at Integra and exclaimed, "The answer is simple, fraulein! She and Alucard are cast from the same mold! Two beings linked to the same source!"

With the press of a single button the wall of screens flashed before shifting to Alucard standing injured but victorious over Heinkel Wolfe, the paladin gasping for breath while blood streamed down her face. Sweeping his arms outwards, yellow eyes shimmering with manic glee, the Sternritter stared directly into Integra's eyes before continuing, "It is insufficient to call these beings _vampires_! By consuming both blood and soul they increase their power! Growing stronger with every fallen opponent!"

Integra refrained herself from shooting the barrier as she angrily spat, "What is the point of all this?"

"The point, you say?"

The Quincy's smug laughter reverberated throughout the chamber as he sat back down, hands folded neatly across his chest, "The point, my dear fraulein, is that when Seras Victoria absorbed a single soul, her power nearly doubled! Enabling her to overwhelm Zorin Blitz's Vollstandig through nothing more than brute force! Just _one soul_ placed her upon the same pedestal as His Majesty's greatest soldiers! So tell me…"

An unnatural silence enveloped the entire chamber when the Major leaned forward and asked, "Why is it that Alucard, whose body still contains over one million souls, appears to be fighting at the level of a mere _human_?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Stand and fight, Wolfe!"<p>

The Casull and Jackal quivered in Alucard's fingers as the vampire loomed over the heavily injured paladin, his body silhouetted in shadows against the crimson moon hovering lazily in the darkened sky. A strangled snarl tearing its way out of his throat when Wolfe showed no desire to stand, seemingly content to continue kneeling at his feet, Alucard released his weapons into the surrounding darkness before harshly grabbing the paladin's cassock. Furiously pulling Wolfe back onto her feet, the vampire growled, "Will you let a few broken bones and a punctured lung stop you from fighting? Do you intend to _die_ like a dog, praying to God for another scrap of miracle, or will you stand on your feet once more?!"

With a contemptuous sneer the vampire released his grip upon the paladin. His face immediately twisting in disappointment when Wolfe staggered backwards before barely managing to regain her balance, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, Alucard clenched his teeth when he noticed the pistol held limply in the paladin's heavily burnt fingers. How _dare_ she admit defeat! Her injuries were NOTHING compared to the brutality inflicted upon Anderson! She had yet to be skewered upon a sword, her organs increasingly failing with each passing second! Anderson might have foolishly thrown away his life but he never stopped fighting until his very last breath!

And Wolfe had the _audacity_ to barely stand upon her feet after suffering the _mere_ loss of an arm?

"What are you waiting for?!"

Leaning forward while holding a hand directly over his heart, Alucard's crimson eyes shone brightly in the darkness, "Your greatest chance is at hand! Gather your strength and raise your arm! Regain your conviction, Wolfe, and send a bullet through my heart! Hurry! Do it!"

An expression of unbridled frustration etched itself upon the vampire's face when nearly a full minute passed with Wolfe doing little more than weakly glaring at him. The corners of his mouth twisted into a snarl when she started retching pathetically upon the ground, blood and spittle spewing forth with very ragged breath, Alucard furiously grabbed her cassock once more before bitterly shouting, "Anderson is DEAD! Slain by my VERY HANDS! Iscariot lies scattered in pieces across London! Do you intend to stand around and do nothing, Wolfe? Take vengeance for your fallen comrades! Or do you wish for their souls to become twisted until they're little more than unthinking monsters?"

Heinkel briefly managed to focus at the vampire's last remark, "Why the hell…does it matter…to something like you…_vampire_?"

Shadows flickered across the darkened landscape as Alucard's eyes widened in disbelief, Wolfe's confused response causing his anger and frustration to slowly bleed away until there remained nothing but a cold emptiness. Fingers momentarily tightening around the paladin's cassock before he abruptly released her from his grasp, the sudden lack of support nearly causing her to collapse to the ground, conflicting emotions crossed the vampire's face as he melancholically asked, "Wolfe, will you allow this duel…this dance of ours…to end when victory was so nearly within reach? Don't give up. Don't succumb to death when that which you sought for so long stands before you…"

An eternity of time seemed to pass as the vampire waited for Wolfe to recover her strength and step forward, to push herself beyond the point of human limitations and gain the power necessary to finally destroy him. Briefly relieved when the paladin appeared to regain some of her determination, shoulders tensing and eyes refocusing, Alucard's expression quickly twisted in fury when the pistol in Wolfe's hands clattered loudly against the ground.

"Y-You…"

Nauseating waves of spiritual energy oozed from Alucard's body as the true significance of the paladin's actions sunk into his mind. For a brief moment in his eternal existence, when the weight of his immortality had begun pressing down upon his soul once more, he'd thought that humanity had finally produced a warrior with the conviction and willpower to end his torment. Not since that fateful dawn over a hundred years ago, when _that man_ and his associates bested him, had he'd seen even a glimmer of such a human. When he encountered Wolfe and Anderson in rapid succession, both possessing the quantities he respected in abundance, the vampire thought the day he'd awaited for so long was fast approaching.

"You've FAILED, Wolfe!"

Alucard's voice reverberated loudly as he seethed at the paladin, shadows rising from the hem of his overcoat, "YOUR GREATEST CHANCE IS GONE! Vanished like the morning dew upon dawn's approach! You will never be able to kill me! To end my existence once and for all!"

With an animalistic sneer the vampire turned away from Wolfe, unwilling to look upon the human that shattered his long-awaited hopes. As he angrily marched away from the broken woman, the surrounding shadows growing thicker with every footstep, Alucard took solace in the singular notion that Wolfe and Anderson had come closer than even _that man_ did to achieving the impossible. In barely a century humanity managed to produce warriors capable of fighting him at his strongest, to stand before his might without faltering. It was only a matter of time, perhaps even decades, before another group of humans rose to challenge him once again.

Perhaps _they_ would succeed where their predecessors failed.

Trudging slowly through the streets, his boots stepping through blood and visceral dripping from the hundreds of impaled vampirized soldats and crusaders, Alucard's mind focused upon those two children. They had defeated his most powerful souls, inadvertently destroying a large portion of his familiars in the process. The monster girl had utterly destroyed the shinigami's bankai with nothing more than an overpowered variation of the interesting technique she used against him all those nights ago. And the boy, his foolish words still ringing in his ears, had eviscerated the Quincy, his blade vertically bisecting the Sternritter before she could even scream.

An ominous wind tore through the destroyed city as Alucard stomped to a halt in the middle of a blood-soaked intersection. Letting out a deep sigh while slowly raising his right hand, the intricate seal etched upon the back of his glove glowing with a disturbing crimson light, the vampire's solemn voice echoed through the darkness as rivulets of blood slowly began flowing through the streets towards him.

"Now…I shall fulfill the last of your orders, my Master…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"How disappointing…"<p>

Quilge Opie frowned thoughtfully while slowly lowering the pair of binoculars. Brushing several strands of hair away from his eyes when the biting autumn wind gusting through the belfry suddenly increased, the Sternritter calmly adjusted his spectacles and sighed, "I find myself rather upset with your death, Alexander Anderson. Now far be it for me to hand out criticism, but I assumed a man such as yourself had enough common sense to _avoid_ fighting a monster like Alucard."

Although Nudist Beach's continued military presence within London had come as a surprise to the Jahrtausendarmee, forcing His Majesty to activate several contingencies created for such an unlikely event, Anderson's willingness to engage Alucard made perfect sense. Thanks to Zorin's Täuschung Kaskade backfiring in the most spectacular way imaginable, the nudist commander had gained access to what little information his fellow Sternritter knew about the Schatten Ausrufung's objective. If Anderson had indeed learned enough about the Schatten Ausrufung to piece everything together, his question about Alucard gave credibility to that assumption, dealing with him would have been rather annoying.

His Majesty had been quite specific in his orders – they were _not_ to harm nor kill anyone from Nudist Beach. If he had dealt with the risk posed by Anderson in his usual fashion, any short-term benefits would have been outweighed by the consequences. The knowledge that a Quincy killed the former paladin would have undoubtedly filtered back to Japan. Which would have gained the unwanted attention of Isshin Kurosaki, a man equally as dangerous as Ragyo Kiryuin.

"But you have my sincerest apologies for dying at the hands of such a brutal and atrocious creature…"

The Sternritter trailed off when the repugnant aroma permeating the city suddenly intensified, the smell of decaying flesh almost enough to make even a hardened soldier like himself queasy. His mouth pursed tightly in disgust at the rivers of the blood gushing through the streets, the foul liquid carrying the souls of over three million humans, Quilge turned around while doing his best to ignore Alucard's feeding habits. But before he could head back inside the belfry the Quincy paused when a curious pinprick of crimson light suddenly flickered in the distance. The putrid smell of rotten blood all but forgotten as he raised the binoculars towards the source, he saw to his surprise Ryuko Matoi flying above the city in her Kamui, the garment's nauseating power still detectable despite its weakened condition.

It would seem the extensive Daten gathered on the teenager was woefully antiquated. But considering how quickly Life Fibers were able to evolve in response to stress and dangerous stimuli, such as fighting Alucard for example, he should have expected as much. In any case, Quilge needed to inform His Majesty about this new development upon returning to the Silbern.

Ryuko Matoi should not have been strong enough to defeat that captain.

"Things are proceeding rather smoothly, aren't they?"

Quilge found the binoculars harshly torn from his grasp when Schrodinger emerged from the shadows at his side, the cat-like Quincy grinning mischievously as he tauntingly held the stolen object in front of his face. Not reacting in the slightest when his compatriot laughed before marching to the edge of the belfry, his ears twitching every few seconds as he stared through the binoculars at Ryuko Matoi, Quilge found his attention drawn to the spiritual wings hovering just over Schrodinger's shoulders, the ephemeral appendages flickering every few seconds. How peculiar. He could have sworn Schrodinger hadn't been in Vollstandig but a moment ago.

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves."

Carefully smoothing out a rather persistent crease on his sleeve, Quilge took a moment to adjust his spectacles before calmly lecturing, "Although the Schatten Ausrufung is rapidly nearing completion, we mustn't forget that His Majesty cannot predict the actions of creatures like Life Fiber Hybrids."

"I already knew that," Schrodinger interrupted, mildly annoyed when Ryuko vanished from view, "Besides, at this point what could possibly go wrong?"

Quilge couldn't help but frown at his fellow Quincy's particular choice of words, "Ryuko Matoi might have exhausted most of her strength but Ichigo Kurosaki is an entirely different matter. Even after fighting both Bazz-B and our reanimated colleagues he still poses a threat. So it would be wise to remain silent and keep such tempting statements to yourself. We wouldn't want Ichigo to miraculously stumbling upon our location…"

"Ugh!"

The cat-like Sternritter sighed childishly and ran a hand down his face when Quilge continued talking about things he really didn't care about in the slightest. Now that Anderson was dead it was virtually impossible for anyone to stop His Majesty's plans. So why should he worry about Ichigo managing to track his spiritual energy? He was probably too busy trying to find his girlfriend after killing Alhambra and Rip Van Winkle. Besides, it wasn't like anyone could _sense_ him when he wanted to remain hidden. Well, except for –

One of Schrodinger's ears began twitching when he accidentally reminded himself on the single creature that proved capable of doing just that. An annoyed growl leaving his throat as Nui Harime's laughter echoed in his mind like nails on a chalkboard, he huffed before tossing the binoculars over his shoulder. Scratching his cheek in boredom, uncaring of Quilge's responding comment, Schrodinger quickly perked in excitement when the overwhelming spiritual energy enveloping London suddenly shifted, "Heh…it looks like it's almost time!"

Quirking an eyebrow at the excitement in Schrodinger's voice, Quilge frowned when the short-wave radio built into his glasses flared to life accompanied by a burst of static. Pressing a finger against his ear as the voice on the other end informed him that the last preparations were complete, he waited until the connection was severed before clapping his hands and jovially exclaiming, "You are indeed correct! Both Ryuko Matoi and Ichigo Kurosaki are outside the range of interference while Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria are busy speaking with the Major! The fate of the Schatten Ausrufung rests entirely upon your shoulders! But I must say, you're rather excited about this…"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Schrodinger's mouth twisted into a deranged caricature of a smile when a spiritual knife formed between his fingers. Taking a second to marvel at the weapon, the edge sharp enough to cut through flesh and bone, the Sternritter chuckled darkly and widened his eyes, "After all, this is the only reason His Majesty created me."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The faint whirring of dying machinery lightly echoed throughout the <em>Deus Ex Machina's <em>command center as the Major watched the seemingly infinite rivers of blood gush across the cracked screens. Slowly turning around just as the monitors cycled to Alucard, the vampire's form contorting into an inhuman shape, he motioned politely at the two women patiently standing upon the other side of the barrier, "You must be quite curious about the true purpose of the Schatten Ausrufung. Deny it all you want, fraulein, but I can see the thirst in your eyes. You are _craving_ to know about our plans."

Seemingly content with the responding silence from the young woman, her venomous gaze attempting to bore a hole through his skull, he chuckled lightly and continued, "It all starts with Alucard's most frightening characteristic – his insatiable appetite for human souls. Taking what was once theirs and making it his own."

A series of explosions rippled throughout the aircraft when one of the engines burst into flames. His increasingly elated expression remaining completely unchanged as klaxons blared in the background, the Major clapped his hands and grinned at the woman, "Alucard grows stronger with every soul. And over the course of centuries, through both conflict and wars, he has become one of the most powerful beings in existence, capable of fighting against the likes of Ragyo Kiryuin. However, this seemingly invincible technique possesses a singular weakness…"

"You're referring to his regeneration."

Even though she was internally boiling with rage, the desire to eviscerate the Quincy growing stronger with every passing second, Integra Hellsing made a considerable effort to keep her voice perfectly level. She would _not_ allow this deranged madman the pleasure. Glaring venomously at the Sternritter hiding like a coward on the other side of the barrier, her mind counting down the seconds until the damnable wall shattered, she narrowed her eyes and derisively scoffed, "Do not take me for a fool, Quincy. I am fully aware of what you refer to as my servant's weakness. But you must truly be insane if you think you can destroy all of Alucard's familiars."

"It would seem you are not quite as well informed as you believe, fraulein."

The Major leaned forward just enough for the ambient lighting to reflect ominously off his glasses, "Alucard's regeneration has _nothing_ to do with his familiars…"

Ah…and there was what he had waited so long to witness. The expression of unadulterated shock spreading across Integra Hellsing's features, the way her pet vampire stiffened while her mind tried making sense of his words. Dramatically clutching both hands tightly in front of his face, the Major's ecstatic voice was full of passion when he finally continued, "For over four hundred years Alucard has been playing the world for a fool! Convincing humanity that he possesses several weaknesses! That a human can defeat him! Utter nonsense! It is a charade played against both victim and perpetrator! Alucard's familiars are nothing more than fuel for his unholy power!"

An ear-wrenching screech punctuated the Major's words as the _Deus Ex Machina_ scraped against several buildings, the impact cutting a jagged gash in the aircraft before it managed to regain some altitude. Turning around while the command center continued to shake, a simple press of the remote shifting the images on the screens to Alucard, the Major stared at the solemn expression etched onto the vampire's face and smirked, "Every time Alucard sacrifices a soul he loses access to its stolen power. And therein lies the inherent beauty of his weakness, my dear fraulein. But in _normal circumstances_ such knowledge is useless! For what are a few dozen souls compared to over a million? Even if one possessed a power akin to that of a god, it would be impossible to destroy every single one of Alucard's familiars!"

Integra did not miss the emphasis the Quincy put upon his words, "So your plan was to force my hand? To give the order for Alucard to remove the last of his restraints?"

"By ordering Alucard to slaughter your enemies, granting him the authority to do whatever he wished, _you_ exposed his weakness to the world," the Sternritter's smirk widened when Integra furiously gnashed her teeth, the realization that she played into his hands breaking through her last bastions of self-control. His attention momentarily drawn to Seras Victoria as a miasma of spiritual energy radiated from her body, the aura threatening to swallow his very soul, he spread his arms outwards and announced, "And for that I thank you! For your actions led to Alucard's three most powerful souls falling upon the battlefield!"

A reverberating eruption of power echoed throughout the chamber as Seras Victoria, growing sick and tired of the Major, vanished in a burst of speed before slamming her clawed left hand against the barrier. Her mouth twisting into an angry sneer upon failing to break through the technique, the mere contact enough to cause the darkness composing the facsimile of a limb to evaporate. Seras growled at the smirk on the Quincy's face. She couldn't stand hearing his damnable voice any longer! She didn't care if he was telling the truth or not about Master. All that mattered was making him pay for every life he took!

"That's enough, Seras…"

The Sternritter couldn't help but watch in veiled amusement when Integra Hellsing managed to bring her servant to heel with only three words. Calmly reaching into the pocket of his uniform as the vampire's anger dissipated, her missing arm rapidly regenerating from tendrils of darkness, the Major's glasses shimmered opaquely when he pulled out the remote and pressed a button, causing Alucard to flicker before shifting into two new images. On the right was Ichigo flying through the skies over London, a conflicted expression clearly visible on his face, while on the left Ryuko sat with her back against a rooftop, her chest rising and falling with exhaustion.

"Those children might have bested Alucard's greatest soldiers but I'm afraid the vampire is still _far_ too powerful to defeat."

Folding his hands together as he sat down, the chair creaking under his weight, the Major tilted his head slightly to the side before continuing, "Even with the decimation of his army, reduced to a mere third of its former glory, defeating Alucard is impossible! He is not some wild beast or Hollow, a simple creature that functions solely upon instinct! For Alucard is able to see through his familiars, allowing him to witness the destruction of his army! Alucard…_learns_…from his mistakes! Rendering the most powerful attacks ineffective after but a single strike! This insurmountable challenge has kept me awake for many nights. For how would one go about defeating such an inhuman monster?"

Without saying another word the Sternritter leaned backwards in the chair and pressed another button on the remote. Hands clasped across his chest when Schrodinger appeared on the wall of screens behind him, the cat-like Quincy grinning madly while holding a spiritual knife against his throat, the Major showed no outward reaction when his compatriot suddenly sliced into his own flesh. Faintly amused by the horrified gasp that emanated from the vampire when Schrodinger severed his own head, blood spraying through the air while his body collapsed like a puppet without strings, he chuckled quietly and turned his attention to Integra Hellsing.

For in just a few moments the _real_ show would begin.

The moment Schrodinger's headless corpse vanished underneath the chaotic darkness and shadows, the blue-white light of his Vollstandig disappearing as the Quincy was subsumed by the ocean of blood, an unnatural sensation pulsed across London. Beginning as nothing more than a flickering spot only a few inches in diameter, the roiling liquid surrounding the Sternritter's final descent grew increasingly transparent before fading completely out of existence.

"You…" Integra's voice nearly failed as she watched the corruption the corruption spreading through the ruined city, her eyes widening in abject horror, "What have you done?!"

"It all starts with a Sternritter named Schrodinger…"

Purposely ignoring the world-shattering events transpiring across the screens at his back, the Major shrugged his shoulders before continuing, "Every Sternritter in His Majesty's army must prove themselves worthy of the position. Some soldats prove themselves upon the battlefield. Others possess a certain degree of skill or talent. His Majesty considers all possible criteria. However, Schrodinger was none of those things! For unlike you and I, he was not born but _created_! Crafted from His Majesty's very soul! He was a homunculus in the guise of a Quincy! For a normal soul could never withstand the glorious power that is "The Uncertainary!"

Snarling impotently as she watched the corruption reach her servant, hundreds of eyes rapidly blinking into existence upon his form, Integra growled, "The Uncertainary?"

"You sound confused, fraulein. Surely you don't need me to spell it out for you…"

The Major leaned backwards as he patiently waited for Integra Hellsing's rather brilliant mind to piece together the overarching scope of his words. Smirking when realization finally dawned upon his adversary, the anger and frustration quickly replaced by horror, he sighed in contentment before continuing, "Schrodinger lived in a superposition between 'existence and nonexistence.' He was the paradoxical cat! Both everywhere and nowhere! For as long as he retained his sense of self…his individuality…Schrodinger's soul would reject reality, reverting to a previous state upon death! A most glorious power…but it is only in Vollstandig that 'The Uncertainary' reaches its logical evolution!"

"MASTER!"

The loud snap of the Major's fingers reverberated ominously across the command center as Seras Victoria watched her master stumble forward, waves of darkness oozing forth from his body. Staring proudly at the end result of decades of planning, the countless sacrifices made by His Majesty over the years finally bearing fruit, the Sternritter smirked maliciously and chuckled, "Reality is nothing more than an illusion, callously thrown away upon our deaths. Schrodinger's Vollstandig takes this singular notion to the extreme, twisting the focus of 'The Uncertainary' from himself onto others. Alucard's existence might be immutable, an unchanging variable of the world, but his familiars are a different story. By throwing his dying essence into the mouth of the beast, Schrodinger has infected the vampire with a quantum paradox!"

"And that, my dear fraulein, was the purpose of the Schatten Ausrufung!"

Dramatically throwing his arms outwards as he stood up, a muffled explosion causing the room to violently shake, the Major's eyes gleamed with a sadistic glint, "In a single motion I have rendered all of Alucard's familiars nonexistent! Destroying all the power he has stolen over the centuries! For the first time in four hundred years, since those shinigami failed to slay him, the vampire is at his weakest! For only a brief instant in time Alucard is _himself_!"

Integra's boiling anger slowly settled into disturbed confusion when Alucard stopped flickering, the hundreds of crimson eyes protruding from the writhing darkness swiveling around before vanishing. Watching as her servant knelt upon the ground, his breath ragged but otherwise fine, she ignored the cold feeling seeping through her soul and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because telling you about the Schatten Ausrufung was _my_ part of the plan…"

The Major chuckled as the shadows on the screens twisted, a form slowly rising from the darkness, "Every Sternritter that took part in the Schatten Ausrufung had a specific role. But it was only Zorin Blitz who failed to achieve her objective – killing Seras Victoria. My role, on the other hand, was to tell you everything, from beginning to end. Making sure you did not possess even the slightest chance of stopping him."

Integra could feel her fingers going numb as she stared at the shadows on the screens, "Him?"

Smugly grinning at the young woman, the Major swept an arm through the air and answered, "Why…His Majesty of course…"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Ha…ha…such interesting abilities…"<p>

Alucard's fingers clawed at the pavement as he tore apart what little remained of Schrodinger's flickering soul, the Quincy's powers and memories vanishing upon the cessation of his existence. Beads of sweat trickling down his pale face as he knelt upon the ground, an extremely rare feeling of exhaustion permeating every fiber of his being, the vampire could not remember the last time he felt this weak. Not even his battle against _that man_ weakened him to such an extent. It brought an amused grin to his face to think that a lowly Quincy could achieve what no one else managed in his five centuries of undeath – the destruction of his familiars.

"But your plan was a complete failure, Major! I'm still alive!"

Laughing wildly at his perceived victory over the Sternritter, Alucard's mouth stretched into a psychotic smirk as he slowly pushed himself back onto his feet. Darkness reforming the rest of his body as he stared at the _Deus Ex Machina_ in the distance, torrents of smoke gushing from the falling aircraft, he reared his head back and exclaimed, "Was erasing me from existence your plan all along? It was a good effort…but you Quincy could never hope to defeat me!"

The mere thought of confronting the Major, ripping the smug Quincy limb from limb before gorging on the man's blood, excited Alucard and caused the darkness flickering along the edges of his overcoat to grow more prominent. Yet upon closer inspection he could sense both his Master and Seras in close proximity to the Quincy. Yes, that would work. Allowing them to slaughter that man would be the ultimate insult, denying the Sternritter the pleasure of dying at his hands. And besides, with nearly every soul in London erased from the face of existence his strength was at its minimum. But from what scattered memories still remained, he knew the Vatican had a few hundred men stationed across the Straight of Dover.

Excellent…the Quincy's efforts had left him quite famished…

As he turned his attention towards the crusaders waiting to the south, their fear and apprehension already reaching across the vast waters separating them, Alucard stopped after only a single step when an enormous pillar of spiritual energy exploded upwards only a few blocks away. Eyes narrowed at the familiar feeling of the energy, the symbol adorning the top of the column causing the corners of his mouth to curl upwards, he silently watched as dozens of heilig pfeil shot through the air towards him. Grinning as the arrows rapidly surrounded his location, merging together in thick ethereal constructs, Alucard chuckled lightly and examined his new 'prison.'

"How amusing…"

Snapping his arm upwards, the Jackal appearing in a burst of shadows, Alucard frowned when the bullet ricocheted off the barrier without causing damage. It appeared the Major still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. Whichever Quincy created this prison was rather skilled, in his current state it would take him almost a minute to tear through it. But that would have to wait. After all, there were more pressing matters to deal with for the moment.

"I was starting to wonder when you would show up. Your little soldiers had such fond memories of you…Yhwach."

The vampire's mocking tone died upon the dawn breeze as a figure stepped forth from the darkness that had once been his own. Shadows dripping like water from his white double-breasted trench coat, the disinterested look in his eyes never changing, the Quincy King beheld the vampire standing before him with caution. Even with his power diminished to such an extent, his vast army of familiars torn away by Schrodinger's valiant sacrifice, the undead being was not someone to be underestimated. Alucard's battle against Ryuko Matoi was proof enough of the dark power lurking within his soul.

"Such an audacious name," Alucard's arm snapped towards the Quincy King without hesitation, his crimson eyes narrowing as he mockingly asked, "Do you claim to be a god?"

Yhwach ignored the vampire's question as he glanced at the spiritual prison surrounding their location. It appeared Quilge managed to accomplish his part of the Schatten Ausrufung without issue. That was good. It always burdened his heart when one of his Sternritter failed to accomplish what should have been a trivial task. He had expected more discipline from Zorin Blitz, one of his original Sternritter. And while the daten she managed to obtain on Nudist Beach's military capabilities alleviated some of his disappointment, it did not change the fact that she still failed to kill Seras Victoria.

Coming to a halt when Alucard raised his weapon, Yhwach pointed at the vampire and asked, "And just what do you intend to do with that?"

Without any further warnings the Jackal abruptly shattered like glass, shards of burning metal shimmering through the air. His face contorting into a frustrated sneer, the vampire angrily tossed aside the destroyed remains of his weapon as a thick miasma of spiritual energy exploded from his body. Emerging from the raging torrent of power shifted once more into his original appearance, shadowy flames enveloping the broadsword in his hand, Alucard scowled when Yhwach smirked.

"Impressive…to think you still possessed this much power."

Holding out his right hand as he backhandedly complimented the vampire, the Quincy King's tone never faltered when five spheres of concentrated spiritual energy formed above the tips of his fingers. As the energy merged together and formed a Quincy Zeichen, Yhwach grinned and calmly stated, "Farewell…Prince of Wallachia. Schatten Ausrufung."

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales [Alternate Weave #2 - Blumenkranz] <strong>

"Well now…" Ragyo smirked as the COVERS descended over Honnouji Academy, thin strands of Life Fibers weaving through the air towards the humans, "What shall I do first?"

As she thoughtfully strummed her fingers against the inside of her wrist, several promising ideas coming to mind, the Kiryuin matriarch sighed in mild irritation when she felt a rather familiar annoyance perched on the highest corners of Satsuki's academy. C'est la vie…some people just never seemed to learn their lessons. With an almost casual indifference Ragyo leaned sideways and allowed the spiritual bullet to shoot harmlessly past her head. Ignoring the subsequent destruction and devastation as the spiraling bullet pierced through the wall of the stadium and out into Honnou City, the Kiryuin matriarch looked over her shoulder and grinned. Yes…she knew _exactly_ what to do first.

Effortlessly catching a second bullet as she turned around, Ragyo chuckled at the shock etched upon the Sternritter's face when she gently squeezed her fingers and shattered it, "C'est ca…I think I will start with you, Quincy."

Lille Barro stiffened at Ragyo Kiryuin's threat, the words reaching his ears even across the vast distance between them, before quickly regaining his composure. Gripping the stock of his rifle while leaping backwards through the air using Hirenkyaku, all pretense of hiding gone, the Sternritter frowned when the woman took a single step towards him before promptly vanishing in a burst of speed. This was troubling. While the ease with which he could sense the woman's repugnant Life Fibers gave him a slight advantage, it would be extremely difficult to counter even a straightforward attack.

"And just _where_ do you think you're going?"

The amused voice nearly whispering into his ear caused the Sternritter's single eye to widen in shock. Glancing over his shoulder at the woman standing directly behind him, the glow from her hair growing increasingly brilliant, Lille Barro grimaced before instinctively twisting sideways, his attention drawn to the rainbow Needle Blade arcing through the air. What was going on? He hadn't sensed her Life Fibers before she appeared behind him. In fact, he _still_ couldn't sense them.

Faint streams of blue energy clinging to his feet when he vaulted over the rainbow Needle Blade, a pained hiss leaving his mouth when the weapon suddenly shifted directions and cut deeply into his shoulder, Lille Barro used the split second it took Ragyo Kiryuin to recoil her arm to retreat. He couldn't afford to fight the woman in direct combat. Even as the leader of His Majesty's Schutzstaffel, his power superior to any shinigami's, fighting such a monstrous opponent was suicidal. He needed to stall for time, force Ragyo Kiryuin to chase him across Honnou Town long enough for Isshin Kurosaki to –

"Still running away?"

Spittle spewed from Lille Barro's mouth when he found a fist lodged deeply in his abdomen, Ragyo Kiryuin having closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Gasping in pain when the woman's other hand reach forward and grabbed the front of his uniform, the corners of her mouth curling into a sadistic smirk, the Sternritter lurched forward as she thrust the Needle Blade straight into his heart, "I-Impossible…"

"Impossible, you say?"

Ragyo chuckled maliciously at the dying terror in the dark skinned Quincy's eye, "I'm afraid you'll find that nothing is impossible, Quincy. You tried your best but it just wasn't good enough. So please be sure to give my regards to your leader when you meet him…in the deepest bowels of hell…"

"This is the third time…that I have been forced to open both eyes…"

The Kiryuin matriarch's eyes subtly widened in genuine surprise as the Sternritter began phasing around the Needle Blade. Now _this_ was an unexpected development. She never knew Quincy possessed such abilities. Well…that _woman_ hadn't used anything of the sort seventeen years ago. Carefully observing the way Lille Barro's body stitched itself back together once he pulled free of her weapon, Ragyo lowered her arm and mused, "Your technique is interesting, Quincy, but I simply don't have the time to wonder about such things…"

Her arm blurring into motion as she swung the Needle Blade at the Quincy's neck, intent on beheading the insufferable man and ending this charade of a fight, Ragyo frowned in mild irritation when the attack simply phased through his body. How dreadful…she didn't have the time to deal with something as annoying as intangibility. Sighing wistfully as she turned towards the deceptively calm Sternritter, Ragyo folded one arm under her bosom when Lille Barro began speaking, "It is only with both eyes open that I am able to use the true power of the X-Axis. However, His Majesty has forbidden the Sternritter from using their full power. It would be dangerous to use such things in close proximity of our allies…"

The nonplussed expression on Ragyo's face didn't falter in the slightest when the tattoo surrounding the Quincy's left eye transformed into a pentacle of light. Quirking an eyebrow at the power radiating from the man, the Kiryuin matriarch absentmindedly fixed a strand of silver hair as Lille Barro angrily shouted, "But I am His Majesty's greatest creation! That a creature like you has the nerve to injure me is unforgivable!"

Ragyo couldn't help but sigh in annoyance when the Sternritter was surrounded by an enormous torrent of energy. At the rate things were progressing Isshin would arrive in Karakura Town, deal with her assassin and make it back by the time she was finished. And she _hated_ wasting time, especially when someone simply didn't know when to give up. Her maroon eyes narrowed as she raised a single finger, rainbow light rapidly gathering just above the perfectly manicured fingernail, Ragyo asked, "Do you expect me to just let you trans– "

The rest of her question would go unsaid when several circular holes pierced through her body, the suddenness of the unexpected attack managing to catch the Kiryuin matriarch fully off guard. Staring at the wound penetrating through her heart as it rapidly wove itself shut, the radiance of her Life Fibers vanishing in moments, any traces of humor that remained on Ragyo's face disappeared when Lille Barro emerged wearing the _ugliest_ piece of clothing she had ever seen. Covering nearly every inch of his body in a white robe, which actually made Satsuki's Goku Uniforms seem like Kamui in comparison, she looked at the four sets of wings around the Sternritter before resting a hand against her cheek and sighing.

"Tacky as it may be…I cannot deny that your new form is quite powerful. However…"

Ragyo purposely trailed off as she raised the Needle Blade and _blocked_ Lille Barro's second salvo, the beams of unblockable light briefly clashing for dominance against the hardened Life Fiber weapon before deflecting upwards into the afternoon sky. Wisps of rainbow smoke drifting off the unique blade as she strutted towards the Quincy, the rainbow glow of her silver hair growing brighter with every step, she purposely flashed her opponent a condescending smirk before vanishing in a burst of speed once more.

"I already told you…" Lille Barro's voice echoed slightly when Ragyo appeared above him, the Needle Blade arcing towards his recently healed shoulder, "In this state I cannot be –"

A fountain of blood gushed from the Quincy's shoulder as the Life Fiber blade cut deeply into his body without any issues. As he teleported several dozen meters away in shock, his eyes wide at the notion that he could still be injured even in Vollstandig, Ragyo dismissed the Needle Blade in a flash of rainbow light before raising her left hand, "The simple fact of the matter is that you're a _Quincy_. And as much as I would love to continue this amusing…_fight_…I am a rather busy woman…"

Lille Barro didn't wait for his opponent to finish speaking before attempting to teleport away, fear and animalistic panic overriding his higher reasoning, only for several rainbow Life Fibers to wind their way through the air from Ragyo's extended fingers. Gasping when the threads tightened painfully around his body, thin rivulets of blood oozing down his robe as they cut into his skin, the Sternritter had just enough time to realize his opponent was gone before his head exploded into a fine red mist.

"With that out of the way…"

Gracefully lowering her hand as she walked away from the Quincy, blood raining through the air as his headless corpse fell towards the ground far below, Ragyo pursed her mouth in thought when she couldn't sense the Grand Couturier. It would appear fighting her other daughters was too much for dearest Nui, especially with Twin Life Fiber Entanglement fully in effect. Not to mention that with Hououmaru lying unconscious somewhere in the stands, her raiment torn to pieces, Satsuki and Ichigo were free to assist the other Quincy and their allies against Xcution. Or at least they would be…if they weren't currently staring upwards in disbelief. Normally the look of suppressed fear and apprehension in her daughter's eyes would bring a smile to her face.

Unfortunately she wasn't quite finished with a rather persistent problem.

"This is starting to grow stale, Quincy."

The sight of Lille Barro's monstrous form nearly caused Ragyo to roll her eyes in disgust. His head, which she could have sworn was sprayed across the ground below as a fine mist, had regenerated into something resembling a cross between an owl and a man. The tacky robe he once wore now resembled armor, covering every facet of his body only to stop at his elongated neck. Did he think turning into such an _ugly_ form would change anything? It was pathetic watching the Quincy desperately clinging to the delusional notion that he stood a chance against her. Clicking a heel against the air as she turned around, an expression of annoyance on her face, Ragyo didn't display any reaction when the Quincy started shouting.

"Did you believe this fight to be over? Did you think you truly killed me?!"

Sparks of light gathered upon Lille Barro's long fingers as his head twisted back and forth, misshapen eyes blinking strangely at the abomination before him. It was inconceivable that a monster such as Ragyo Kiryuin forced him into using his full power, "I am an envoy of God! A monstrous demon like you could never hope to defeat me!"

A tense silence permeated the battlefield in the moments immediately following the Quincy's passionate declaration before Ragyo threw her head backwards and laughed, "You…an envoy of _god_?! La vie est drôle! I don't know what's more pathetic. Your delusional notion of grandeur or the imagination your leader possesses to think such a form is even remotely intimidating!"

The corners of her mouth twisting in amusement when the Sternritter responded with the emotional maturity of a child and swung his arm downwards, a thin beam of energy erupting from his fingers, Ragyo closed her eyes and chuckled smugly before deflecting the 'unstoppable' technique with the palm of her hand. Silver hair whipping around her face when the Quincy's attack slammed into Honnou City before exploding, the Kiryuin matriarch decided it was time to end this farce of a battle. It had been initially amusing to watch the Quincy desperately attempt to survive, fear and panic slowly dawning upon him, but she was a rather busy woman.

And wasting time against such a pathetic creature was _not_ on her schedule.

Maroon eyes narrowing in subtle annoyance when the man…or rather creature…declared her actions to be a 'grave sin' and curled a hand in front of his mouth, the action summoning an intricate facsimile of a trumpet over his head, Ragyo loudly clicked her heel against the air before raising a single finger, "Lumière Divine."

There was no rapid building of spiritual energy or sudden feeling of foreboding in the atmosphere. In the single moment it took Lille Barro's inhuman eyes to blink in confusion at the foreign words, his hand tightening in preparation to fire the Trompete, the energy condensed just above Ragyo Kiryuin's perfectly manicured finger exploded forward in a cacophony of rainbow light. His beak-like mouth shouting a curse at the woman before he was enveloped by the technique, the nauseous energy filling him with never-ending pain, the Sternritter couldn't even scream before his body exploded into shards of shimmering light.

"How drôle…"

Ragyo didn't lower her arm even after Sternritter's body disintegrated into shards of light, rainbow energy continuing to erupt from her extended finger for several more seconds. The man's inability to die had been rather irritating. So instead of severing his head or cutting his body into pieces she decided on a more pragmatic approach – erasing him from the face of the earth. After all, it was hard to regenerate when there was _nothing_ left.

"Now then…"

With her first step the Kiryuin matriarch disappeared in a burst of speed, descending hundreds of feet to the ground before anyone noticed she was gone. Her heels clicking against the stairs of the stadium as she took another step, dozens of COVERS falling into line behind her, Ragyo's maroon eyes swiveled sideways towards Yukio Hans Vorarlberna. Smirking at the terrified look upon his opponent's face, the utter evisceration of her compatriot having momentarily paralyzed the Quincy, she chuckled when Ichigo and Satsuki landed in front of her in twin bursts of light.

"I certainly won't dampen your enthusiasm if you two wish to fight me."

Ragyo rested a hand against her cheek when the teenager's responded to her comment by raising their blades. Mentally ordering the surrounding COVERS to leave, the thought of the Life Fibers beings getting destroyed rather displeasing, she let out an exaggerated sigh before holding out her hand and summoning the Needle Blade, "But as that Quincy so helpfully demonstrated, you'll find defeating me quite the insurmountable goal."


	51. Chapter 51: Don't Let the Sun Go Down On

_So here is the long awaited conclusion to the Hellsing Arc. I know it's been a long time but I worked diligently to make sure this chapter was written to the best of my ability, which is a never-ending process. Just compare my earlier chapters to the last 15 or so! I strive to constantly give you the best story/writing possible. So if that requires a week or two delay because some part of the chapter, a piece of dialogue for instance, wasn't working, than so be it. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Because writing the conclusion to such a long and tense arc was immensely satisfying.  
><em>

_Anyway...next chapter (52 for those of you keeping count) begins the long awaited, and highly anticipated, Karakura Invasion Arc. I went through roughly ten names before settling on that. And yes, I know it sounds similar to the Karakura Raid Trip but it's an accurate title._

_Enjoy!_

**_La vie est drôle..._**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 51 – Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me<strong>

"I have finished releasing the kirchenlied around SHI. It is ready to be transported upon your discretion."

Walter C. Dornez spoke with a slightly strained tone as the spiritual runes etched into the air surrounding his fingers dissipated. Frowning briefly when the Doktor continued to ignore his presence, the man's attention completely focused on some random papers strewn across his desk, the Sternritter turned towards the laboratory's exist before dryly commenting, "I shall be departing for the Silbern momentarily. Please make sure to turn off the lights before you leave."

The Doktor snorted derisively at the Sternritter's_ pathetic _attempt to hold a conversation as he continued stuffing several important documents on his research into the briefcase on the desk. He didn't have time to waste talking to an inferior mind! It did not matter that Walter was one of His Majesty's chosen Sternritter, able to eviscerate him with nothing more than a twitch of his finger. Any Neanderthal could fight. But it took a genius to push the boundaries of science to their limits! In the entirety of the Wandenreich there were only two other Quincy that could comprehend even the most basic tenants of his research, let alone hold an intelligent discussion about it, and the former butler was _not _one of them.

Frowning slightly when Walter finally left his laboratory, the blissful sound of the door slamming shut bringing peace of mind, the Doktor blatantly ignored the explosions rocking the _Deus Ex Machina_ to focus on something exponentially more important, "Now…where did I put my findings on vampirization decay correlations? Ah! There they are…"

As he removed a thick journal from the bookshelf over his desk, dozens of hastily written bookmarks sticking out from between slightly creased pages, the Quincy momentarily stared at the culmination of years of research before tossing it into the briefcase. This wasn't the time for sentimentality. As much as he wanted to spend countless hours reading through the hundreds of trials involving the effects of Alucard's spiritual energy on soldats, including the average length of time before their souls decayed, he still needed to properly prepare SHI for transport, a task easier said than done even with the kirchenlied released.

Resisting the nervous impulse to bite his finger, the Doktor snapped the briefcase shut when an intimately familiar spiritual energy enveloped London. His mood abruptly changing in response to the newly arrived presence, the Quincy adjusted his multi-lensed spectacles before politely musing, "Oh? It seems His Majesty has finally arrived."

However, despite his tone the Doktor's shoulders nevertheless slumped dejectedly at the missed opportunity. What he would have done to personally witness Alucard's full power, to observe and collect countless quantities of daten about the ancient vampire. The knowledge would have been enough to push the boundaries of science and spiritual studies into a new golden age! Yet such thoughts were mere fantasy. For a Quincy of his strength would be utterly crushed beneath the clashing spiritual energies, his soul shattered into nothingness by powers far beyond anything he could imagine. But as a scientist it was his job to figure out the impossible! Especially when challenged with such dangerous conditions!

But alas, asking Quilge would have to wait until after returning to the Silbern.

After mentally reminding himself to follow through on such important inquiries when he had the time, the Doktor callously removed his bloodstained gloves as he marched across the laboratory. One can never been too careful when dealing with something like SHI. It might be contained within specially designed soul-synthesized glass, sealed with dozens of His Majesty's finest techniques, but it was still eternally bound to Alucard. A _single_ drop of blood would be enough to not only shatter the chamber but lead to several other consequences he would rather _not_ face.

Not to mention how _Alucard_ would react if the seals containing SHI's spiritual energy failed. He would not allow a single moment of utter stupidity to jeopardize everything that His Majesty worked to accomplish! Pressing his thumb against the keypad built into the wall next to the container, the custom-built device emitting an electronic ping when it recognized his spiritual energy, the Doktor grimaced as the chamber opened with a pressurized hiss. There was not much time. He needed to start right away on sending –

A loud thump from outside the laboratory, but more specifically the single window to his left, cut off the Quincy's train of thought.

Instinctively twisting away from SHI as the sudden noise, spiritual particles rapidly coalescing around his left hand into a compound bow, the Doktor frowned in confusion as he held the bowstring taunt. Any being that could successfully infiltrate the _Deus Ex Machina_ had to be incredibly dangerous, a threat of the highest order. Yet he could not sense any spiritual energy. There was neither the nauseous sensation of Life Fibers nor the terrifying aura of Alucard and his progeny, which begged the question of who, or rather _what_, had managed to sneak onto the airship without being detected.

Given his admittedly inferior fighting capabilities, the wise decision would be asking Walter to deal with the potential threat. As a Sternritter he was more than capable of dealing with anything aside from Life Fibers. But what if this was nothing more than a false alarm or the assailant used his moment of distraction to take him by surprise?

"Verdammt…"

Cursing at his unfortunate luck, the Doktor swallowed the nervous lump in his throat while cautiously walking towards the window. Fingers tightening around the spiritual weapon as he quickly flipped the switch to open the metallic shutter, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, the Quincy didn't have to wait long before he was finally able to glimpse what was outside. And it was enough for his mouth to drop in complete and utter shock.

Perched on the exterior of the _Deus Ex Machina_ with an equally confused look in his eyes, one hand holding onto the already unlocked window, Batou stared at the Doktor for several seconds before his face stretched into a wide grin, "Hi!"

"Gah!"

That single gasp of disbelief was all the Doktor managed to say before the nudist commander's fist slammed into his nose, cartilage shattering in a spray of blood under the surprising amount of force. Staggering backwards as his spiritual weapon dissipated into its composite energy, the Quincy's hand slipped against his desk before he collapsed unconscious onto the floor.

"Damn…I can't believe that actually worked."

Batou ignored the flaring pain in his fingers as he quickly pulled himself through the window. That Quincy's blut had been something. It almost felt like he punched a rather stubborn wall…or got roped into another one of Armstrong's friendly spars. Grunting lightly as he landed in the room, one hand reaching towards the tailor knife strapped to his leg, the nudist commander stared at the Doktor's unconscious form before giving the man an unceremonious kick to the abdomen. Just to make sure he wasn't faking, of course. You could never be too careful with Quincy, especially when they've proven themselves capable of fighting after tanking a full salvo from the DTR Model Ray.

"Huh…out cold after only one punch. I'm guessing you're one of those scientist types.."

Callously flipping the Doktor onto his stomach, uncaring of the blood pooling beneath the man's face, Batou briefly shook his sore fingers before reaching into the satchel strapped to the small of his back. As he pulled out a length of black wire and began tying the scientist's hands together, weaving the thread in such a way that the man wouldn't be able to move a finger, the nudist commander couldn't help but appreciate his luck. Out of all the Quincy, he stumbled upon the only one he could actually beat in a fight. Chuckling at the irony as he double-checked the Doktor's condition…just to make sure the man was still unconscious…Batou's eyes narrowed when something rather obvious caught his attention.

"What the hell?"

There was something disturbingly _off-putting_ about the way the desiccated corpse was bound and gagged. The nudist commander had seen his fair share of strange shit throughout his life, most of it while working for Ragyo Kiryuin, but this caused a shiver to race down his spine. While there was no question that it was creepy as hell, the way the shadows appeared to writhe around its contorted limbs reminded Batou of a certain _other_ vampire. Reaching for the M-15 Anti-Life Fiber Assault Rifle strapped to his back as he cautiously approached the open container, the silence permeating the laboratory ringing in his ears, the nudist commander stiffened at the words etched on the steel plate above the corpse.

"MINA HARKER"

"THE SHI"

Batou liked to consider himself well versed in the finer arts of philosophy and religion. But it was his vested interest in classical literature that caused him to break out in a cold sweat upon reading the name. This thing was Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's novel, which raised a lot of disturbing questions. While Alucard's existence suggested the book was more of a historical biography instead of a work of fiction, several things didn't add up. For starts, _how_ did the Quincy get their hands on her remains? She must have still been a vampire after Alucard was defeated. And considering Seras Victoria was stronger than Satsuki Kiryuin's Elite Four before drinking Pip's blood, it begged the question of _how_ she died.

How long had the Quincy been planning this?

"I don't suppose you're going to wake up and brag about your master plan?"

Sighing when the Doktor didn't answer the question, on account of still being unconscious, Batou scratched his chin and grimaced. He couldn't allow Mina Harker's corpse to remain under Quincy control. Aside from denying them access to something so insanely terrifying, not to mention powerful, he had a strong feeling that it was the source of those vampirized soldiers they fought earlier. Letting Millennium keep her corpse was just begging for trouble in the future. Luckily there was a rather obvious solution to this problem.

In a matter of seconds every explosive and Anti-Life Fiber armament in his satchel was strewn across the floor. Five pounds in total, which was everything he managed to grab before leaving the safe house. After he finished assembling the crude improvised device, and giving it a quick once-over to make sure it wouldn't literally blow up in his face, Batou stuck it directly onto SHI's chest and set the timer. In less than five minutes the laboratory would go up in flames. And he didn't want to stick around for the fireworks.

"Humph…and Anderson claims _I'm_ paranoid."

Frowning as he grabbed the satchel and hurried towards the window, Batou paused when he remembered the Doktor lying unconscious on the floor. Thanks to all the commotion he'd nearly forgotten Olivier's orders to capture a Quincy. Great…carrying the guy down was going to be a pain in the ass. He should have set the damn timer for ten minutes. Groaning at the new inconvenience, the nudist commander sighed and hefted the Doktor onto his shoulder. After making sure his prisoner was still out cold, mostly by jabbing him in the stomach a second time, Batou turned to leave only to notice a briefcase on the nearby desk.

That could come in handy.

Marching towards the open window with both prisoner and briefcase in tow, the nudist commander looked at the rapidly approaching London skyline and groaned, "Damn it, I'm too old for this parkour crap."

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Yhwach grimaced as his boots ground against the air for purchase, faint traces of spiritual energy still clinging to the ornate sword in his hand.<p>

Glancing in mild consternation at the thin line of crimson rapidly staining his sleeve, the Quincy King flexed his fingers and frowned. It appeared the daten on Alucard's strength was slightly inaccurate, an annoyance he would need to personally address upon his return to the Silbern. Reddish-brown eyes narrowing when parts of the vampire's form dissolved into fiery darkness, the shadows collecting around the undead being's feet before surging forward in a tidal wave that obscured the blood-red moon, the Quincy King showed not a hint of concern as he calmly held out a hand.

"Kirchenlied: Sankt Schild."

A countless number of interlocking pillars, each bearing a Quincy Zeichen, shimmered into existence at Yhwach's command. Holding his hand parallel to the ground when Alucard's darkness violently slammed into the barrier, the impact sending a massive shockwave scattering across the ruined city, the Quincy King's brief moment of elation was cut short when he noticed cracks of dark light slowly spreading across the spiritual barricade. Several glowing ribbons of roman-numerals stretching from his fingers as he bolstered the technique to counteract the corrosive nature of Alucard's power, his eyes imperceptibly widened upon realizing they were _feeding_ on his energy.

Callously clenching his fist, the Quincy King severed his link to the Kirchenlied: Sankt Schild and allowed the technique to shatter. Retreating backwards when the shadows abruptly shifted into dozens of fanged maws, each bearing the same soul-devouring ability of the Baskerville Hound, Yhwach calmly observed the familiars instinctively giving pursuit before flaring his spiritual energy. The look of complete apathy never leaving his eyes when the beasts began dissolving under the force of his presence, the living darkness composing their misshapen forms evaporating into nothingness, the Quincy King grimaced when he felt something flickering in the shadows.

That was quicker than anticipated.

Soul-crushing darkness exploded over the ruined streets of London as Yhwach parried Alucard's broadsword away from his neck only to be caught off guard by the unstable spiritual energy circulating around the weapon. Acrid smoke clinging to his body as he used Hirenkyaku to escape the attack, most of his cloak destroyed but otherwise uninjured, the Quincy King frowned when Alucard leapt from the smoke, broadsword hefted over his head while his laughter echoed in the darkness. Narrowing his eyes while slowly raising his own blade in preparation for the attack, Yhwach couldn't help but notice something was wrong. Superior strength or not, the vampire should have been smart enough to avoid such a predictable attack.

So why would he try it a _second_ time?

It was only when the broadsword touched his blade _and kept going_ that the Quincy King understood the vampire's logic. Instinctively using Hirenkyaku to bolster his movement as he leapt away from the phantasmal weapon, Yhwach's face creased in mild disdain at the thin line of crimson cutting diagonally across his chest. He should have anticipated the vampire would be able to shift his weapon into a non-physical state.

"You look surprised, Quincy King."

Alucard tightened his grip upon the broadsword as it finished reforming, darkness solidifying into flawless metal, "Did you believe even with your servant's help you could best me in combat? ME?! Even now I am still your equal…no, your _better_…Yhwach!"

"Surprised?"

A hint of amusement filled the emperor's voice as he stood at his full height, the vampire's arrogant boasting about his power bringing a cold but calculating smirk to his face, "No…I am not surprised. In fact, I expected no less from you, Prince of Wallachia. It would be foolish to believe you would not use everything at your disposal against me. Therefore, I must once more give thanks to Schrodinger. For without his noble sacrifice, defeating you would have been nearly impossible!"

His smirk turning increasingly sinister as he raised a finger towards the vampire, Yhwach gave no indication of his next action before a veritable deluge of Heilig Pfeil exploded from the extended digit. It made no difference if Alucard's physical strength proved slightly superior to his own. Such notions were meaningless, for he fully expected the vampire to dodge the barrage. Individually the Heilig Pfeil were not strong enough to harm the vampire, but the sheer number of arrows possessed the capacity to momentarily overwhelm his inhuman regeneration and leaving him briefly vulnerable.

What he did not expect was for the vampire to madly rush him, shadows pulsing from his broadsword as it cleaved through the barrage of holy arrows.

Yhwach's expression shifted into an annoyed grimace at the sight. He had hoped to defeat the vampire without resorting to such tactics but it seemed it was necessary to step things up a bit. Removing the tattered remains of his cloak while reaching for the sword at his waist, the Quincy King opened his mouth only to be cut off when an armored hand clasped firmly around his face.

"Is this the extent of your power, Quincy King?"

Alucard snarled in disappointment as he adjusted his grip and sent Yhwach rocketing towards the ground, the impact and subsequent explosion releasing a large cloud of smoke. This was the Quincy King, whose spiritual essence placed him upon the same pedestal as the Captain Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads? The centuries-old vampire couldn't help but scoff at such a notion. His power might surpass those two Sternritter and Ragyo Kiryuin's COVERS Clone, but he found it hard to believe this was the same man who nearly conquered the Soul Society one thousand years ago.

The pavement audibly shattered when the vampire landed near the Quincy King, who was still holding a hand against his face. Shadows evaporating from his broadsword as he slowly stalked towards his downed opponent, Alucard sneered derisively before boasting, "Do you believe I was not aware of your true power? From the very start I understood the source of your strength! But such tricks will not work on me! You shall never gain my power, Yhwach!"

"I am fully aware I cannot make your power my own."

A throaty chuckle echoed loudly through the streets as Yhwach lowered his hand, a sadistic expression on his face, "But tell me something, Prince of Wallachia. Just how many times have we crossed blades?"

Alucard did not bother thinking about the question. The moment he saw the victorious expression on the Quincy King's face he lurched forward, fully intent on killing the man before he could enact whatever he was planning. But when he stomped to a halt several feet from the crouching emperor, hand stabbing through the air towards his opponent's ancient heart, the vampire suddenly found himself unable to move, every muscle in his body unresponsive. Surprised crimson eyes widening at the Quincy Zeichen encircling his body, shimmering tendrils of dark light shackling his limbs, Alucard snarled impotently, "What is this?"

"This is the _true_ Schatten Ausrufung."

The surrounding shadows contorted ominously as the Quincy King pressed a hand against the ground and resumed his full stature, all pretenses of being injured gone. An increasingly pleased expression etched across his features as he watched the ephemeral shadows slowly rising from beneath the bound vampire, the darkness wrapping around his paralyzed limbs, Yhwach disregarded his adversary's soul-crushing glare. It was fortunate Alucard was never aware of the Schatten Ausrufung's final requirement, for such damning knowledge would have rendered the technique impotent. Even in his current condition, stripped of his unholy source of power, it would have been difficult to defeat the vampire if he had been aware of such things.

Calmly raising a hand over his shoulder when he detected Quilge Opie land on a nearby building, the gesture informing the Sternritter his presence was not required, Yhwach stared at the ensnared vampire before speaking, "You disappoint me, Prince of Wallachia."

"Four hundred years ago you consumed one of the original captains of the Gotei 13, granting you all that was needed to destroy the Soul Society Yet you stayed your hand. Content to let them simply fear your power. To always wonder when you would attack."

Yhwach's tone gradually shifted as he addressed the vampire, derision slowly permeating his every word, "You are content to remain nothing more than a false servant, a lapdog to an organization blind to the world at large. At the peak of your power you were a creature to be feared, a being I would have never dared assault. The unfathomable strength of your soul was respectable, but such respect died once you obtained the foolish desire of perishing at the hands of humanity."

"Is that what you think?"

Mocking laughter punctuated the question as Alucard finished listening to the Quincy King, the menacing grin on his face widening with each passing second. His form rippling when the shadows lurched upwards, a black leather straight jacket replacing antiquated armor, the vampire's eyes widened madly as he continued, "Did you figure that out all on your own? Perhaps you spent the last century spying on me, desperately searching for a weakness that did not exist. Or maybe it has something to do with your _special_ little eyes…"

"I see…"

The bound vampire's insinuation caused Yhwach's mouth to crinkle in slight annoyance, "When I sent Tubalcain Alhambra and Rip Van Winkle against you, I anticipated you would assimilate their memories. It was foolish to believe a creature of your power would not notice the small shard of my spirit buried within their souls."

"That's _quite_ the interesting theory…but I'm afraid you're wrong."

Despite the shadows wrapped tightly around his shoulders, causing him to lurch forward, Alucard's menacing grin never faltered. Even as the ground beneath his feet liquefied, pools of restless darkness inexorably pulling him downwards, the vampire continued laughing, "It was your homunculus…that artificial Quincy…that told me everything about your special eyes! They are indeed powerful, something truly befitting a _divine_ monster. But do your followers know about its weakness? That's why you started this little game! Sacrificing your pawns without the slightest hint of regret! It's because those vaunted eyes of yours cannot see me!"

The faintest trace of a frown etched itself upon the Quincy King's features before vanishing just as quickly. Calmly turning around and marching away from the bound vampire as the shadows increased their pace, pulling Alucard further into the ground with each passing second, he paused after several steps before looking over his shoulder, "You are indeed one of the few beings my eyes cannot see, Prince of Wallachia. However, know that I defeated you without opening my eyes. For despite the unpredictable nature of both you and those Life Fiber children, I have achieved victory on this Walpurgis Dawn. Everything that was yours shall be mine."

"HA! HA! HA! Is that right?!"

Only the vampire's face still remained uncovered as he grinned sadistically at the Quincy King, "Well then…I look forward to seeing how things play out, Yhwach. It should prove to be quite entertaining watching your empire crumble! Brought down by those children! Because when I get free I will hunt you down…and _tear_ out your heart with my own hands!"

Alucard's unrelenting laughter was harshly severed when he was pulled completely into the darkness, the Quincy Zeichen sealing his movements briefly flashing with a brilliant white light before vanishing. Stoically staring down the empty street as the crimson moon hovering lazily overhead returned to its usual pallor, the nightmarish atmosphere permeating every inch of London slowly lifting, Yhwach dismissed the vampire's threat from his mind without a second thought. Did the vampire believe he had not taken precautions to prevent such a scenario?

"Quilge," Yhwach did not need to raise his voice to gain his subordinate's attention. He was quite aware the Sternritter could hear his every word, "Order the Jahrtausendarmee to fall back to the Silbern. We're done – "

An intense explosion of sapphire light immediately followed by Quilge's signature technique shattering harshly cut off the Quincy King before he could finish giving the order. Eyes widening in interest when something soared through the darkened heavens before crashing into the street in front of him, the powerful impact splintering the pavement and sending up a large column of smoke and dust, Yhwach's mouth curled into a smirk as the sensation of Life Fibers assaulted his senses. Of course Quilge's jail failed so miserably. It could never have hindered someone like them.

And he had truly hoped to depart for the Silbern peacefully and without further bloodshed.

"You dealt with my former subordinates quite ruthlessly…Ichigo Kurosaki."

Jets of superheated steam erupted from Mugetsu's ventilation grills as Ichigo silently swung Tournesol in front of his body, the accompanying pulse of sapphire energy dispersing the residual smoke. The top half of his face silhouetted in darkness as he glared angrily at the man who ordered millions of innocent people killed, Mugetsu tightening around his body in response to his fluctuating emotions, Ichigo did not say a word as he calmly raised his weapon, aware of the growing sense of familiarity in the back of his mind.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"You've become rather sullen, fraulein."<p>

Small bursts of glowing sparks cascaded downwards through the _Deus Ex Machina's_ command center as the already faint lighting abruptly died, leaving the broken wall of screens as the only source of illumination. Yellow eyes narrowing slightly in amusement while the corners of his mouth twisted into an increasingly conceited smirk, the Major calmly pressed a single button on the remote in his hand, dismissing the image of Ichigo Kurosaki standing before His Majesty in a flash of static. There was really no point in continuing to watch such an interesting confrontation. After all, the results were already set in stone. Alucard was captured and there was nothing the youth or his marvelous Kamui could do to stop them.

"Perhaps Alucard's defeat has left you momentarily speechless, unable to articulate the thoughts running rampant through your disbelieving mind?"

The stout Sternritter's shoulders shook as he lightly chuckled at his own rhetorical question. He, of course, already knew the answer. But watching Integra Hellsing's expressions shift between seething anger and tranquil fury was quite worth the trouble. Sighing wistfully as he slowly stood back on his feet, the intensity of the young vampire's furious glare causing the hair on the back of his neck to stiffen, he swept a hand through the air before commenting, "But I'm afraid I won't be around to hear your answer. The curtain has fallen upon the stage and the actors are preparing to leave the theater. So please accept my sincerest appreciation, my dear fraulein. For this Walpurgis Dawn could never have happened without your wonderful performance!"

"You think you can just _leave_?!"

Seras Victoria's voice reverberated loudly across the darkened room, the fiery shadows mimicking her missing arm writhing angrily with every word, "Once this damned barrier falls I'm going to tear you apart! You'll pay for everyone you murdered!"

Despite the cold fury coursing through her veins, thoughts of ordering Seras to leave the Major alive long enough to drown in a pool of his own blood becoming more tolerable by the second, Integra's well-trained mind latched onto the peculiarities of her servant's remark. Something wasn't _right_. She had mentally counted down every second until the Sternritter's barrier was supposed to shatter, give or take several minutes. Yet that time has passed without so much as a crack upon its translucent surface. Which could only mean one thing.

"It's been over twenty minutes, _Quincy_."

Integra's expression twisted in disgust as she venomously spat the word, the mere utterance of the title seeming to stain her very soul, "When did you intend to announce that you lied about your technique's stability? Or did the thought simply slip your mind?"

"I consider myself a man of my word, fraulein. And as such, I absolutely detest the concept of lying in any form. So you can rest assured that without further sustenance His Majesty's barrier _will_ shatter in just under fifteen minutes."

The Sternritter punctuated his disarming response by tightly clenching his raised hand into a fist, yellow eyes gleaming mischievously as Integra's confused expression rapidly shifted into bitter realization. Ah…it was wonderful to see she understood the absolute truth behind his words, "After all, one can always delay such an event by feeding their spiritual energy through special conduits built into the floor. Granted, such an invention undoubtedly would require a large sacrifice of energy, which only a Sternritter such as myself could provide."

"Now please allow me to apologize for my earlier rudeness."

The reactions from Integra Hellsing and her pet vampire to his abrupt changing of the subject, confusion subconsciously dawning upon their faces, greatly amused the Major. Walking forward as the young leader of the Hellsing Organization grimaced, the dim lighting enveloping the command center causing his glasses to glow opaquely, the Sternritter clapped his hands together before announcing, "For you see, the tragic fate of your loyal butler has left me in a rather joyous mood."

"What?"

Integra's chest constricted painfully at the Quincy's admission, her breath rapidly hitching in her throat and causing her fingers to grow numb. Chuckling lowly at the woman's fearful expression, the Major held out his arms and sadistically grinned, "After my dear colleague introduced himself to the lovely Ryuko Matoi, taking her on a scenic tour of London, I took the opportunity to greet my old adversary."

"Where is Walter?!"

Marching towards the impervious barrier, fingers tightly gripping the sword in her hand, Integra snarled, "What the hell did you do to him?!"

"_I_ did not lay a finger on your precious butler," the Quincy leaned forward as he answered, a combination of mirth of mock outrage evident upon his smirking façade, "But that wasn't the answer you were looking for, was it? So allow me to skip the unnecessary details. The man known as Walter C. Dornez, former vampire hunter and butler of the Hellsing estate, is dead! Ground into dust beneath His Majesty's grand will! For he was nothing more than an insect, _unworthy_ of my respect!"

"You, on the other hand, are an adversary worthy of some modicum of respect…"

The Major's smirk momentarily widened before he promptly turned away from the two women. Subtly impressed when he didn't hear the standard clashing of spiritual energy, Seras Victoria having obviously learned her lesson from her first attempts to shatter the barrier, he clasped his hands behind his back and explained, "There is something special about your soul…perhaps an innate strength of character or iron will born from experience…that gained the undying loyalty of a creature such as Alucard. He could have broken free of the seals placed upon his soul whenever he wished, slaughtering his way out of London! Yet he remained your devoted servant, following your orders without question! The ability to not only command such a monster, but gain his absolute loyalty as well, is deserving of a gift! Therefore, Integra Hellsing, I shall bestow upon you my _true_ name! Would you care to hear it?"

The sheer inanity of the Sternritter's question threw Integra off balance, "Your name?"

"Have you ever wondered why I'm called the Major?"

Faint loathing permeated the Quincy's voice as he stared at the empty wall of screens, his body silhouetted against the encroaching darkness, "The rank of 'Major' was given to me by those Nazi fools! A meaningless title from a worthless organization! Yet I cannot deny that it worked out to His Majesty's benefit. For there is a certain form of freedom in concealing one's name. In hiding one's true identity behind the shroud of anonymity. A notion of…opportunity…one might be so bold as to say. But with the Schatten Ausrufung complete I can finally discard that _disgusting_ moniker!"

With an exaggerated flourishing motion, the Major turned around and bowed deeply, "I am Montana Max, Sternritter M and Captain of the Jahrtausendarmee! It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

A miasma of shadowy energy enveloped Seras as the vampire furiously glared at the Major with as much hatred as she could muster. She _vividly_ remembered Zorin Blitz taunting her with an eerily similar phrase. 'The Illusionary,' the bitch called herself, right before dredging up every nightmare and terrifying memory from her childhood, "What the hell does that mean?!"

"As my dear comrade Quilge would say – silence is golden. And besides, it would be unsporting to _spoil_ the surprise."

Darkness oozed from the Sternritter's white uniform, the unnatural blackness taking on a silhouette of his form, as he chuckled mirthfully, yellow eyes gleaming with barely contained anticipation. Bowing once more as the shadows completely surrounded his body, the Major cheerfully added, "And with that, I bid you a fond auf wiedersehen."

"Oh no you don't!"

Tendrils of burning shadows tore through the atmosphere as Seras burst into motion the instant the barrier shattered, her rapid departure powerful enough to crumple the steel plating underneath her feet. What currently functioned as her left arm wrapping around the previously discarded eighty-eight millimeter cannon along the way, crimson eyes burning brightly at repaying the Quincy for all the pain he caused, Seras snarled when she fired the weapon only for the shell to pass through nothing but empty space. Clawed fingers digging into the floor as she spun around while skidding to a halt, the sudden rush of cold autumn air from the new hole in the side of the room rustling her platinum blonde hair, the vampire's mood rapidly soured when she tried sensing for the Major's presence only to find absolutely nothing.

He was gone. And she let him escape.

Slamming her hand into the ground hard enough to puncture the steel plating, Seras shouted, "Damn it!"

"Calm down, Seras."

Integra's resigned tone instantly drew her servant's undivided attention as she slowly marched through the shattered remains of the barrier, shards of spiritual energy crunching loudly with every step. An annoyed frown marring her features as anger rapidly succumbed to general frustration and trepidation, the Sternritter's departing words weighing heavily upon her mind, she stared thoughtfully at the ground before continuing, "It's obvious the Quincy planned this confrontation long before our arrival. Nothing else explains his knowledge of our tactics and manpower. They set a trap and like a fool I walked into it without a second thought."

"He didn't expect to see _me_," Seras sharply corrected, an ear-wrenching crash echoing throughout the command center as she harshly dropped the cannon onto the ground.

A pregnant silence filled the darkened room as Integra frowned in thought. There was no logic or strategic reason behind the Quincy sending someone to kill Seras, who until only an hour ago possessed merely above average strength and speed for a vampire. That they wasted considerable manpower and resources on such a mission suggested there was something about her servant, and by proxy Alucard, the Quincy feared.

And then there was Walter…

"It pains me to admit it, but we must press forward without Alucard…or Walter."

Integra stubbornly refused to believe the nonsense that spewed from the Major's mouth about Walter. The sadistic pleasure the Sternritter displayed when he mentioned the fate of her butler was suspicious but the abrupt way he brought up the subject felt artificial, almost as if he was deflecting her attention away from an entirely different matter. And until she saw her oldest friend's corpse with her own eyes, once Seras or Alucard enthusiastically eviscerated the one responsible, she would refrain from preparing the standard Hellsing funeral.

"The Quincy and their damned king might have won this battle but stopping Ragyo Kiryuin cannot wait!"

The pallor of the full moon filtered through the jagged hole in the command center as Integra turned to Seras, renewed determination filling her voice, "Rest assured, they _will_ pay for everything they've done. But we must put aside thoughts of revenge and focus on the task at hand! It will not matter if we destroy the Quincy down to the last man if that monster of a woman succeeds in feeding humanity to Life Fibers!"

Seras smiled in appreciation at her master's orders, the gnawing guilt she felt at allowing the Quincy to escape slowly abating. However, the relatively peaceful moment was violently shattered when a series of cascading explosions rippled through the _Deus Ex Machina_, the scale of which caused the ridged airship to lurch forward while descending rapidly towards the burning streets below.

"Master!"

Reacting instinctively when the floor abruptly tilted sideways, metal plating and electronics raining dangerously through the air around them, Seras reached out and grabbed Integra's outstretched hand just before she lost her balance. Shadows twisting protectively around her master as the vampire bent her knees and _jumped_, the angle of ascent taking them through the jagged hole in the side of the command center, Seras narrowed her eyes upon noticing the flames engulfing the zeppelin's exterior. Momentarily frowning at the barely noticeable heat before the shadows comprising her left arm clawed outward and easily dispelled the nearby conflagration, she tightened her grip around her master's coat before spinning around and disappearing into the darkness of the predawn twilight.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you the Quincy's leader?"<p>

Muffled explosions tore across the ruined landscape that was London as Ichigo calmly addressed the Quincy King. Silhouetted against the full moon beginning to descend lazily to the west, the shimmering sapphire light from Mugetsu's Life Fibers clashing vibrantly with the encompassing white pallor, the teenager's voice lacked any inflection beyond tranquil rage as he stared at the man directly responsible for the surrounding death and destruction.

Yhwach's amused smirk shifted into a thoughtful frown as he ignored the question, his attention focused on Mugetsu's barely dirtied appearance, "How strange. I did not foresee you defeating my former subordinates so easily."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the comment, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm certain you noticed the composition of their spiritual energies."

The Quincy King subtly noted the possessive narrowing of Mugetsu's multicolored eyes when he stepped closer to her wearer, the Kamui's armored form rippling slightly in response to the motion. Unconcerned when Ichigo threateningly raised Tournesol, the hardened Life Fiber blade gleaming with a deep blue shimmer in the moonlight, Yhwach held out an arm before continuing, "They were nothing more than extensions of Alucard's will, their souls twisted until they could no longer be considered Quincy. By devouring their souls, Alucard should have removed their weakness to Life Fiber, allowing their abilities to possess full effectiveness. Destroying them should have required significant effort, comparable to Ryuko Matoi's battle against the first captain of the Gotei 13's Third Division."

A gust of wind whipped through the empty streets, rustling Ichigo's hair as he scowled, "Are you surprised I defeated them?"

"No…I anticipated their destruction. If not by your hands, than either Ryuko Matoi's or Iscariot's."

Yhwach's callous dismissal concerning the fate of his former Sternritter conflicted with the thoughtful frown etched along the contours of his face. Things were starting to make sense to him. From the slightly scuffed appearance of his Kamui to the increased potency of his spiritual energy, it seemed that Ichigo Kurosaki's power had grown considerably throughout his time in London. An evolution no doubt fueled by the teenager's constant interactions with Alucard and the Jahrtausendarmee. Yet the spiritual energy thrumming through Ichigo's Life Fibers did not excuse the abject foolishness of confronting him without first transforming his Kamui into its advanced configuration.

In any other situation, if he weren't feeling quite so magnanimous towards those allied against Life Fibers, he would have used such a lapse in judgment against the youth.

"Do you intend to fight me in your current state, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

It was regrettably clear to the Quincy King from the suffocating silence immediately following his question that the teenager had already made up his mind on the matter, "You do not wish to answer? That is understandable. Such a decision must not have been made lightly…but I must give my thanks for destroying Tubalcain Alhambra and Rip Van Winkle. For it saved me the effort of killing them myself."

"_**He doesn't care about his own soldiers?"**_

Mugetsu was incensed, her Life Fibers bristling in barely restrained anger. She might be a Kamui, her understanding and comprehension of human emotions slightly warped from _not_ being human, but Yhwach's complete lack of empathy greatly disturbed her, _**"Alucard devoured his soldiers and he doesn't even care? There's something seriously wrong with this man, Ichigo."**_

"You never answered my question."

Ichigo mentally noted Mugetsu's worry as he slowly raised Tournesol, "Are you the Quincy's leader?"

"Indeed I am…"

Yhwach's expression twisted into something that only superficially resembled remorse as he explained, "I am indeed the leader of the Jahrtausendarmee or, as you've come to call it, Millennium. The destruction of London, the massacre of its population, was done under my orders. But while I do not take any satisfaction from tonight's events, neither do I feel any remorse. Those that perished were unavoidable casualties, necessary sacrifices to pave a path to the future."

"Necessary?!"

Tournesol trembled within Ichigo's clenched fingers, wisps of sapphire spiritual energy beginning to surround the blade, as he furiously shouted, "How the _hell_ was this necessary?!"

"The answer should be obvious," Yhwach purposely motioned towards the desolate ruins of London, the beginnings of a sadistic smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth, "It was all to free this world from Life Fibers!"

"Mugetsu Zangetsu!"

Amused chuckling pierced through the ensuing silence as the Quincy King fervently watched Ichigo's Kamui transform into its advanced configuration, his once immaculate uniform rustling in the resulting burst of spiritual energy. Yet despite the nauseating sensation prickling at the back of his mind, the nearly tangible power repulsing the surrounding darkness, Yhwach's menacing smirk did not falter, "I see…you've already made up your mind. It is unfortunate that words have failed, for conflict is always such a bitter affair. But tell me, do you believe your current power is enough to defeat me?"

"I know how strong you are…"

Ichigo swept Tournesol through the air as he spoke, the motion kicking up another gust of wind, "And maybe I don't stand a chance of stopping you. But don't you dare tell me all of this was to stop Satsuki's mother! Because from where I'm standing…you're the one that killed millions of people!"

For a brief moment Yhwach's hand instinctively moved towards the weapon sheathed at his waist, the entertaining thought of observing Ichigo Kurosaki's power temporarily crossing his mind, before frowning in disdain when Quilge's spiritual energy vanished. It seemed his time in the World of the Living was reaching its limit, far sooner than he anticipated. With Alucard defeated, the eldritch hold he possessed over London gone, it was only a matter of time before certain parties grew aware of the events that transpired. Yet there was only one being that garnered his attention – Ragyo Kiryuin.

Despite her unyielding devotion to the Original Life Fiber, her every waking moment dedicated to completing the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet, the Quincy King could not overstate the Kiryuin matriarch's intelligence and cunning. No, it would be prudent to return to the Silbern before the Jahrtausendarmee's success in isolating London from the rest of the world finally unraveled. For he did not doubt Ragyo Kiryuin or her assistant were highly interested in the truth behind the night's events.

"That is true."

Ichigo tensed when Yhwach continued reaching towards the sword strapped to his waist. Curling his fingers tightly around Tournesol even after the Quincy King paused and lowered his hand, a contemplative frown slowly replacing the sociopathic smirk, he didn't loosen his grip when the man stoically added, "Over three million souls were erased from existence, destroyed to weaken Alucard's monstrous power. But if you still wish to fight, you should focus your effort upon Ragyo Kiryuin. For it was her desire to feed humanity to Life Fibers that forced my hand."

Clouds of steam erupted from Mugetsu at the Quincy King's cold indifference, her multicolored eyes narrowing furiously as Ichigo shouted, "Don't give me that crap! How does any of this have to do with stopping Satsuki's mother?!"

Yhwach momentarily stared at the teenager, completely unconcerned by the nearly tangible spiritual energy, before calmly answering, "There is no need to tell you. It will all become clear once Montana finishes his mission."

"Montana?"

Spiritual energy pulsed chaotically around Tournesol as Ichigo slid one foot backwards, his brow furrowing at the strange name, "Who are you –"

"_**Be careful, Ichigo!"**_

Mugetsu's warning emerged in the form of a deep, feminine growl as she cut her wearer off mid-sentence, multicolored eyes staring at the Quincy King. Over the last few minutes her Life Fibers had been twitching strangely, an unsettling sensation that reminded the Kamui of Nui Harime's disturbingly cold touch. While the disconcerting sensation rippling through her threads was _nothing_ like the Grand Couturier tracing patterns across her uniform, fingers lightly plucking at her Banshi, it still worried the Kamui, _**"This man defeated Alucard, who overpowered Senketsu and Ryuko even in Senkou. We shouldn't rush into battle without a plan."**_

"Your Kamui is quite intelligent, Ichigo Kurosaki. It would be wise to heed her advice."

Tournesol nearly fell from Ichigo's suddenly numb fingers at the Quincy King's comment, the unadulterated shock almost enough to knock Mugetsu out of Zangetsu. Beads of sweat trickling down his face as he steadied his hands, the normally weightless blade growing increasingly heavy, the teenager stared in disbelief at the Father of the Quincy. The man could _hear_ Mugetsu! He had been able to hear her this entire time! But that was impossible! Ignoring Kon and the other Mod Souls, only Life Fiber Hybrids like Ryuko or his dad should be able to hear Kamui. Yet Yhwach didn't have a single Life Fiber in his body. He was _damn_ sure of that.

What hell was going on?

Snapping back to reality when the shadows behind the Quincy King surged upwards, forming a rapidly solidifying portal composed of darkness, Ichigo gnashed his teeth and sprinted towards Yhwach, "Do you think I'm just going to let you leave?!"

Already halfway through the gateway when the emotional outburst reached his ears, Yhwach briefly paused before looking over his shoulder and asking a single question that stopped Ichigo cold, "Why are you so focused on preventing my departure when Ragyo Kiryuin is moving upon Karakura Town at this very moment?"

"What?!"

Ichigo's breath hitched in his throat, the question coming out as little more than a strangled gasp of air. Satsuki's mother was attacking Karakura Town? Only subconsciously aware of the foreign spiritual energies scattered throughout London rapidly vanishing, disappearing from the World of the Living one after another, Ichigo stiffened in growing shock when the Quincy King turned to leave, imparting one final comment before the darkness swallowed him.

"Farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki. Gather your strength and allies and destroy Ragyo Kiryuin…my lost son born in the dark."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>6:15 AM London Standard Time<p>

The somber atmosphere enveloping Richmond Park grew increasingly thick when several medics disembarked from the helicopter hovering only a few inches above the frost-covered grass, the insignia of the Scottish Ambulance Service visible underneath the aircraft's rapidly spinning rotors. Hurrying across the impromptu airfield towards the field hospital set up on the other side of the tree line, cases of medical supplies held tightly within their arms, none of the trained men and women uttered a single word, their attention focused on assisting those that survived Millennium's unforeseen assault.

And standing at the side of this procession, her gaze focused on the small patch of dirt between her feet, was Ryuko Matoi.

"_**You're thinking about that shinigami again."**_

Ryuko huffed loudly at her Kamui's blunt, but accurate, comment. Folding her arms tightly across Senketsu as she slowly meandered through the recently transformed park, the single highlight of crimson hair falling gently over her eye, she bit the inside of her cheek before snarling, "Yeah…I could have helped Ichigo fight those freaking Quincy if it wasn't for that bitch's pain in the ass bankai!"

"_**You shouldn't blame yourself, Ryuko."**_

Senketsu trailed off as he paused in thought. Although they weren't currently synchronized he could still feel Ryuko's anger and frustration bleeding across their connection. It was a rather unpleasant experience. One that he no longer wished to have, _**"For starters, whenever you are upset your blood develops a bitter aftertaste. It's even worse than when you eat Mrs. Mankanshoku's strange home-made cooking."**_

Her eye twitching at Senketsu's criticism of Mrs. Mankanshoku's Mystery Croquettes, which were far better than any of the crappy food at Honnouji Academy, there was an awkward silence as Ryuko's mind slowly wrapped around _his_ first comment about her blood, "Hey!"

Ignoring the embarrassed outburst from his wearer, Senketsu's neckerchief fluttered lightly as he calmly continued, _**"More importantly, there was no way we could have expected to fight an army of undead Quincy…not to mention Alucard."**_

Ryuko briefly stiffened at her Kamui's answer before relaxing, the frustrated guilt that had been building throughout the night dissipating. Senketsu was right. There was no reason for her to feel guilty, at least about this. Nobody has expected her to fight against both Millennium and the undead bastard's army of familiars. That was freaking insane. Even though she wished she could have done more, like beating the crap out of a Sternritter or two, she still managed to kick a lot of Quincy ass. Not to mention taking down that shinigami bitch even with her stupid bankai. Still…if it wasn't for that bitch she could have helped Ichigo by going straight after the Quincy's boss from the start.

Yawning loudly as exhaustion finally reared its ugly head, Senketsu reciprocating the gesture with the Kamui equivalent, Ryuko rubbed a hand against the back of her neck and lazily grumbled, "You're right, Senketsu. But what the hell was with that undead bastard anyway?"

"_**I don't know."**_

Confusion laced the Kamui's voice as he mulled over the question, his eye glancing sideways before swiveling upwards, _**"It is rather strange he sent his familiars to attack us when we both had a common enemy."**_

"It's because the bastard's a freaking psychopath," Ryuko scoffed derisively, "He tried drinking my blood, remember?"

Senktsu shuddered at the reminder of their ill-fated fight against the vampire, _**"D-Don't remind me of that! I can still taste traces of his disgusting blood in my Life Fibers, Ryuko!"**_

Ryuko's amusement at her Kamui's reaction vanished, dissipating as quickly as it arrived, when two medics marched across her path, a heavily bleeding man lying unconscious on the stretcher. Somberly noticing that the man's right leg was missing below the knee, a not-so-subtle reminder of what the undead bastard did to her own leg, she clenched her hands into fists. Nui Harime and her bitch of a mom might be monsters but this was different. Millions of innocent people were dead because some asshole decided he had nothing better to do.

Millennium was going to pay for this.

"Hey…how are you holding up?"

Ryuko didn't bother turning around at the sound of Ichigo's voice, instead collapsing onto the grass with an exhausted grunt. Propping a hand under her chin as another yawn escaped from her mouth, she sat pensively for several long seconds before replying, "Alright…but Batou told me to 'stay put and not activate Senketsu.' Apparently he thinks walking around in Senketsu will make people nervous, which is a load of crap! They have freaking _vampires_ for crying out loud!"

"_**I don't blame them,"**_ Mugetsu smugly quipped, her condescending tone earning an annoyed growl from Senketsu.

Ichigo barely rolled his eyes when Mugetsu started laughing at Senketsu, the melodious sound causing Ryuko's Kamui to bristle angrily around her body. As the verbal confrontation building between the Kamui abruptly ended when an increasingly annoyed Ryuko pulled Senketsu's lapel, threatening to throw him into a washing machine if he _dared_ trying to jump off her body, Ichigo found his thoughts drifting back to Yhwach's departing comment. There was something familiar about the Quincy King, a sense of nostalgia that didn't make any sense.

"Hey!"

Leaning backwards when Ichigo didn't chastise Mugetsu for starting the fight, an annoyed frown quickly developing at his solemn expression, Ryuko huffed before jabbing her elbow into his leg, "Still thinking about that asshole you fought?"

"It's something he said…"

"Why the hell do you care?!"

Ryuko didn't bother waiting for Ichigo to finish before interrupting him with an angry snort. Easily leaping back onto her feet, arms folded tightly across Senketsu, she spat to the side and scoffed, "I don't know what the bastard said but it's obvious he was lying! He's a Quincy, right? That means he was probably scared of Mugetsu since all of his stupid techniques are crap against us! I bet he was talking of his ass to stop you from attacking before he could run away!"

"_**There was something unsettling about that man,"**_ Mugetsu's eyes narrowed at the recollection of Yhwach's presence, _**"Despite not having a single Life Fiber in his body, he was able to hear my voice."**_

A nervous shiver visibly rippled across Senketsu's uniform, _**"He could hear you? How is that possible?"**_

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted in place of Mugetsu, "But even if he was lying, we can't let Ragyo attack Karakura Town."

Ryuko tightened her grip on Senketsu's sleeves, an irritated growl leaving her throat, at the mention of her 'dear old mom.' Damn it! Even thinking about that rainbow bitch made her want to throw up! There was nothing she wanted more than to use Senketsu's full power to beat the living crap out of Ragyo Kiryuin, to make her pay for everyone she's hurt, but she wasn't stupid enough to think it would be that simple. What happened at Honnouji Academy _personally_ demonstrated her mom's inhuman strength. Ragyo would kick their ass if they didn't have a foolproof plan, something that would have taken the undead bastard by surprise.

But even if she wasn't anywhere close to the bitch's level, it would be a cold day in hell before she let Ragyo Kiryuin feed humanity to Life Fibers!

Nearly gagging on the taste of bile when she remembered that Nui Harime, the psychotic bitch who brutally murdered her dad, was also her sister, Ryuko opened her mouth to address her annoyance only for Senketsu to suddenly shiver in visible disgust. Her eyebrow immediately twitching in mounting irritation when she smelled the familiar bitter odor, she slowly began reaching towards the small pouch on her hip when Aikuro Mikisugi appeared out of nowhere with two cups of freshly brewed coffee in his hands.

"Coffee?"

The nudist commander's smirk slowly faltered, eventually disappearing entirely, at the tense silence that followed his admittedly biased question. Shrugging at the heated glare Ryuko sent his way, his pants somehow unbuckling themselves as he sauntered between the teenagers, Aikuro casually tossed one coffee over his shoulder into a nearby trashcan, "I couldn't help but overhear your private conversation. You took down dozens of Quincy. Not only that, you confronted their leader, which saved thousands of lives."

Ichigo's gaze fell at the comment, "But we didn't save everyone."

An uneasy silence fell over the area before Aikuro sighed, "Details about Anderson's death are still rather…sketchy."

Ryuko found her annoyance for the exhibitionist reaching its breaking point as she stomped forward, fingers tightly gripping the front of the nudist's uniform, "What the hell do you mean sketchy?"

"The only ones who know what happened to Anderson are Iscariot…"

It was thanks to years of experience in the art of nudity and stripping that Aikuro managed to effortlessly free himself from Ryuko's supernaturally strong grip, the only casualty of his escape being the bulletproof vest in the bewildered teenager's hand. Taking a cautionary step backwards as Ryuko glanced around in confusion, the nudist commander subtly adjusted his uniform before continuing, "…and they're not exactly talking. But that trigger-happy paladin pacing outside the medical pavilion _did_ ask to see you, Ryuko."

Pulling the Scissor Blade from her pocket, the crimson weapon expanding to its full size in just under a second, Ryuko sneered as she pointed the blade at the nudist's crotch. She had a pretty good idea what Iscariot wanted, but that didn't mean she liked it, "Why the hell would she want to see me?"

"I can't really say…"

Aikuro smirked mysteriously as he sidestepped the Scissor Blade, one hand held flamboyantly on his waist, "But since you seem to already know her, it could be a golden opportunity to find out how Anderson died."

The Scissor Blade momentarily inched closer to the nudist commander's crotch, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead at Ryuko's annoyed grimace. Subtly expressing his relief when she reluctantly lowered her arm, the hardened Life Fiber weapon spinning around her wrist before coming to rest upon her shoulder, Aikuro pretended not to listen when Ryuko leaned towards Ichigo and whispered, "Keep an eye on the exhibitionist. It's time I got some answers without fighting a freaking vampire at the same time!"

With a defiant huff Ryuko marched around the nudist commander, her eyes narrowing with renewed determination as walked towards the field hospital across the park. Sipping at his coffee as he watched the teenager leave, the top button of his shirt miraculously popping open with a brief shimmer of purple light, Aikuro turned to Ichigo and asked, "Surprised I'm still wearing clothes?"

"Somewhat," Ichigo sarcastically muttered, refusing to look at the nudist commander.

"Contrary to popular belief I have a very good memory," Aikuro suavely admitted, the purple light above his nipples dimming as he ran a gloved hand through his hair, "For example, I still remember your threat from the last time I tried exposing my nude glory in front of your impressionable eyes."

Ichigo's eyebrow momentarily twitched at the nudist's shameless admission, an expression perfectly mimicked by his Kamui, before he decided to quickly change the subject, "By the way…didn't Batou manage to capture one of the Quincy?"

"Worried he might escape?"

Aikuro smirked at Ichigo's concern, which garnered an annoyed scowl from the teenager, "Let's just say we've taken every possible precaution to make sure our special guest remains safe until we get back to Osaka. And just to cover our bases, Miss Victoria is standing guard outside his cell. We wouldn't want any of his friends staging a breakout now, would we?"

There was also the Doktor's sheer, unadulterated terror when Seras Victoria walked into the repurposed police station. Watching the Quincy break down into a nervous fit, especially after Batou told the vampire what he found in the man's laboratory, had been very insightful into the inner workings of Millennium.

"You know, Ichigo…"

Muted purple light shone from the nudist commander's crotch and nipples as he stared off into the pre-dawn twilight, "Thanks to Ragyo Kiryuin's announcement at the Great Culture and Sports Festival, Miss Satsuki never managed to finalize my termination papers. That means I'm technically still your homeroom teacher."

"_**Ichigo, he's starting to strip again,"**_ Mugetsu lightly growled, her multicolored eyes narrowing when Aikuro's hands began moving towards his pants.

"Which is how I can tell your battle against the Quincy's enigmatic leader didn't go as expected…"

The sudden change in Aikuro's personality, the shift from flamboyant exhibitionist to serious nudist, caught both Ichigo and his Kamui off guard. One hand propped on his waist as he turned back towards the teenager, the nudist commander scratched his chin before adding, "And from Mugetsu's glowing disposition it appears even her power has its limits. It's quite troubling to think a Quincy possesses the ability to overpower a Kamui…"

"_**Did he just call me inadequate?"**_

Ichigo tuned out Mugetsu's bristling annoyance at the perceived insult as he stared at the ground, his brow furrowing slightly, "He left before I had a chance to stop him."

Worried concern flashed across the nudist commander's expression. Thanks to Integra Hellsing's confrontation with the Major earlier in the night, they understood Millennium's goal with disturbing clarity. Knowing that the enigmatic and, quite frankly, insane leader of the Quincy not only personally ordered millions of innocent people murdered with the purpose of drawing Ragyo Kiryuin out of Honnouji Academy but was also strong enough to defeat Alucard sent a cold shiver racing down his spine. Whatever the Quincy were _truly_ planning could not be good. If his phone hadn't been reduced to scrap metal after the Sternritter destroyed the DTR Model Ray he would have already informed Oliver of the dire situation.

Luckily Batou didn't have that problem.

Smoothing out a strand of unruly blue hair as two more buttons on his shirt spontaneously unfastened themselves, the subsequent eruption of purple light earning an annoyed murmur from both Ichigo and Mugetsu, Aikuro abruptly stiffened when he became aware of a new presence. The scent of imported tobacco growing thicker as a feminine hand tightly gripped his shoulder, the digits squeezing the muscles like a vice, the nudist commander swallowed the nervous lump in his throat when an aristocratic voice directly addressed him.

"I've been looking for you, Mister Mikisugi…"

It took Aikuro's well-trained mind just over a second to effectively weigh all of his options. Escaping from Integra Hellsing's hold in a burst of motion that even Mugetsu had trouble following, which also had the unfortunate side effect of leaving him completely naked from the waist up, the nudist took a moment to analyze the rapidly deteriorating situation before coming to the obvious conclusion. The woman was _still_ mad at him.

"Rest assured, Nudist Beach shall pay to remove the burning wreckage of the DTR Model Ray from your front lawn…and fix your rose garden."

Chuckling nervously when he noticed Integra's furious expression, the cigar held tightly between her clenched teeth visibly tearing, he raised his hands defensively and added, "If this is about your helicopter…let me just say I'm a certified pilot with years of experience! And while I _did_ technically steal your helicopter, it was only to make sure proper medical help reached the surviving Wild Geese!"

"The rotorcraft you 'borrowed' had custom-made, Italian leather upholstery. Its controls and cockpit were designed specifically for my height and build. Not even Walter could fly it without difficulty. Only _one_ was ever produced…"

Integra calmly removed the cigar from her mouth as she marched towards the nudist, "So pray tell, _why_ did you pilot it NAKED?!"

"_**Ha!"**_

Mugetsu laughed, her threads rippling contently, as she watched the nudist commander stammer out several excuses, each failing to dissuade Integra Hellsing from potentially beating him to within an inch of his life. It was such a _shame_ Senketsu wasn't here to see this. Therefore, as the better Kamui, it was her sacred duty to inform him of this delightful event with as much detail as possible.

Her multicolored eyes carefully tracking Aikuro as he continued backpedalling away from the irate woman, beads of nervous sweat dripping down his face, Mugetsu gave the Kamui equivalent of a smirk before asking, _**"Ichigo, do you think she'll make him stop stripping?"**_

It took Ichigo roughly a second to think about the question before responding in a deadpan manner, "I doubt it. The guy's going to keep stripping until the day he dies."

"I guess she managed to track him down, after all. Gee, that's a crying shame…"

The familiar baritone voice caused Ichigo to look over his shoulder as Batou leisurely emerged from the nearby shadows, gravel and dirt crunching softly beneath his boots. Watching the shameless display of faux cowardice from his fellow nudist with a mixture of exasperation and embarrassment, Batou eventually sighed in annoyance before rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had known the moment Integra Hellsing asked about Aikuro, the anger visible on her face, what the bastard pulled off. And he couldn't exactly blame her reaction, which was part of the reason he'd so helpfully pointed out the idiot's location. For once he was content with letting Aikuro suffer the consequences of walking around naked in public.

It was just a crying shame there were far more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.

Coughing loudly just as Integra's building frustration with the half-naked nudist reached the tipping point, Batou reached into his pocket before frowning, "You can kick Aikuro's ass later. Right now we've got a major problem – Osaka's gone dark."

Aikuro's nervous posture immediately vanished at the unexpected news, "That's troubling. What about Karakura Town, Kobe or Kyoto?"

Batou grimaced at the question as he pulled out his cell phone and tossed it to Aikuro, "I managed to contact Berlin and Paris after dropping off our special guest. They've been trying to get in touch with headquarters for the last three hours. Only every nudist base across the island has gone completely silent."

"The lights are on yet nobody's home, huh?" Aikuro grimly muttered, a perturbed expression crossing his features at the implications, "A total communications blackout timed almost perfectly with Millennium's attack. Only one person on the planet possesses the resources to pull off something of this magnitude is such a short period of time."

Ichigo frowned at the obvious answer, "Ragyo Kiryuin."

"Then I suppose you should make haste for Japan without any further delay."

There was an almost habitual display of motion as the leader of the Hellsing Organization placed the frayed remains of the cigar between her teeth. Her overcoat billowing ominously in the early dawn as the familiar taste of tobacco filled her mouth, the aroma helping to soothe her agitated nerves, Integra inhaled deeply before explaining, "After speaking with that despicable Quincy I realized leaving anything to chance when it came to Ragyo Kiryuin was suicidal. As we speak, a military aircraft is refueling at RAF Northolt. Sir Hugh Irons has also prepared a helicopter to transport you to the airfield once you've secured your guest. With any luck, you should arrive in Japan in approximately fifteen –"

"You think you're the only ones that want Ragyo Kiryuin dead?"

The heavily accented voice rudely interrupted the rest of Integra's explanation as Heinkel Wolfe came marching from the direction of the field hospital. Her tattered cassock billowing with every purposeful step, exposing the tightly wrapped bandages around her mostly regenerated chest, the paladin sneered irritably before reaching out and rudely pushing Batou to the side. Straw-blonde hair lightly rustling in the predawn breeze as she stomped to a halt in front of Integra, the large differences in their respective heights apparent, Heinkel's burnt hand sporadically twitched, "She is an inhuman monster! An abomination that needs to be destroyed, her black soul chained to the deepest depths of Hell for all eternity! I will not let _verdammt_ Life Fibers devour humanity like it's a stuck pig!"

With a calmness befitting a woman of her social standing, Integra patiently listened to Heinkel before removing the cigar from her mouth and sardonically responding, "Very well…I have no objections to your decision. However, I presume there will be no further altercations between our organizations until both Ragyo Kiryuin and Revocs are dealt with?"

An indignant scoff escaped the paladin's mouth at the rhetorical question, "Ragyo Kiryuin has seized full control over the Vatican, her insidious threads turning His Holiness into her damn puppet! Everything Anderson tried to prevent thirteen years ago has come to pass. So right now I don't _care_ if you're Protestant. Because if you can guarantee that abomination will die, her bleeding corpse strewn across the earth, than I'll gladly fight at your side."

"Fair enough."

Integra gave the paladin a humorless smirk, her tone unfaltering, as Ryuko Matoi marched into view out of the corner of her eyes, the teenager's scowling expression betraying a wide variety of emotions. Crushing the half-smoked cigar between her fingers, wisps of smoke briefly curling through the air, she waited long enough for Ryuko to join them before turning to Batou, "Given both the severity of the situation and the danger posed by your prisoner, I have ordered Seras to accompany you to Japan. I hope that won't be an issue."

"Nah," the nudist commander's scowl briefly lessened as he folded his arms and grunted, "In fact, it would probably make things a hell of a lot easier for us. I know Olivier will chew me out for saying this, but I'll sleep better knowing there's a nearly immortal vampire on our side when we storm Honnouji Academy."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?"

Ryuko's mounting annoyance at the situation was made apparent as she cracked the knuckles on her right hand, the corners of her mouth curled into a vicious smirk. As faint traces of autumnal sunlight shimmered over the horizon to the east, the early dawn casting the destruction wrought by the Quincy in an entirely new light, she glowered sourly and added, "It's about time I had a little chat with 'dear old mom.'"

"_**Yes, I believe we've overstayed our welcome, Ryuko,"**_ Senketsu's single eye twitched, focusing on Heinkel for a few seconds before swiveling upwards, _**"Hopefully Ragyo Kiryuin will be defeated by the time we get back. All this fighting has really tired out my threads. I could use a good ironing."**_

"_**Is getting ironed all you can think about?"**_ Mugetsu rolled her eyes, a difficult feat for a Kamui, at Senketsu's utterly selfish behavior. The fate of the world was at stake, hundreds of humans would probably die, and all he could think about was getting ironed? The nerve! Of course…she wouldn't mind if Ichigo hand washed her on the trip back, hopefully using that special brand of detergent.

But unlike her fellow Kamui, she would _never_ dare say that out loud.

Senketsu bristled angrily at Mugetsu's smug expression, _**"At least I –"**_

A familiar, although annoying, ringtone rudely interrupted the Kamui before he managed to finish his admittedly brilliant retort. Growling slightly under his non-existent breath at the incessantly repeating song, Senketsu's first reaction was to stare angrily at Aikuro Mikisugi. After all, he was the only one that had a cell phone in their hands. However, it didn't take long for the Kamui to realize the ringtone was coming from his _left_, where he saw Ichigo rummaging through Mugetsu's pockets in search of his own cell phone. An embarrassed look on his face when he finally pulled out the device, which had miraculously survived the night with little more than a cracked casing, the teenager's eyes widened in muted astonishment at the number displayed prominently across the screen.

"Yoruichi?"

Batou's already troubled expression soured when Ichigo placed the phone against his ear. Something didn't feel right about this. How the hell could Yoruichi have bypassed whatever trick Ragyo used to cut off Japan from the rest of the world? It would take someone smarter than Satsuki's hacker friend to…

God damn it.

The only bastard smart enough to pull off a stunt like this, yet not tell anyone until the last second, was Kisuke Urahara. Massaging the bridge of his nose while making a mental note to have a heart-to-heart chat with the 'retired' shinigami when they got back to Karakura Town, Batou stiffened when Ichigo suddenly stammered.

"What."

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><p><strong>Kamui Tales #32 – The Incredulous Skeptic<strong>

"I swear that's what happened!"

Integra Hellsing arched a single eyebrow, her expression stoic and unchanging, as she stared incredulously at the slightly nervous nudist soldier standing at attention. Briefly glancing over her shoulder at Batou, the nudist commander busy directing soldiers halfway across the clearing, she took a deep drag from her cigar before asking in the most deadpan voice she could muster, "Really?"

A single bead of sweat slowly trickled down the man's cheek at the piercing stare, "Yes, ma'am!"

Calmly removing the cigar from her mouth, faint wisps of smoke drifting lazily through the air, Integra closed her eyes and took a moment to compose her thoughts, "You mean to tell me that Sir Penwood, one of my most trusted associates and my late father's closest friend, cut a swathe of destruction through Millennium's forces with his _bare_ hands?"

"Don't forget about the taxi!" A member of the SAS randomly quipped from the other side of the clearing, earning a scathing glare from Batou.

The leader of the Hellsing Organization listened in growing irritation when the nudist soldier explained for the third time the sequence of events that transpired during their retreat out of the city. How they'd been running through the corpse-choked back alleys only for a Quincy to suddenly crash through the buildings in front of them. That Sir Penwood had calmly strolled through the cloud of dust and smoke, his suit impeccable, while fixing the cuff of his sleeve. And yes, how the apparently nervous wreck of a man had reached out and picked up an automobile and thrown it at a group of Quincy.

An angry snort left the woman's mouth at the mental image.

"What you just described is, quite frankly, impossible," Integra snapped, her patience reaching its rather short end, "I've known Sir Penwood since I was a girl. The man helped raise me after my father's untimely death. I would have _known_ if he was capable of the supernatural feats you've described! For God's sake…_Alucard_ would have at least mentioned if the man possessed any type of extraordinary power!"

For a moment there was utter silence, the nudist refusing to look away, before he answered, "He did bring up the vampire."

Judging by the slight tensing of her jaw, which nearly snapped her second cigar in half, Integra hadn't been expecting _that_ answer, "Sir Penwood has known Alucard since the Second World War. I fail to see how it's relevant to the matter at hand."

"Upon dealing with the last of the Quincy, which involved snapping their weapons with his bare hands, Sir Penwood engaged Commander Batou in conversation," the nudist coughed to dislodge the nervous lump in his throat, a byproduct of Integra Hellsing's stern gaze, and motioned to the gray haired nudist, "During this time, he casually mentioned Alucard."

Integra narrowed her eyes at the statement, "What were his exact words?"

Flinching under the intense glare, the nudist soldier hesitantly answered, "I cannot recall the exact phrasing but the context involved the vampire's inability to solve anything without his help."

It was only due to her extreme patience that Integra did not express her annoyance about the ludicrous story in the most direct way possible. While the likelihood that both Nudist Beach and the SAS were lying right to her face were low, especially in the aftermath of a gruesome massacre that left three million dead, she refused to even consider the notion that Sir Penwood was capable of fighting off a Sternritter using nothing more than his bare hands and a dented manhole cover. Especially considering the Sternritter was the same Quincy who gave Ryuko Matoi some difficulty.

"Richards! Don't forget to tell her how the guy – "

A loud smack echoed throughout the clearing when Batou slapped the SAS member on the back of the head hard enough to cut him off midsentence, "Give it a rest! It's not like she's going to believe anything you say! Even if it is true, we have no goddamn evidence. But jeez…that guy could throw one hell of a punch…"

"I managed to take a picture, sir."

All eyes turned onto the nudist in front of Integra as he reached into his vest and pulled out his phone, "I noticed Ryuko Matoi leave her phone in the safe house after she departed to fight the Quincy. I thought it best to hold onto it until I could return it to her."

Integra's eye twitched for the briefest of moments, her lips quivering in building irritation at the nonsense surrounding her, when the nudist reached into his pocket and began looking through the images on Ryuko Matoi's phone for the mysterious photograph. Grabbing the device once the nudist apparently found what he was looking for, her finger posed over the screen, she stared at the high-definition image and frowned.

It was blurry…_of course_.

Yet she had to give them proper credit. Despite the suspicious blurriness, the individual displayed prominently in the image _did_ resemble Sir Penwood to a remarkable degree. But she still doubted their claims. For instance, Sir Penwood certainly did not possess a body that well sculpted or muscular. Nor could he overpower the same Sternritter that captured Walter and fought off Ryuko Matoi using nothing more than standard grappling techniques. It was insanity.

"A single blurry image proves nothing," Integra scoffed, turning the full focus of her ire upon Batou, "But from the evidence you've put forth it appears that Sir Penwood managed to survive the nigh, a rather miraculous feat. So…where is he? Surely contacting him will settle this annoying little matter?"

"I don't know," Batou shrugged, allowing the woman's glare to wash harmlessly off his body. He'd seen Olivier angrier whenever Alex accidentally ate her lunch, "The guy left after punching the Quincy halfway across London. Said something about dealing with his annoying son…"

Integra found that statement to be strange. Sir Penwood only had a single child and he was identical to his father in nearly every way imaginable, including a meek temperament. He was also studying in Spain at the moment, which raised several questions. If Sir Penwood was indeed in possession of supernatural powers, including the ability to easily overpower a Sternritter with nothing more than his bare hands, what else had he been hiding?

Across time and space, in a dimension hidden within the Soul Society, Yhwach's face flinched for the briefest of moments.


	52. Chapter 52: You Make Me Feel Brand New

_It's been a while since I managed to upload two chapters less than a month apart but Chapter 52 was just so easy to write. And with the Hellsing Arc reaching its conclusion back in Chapter 51, the various actors and characters recovering from the Battle of London, I'm pleased to announce (and give up) the first chapter of the Karakura Assault Arc, which returns exclusively to Bleach and Kill la Kill. And while there might be a few mentions of Hellsing, either by characters talking about Integra or Alucard, none of them will actually appear in the arc.  
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_I hope you enjoy the chapter. And be sure to check out the story's tvtropes page. it has a lot of stuff you might have missed while reading the story._

_Also, I feel the need to mention that the poll between Satsuki and Ryuko is basically tied.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 52 – You Make Me Feel Brand New <strong>

November 9th, 2002 – 10:50 AM JST [2:50 AM GMT]

"Are you telling me the shipment never arrived?"

Ragyo Kiryuin halfheartedly listened to the middle manager stammer relentlessly over the phone. Strumming her fingers against the desk when the man fervently shifted the blame for the shipment's loss onto Nudist Beach's shoulders, the cacophony of colors radiating from her silver hair permeating every shadow of the former Student Council chambers, her mood quickly soured when he mentioned the destruction of her COVERS.

"Well then…you can expect tighter security for the next delivery."

A cold smirk danced across the Kiryuin matriarch's lips at the middle manager's relieved sigh. What a foolish reaction. Did he honestly believe she'd simply let things slide? The man wouldn't survive another week for his failure to stop Nudist Beach, that was certain, but his usefulness was not yet at an end. She still needed to understand how her former husband's organization managed to acquire her company's shipping manifest.

"However, your doubt concerning my COVERS suggests the problem is far greater than you've reported."

She heard the man's breath hitch in his throat at her offhanded comment, an expression of pure terror that brought a smile to her face, "It would be troublesome to send Xcution out to deal with such a minor problem…especially after Miss Tristan's murder at the hands of these naked pigs. But perhaps you have a point. Nudist Beach must suffer the consequences of continuously disrupting the European market. You can expect Miss Partas to arrive within twenty-four hours to ensure the shipments are properly delivered across France."

The middle manager's pathetic stammering intensified at the mention of her employee. Tapping one finger rhythmically against the desk as she patiently listened to his faux confident pleas that such drastic measures weren't needed, that his forces were more than enough to prevent any further assaults, Ragyo narrowed her maroon eyes and smirked, "Bien sûr…but please inform me once the next shipment arrives in Paris."

Snapping the phone shut on her soon-to-be terminated employee before he could respond with more of his annoying drivel, Ragyo turned towards the windows overlooking Honnouji Academy's barren courtyard and stared at the recently constructed satellite transmitter. As several COVERS floated across her field of view, tendrils of Life Fibers trailing lazily from their collars and sleeves, she stopped strumming her fingers and sighed. Nudist Beach was becoming far more of an annoyance that initially anticipated. She'd assumed her husband's audaciously named organization would focus their efforts on the COVERS slowly pushing southward. Yet that had not been the case. And she could trace the source of her woes back to Olivier Mira Armstrong.

She _should_ have searched for the woman's body after dealing with Genesis…

Her former employee had been quite busy these last seventeen years. Ragyo couldn't help but reluctantly concede that Olivier had done quite well in taking over Souichiro's pathetic organization. Turning what would have most likely been a mockery of an army more focused on fighting naked instead of destroying Life Fibers into a reasonable threat was quite the feat, an accomplishment worthy of the Armstrong name. But what truly garnered her attention was the presence of a _fourth_ Kamui.

Danketsu.

The Kamui's magnificent name sent a shiver racing down her spine. She had known about Danketsu and its wearer for quite some time, despite her foolish daughter's valiant attempts to keep the information under wraps. At first she assumed the Kamui was nothing more than a cheap knockoff, a mockery woven by her treacherous husband using a small sample of Junketsu's Life Fibers. It was a belief that had been bolstered in the aftermath of Nui's mission to Rio de Janeiro, where her clone observed the Kamui's advanced configuration was nearly identical in appearance. Yet that changed when dearest Nui excitedly announced how the woman – the same woman that coward failed to capture in Seattle – was a Life Fiber Hybrid.

While she needed to reprimand Yuu for leaving something so important out of his report, such a revelation certainly explained how the woman survived his trap. To think yet another Life Fiber Hybrid existed upon this pathetic planet. One unrelated to either Isshin or herself. It was miraculous, a quirk of fate she could play to her advantage. And if dearest Nui was correct, this woman's, Kinue Kinagase, Life Fibers were quite powerful, which could potentially cause issues down the line. But the presence of another hybrid did not compare to the problem currently occupying her every waking moment.

Isshin.

After twenty-two years that man know how to both infuriate and infatuate her. It was thanks to that lovable oaf that Souichiro even managed to weave Danketsu in the first place. Her former husband was a pathetic man, a parasite possessing only a modicum of talent. All of his creations – Senketsu, Danketsu, the Scissor Blade and Anti-Life Fiber weaponry – were nothing more than cheap copies of _her_ inventions. But that didn't bother her. No, what truly bothered her, what caused the rainbow light shining throughout the office to dim, was that Isshin knew everything about the Original Life Fiber's glorious plans and yet he _denied_ it. Every step of the way he's fought against the Life Fibers, from kidnapping dearest Amu to hiding Souichiro and Ryuko.

And during the Great Culture and Sports Festival he had the _audacity_ to lay a hand on her.

But, even so, she couldn't help but love the man.

Despite his childish but annoying rebellion against Life Fibers, things would be truly _boring_ without Isshin's charming personality. He was the only man worthy of her affection. For there was no other soul worthy of the Original Life Fiber's gift, to travel eternally at her side throughout the heavens once humanity succumbed to its inevitable fate.

La vie est drôle…

Ragyo was torn from her swirling thoughts when the wooden doors on the far side of the office creaked open, her maroon eyes swiveling sideways as Rei Hououmaru appeared in the doorway. Subtly adjusting her aviator sunglasses as she crossed the expansive room, her heels clicking softly with every step, the Revocs secretary bowed profusely before addressing her boss, "I presume your business call with the Paris office went as expected?"

"Paris is most definitely a lost cause at this point," Ragyo tensely conceded, her finger traced a pattern against the desk, "Souichiro's organization will undoubtedly interfere if we sent another shipment to the city, which impacts our market saturation across Western Europe. For the time being we'll refocus our efforts upon the African market. Oh, and please be sure to fire the manager who allowed this atrocity to happen."

Hououmaru stiffened as she pulled a PDA from her breast pocket, "I shall begin preparations right away. However, something has come up that requires your immediate attention."

A single silver eyebrow quirked at her secretary's remark, "Oh?"

"Ten minutes ago we received a heavily encrypted package of data," Hououmaru swiped her fingers across the PDA's screen before continuing, "According to the information, at this very moment the Quincy organization known as 'Millennium' are launching a major assault on London and the surrounding boroughs.

Ragyo nearly laughed at the irony, an amused smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. London, the bastion of the organization that managed to keep the embargo on her company in place, was under attack from those pathetic rats scurrying in the shadows. Dearest Nui's report had been most enlightening. Her mannerisms aside, it had been quite interesting to hear that Millennium and those Quincy from the Great Culture and Sports Festival were one and the same. Yet that didn't make the slightest difference in the end. If these Quincy couldn't defeat a single member of Xcution without assistance from Nudist Beach or her daughters, than what threat could they pose against her?

After all, none of them possessed the same power as _that woman_.

Maroon eyes narrowed fractionally as she perished the thought from her mind, "Is there anything else, Hououmaru? Foolish as they may be, I hardly think these Quincy would simply waltz into London with a creature like Alucard waiting for them."

"Satellite imagery detected several aircraft heading towards London," Hououmaru brought up an image on her PDA, "They should reach the city in just over ten minutes."

Ragyo sighed, an annoyed frown gracing her features as she glanced towards the computer on the desk. It appeared she _vastly_ overestimated the intelligence of these Quincy. Directly attacking London and earning the full and undivided attention of Alucard was something even she wasn't keen on doing. The vampire was a mystery, a creature that defied logic and caused her a small amount of grief. But she was content to leave London, and by proxy Great Britain, alone if it meant not having to deal with Alucard, especially after witnessing his sealed power.

Tapping a perfectly manicured finger against the desk as she glanced toward the computer, a detailed image of Shinra Koketsu displayed on the screen beneath scrolling lines of data, she mused thoughtfully before shrugging, "It's tragic that Isshin's actions prevent me from leaving Honnouji Academy. I would have loved to watch Ryuko and Ichigo eviscerate the Quincy down to the last man."

"There's one last thing you should know, Ma'am."

The excitement tainting Hououmaru's voice piqued Ragyo's interest, "It seems Millennium's objective is to destroy Alucard – which will involve slaughtering the entire population of London."

"A rather laudable goal."

The deaths of a few million people did not bother the Kiryuin matriarch. She had already written Great Britain off as a lost cause, the entire country firmly under the control of Nudist Beach and the Hellsing Organization. And with a monster like Alucard, regaining any semblance of control over the English market would have been nearly impossible. Which is why she couldn't help but thank Millennium.

London's destruction would undoubtedly create a humanitarian crisis of global proportions. Millions of people will require essential supplies to survive the winter, things like shelter, food and _clothing_. Nobody would find it suspicious if Revocs, the largest and most successful attire conglomerate in the world, donated thousands upon thousands of outfits. After all, she was the magnanimous CEO of Revocs, a philanthropist in the eyes of the pigs in human clothing. Not even Alucard would dare interfere in –

Ragyo stiffened, an expression of dawning realization slowly crossing her face, before she coldly asked, "Everyone, you say?"

Hououmaru smirked while subtly adjusting her sunglasses, "All three million residents, Ma'am."

Melodious laughter slowly filled the Kiryuin matriarch's office as she absorbed the true meaning of Hououmaru's answer, the corners of her mouth sadistically twisting upwards. As rainbow light burst forth, covering the room in a brilliant cacophony of colors, Ragyo's laughter continued growing in volume until it could be heard even within the deepest bowels of Honnouji Academy.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>A thunderous clash exploded across Tsubakidai Park as Ira Gamagori stumbled backwards, arcs of electricity crackling around his Shackle Regalia Mark II. Grunting in determination as he planted an armored foot deeply into the ground to arrest his momentum, the former Disciplinary Committee Chair of Honnouji Academy paid no heed to the disturbing glowing cracks slowly spreading across his Goku Uniform. Failure was not an option! Not when everything was on the line! He couldn't allow himself to stagger, to fall upon his knees at this critical moment!<p>

"Your strength remains as impressive as ever."

Admiration filled Gamagori's voice as the faceplate of his Shackle Regalia slid upwards with a hiss of pressurized air, exposing his smirking features, "But it will take more than that to defeat me, Yasutora Sado!"

Chad quietly grunted in acknowledgement of the Elite Four's compliment as he relaxed his stance, wisps of blue spiritual energy rising from the dual-colored shield extending nearly halfway up his right arm. Flexing his armored fingers, the slight tingling sensation from Gamagori's attack already beginning to fade, he answered, "…thanks. You've gotten better as well."

His brown hair shifting lightly in the autumn wind blowing gently through the park, Chad frowned pensively without saying another word as he considered what Gamagori was _truly_ asking. But despite agreeing to the pre-determined rules of their match, which had for some reason involved signing release forms, he was still reluctant to unleash Brazo Izquierda del Diablo's full power against the former member of the Elite Four.

Which was a problem at the moment.

After more than half a dozen similar matches, all of which eventually ended with Gamagori's Shackle Regalia torn to shreds, Chad felt like he understood the teenager far better than most people. Gamagori was stubborn to a fault. Even if he destroyed his Goku Uniform, Chad knew the teenager would continue fighting until he was either knocked unconscious or Satsuki Kiryuin ordered him to stand down. And that was something he couldn't help but respect. The former Disciplinary Committee Chair might be slightly…loud…but he was just that kind of guy, willing to lay his life on the line for a friend. And while he was fairly certain Gamagori saw himself more as Satsuki Kiryuin's right-hand man instead of her friend, it was still petty much the same thing.

"You want me to hit you as hard as I can, right?"

Chad's question sounded more like a statement as the stoic teenager raised his right arm, spiritual energy enveloping the transformed limb, "…but my answer hasn't changed since the last time you asked. Sorry."

"You DARE go easy on me?!"

Scintillating bolts of purple and green electricity exploded from Gamagori's Goku Uniform at the audacity of his opponent. He was Lady Satsuki's impenetrable shield! There was no attack in all of creation he would not weather to protect her! His faceplate snapping back into place as he stomped forward, the impact of his steps shaking the ground, Gamagori held out his arms and loudly shouted, "While reluctance to harm one's allies is very admirable, do not forget the rules of this match! You signed an agreement _in writing_ to use everything at your disposal! If you attempt to renege on your promise, to go back on your WORD, I will not hesitate to discipline you using the full power of my Shackle Regalia!"

Chad spent almost a minute quietly weighing his options before eventually coming to a decision. Extending his left arm, liquid metal flowing down the limb and coalescing into white and red armor, he flexed his fingers before answering, "Alright…but I don't want to destroy your Goku Uniform again. Your friend was rather…scary…after last time."

"Excellent! I'm glad you've realized the error of your ways!"

Arcs of crackling electricity scorched the surrounding landscape as Gamagori rushed towards Chad, one fist cocked over his shoulder, "But do not think the outcome of our battle will be the same as last time, Yasutora Sado! Now prepare yourself! Shackling Punch!"

"Look at those two idiots go…"

Nonon Jakuzure murmured irritably under her breath when the two idiots resumed beating the crap out of each other. Why the hell did she leave the warm comfort of her apartment to watch the toad get his Goku Uniform destroyed for the sixth time? Oh, that's right. Satsuki wanted to observe Gamagori's fight against Strawberry's friend and she just couldn't allow her best friend to go alone. Tucking her hands deeper into the pockets of her bright pink jacket to stave off the bitter cold, her cheeks flushed red, Nonon grumbled in annoyance when Gamagori slammed his fist against Chad's transformed right arm.

"How surprising. The toad is quoting his stupid rules even when he's completed pissed off…"

"You are mistaken, Jakuzure."

The absolute certainty permeating every word of the short answer easily overwhelmed the vibrant display of clashing spiritual energies, the cacophony of harsh and conflicting sounds subsumed beneath the far more noble response. Adjusting the collar of her white jacket, fully unzipped to allow Junketsu the freedom to gaze upon the world, Satsuki Kiryuin's voice remained perfectly calm when she continued, "Gamagori possesses no animosity towards Yasutora Sado for his past defeats."

Nonon frowned in confusion but an annoying voice rudely interrupted her before she could speak, "Lady Satsuki's right."

The golden bandana covering Uzu Sanageyama's sewn eyes fluttered softly in the wind as the kendo master observed the friendly sparring match taking place fifty two feet and seven inches away, pulses of what he now recognized to be spiritual energy painting an extraordinarily vivid picture of Gamagori's fight with Yasutora Sado. It was still strange to consider that his Shingantsu, which he had sacrificed so much for, had been incomplete, unable to sense the supernatural energy known as spiritual energy. At first he found such assumptions insulting. But after getting his ass handed to him several times a week by Yoruichi Shihoin, a cocky smirk on the shinigami's face while she ran circles around his Blade Regalia Mark III, Sanageyama conceded that maybe she had a point.

"Gamagori's tougher than Chad," the former Athletic Committee Chair explained, smirking when he sensed the approving nod from Lady Satsuki, "But all of his techniques are slow and easy to dodge. And that's ignoring the lack of anger or frustration in his muscles. Heh…smooth. So that's what he's trying to do."

Nonon snapped her head towards the blind kendo master at his enigmatic answer, "What? What is the toad trying to do?"

"Gamagori has recognized the difference between power and experience."

Satsuki's heels clacked softly against the ground as she calmly answered Nonon's question, her piercing blue eyes completely focused on the high-intensity battle between Gamagori and Ichigo's friend. Ignoring the powerful bursts of electricity arcing through the air as the two combatants fought for dominance, the slightest hint of red spreading across her cheeks, the former Kiryuin heiress stood tall before continuing, "You should already know, Jakuzure, that simply possessing power greater than your opponent's does not guarantee victory if you lack the necessary experience to properly wield it. For in a battle between two warriors of comparable strength and speed it will be the more experienced fighter who will emerge victorious. My defeat against Ichigo is testament to that notion. And when facing a monster like my mother, who possesses both power and experience in abundance, such a noticeable weakness will only result in your death."

Reaching towards the auburn Scissor Blade strapped against her back, the hardened Life Fiber weapon unable to collapse to a more manageable size, Satsuki curled her fingers around the curved handle, "It was not until the Great Culture and Sports Festival, when my mother finally dispensed with her mockery of civility, that you experienced what it truly means to fight to survive, to use all of the power at your disposal against opponents fully intent on taking your life. For make no mistake. If events had proceeded upon a different path Xcution would have killed you without the slightest hint of regret. Such is their unholy and barbaric dedication to Ragyo Kiryuin."

"And that's why Lady Satsuki wants us to train against Ichigo's friends."

Sanageyama folded his arms and smirked when another burst of spiritual energy washed over his body, "Ichigo's fought against some pretty nasty characters…Hollows, arrancar and even a few shinigami. Heh…I'm actually envious of the guy. Fighting through alternate dimensions to save the world from psychopaths sounds like a lot of fun. But if there's anyone that can help Gamagori, it's going to be Chad."

"Jeez…that _almost_ sounded profound, monkey," Nonon smirked when Sanageyama's expression didn't change for several seconds, which was the length of time it took him to realize she was being entirely sarcastic. Mockingly waving her baton through the air, a snarky grin plastered across her face, she waited until he _just_ began reacting before adding, "And give it a rest with the sagely advice, would you? We all know you're counting down the hours until you can fight that annoying woman again!"

"Yoruichi's brutal training helped expand the range of my Shingantsu," Sanageyama impatiently tapped a foot against the ground, the bandana wrapped over his eyes shifting with his expression. He would not let Nonon's snarky comments get to him. Not again, "If you actually followed Lady Satsuki's instructions and fought Uryu Ishida seriously, you would have noticed the same improvements with your Symphony Regalia."

"Bite me, monkey."

Nonon wasn't in the mood to hear that annoying Quincy's name. When Satsuki announced that she wished for them to fight Ichigo's friends, both to gain valuable combat experience and help Iori and the creepy shopkeeper find any remaining defects in their regalia, she had marched forward jauntily. After all, getting stronger was the only way she was ever going to settle the score with Dokugamine. That near-sighted psychotic bitch was going to pay for trying to turn her 'fluffy!' But before she even thought about kicking Riruka's ass halfway back to Italy, she needed to focus all of her efforts on Uryu Ishida.

Ugh, even thinking the name left a bad taste in her mouth!

Somewhere along the line the Quincy decided that since his stupid powers don't work all too well against her Symphony Regalia, which was fine by her, he would instead hit her with everything at once. Turning around and finding more than one thousand arrows only a few feet away from her face was bad enough, but it was the annoying and condescending smirk that really pissed her off. It was bad enough knowing that the freaks could fly, which was her territory god damn it, but having to hear the Quincy's arrogant commentary every time he blitzed through her defenses was infuriating!

Stomping her foot against the ground and growling when she remembered the Quincy's _last_ comment, which had been nothing more than blatant mockery of her choice of music, she vowed to make him pay during their next fight. It didn't matter if they were allies or Satsuki found no fault with his behavior. Nobody mocked Nonon Jakuzure! Not Strawberry or the Transfer Student. And especially not that four-eyed bastard!

"That's enough."

Gamagori stopped moving the instant Satsuki's authoritative voice reached his ears, crackling chains of purple electricity halting inches from Chad's extended left arm. Turning away from his worthy rival at the familiar clacking of heels against dirt, his Shackle Regalia reverting back into its normal form in a burst of stars, the former Disciplinary Committee Chair ignored his disheveled appearance and stood at attention, "Understood, Lady Satsuki."

Silence momentarily reigned over the park as Satsuki flipped the Scissor Blade around in her grip, the polished surface reflecting her stern expression, before planting it firmly in the ground. Leaving the weapon partially embedded in the ground as she continued marching forward, blue eyes narrowed fractionally at Gamagori's damaged Shackle Regalia, Satsuki's voice contained a measure of pride when she finally spoke.

"Over these last few weeks your performance in battle has improved across the board – strength, reflexes, speed and intuition. But do not confuse improvements with readiness! For I noticed several weaknesses during your match with Yasutora Sado! Vulnerabilities and flaws that my mother and her followers will undoubtedly exploit at the first opportunity! Your Shackle Regalia might have been woven with a singular purpose, but that does not mean you must limit yourself to it! Thinking outside the box! Breaking through the false limitations imposed upon oneself! It is through those methods that you will receive the experience necessary to stand against Life Fibers!"

Gamagori's brow creased into an introspective frown at the biting criticism, the hidden truth of Lady Satsuki's bold words as clear as day. He had allowed himself to grow complacent with his Shackle Regalia's power, limiting himself to the techniques Iori had initially instilled into the Goku Uniform. And while his honest defeat at the hands of his rival during the Karakura Town Raid Trip had opened his eyes, it had come too late to make a difference. Such arrogance could not be allowed for Lady Satsuki's impenetrable shield! How could he hope to protect her if he could not think outside the box?

Steeling his expression into a firm scowl as he turned around, Gamagori marched toward Chad before respectfully extending his hand, "That was a most enlightening match, Yasutora Sado. I look forward to defeating you the next time we fight."

"Likewise…" Chad nodded as he returned the firm handshake, "But please…call me Chad."

"Nonsense!"

The teenager's size seemingly doubled as he folded his arms and passionately declared, "It is disrespectful to address one's allies by anything other than their given name! Calling you anything else would destroy the camaraderie between us!"

"Well said…Maxwell."

A single eyebrow twitched when Yoruichi Shihoin appeared out of thin air almost directly behind him, the playful smirk etched across her face all but apparent. But did she truly think he would allow her to flagrantly disregard the sanctity of social standards? To utter such rude insults against his person?! Angrily spinning around to face the shinigami, a spiked whip emerging from his sleeve, Gamagori's determination to punish Yoruichi rapidly vanished when he found himself face to face with his father.

"Y-You!"

"It fills a father's heart with pride to see his son behave in such an exemplary and commendable manner!"

Alex Louis Armstrong ignored Gamagori's increasingly petulant expression as he firmly clasped a hand around his shoulder. It was truly inspiring to know that his son had grown into a fine young man with a strong moral compass. For despite the more questionable activities he confessed to committing while a student of Honnouji Academy, the knowledge that he did so in order to facilitate humanity's victory over Life Fibers and Ragyo Kiryuin was just enough to earn his forgiveness.

"But I did not come here to exchange simple pleasantries!"

Pink stars twinkling into existence as he flexed his biceps, the well-defined muscles bulging beneath his uniform, Armstrong posed dramatically before adding, "For Satsuki Kiryuin's words carry more than a grain of truth! Despite the great power of your Goku Uniform, the threads PULSING with your determination, there is still much for you to learn before you are ready to fight against the likes of Xcution! Power and experience go hand in hand, two sides of the same coin! One without the other can only lead to disaster! Therefore, Maxwell Bradley Armstrong, I will bestow upon you the secret hand-to-hand techniques that have been passed down the Armstrong line for GENERATIONS!"

"I will require no such thing!"

The nerve of his father to believe he required such archaic techniques to stand at Lady Satsuki's side! Looming menacingly over the older man, who seemed unaffected in the slightest by his son's response, Gamagori boasted, "I shall carve my own path in life! Walking forward as my own man! Independent of the Armstrong name!"

"Simply outstanding, Maxwell!"

Armstrong's boisterous shouting echoed across the park at his son's marvelous answer, the dedication permeating the response bringing a proud tear to his eyes. Tightly clenching his hands together and _flexing_, the already tight-fitting Nudist Beach shirt ripping apart at the seams and exposing his well-sculpted physique to the world, the nudist commander blatantly ignored the mixed reactions from the audience and posed in front of his embarrassed son, "But I must unfortunately DIGRESS! It's the folly of today's youth to think they can survive without learning from the past! Such foolhardy thinking can only lead to tragedy! Yet you are correct! A name is but a sequence of letters! Meaningless on its own! Striving to create your own mark upon the world is a pursuit worthy of an Armstrong!"

"Now then…we have much work to do!"

Firmly grabbing Gamagori's wrist before his son could voice a single protest to the contrary, Armstrong turned around and began marching away. Humming a pleasant tune under his breath as his son futilely attempted to escape his grasp, the passionate blows raining down relentlessly upon his well-defined physique doing very little damage, the nudist commander briefly stopped in front of Satsuki and politely inquired, "Please forgive my rudeness, Miss Satsuki. By interrupting your training session I have besmirched the Armstrong name!"

"I see no harm in this."

Satsuki's unyielding answer brooked no arguments as she closed her eyes and tore the Scissor Blade from its temporary perch in the ground. The eccentric mannerisms of Gamagori's biological father were well known to her. Yet she knew beneath his bombastic and gregarious personality lay an intelligent mind and strong will…the signs of an Armstrong. Flicking a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she turned around, Satsuki remained completely silent while Gamagori was dragged away by his enthusiastic father. Despite his behavior, born out of nothing more than childish embarrassment and petulance, she understood fully well that he would be in capable hands.

For it was foolish to underestimate an Armstrong.

"Man, that's gotta suck…"

Sanageyama shook his head as Armstrong slowly but surely dragged Gamagori off into the distance with barely any effort. In any other situation he would probably make a joke about his comrade's misfortune or take pictures like Jakuzure was doing with her phone. But he was intimately aware of the nudist commander's monstrous strength, power enough to shred his Blade Regalia with a single punch. Rubbing his chin at the phantom memory, Sanageyama couldn't help but feel a little jealous for Gamagori. While his matches against Yoruichi Shihoin were helping his Shingantsu, he would give nearly anything for a rematch against Armstrong.

Only slightly aware of her newest protégé's thoughts as she watched Armstrong passionately drag his son away, the cat-like smirk stretching across Yoruichi's features slowly shifted when she noticed Satsuki Kiryuin staring into the distance. Letting out a tired yawn as she sauntered over to the stern teenager, amber eyes narrowing fractionally when she attempted to follow Satsuki's gaze only to find nothing, the former captain's tone lacked any amusement as she asked, "What's wrong?"

Her undivided attention focused upon Karakura Town's eastern boundary, Satsuki did not immediately answer the formerly exiled shinigami's question as she once more stabbed the Scissor Blade into the ground between her feet. There was something lurking in the farthest depths of her mind. A foreboding sensation that was both alien and nostalgic, bringing to light memories best left forgotten. Yet while she could not understand the reasoning behind the apprehension enveloping her mind, the _direction_ in which it arrived was suspicious all on its own.

Turning towards Yoruichi after nearly a minute of silence, Junketsu's multicolored eyes narrowed underneath her jacket, Satsuki skipped the preamble and sternly ordered, "Contact Isshin Kurosaki. Inform him that my mother is most likely preparing to attack."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The rhythmic clacking of heels against metal echoed softly throughout the retreating darkness as Ragyo Kiryuin strode forth from the elevator, entering the former Student Council chambers with all the regality someone of her stature possessed.<p>

Her elation at the recently revealed news had tempered during the trip from her office, the rainbow light radiating from her silver hair dimming to a fraction of its normal brilliance as she somberly descended the small flight of stairs. She could not simply rush forward. For as ecstatic as she was concerning Millennium's plans for London, the Life Fibers composing her body thrumming with anticipation, there was too much at stake. One false step, one minor underestimation of Nudist Beach or Isshin's allies, could destroy everything she worked hard to achieve. And with Isshin being…well…_Isshin_, she needed to play her hand carefully. If she didn't, it was quite likely the lovable oaf would find some way to stop her.

But first things first…

"Hououmaru," Ragyo's voice reverberated softly in the darkness, the stern undertone drawing her secretary's attention, "What are our latest projections?"

Flicking her finger across the PDA in her hand, streams of data running down its screen, Rei Hououmaru followed exactly one step behind Ragyo as she answered, "The acquisition of the last remaining American attire companies were finalized during your meeting with the Paris office. Revocs is now the sole distributor of clothing for North America, which puts our market saturation at just over 89.8%."

Ragyo smirked as she plucked a strand of floating Life Fibers out of the air, the crimson thread immediately dying itself the colors of the rainbow. Despite the cowardly yet effective tactics of Nudist Beach, attacking her shipments whenever possible, everything was still proceeding nearly on schedule. Yet simply achieving ninety percent market saturation wasn't nearly enough. Not in the slightest. It didn't matter if every human wore clothing imbued with Life Fibers, the naked apes crushed beneath her feet, if she did not have Shinra Koketsu and the god-like power of Absolute Domination as well.

Absorbing the Life Fiber into her finger as she reached the central platform of the Student Council chambers, her stern gaze drawn to the screens displaying a detailed map of Japan's prefectures, Ragyo closed her eyes and sighed in mild frustration. Ignoring the Mentally Refitted shells of the Honnouji Academy Computer Club, she folded her arms underneath her ample bosom and quipped, "I must give credit where credit is due. The naked apes are putting up _far_ more of a struggle than I anticipated. I assumed the COVERS would have already pushed through Shiga Prefecture. But it seems Olivier is still as stubborn as I remember."

The rainbow light from Ragyo's hair dimmed slightly as she sat down in the very same throne once used by her daughter. Staring at the screen as the information displayed changed to a map of the world, various percentages superimposed on the continents, Ragyo leaned onto her hand before asking the single most important question on her mind, "How long will it take these Quincy to destroy London?"

Hououmaru smirked at Lady Ragyo's question before responding, "The data you gathered during the Great Culture and Sports Festival on the Quincy and their abilities suggests they could destroy London in several hours. However, that neglects the presence of any resistance. Alucard, as well as Ichigo and Ryuko, will most likely take offense to their actions and work to stop them. I understand your excitement, Ma'am, but we must consider the possibility that Millennium will fail to achieve their stated goals."

"You raise a fine point, Hououmaru…"

Ragyo crossed her legs as she hummed thoughtfully, "These Quincy can plan all they want…they can spend another six decades hiding in the shadows like rats…they might even find a way to slaughter London. But they'll tragically perish against Alucard's monstrous power regardless of their own abilities, which unfortunately leaves me with the annoying task of destroying the vampire. Yet once the Grand Couturiers finish Shinkra Koketsu, not even Alucard will be able to stand before me!"

Even without the power of Absolute Domination coursing through its weaving, Shinra Koketsu was still a Kamui. A Life Fiber garment of the highest order, fit only to be worn by the being destined to drag humanity towards its final, collective fate. Chuckling softly at the notion of destroying the vampire, Ragyo's maroon eyes snapped towards Hououmaru, "And what is the Vatican's response to Millennium's actions?"

"The information we received suggests that the Vatican has created several battalions under the banner of the Ninth Crusade to deal with Millennium," Hououmaru tapped her PDA's screen several times as she scrolled through the data, "It consists of over three thousand soldiers, most of them wearing Life Fibers, under the control of Iscariot's commander, Bishop Enrico Maxwell. From the Grand Couturier's report, his partnership with the Hellsing Organization and Nudist Beach might be enough to tilt the scales against the Quincy."

"Is that so?"

The amusement in Ragyo's voice did not go unnoticed by her secretary. Enrico Maxwell…now there was a name she never dreamt of hearing again. To think that insignificant child, who possessed not a shred of resistance to Life Fibers, managed to weasel his way into leading the only part of the Catholic Church free of her magnanimous influence. And a _bishop_ as well! The irony was enough to make the Kiryuin matriarch chuckle, for this made things far too easy. After all, with so many different forces allied against them, Ichigo and Ryuko including, there was hardly a doubt in her mind Millennium would get slaughtered before the sun rose on London.

But luckily enough, there was a straightforward solution to fix this problem.

Humming softly as she considered her choices, perfectly manicured fingers strumming against the silk-like fabric of her dress, a cold smirk slowly twisted the corners of Ragyo's lips when she came to a decision, "But I can't help but feel a _mere_ bishop is insufficient for such a monumental task. Hououmaru, contact our colleagues in the Vatican and let them know that Enrico Maxwell is long overdue for a promotion. I think the rank of archbishop should suffice…"

"As you wish," Hououmaru bowed softly before mechanically turning around, one hand reaching for the phone in her breast pocket, "I shall inform them of your recommendations at once."

Propping her cheek against the palm of her hand as Hououmaru's voice faded into the background, the secretary's Japanese fluidly shifting into perfect Italian, Ragyo closed her eyes and pondered the situation at hand. Yes, it was almost certain she would achieve the necessary market saturation despite Millennium's actions in London. But when the Quincy failed to defeat Alucard, she needed to contend with the distinct possibility the vampire would immediately shift his sights onto her. A twinge of irrational annoyance fluttered in her chest at the thought. Dealing with the vampire would delay the Celestial Cocoon Seed Planet. But given the power felt by her COVERS clone during their skirmish, which still brought a sneer of revulsion to her face, such preparations were more than necessary.

Yet the high probability of dealing with Alucard was a risk she was more than willing to take at this point.

For the confrontation unfolding in London afforded her quite the golden opportunity.

Rainbow light spilled forth in radiant waves of color as the Kiryuin matriarch's appreciation for Millennium's _marvelous_ timing grew exponentially. While she doubted they would be inconvenienced in any way, both Ryuko and Ichigo were effectively trapped on the other side of the world. Their Kamui – Senketsu and Mugetsu – were out of the picture, cutting the number of Kamui standing against her to two. But although most of her remaining attention was focused upon Danketsu and the interesting woman wearing it, Ragyo was hesitant to ignore the threat posed by Satsuki.

La vie est drôle…to think her foolish firstborn believed she could actually arrest her plans.

Yet despite being a failure in every sense of the word, her human body unable to accommodate Life Fibers, Satsuki was _still_ her daughter. A fact that would not change no matter how much she wished otherwise. For while she possessed Souichiro's pathetic genes, Satsuki was still conceived after the Original Life Fiber blessed her body with its glorious power. Her ability to activate Junketsu's advanced configurations during the Great Culture and Sports Festival was proof enough that Satsuki received some modicum of her power, albeit almost insignificant.

But no matter how strong her willpower or intense her determination, Satsuki was still human. And a human could never hope to stand against the glory of Life Fibers.

Subtly twitching her finger, the enthralled members of the Computer Club immediately responding to the gesture by quickly replacing the world map displayed upon the screen for an image of Satsuki wearing Junketsu Zenkan, Ragyo stared at the Kamui as memories of its untapped power pulsed through her mind. Junketsu was the first Kamui, the culmination of years of hard work and research. Both Isshin and her own Life Fibers were used to grant the Kamui existence, which meant if Satsuki hoped to wield Junketsu's full power she would need Isshin's assistance. And given that Isshin is the kind of man to constantly look for new ways to annoy her, she wouldn't put it past the lovable oaf to do just that.

Perhaps Isshin's training would be enough for Satsuki to actually stand against her…

Mocking laughter filled the Student Council chambers at the absurd notion. Even if Satsuki managed to unlock Junketsu's full power with Isshin's assistance, wearing the Kamui with the effectiveness of a Life Fiber Hybrid, in the end she was still just a poor girl using something she could never hope to understand. But Ragyo's amusement was rapidly tempered by reality. Human or not, her daughter was anything _but_ stupid, possessing both the mindset and intelligence befitting a Kiryuin. And given the particular _individuals_ associated with her former husband's organization, including a very annoying man, it was better to err on the side of caution.

After all, underestimating the pigs in human clothing was how dearest Nui lost her eye. Yet dismantling Nudist Beach, destroying everything her former husband worked so tirelessly to achieve, was an opportunity she couldn't afford to simply let slide.

The gentle clacking of Hououmaru's heels as she returned to her side, one hand smoothing out the faintest of wrinkles on her uniform while the other purposefully snapped her phone shut, caused Ragyo's lips to curl upwards into a conniving smirk. Maroon eyes remaining half-lidded when the image of Satsuki shifted to Ichigo and Ryuko, their magnificent Kamui still as beautiful as the day she first saw them, Ragyo waited several long seconds before asking, "Were there any complications? You were gone for _quite_ a while, Hououmaru."

"My deepest apologies, Ma'am," Hououmaru bowed profusely, the aviator sunglasses falling down the bridge of her nose, as she apologized, "But it seems Iscariot has become aware of your infiltration of the Catholic Church, which is most likely due to their ongoing collaboration with Nudist Beach. However, you will be pleased to know that the Pope will anoint Enrico Maxwell as an archbishop within the hour."

"If the Quincy can't slaughter a few million people even after my gracious assistance, then they truly are _pathétique_."

Slowly pushing herself out of Satsuki's former throne as she spoke, the rainbow cacophony of light illuminating the chamber doubling in brilliance, Ragyo turned to Hououmaru and smirked maliciously, "Begin preparations for Operation Laissez Faire."

Hououmaru's eyes widened fractionally at the command before she quickly regained her composure. Fingers flicking rapidly across the PDA in her hand, the leader of Xcution settled upon one particular file before calmly responding, "Understood, Ma'am. I shall inform Yuu to commence stage one of the operation immediately."

"His merveilleusement performance these past few weeks aside, such an important task might be too much for the coward to handle…"

Ragyo's tone shifted noticeably as she marched across the Student Council chambers, her heels clacking loudly with every step. An irritated scowl slowly developing across her regal features when her attention was drawn to the monitors displaying the former Sewing Club, the glowing silhouette of Shinra Koketsu crystal clear, she leaned her head backwards and sighed, "I'm afraid Yuu's normal tactics just won't work against Olivier. You're the only member of Xcution that remembers how driven that woman can be, Hououmaru. And with a Kamui such as Danketsu on their payroll, combined with Ginjo's betrayal, Nudist Beach could easily turn the tables on the coward. Oh, that reminds me. Have your people discovered what Ginjo downloaded from our Moscow office?"

"Details concerning the weave patterns of Xcution's raiment, their personal information and histories, a list of Revocs' daughter companies and global market saturation," Hououmaru read off in quick succession, her amber eyes never straying from the PDA's screen, "We're still combing through the data. But the servers Ginjo accessed contained no information on Operation Laissez Faire."

_That_ single detail did more to ease Ragyo's growing concern than anything else. Despite his nearly impeccable record during his years of service in Xcution, the only blemish coming from his neutrality during Genesis and Olivier's little rebellion, Ginjo never earned her trust. Perhaps her suspicions stemmed from his close ties to Isshin, for it was that foolish man who convinced her to hire Ginjo in the first place. Or maybe her doubts pertaining to his loyalty began in the immediate aftermath of Isshin and _that woman's_ unprovoked attack over seventeen years ago. Ragyo didn't know and, more importantly, she didn't care. She had always suspected Ginjo would side with Isshin when the time came, which is why she limited his role in Operation Laissez Faire from the very start.

And in the end Ginjo accomplished absolutely _nothing_ with his pathetic betrayal.

The crimson Life Fibers floating lazily throughout the shadowed chamber immediately adopted a brilliant rainbow hue as Ragyo's lips curled into a psychotic smirk. Her maroon eyes widening sadistically as she stared at Hououmaru, the dark skinned secretary bowing her head respectfully, the Kiryuin matriarch could barely contain her growing pleasure when she finally spoke, "Inform Xcution that I require a volunteer for a _very_ special mission."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Imitating Hollows…seems like a perfectly logical path for you to follow in order to gain more power. It's not surprising you would do that to becoming stronger."<em>

_Her breath was coming out in short, gasping pants as she knelt on the ground, bloodied fingers grasping onto a nearby piece of rubble for support. Beads of sweat trickling down her face as the stoic voice drew ever closer, the pale moonlight filtering through the jagged hole in the wall vanishing behind a figure clad in white, she continued gasping for air when he derisively added, "But you will never be my equal." _

_The feeling of complete inferiority permeating every fiber of her being was a strange sensation to the Grand Couturier. Only Isshin Kurosaki had ever made her feel this nervous, and that was only because he was the same as Lady Ragyo. Yet despite the vast chasm between her strength and the figure standing in the darkness, the thought of giving up never crossed Nui's mind. The entire situation was confusing to the Grand Couturier. She didn't understand why she was here, fighting against this complete stranger in the middle of the night, but everybody was counting on her to win. And the thought of letting her friends and comrades die was enough to rouse her into action._

_Focusing her tired eyes on the pale figure standing against the moonlight, the javelin of green energy clasped in his right hand shimmering brilliantly, she tightly clenched her fingers around the midnight black katana in her own hand, "Getsuga –"_

"_I told you it's useless!"_

_Nui's eyes widened in surprise at the man's frustrated response. That was the first time since their fight started that he showed any emotion. But how did she know that? Pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind as she hastily raised her sword to block his sudden attack, emerald sparks dancing through the darkness, the Grand Couturier gasped when the force behind the strike sent her lurching backwards, her body crashing through the thick wall and out into the night._

_As she rapidly fell through the skies, smoke and dust clinging to her wounded body, Nui couldn't understand why she wasn't regenerating. Even if her opponent was stronger than she expected, the Life Fibers composing her body should have already healed the damage. It didn't make sense! She wasn't human! She shouldn't be able to feel pain! This shouldn't be happening to her! Yet despite the confusion running rampant through her mind, Nui refused to let go of her weapon. Even as the pale figure closed the distance between them, his bat-like wings flapping harshly in the darkness, her determination to win overwhelmed any thoughts of giving up._

_What was going on? _

_A pained grunt left her mouth when her opponent slammed his blade against her bare stomach, the twitch of growing frustration barely noticeable in his dulled eyes. Smashing into a piece of falling debris with enough force to shatter the stone, Nui barely managed to catch the brief fluttering of wings before a clothed knee powerfully impacted against the small of her back. The world drifting out of focus as she tumbled through the air, her body crashing multiple times against the side of a massive stone column, the Grand Couturier grimaced when she finally reached the open skies only for a clawed hand to reach out and grasp the tattered remains of her sleeve._

_And despite teetering on the edge of consciousness, her sight drifting out of focus, Nui still refused to let her sword fall from her numb fingers._

"_Why won't you let go of your sword?"_

_Her opponent's voice remained as emotionless as ever, yet the trace of incredulousness in the question reached her half-conscious mind. Held aloft several inches above the roof, Nui felt the world slowly drift back into focus when he added, "You've experienced the vast difference in our powers and yet you actually still think you can defeat me."_

"_Difference…in power? That doesn't…matter at all."_

_The words left her raw throat before the Grand Couturier understood what happened. None of this made any sense. Why did she feel the need to say that? Who was this person that so easily managed to defeat her? As the unanswered questions continued growing inside her confused mind, Nui forced herself to look into the figure's cold eyes, "You think I'd give up, just because you're more powerful than me? From our first battle together I knew that you were stronger. At this point, no matter how many times I see how powerful you are, it won't make a difference to me. I'm determined to see this through to the end. I refuse to give up! You should have realized that by now!"_

_Tired muscles quivered as she declared, "I will…find a way…to beat you…************!"_

_A burst of static pierced through the hazy background, cutting off her opponent's name even though she was the one who said it. Eyes widening slightly when the man's grip tightened dangerously around her sleeve before he callously tossed her away, Nui coughed painfully as she bounced against the roof. Panting heavily as she struggled onto her feet, the Grand Couturier stared tiredly at her opponent when he lightly scoffed, "That's nonsense, ************. Those are the words of someone who doesn't know the true despair of defeat."_

_Kneeling on the ground, a trail of blood oozing down her forehead and forcing her left eye shut, Nui still couldn't understand why she was still fighting. Even though it infuriated her tremendously, this wasn't an opponent she could defeat. He was too powerful and fast. And with her regeneration not working, she might actually die if they kept fighting. Wait…why was she fighting in the first place? Was it to protect a friend? But that was nonsense. She didn't have any friends aside from –_

_Her heart nearly stopped when the pale figure extended his wings, dark green torrents of energy surrounding his body. Unable to move when the pressure in the air doubled and then tripled, flickers of shadows enveloping her opponent as he slowly transformed, the Grand Couturier could barely breath when an emotionless voice pierced through the darkness, "Since you do not understand I will teach you. This is what true despair looks like."_

"_Resurrección: Segunda Etapa."_

Nui Harime's sapphire blue eyes snapped open, cutting off the rest of the dream before she could find out what happened next.

Blinking slowly as she stared upwards in the perpetual darkness, her position on the cute bed she ordered Hououmaru to bring into the Sewing Club giving her a nearly perfect view of Shinra Koketsu, the Grand Couturier absentmindedly moved a lock of blonde hair off her face. It wouldn't be proper for a woman of her standing to not look her best when she woke up, you know!

"Hmm…what was I dreaming about?"

The question lazily escaped the Grand Couturier's mouth as she watched hundreds upon hundreds of Life Fibers float throughout the darkened room. Sitting up while holding a finger against her chin, an expression of purely innocent wonder adorning her features, Nui pouted when most of the dream slipped away like water through a sieve. All she could remember was fighting against some strange creature that looked like a bat…or maybe it was a bird? Well…she knew it was at night. But the moon had looked awfully strange. And the last time she checked, she didn't have a black sword like Satsuki's useless Bakuzan.

"Oh well, I guess it wasn't that important!"

A saccharine smirk stretched across the Grand Couturier's joyful features as she leapt out of bed, her pink boots landing upon the ground without a single hair out of place. Humming happily when every wrinkle besmirching her dress vanished, Nui adjusted the bow in her hair before skipping towards her destination. There was a lot of work she needed to do if she wanted to remain on schedule. And tardiness wasn't something Lady Ragyo tolerated! Cheerfully watching the Mentally Refitted members of the Sewing Club work without any food or rest, her expression twisted into an annoyed frown when she noticed several new corpses slumped against their sewing machines.

Gosh, she must have overslept. They were all still alive the last time she checked!

With a quick snap of her fingers several COVERS landed behind the fallen students, the emaciated and perpetually screaming faces of their victims not bothering the Grand Couturier in the slightest. Hands clasped behind her back as she watched the Life Fiber beings wrap themselves around the corpses before leaping back into the darkness, Nui Harime purposely ignored the fresh blood splatters and happily looked over her shoulder.

"Golly…I guess I really _did_ oversleep!"

Staring directly into the dulled eyes of her twin sister, Amu's purple dress a darker reflection of her cute pink one, Nui pouted childishly, "I hope it wasn't too much trouble working without me, Amu."

"Of course not," Amu Harime replied without emotion, strands of Life Fibers trailing from her outstretched fingers into the darkness, "But did you hear? Lady Ragyo…"

"…is preparing to attack the naked apes," Nui finished without missing a beat, the knowledge of everything she missed during her nap coming to the forefront of her mind. Entwining her fingers with Amu's, the Life Fibers composing her body pulsing at the contact, she grinned happily, "To think Lady Ragyo is ready to make her grand entrance! It's enough to…"

"…make our hearts flutter," Amu stoically agreed. Tilting her head upwards, dulled sapphire eyes gazing at the nearly completed Shinra Koketsu, she thought silently for several long seconds, "But we should get back to work. It wouldn't be wise to let those nudists think they could win. After all…"

Nui laughed happily as she walked off with her sister, "…they have no idea what they're in for!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The early afternoon shadows slowly lengthened along the abandoned stretched of highway as the faint whirring of a helicopter faded into the distance, a brief shimmer of white paint visible against the overcast background before vanishing. Landing in a soft crouch several hundred feet below her departing aircraft, the pavement cracked from the landing, Esdeath Partas flicked a strand of blue hair out of her eyes as she stared at the skyline far to the west.<p>

Perfect…

Esdeath slowly stood up with an almost disturbing level of calmness, one hand brushing dust from her raiment, before folding her arms and assessing the situation. Her landing hadn't been the most inconspicuous. It was more than likely the nudists were already aware of her general presence, which meant she would need to contend with the various Anti-Life Fiber measures they had in place.

Grinning at the thought of finally destroying the naked pigs and their headquarters, Esdeath pressed a finger against her ear, "I've arrived, Lady Ragyo."

"Magnifique…"

The Kiryuin matriarch's tone carried a hint of joyful pleasure at the announcement, "You're free to commence Operation Laissez Faire, Miss Partas. Use every scrap of power at your disposal to make sure not a single nudist leaves Osaka alive."

"Of course, Ma'am," Esdeath's smirk twisted sadistically at the news, "And shall I spare Olivier Mira Armstrong?"

"No," Ragyo's cold response wasn't surprising to the member of Xcution. She was well informed on the Armstrong's reputation, the harshness and ruthless passion in which she used to command Xcution before turning traitor. That Lady Ragyo wanted the woman to suffer before dying only made her task easier, "While I would prefer if you tortured her for all the years she's spent opposing me, time isn't exactly on our side. So kill Olivier quickly…and do _not_ underestimate her."

"Understood."

It was difficult for her to tell what was more pathetic – that Nudist Beach had the audacity to oppose Lady Ragyo or that they truly believed they could prevent Life Fibers from taking their rightful place in the world. Life Fibers were the pinnacle of evolution. Anyone that attempted to fight back, to prevent Lady Ragyo's plans from coming to fruition, would perish down to the last man, woman and child. To believe otherwise was foolish. For there was nothing on earth that could resist the power of Life Fibers. Not even those pitiful Quincy, the insultingly named Sternritter, could stand against the strength of her raiment without assistance from Lady Ragyo's treacherous daughter.

Her battle against the Quincy possessing pyrokinesis had proven moderately interesting. While his flames did counter her raiment to some extent, the rest of his techniques were quite inadequate. And while he _did_ manage to lightly singe her forearm, a lapse of judgment born from overconfidence, the superficial injury did not stop her from freezing _his_ entire arm in exchange.

If Satsuki Kiryuin hadn't interfered a moment later, when the Quincy was at her complete mercy, she would have struck the finishing blow.

Marching forward, her heels clacking with every step, Esdeath traced a finger against the Xcution symbol stitched above her left breast as she stared at Osaka in the distance. Rapidly swinging her left arm outwards as the sun vanished behind a cloud, she smirked while proudly exclaiming, "Xcution Uniform: Cocytus Raiment!"

An intense burst of rainbow light shone across the landscape as Esdeath's raiment transformed, pale blue metallic armor flowing across her body. Grinning wildly when the last piece of her armor settled into place, the pleated skirt shimmering lightly in the sunlight, she took a moment to experimentally clench her fingers before disappearing in a burst of speed. Ice spreading across the ground with every step she took, the surrounding landscape melting into a blur of orange and brown, Esdeath kept her eyes squarely locked on Osaka. There was no telling what tactics and weaponry the naked apes were preparing to use against her.

But it was the Kamui wearer she was looking forward to meeting the most.

The notion of fighting against that woman caused Esdeath's sadistic smirk to widen. This was the first time since the Grand Couturier wove the last stitching into her Cocytus Raiment that Lady Ragyo authorized the use of its full power. And she planned on using every scrap of power to overwhelm the Kamui wearer before dragging her limp body back to Honnouji Academy for proper judgment. But fighting against such a worthy adversary in a clash for dominance, her very life and existence in the line, was something she'd been hoping –

Esdeath instinctively ducked when an Anti-Life Fiber needle pierced through the exact spot her head had just been occupying.

"A sniper…at this range?"

It was mildly impressive a human existed with the skill and eyesight to accurately shoot a target from over two kilometers, especially without the assistance of Life Fibers. There were perhaps only a handful of people in the world capable of such a feat. Yet it didn't make the slightest difference in the end.

Expertly deducing the most likely locations for the sniper's nest based on the needle's incoming trajectory, Esdeath's expression twisted in perturbed annoyance when she could only narrow down her search to two buildings along Osaka's western edge. Forced to twist sideways when several more needles spiraled precariously close to her body, the wake following the unique bullets rustling her blue hair, she quickly began counting down the exact amount of time it took the sniper to reload. Somewhat impressed by the barely five second interval between shots, Esdeath waited until the next passed harmlessly over her shoulder before raising her hand into the air.

"Cristaux de Glace."

A cacophony of light shone brightly from Esdeath's Cocytus Raiment as an ornately spear carved exclusively of ice flashed into existence between her outstretched fingers. Slamming the weapon harshly against the pavement, a thick layer of frozen water expanding outwards from the point of contact, Esdeath frowned in temporarily irritation as she glanced futilely across the distance skyline. She _still_ couldn't find the sniper's location, which only helped to make her mission that much more interesting. The corners of her mouth slowly twisting into a malicious smirk as she reared back her arm, Esdeath carefully focused on the center window of the building's top floor before stepping forward and _throwing_ the spear.

The surrounding ice shattered as the spear left her fingers, spiraling through the air in a display of turbulence faster than the speed of sound. Watching in ruthless amusement when the lance pierced through the building's façade less than ten seconds later, the structure shuddering from the impact, Esdeath lowered her arm and smirked as the secondary effects of her attack began. Thick columns of razor-sharp ice exploded through the walls of the building, tendrils of crimson-tinted thorns skewering every cowering nudist within the structure. And on the off chance the sniper wasn't in the building?

Well…there was only one other choice.

An intricate rapier forming between her fingers in a burst of frost, Esdeath chuckled when the first klaxons pierced through the somber and quiet afternoon before resuming her march upon Osaka.

There was nothing on earth that could stop her from completing Operation Laissez Faire and making all of Lady Ragyo's dreams a reality. The Kamui wearer she fought against back in Brazil could certainly try, but Esdeath was more than prepared to deal with the traitor to Life Fibers. While Danketsu's power severely dwarfed her raiment's, the woman possessed a single weakness that would make victory all but impossible - she _cared_ for humans.

As the surrounded landscape vanished within a firestorm of explosions, courtesy of the Anti-Life Fiber mines buried along the highway, the sadistic smirk adorning Esdeath's features didn't falter in the slightest.

She was going to _enjoy_ this.

"Hmm? Oh my, it seems like I missed. Well, there goes my perfect record…"

Sukuyo Mankanshoku gently sighed as she pressed a hand against her cheek. Kneeling against the roof as she lowered the M-98 Widow Anti-Life Fiber Model Type 5, the specialized weapon still aimed at her target, she stiffened when the high-rise two blocks to her left exploded into a column of jagged, blood-covered ice. It seemed their uninvited guest could not pinpoint her nest, which didn't come as a surprise. It would take someone with the eyes of a hawk, or at the very least wearing supernatural clothing that granted the ability, to spot her from over two kilometers away.

With a slight narrowing of her eyes as stared through the M-98 Widow's sight, Sukuyo ignored the dozens of nudists who just perished in an extremely brutal fashion to focus on what was truly important. Her perfect record, spanning nearly thirty years and several countries that no longer exist, was in jeopardy of being tarnished! If she wanted to return to Karakura Town a hero, with lots of snacks and souvenirs for Mako and Mataro to enjoy, she needed to make sure the next needle pierced right through their uninvited guest's temple.

She could still salvage her perfect record yet!

Pausing in her efforts when Esdeath Partas vanished within an expanding cloud of smoke and fire, her position obscured courtesy of the Anti-Life Fiber mines, Sukuyo took a moment to reload the M-98 Widow. One should always make sure they had plenty of ammunition, especially when attempting to take down such a stubborn target. Smirking gently when the feed snapped shut with a soft click, the younger-than-she-appeared Mankanshoku was about to resume her efforts when a nudist vaulted up the fire escape to her right.

"The Anti-Life Fiber claymores had no effect," the man announced with audible frustration, sweat and dirt marring his features. Breathing heavily as he stared off to the west, covered eyes narrowing at the column of smoke drifting upwards into the overcast skies, he frowned before adding, "Current estimates place Esdeath Partas reaching the city limits in just over five minutes."

"Why, that's not a lot of time," Sukuyo shouldered the M-98 widow and turned to the nudist, "How odd…I didn't receive any new orders from Miss Armstrong."

The nudist grimaced, his eyes never leaving the highway to the west when he answered, "Communications across the country were severed eight minutes ago. We're currently relying on Kaneo Takarada's self-stylized _Granny Network_."

"You mean that sweet old lady that stopped by just a few minutes ago?"

Sukuyo's tone lacked any sort of concern as she stared back through the M-98 Widow's sight, which caused her to miss the nudist's twitch of annoyance. Softly squeezing the trigger as the smoke surrounding her target cleared, the blue haired woman visibly staggering when the needle flew slightly off-course and ricocheted off her left leg, she stiffened slightly in dull surprise when Esdeath's gaze focused upon her position. Sighing daintily as she stood up, Sukuyo turned to the nudist and cheerfully announced, "It seems the target managed to spot me. We should run away as quickly as possible!"

"What?!"

An eruption of rainbow light immediately followed the nudist's shocked question as the remaining smoke and fire surrounding Esdeath dissipated into nothingness. Teeth clenched in disbelief as he spun around, eyes widening behind his sunglasses, the soldier couldn't understand how the woman managed to spot Sukuyo. They were over two kilometers away from Esdeath, which was far enough that even the _General_ had difficultly accurately spotting a hidden target. This was insane! He needed to warn headquarters! Breaking into a sprint as he remembered the granny crocheting in the second floor of a store down the block, the nudist choked when Sukuyo grabbed his collar and yanked hard in the opposite direction.

"Not that way!" she politely scolded, the M-98 Widow already folded within the case strapped to her back, "Our uninvited guest is getting ready to launch a salvo of deadly arrows on this location. You'll get skewered alive if you flee in _that_ direction."

It was thanks to years of fighting against Life Fibers that the nudist was able to pinpoint the source of the faint whistling growing louder by the second. Running behind Sukuyo when the first shards of ice began slamming into the rooftop, thorns of frozen death rapidly spreading outwards, the nudist gaped in surprise when the dainty sniper vaulted across the nearly fifteen foot alleyway to the adjoining building. His envy at her prodigious skill tempered by the worsening situation, he pushed himself to his utmost limits before following her lead, cursing lightly when he barely managed to land on the rooftop.

Leaping behind the emergency stairwell the moment he landed, a mixture of annoyance and relief on his face when he noticed Sukuyo crouching a few feet away, the nudist coughed heavily when the building he'd been standing upon not a minute ago vanished underneath a layer of crystalline ice. Kinue hadn't skimped on the details in her mission report. Without reinforcements, and soon, the woman would easily tear through what remained of their outer perimeter defenses before heading into Osaka. And he did not want to imagine what the psychotic slave to Life Fibers would do once she reached the city.

Kinue couldn't have picked a worse time to be in Kobe.

"We can't stay here."

A cascade of explosions tore through the afternoon when Esdeath targeted several other buildings in her increasingly creative attempts to kill them, the structures collapsing under the weight of the blooming ice. He needed to warn the General about the enemy marching upon Osaka. With their communication network offline and Kaneo Takarada's _Granny Network_ nowhere to be found, headquarters was completely in the dark. If he didn't figure out a method to send a message to the General without getting killed by Esdeath in the process, any reinforcements sent would be slaughtered by the woman before they even realized what happened.

The relentless wailing of the emergency klaxons continuing unabated, the nudist chanced a glance around their cover in case of any further surprises before gravely adding, "We need to fall back and warn the General. Esdeath cannot be beaten without a DTR!"

Sukuyo nodded understandingly at the order before pointing over his shoulder, "But reinforcements are already here."

Mentally kicking himself for failing to notice something so obvious, the nudist turned around to see dozens of military helicopters rapidly flying towards his location. This was one of Nudist Beach's pride and joy, the same fleet that rescued Ichigo Kurosaki and the others during the Great Culture and Sports Festival. But the soldier's relief was quickly extinguished when Olivier Mira Armstrong leapt from the lead helicopter, her boots slamming violently into the nearby rooftop.

"Would you care to repeat that comment, soldier?"

Olivier's derisive tone carried the full weight of her displeasure for the soldier's audacious claims. Scoffing lightly when the man respectfully saluted her, the nervous twitching of his hand visibly apparent, she marched past him without saying another word. Although the notion of preparing one of their remaining DTR Model Rays left a vile taste in her mouth, the leader of Nudist Beach wasn't stupid. Whoever came up with the belief that the first side to show their trump card automatically loses should be shot. The _point_ of a trump card was to take down your opponent before they could use _their_ best weapon. And with Kinue currently in Kobe, a mistake on her part, that title fell to the DTR Model Ray.

But that didn't mean she _liked_ it.

The DTR Model Ray was commissioned nine years ago with the express purpose of eventually fighting against the most powerful incarnations of COVERS, a name Professor Matoi weaseled out of the surprisingly tight-lipped Isshin Kurosaki. It wasn't designed for regular combat, even if the enemy was someone like Esdeath Partas. And once Aikuro returned to headquarters after his little joyride halfway around the world, which involved commandeering a multi-billion dollar piece of military equipment, Olivier planned on explained in clear, _concise_ language how much she appreciated his insubordination.

She didn't give a single _fuck_ if Aikuro was the one who designed the DTR Model Ray in the first place.

Sternly watching several helicopters rapidly break formation to directly engage Esdeath, their Anti-Life Fiber weaponry adequate enough to momentarily stall the woman's march, she didn't react into the slightest when a large metallic crate crashed into the roof next to her feet. Stomping a boot against the steel box, the latches automatically coming undone, Olivier reached down and grabbed the heavily modified ML-77 Missile Launcher. If Esdeath Partas wanted to arrogantly march on Osaka like an invincible bitch, then she was going to make her work for it.

Mouth curled into a fierce scowl as she effortlessly hauled the nearly one hundred pound weapon onto her shoulder and walked towards the edge of the roof, Olivier waited until right before Esdeath sauntered within range before depressing the trigger. Unflinching when the Anti-Life Fiber missile immediately burst forth, the specialized starch and bleach warhead travelling just under the speed of sound, Olivier looked over her shoulder once the projectile slammed into Esdeath's position and growled, "That won't slow her down for long. But it will be a cold day in hell before Xcution sets foot in _my_ city!"

"I've been around the block quite a few times, you know."

Sukuyo's cheerful smirk didn't falter in the slightest as she propped the M-98 Widow against her shoulder and approached Olivier, "And as a mother who's routinely had to scold her son for his duplicitous methods of stealing furniture, food and other random accessories, I've learned to spot a diversion from a mile away."

"Agreed."

Unflinching when the surrounding aircraft launched their entire arsenals at Esdeath, the notion that the firepower would be enough to kill the woman never crossing her mind, Olivier handed the now useless missile launcher to the nudist soldier, "Order the men to fall back to position Delta Omega Alpha. The entire concept of high ground is pointless when fighting someone like Esdeath Partas."

Her boots stomping heavily against the rooftop as several helicopters exploded in the distance, dozens of frozen arrows puncturing completely through their fuselages, Olivier scowled when she became acutely aware of another presence. Glancing downwards only to find the same old woman who had been sitting next to her on the helicopter had somehow managed to jump out without breaking a single bone in her body, Olivier swallowed her growing irritation at Takarada's insulting network, "Inform Tsumugu Kinagase to thoroughly sweep the city, starting with our headquarters. I sincerely doubt Esdeath is the only one Ragyo Kiryuin sent."

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>"Revocs has some nerve to think they can just walk into <em>my<em> town."

From his extravagant but completely safe office in Naniwa Kinman High School, Kaneo Takarada watched the battle erupting to the west with growing annoyance. Did these Revocs punks seriously think they could get away with this? The communications network stretching across the Kansai region had been state-of-the-art. Millions of dollars had been invested into the project. Nudist Beach even managed to acquire a few lucrative patents on the damn thing! And in the course of ten minutes, just when he was about to eat lunch, some asshole uploads a virus and shuts it all down.

"But don't think we're just going to let ya waltz through the front door," Takarada grinned wildly at the troops marching through the streets in front of his school, the heavy artillery and weaponry enough to unnerve at least several major governments. Ragyo Kiryuin had to be nuts to think they hadn't anticipated a full-on invasion. The timing might have sucked, especially with one of their trump cards away in Kobe, but Nudist Beach had been preparing for the rainbow bitch to pull a stunt like this since the disaster at Honnouji Academy.

The sound of stomping boots caught Takarada's attention when a group of heavily armed nudists, soldiers he personally selected as his entourage, stormed into his office. Ignoring the teenager as they fanned out across the room, the form-fitting body armor hiding their features, the seven nudists thoroughly checked every inch of Takarada's office before turning to the Student Council President.

"Sir," one of the nudists, a grizzled man in his late forties, stepped forward, "We've been ordered by the General to escort you to our headquarters. It'll be the safest position in Osaka should the intruder penetrate the outer perimeter."

"Do any of ya have any idea where you're standing?"

A bundle of Takarada Bucks appeared in the teenager's hand as he lightly fanned his face, the reflection from the window showing his greedy smile, "Next to your headquarters there ain't no safer place in Osaka than this room! Five-inch thick titanium walls laced with Anti-Life Fiber technology, bulletproof glass that can withstand concentrated artillery fire and a security system that only responds to my biometrics. Nothing can get into this room without my permission!"

"Mr. Takarada…"

Another nudist, a young man with faint traces of stubble, threw away any pretenses of politeness, "The woman currently marching on Osaka will not hesitate to torture and kill you if she manages to breach the perimeter. If you refuse to leave under your own power, the General has ordered us to drag you to headquarters using whatever means necessary."

"I'm well aware of that woman's murderous reputation. I've paid for and attended far too many funerals to forget something like that."

Takarada's characteristic smugness vanished at the heavy reminder of the sadistic pleasure Esdeath Partas took in torturing and killing any nudists she captured. Fingers clenching the stack of money in his hands, the faux currency crinkling under the pressure, he snorted loudly before exclaiming, "But we have a weapon of our own! Something powerful enough to tear apart that ice bitch! And I'm not talking about something simple like guns! Because when dealing with monsters like Ragyo Kiryuin or Esdeath Partas, conventional missiles and guns are about as useful as pennies on the dollar!"

The nudists briefly glanced at each other before one, a young woman, asked in an extremely deadpan tone, "Are you talking about money, sir?"

"Of course I am!"

He couldn't believe the nerve of the nudist to ask such a ridiculous question. Slapping the bundle of Takarada Bucks against his desk as he spun around, the customized and expensive wood costing a fortune and a half creaking under the blow, he grinned smugly, "That bitch might be strong as hell but her uniform ain't close to being a match for the unlimited power of money! Money can buy anything in the world except for loyalty, because someone that can be bought for nothing more than a few thousand bucks ain't someone that won't accept a higher offer!"

Takarada walked around his desk with a confident swagger, the ZENI etched across the front of his golden grill shining brightly as he waved the thick stack of legal tender at the stoic nudists. His cocky smile widening when the door to the office slammed shut with a hiss of compressed air, the windows behind his desk shimmering as the Anti-Life Fiber technology in the panes activated, he flamboyantly announced, "Money is what developed the state-of-the-art equipment used by Nudist Beach! It's what funded the research into countering our guest's uniform! And do I need to mention money is what allows your organization to hide across the world from Revocs? Money is the beginning and end of everything! For money is how we created the ultimate Anti-Life Fiber trump card! A weapon to surpass Kamui!"

An awkward silence permeated the newly sealed office when none of the nudists bothered to respond to his grandiose speech. Stuffing the bundle of Takarada Bucks into the folds of his coat upon noticing the seven identical expressions of resigned annoyance, the heir to the Takarada Conglomerate swallowed whatever remained of his dwindling pride and walked across the room towards the fridge underneath his Rembrandt.

"Ya might as well make yourselves comfortable. That door ain't going to open for another ten minutes."

Humming under his breath as he rummaged through the extensive selection of foods and drinks stuffing every shelf in the fridge, all of which were legally purchased and shipped into Osaka through completely legitimate methods, Takarada smirked when he spotted a choice dish of lobster. Nearly salivating in anticipation at his lunch, which had almost been ruined by the invasion, he reached out to grab the plate only to freeze before his fingers touched the porcelain. There was a nearly imperceptible discoloring of the seafood, something people without money would never have noticed.

With a loud snap of his fingers six of the nudists immediately betrayed the seventh, their Anti-Life Fiber weapons aimed directly at his shadowed face. Grinning widely as he stood up and turned around, the tainted food in the fridge already forgotten, Takarada mockingly clapped his hands at the caught spy, "I suppose ya think I'm some rich idiot without a shred of intelligence."

"Well…" the intruder smirked as he slowly raised his hands, the barrel of the weapon pressed against his neck making quite the point, "Your security system was just so lax I couldn't help but snoop around."

"Is that right?"

Takarada gave the intruder a wide birth as he strode toward his desk. Folding his arms as he sat down, he pointed a finger at the man and exclaimed, "I suppose ya feel rather smart for bypassing my security, don't ya? I've heard a lot about ya, especially about your show in London. And evading a woman like Yoruichi Shihoin ain't no walk in the park either! But ya made one mistake coming after me…"

Slamming his hand against the desk, the Student Council President leaned forward and shouted, "I only have SIX guards and I know all of their names and faces by heart! Ya lost the moment ya walked through that door! Ya have a better chance of Satsuki Kiryuin confessing her love to _me_ than tricking Kaneo Takarada! Heh…but what can I expect from a coward working for that rainbow bitch to the north?!"

"Why thank you…"

An intense burst of rainbow light exploded from the intruder's body at the backfired insult, destroying not only the misappropriated Nudist Beach uniform but also exposing the active Lache Raiment somehow concealed underneath. The corner of his mouth twisting into a cocky grin as he danced through the reflexive gunfire, the specialized Anti-Life Fiber needles passing harmlessly through his equally smug afterimage, Yuu Akiyama displayed not the slightest trace of hesitation when he appeared in front of a nudist and smashed his knee into the man's crotch.

"My apologies…"

Letting go of the soldier as he collapsed to the ground in the fetal position, both hands tucked firmly between his legs, Yuu glanced over his shoulder before casually ducking beneath the Tailor Dagger aimed at his spine. One hand gripping the edge of his burglar's cap while he counted to five, the potent sleeping gas emitted by his Lache Raiment quickly knocking out two more nudists, he turned towards the three remaining soldiers and smirked as strands of crimson Life Fibers emerged from his sleeves.

"But I prefer to fight in a fair, but cowardly, way."

The glowing Life Fibers twisted into thin razor-sharp wires between his splayed fingers at the command before whipping towards the nudists in the blink of an eye, effortlessly slicing apart their weapons fast enough to heat the metal to a red-hot glow. Whistling jauntily when two of the nudists quickly recovered and attempted to blindside him only to get caught by a previously invisible Life Fiber trap, the threads wrapping taunt around their struggling bodies, he curled his finger and watched as the sixth and final nudist was bound tightly next to her colleagues. After giving his newly captured prisoners a once over, their arms and limbs pinned tightly together, Yuu clapped his hands and turned towards the unnerved Takarada.

"Not many people would have noticed the colorless, odorless poison I laced throughout every single one of your meals," Yuu ignored the muffled groaning from the captured nudists and politely inquired, "What gave it away?"

"Ya think an antiquated trick like that would fool me?!"

Takarada ignored the nervous sweat trickling down his face as he glared defiantly at Yuu, "Ya think you're the first bastard to try and poison me? Ya should have seen what happened during last year's Student Council elections!"

"Oh, I know all about that…"

Yuu smirked at the Student Council President's falling expression while casually pulling out a burglar mask from his raiment's pocket, "Which is why I installed a very special device into your fridge. The moment you opened the door a small but powerful signal was emitted, priming the fifty-nine bombs scattered across the city. And before you ask, the bombs do not contain any Life Fibers. So your detectors won't be able to track them down…unless I tell you where to find them, that is."

Grinding his teeth at the worsening situation, Takarada gripped the edges of the desk while subtly moving his finger towards the emergency escape hatch button, "I suppose this is the part where ya threaten to detonate the bombs unless I tell ya what ya want to know? Or are ya just going to kill me?"

"I'm afraid it's neither of those options," Yuu merrily spread his arms, an expression of faux surprise etched on his face, "You're far too valuable of a hostage to simply kill. And after last year's Student Council elections I never would have been able to sneak the detonator into your office. Instead, the bombs will immediately detonate once you press the emergency escape hatch button underneath your desk."

The Student Council President of Naniwa Kinman High School froze at the declaration, his finger hovering an inch away from the button. Was the coward bluffing? No…he was sure the member of Xcution was telling the truth. Sweating nervously when Yuu walked across the office and leaned over his desk, Takarada stiffened when the cowardly spy smirked.

"Now, why don't you start by telling me all about this secret weapon. I believe you called it…DTR?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kamui Tales [Alternate Weave #3 – Purity]<strong>

"…_Ichigo!"_

Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes snapped open as he smashed through the surface of the water. Momentarily struggling for air against the salt water invading his lungs before remembering that he didn't _need_ to breathe, or at least not like a normal person, he gritted his teeth before pressing down on the spaulder strapped around his left shoulder. As Mugetsu's power coursed through his body, Ichigo had only a second to register her rising worry and confusion before she independently activated Gufū and reoriented his body.

Bursting through the surface of the ocean in a violent spray of salt and foam, the heat exploding from his transformed legs boiling away the surrounding water, Ichigo reflexively tried to catch his breath. Rivulets of water running down his face as he hovered in the air, Mugetsu shivering around his body in order to remove any liquid still stuck in her threads, Ichigo stared out across the ocean and quickly realized they were no longer in London.

"_**Ichigo, where are we?"**_

"I don't know," Ichigo hesitantly admitted as he searched for any signs of human life. The last thing he remembered was getting a call from Yoruichi before a massive wave of vertigo swept over him. And just before blacking out he heard Ryuko shouting his name, "But we can't stay –"

The chaotic mixture of presences that suddenly washed over his mind, two spiritual energies he never imagined working together, cut Ichigo short before he could finish. What he felt was impossible. And judging from Mugetsu's shock it was clear he wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion. He knew better than anyone that Senketsu would _never_ let Ryuko wear Junketsu. He was just too jealous…just like his own Kamui. And even on the extremely off chance Senketsu _did_ allow Ryuko to wear another Kamui, there was still the question of _how_ she managed to get all the way out here from London.

"_**Why is Ryuko wearing Junketsu?"**_

Mugetsu's multicolored eyes swiveled across her backswept wings as she stared over the horizon before narrowing in venomous disgust. She _knew_ the abhorrent sensation plucking at her threads. It was something the Kamui thought she would never have to feel again. But there was something else, a slight difference that made things exponentially worse. Allowing the pure and adulterated anger she felt to permeating through their intimate connection, Mugetsu growled with barely contained contempt, _**"Ichigo, I can't tell where Junketsu's Life Fibers end and Ryuko's begins! It's as if someone wove them together, destroying who they were to create something monstrous!"**_

Ichigo didn't wait for Mugetsu to finish speaking before blasting towards Ryuko, jets of waters exploding upwards from the speed. This was bad. Even if the situation wasn't anything like the Karakura Town Raid Trip, and his Life Fibers had nothing to do with Junketsu's current distress, he refused to allow them to suffer. The vivid memories of the Kamui's agony due to Satsuki were still fresh in his mind.

He _would_ find a way to help them.

It took him barely a minute to finally spot the carrier cutting lazily through the ocean and another five seconds to realize Ryuko was fighting against Satsuki. His confusion worsening when he sensed Senketsu, the Kamui wrapped around Satsuki as she desperately fought to defeat her brainwashed sister, Ichigo swallowed the nervous lump in his throat as he twisted around and landed on the SS Naked Sun's deck several meters behind Ryuko. Grimacing in growing dismay at the potent yet vile spiritual energy pulsing from Junketsu, the Kamui's presence tainted beyond anything he felt in Karakura Town, Ichigo's eyes widened at the sheer _joy_ Ryuko was experiencing choking her sister to death.

"Ryuko!"

Ryuko's fingers tightened around Satsuki's throat, eliciting a gasp of pain from her sister, when she heard some asshole shout her name. Growling angrily at the unwanted interruption to her sister's long overdue ass-kicking, she turned around to tell them to 'shut the hell up' only to freeze as her eyes locked upon an orange-haired teenager wearing what looked like a very good imitation of a Kamui. No…it _was_ a Kamui. But more importantly, it actually covered nearly every inch of his body.

"That's a pretty fancy Kamui you got there," she smirked maliciously as she drank in Mugetsu's enveloping appearance, how her clothing covered all of Ichigo's body, before turning spitefully back to her struggling sister, "It looks tailor-made too, nothing like this shitty dishrag."

"_**What did she call Senketsu?"**_

Ichigo pushed aside the growing sensation of foreboding as he drew Tournesol, the blue weapon instantly catching the attention of several people. Calmly swinging the Hardened Life Fiber blade in front of his body, the motion causing Ryuko's smirk to widen, he scowled when she tightened her grip around Satsuki's throat, "Let her go."

"So your Kamui can talk…"

The malicious interest in Ryuko's eyes was easily visible as she turned completely towards Ichigo with Satsuki's heels dangling only a few inches above the deck. Smirking when she released Satsuki before smashing an armored fist into her face, the force behind the blow sending her sister crashing backwards along the Naked Sun, Ryuko pointed the Scissor Blade at Ichigo and growled in annoyance. She didn't like the way his Kamui was looking at her. And the conflicted expression in Ichigo's eyes was enough to seriously piss her off.

Why the hell did he look so freaking sad?

"Whatever, I can deal with my bitch of a sister later," Ryuko muttered while flicking her wrist, causing the Scissor Blade to rapidly transform into Decapitation Mode accompanied by a metallic clang. Strutting menacingly towards Ichigo, who had yet to raise his own weapon in defense, she spat to the side while rubbing her chin. Junketsu could instinctively sense the power coursing through the guy's Kamui. But she knew that wasn't why Junketsu was pressing relentlessly against her mind, imposing its pure and untainted will upon her hybrid body. There was something else about the guy, a sense of familiarity. It was almost as if he was just like –

"Heh…you've got to be freaking kidding me!"

The deep blue undertone staining her feathery hair shone brightly as the last pieces settled into place. Now she understood everything about this guy! Tilting her head sideways while pointing the Scissor Blade at Ichigo, Ryuko grinned savagely, "It all makes sense now! There's no freaking way a normal human could wear a Kamui as fancy as yours without being eaten by it! But you're perfectly fine! Without a freaking care in the world! Which means you're just like ME!"

Steel crumpled like paper beneath Junketsu's heels as Ryuko rushed Ichigo, thoughts of skewering his body with the Scissor Blade pulsing through her twisted mind. She didn't give a damn if mother would be disappointed she ignored Satsuki and potentially allowed her escape. Finding another Life Fiber Hybrid and Kamui, especially when she was damn sure they weren't supposed to exist, would more than make up for it. She could already see the look on her mother's face when she dragged the guy back to Honnouji Academy. And thanks to not being human, she could do whatever she wanted to the guy without worrying about killing him.

Ryuko felt Junketsu's presence press firmly against her mind, directing her willing body like a puppet, as she tightened her fingers around the Scissor Blade. It was right. She couldn't afford to hit the guy with anything less than her full power. Wisps of crimson energy evaporating off the extended blade like smoke while superheated steam erupted from Junketsu's pauldrons, Ryuko stomped a heel against the Naked Sun's deck for leverage as she hefted the Scissor Blade over her shoulder and swung it at Ichigo's seemingly exposed neck.

She knew damn well beheading the bastard didn't have a shot at killing him. But it would make sure he was too busy regenerating while she finished dealing with Satsuki.

"Damn it!"

Ichigo cursed his stupidity when he attempted to parry the Scissor Blade with Tournesol only for the force behind Ryuko's attack to nearly shatter his arms. Gritting his teeth when his feet began pushing through the reinforced steel of the Naked Sun's deck, sapphire and crimson sparks dancing through the air between their blades, Ichigo stared into Ryuko's crazed eyes and grimaced. He should have activated Mugetsu Zangetsu the instant he noticed Junketsu was already in her advanced configuration. But something had stayed his hand. While the familiar strength of Junketsu Zenkan was powerful enough for Ryuko to almost break through his guard, the fact he actually _blocked_ her attack without using Zangetsu implied the Kamui wasn't as strong as he remembered.

Which meant he had a chance.

A mixture of blood and spittle flew from Ryuko's disbelieving mouth when Ichigo somehow managed to overpower Junketsu and punch her in the face. Skidding backwards along the Naked Sun's deck, her Kamui's heels digging twin trenches in the steel plating, she gnashed her teeth in frustration. What the hell was going on? How had this asshole, this punk who came out of freaking _nowhere_, overpowered Junketsu so damn easily?! Blue eyes flickering to the left when she noticed Satsuki getting back onto her feet, Senketsu's single eye focused on their battle, Ryuko sneered at Ichigo as a blue aura surrounded her body, "Well, you're certainly not a pushover like my bitch of a sister. But I'm still going to kick your –"

"Mugetsu Zangetsu."

Ryuko was caught off guard by Ichigo's sudden shift into his Kamui's advanced configuration, its magnitude of power more than enough to temporarily quiet Junketsu's voice. Teeth clenched at the sanctimonious expression on the bastard's face, the look in his eyes seriously starting to piss her off, she snarled when she heard him whisper to his Kamui, "I'm sorry about this, Mugetsu. But we can't keep holding back against Ryuko and Junketsu."

"_**I know,"**_ the Kamui's feminine voice responded in a remorseful tone, _**"The longer Ryuko is bound to Junketsu, the harder it will be to safely separate them."**_

"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!"

Any pretense of civility was rapidly discarded when Ryuko tore across the Naked Sun toward Ichigo. She was getting _sick_ and _tired_ of the asshole's stupid attitude. Did he really think she couldn't hear his every goddamn word? She didn't need his fucking pity! Shouting impotently as her heels kicked up large sheets of steel, Junketsu shining with a dangerous blue light, Ryuko attempted to bifurcate Ichigo only for the Scissor Blade to pass harmlessly through an afterimage. Fingers locked around the transformed hardened Life Fiber weapon as she attempted to slice Ichigo again and again…only to miss each and every time…Ryuko gagged when the bastard finally decided to attack, the simple swing of his blade sending her sailing backwards before crashing into the ship.

"Stop this, Ryuko," Ichigo nearly flinched when Ryuko staggered back onto her feet despite his warning, her eyes narrowed in rising fury.

"How the freaking hell do you know me?!"

Ryuko harshly stabbed the Scissor Blade into the Naked Sun as Junketsu's anger echoed throughout her mind, a tempest of emotions that caused the Life Fibers binding them together to quiver. Panting lightly as the trail of blood dribbling from her mouth vanished, absorbed back into her body without leaving a scratch, she snorted at Ichigo's conflicted expression and growled, "That annoying look in your eyes…the way you're _holding back_ against Junketsu…you know me, don't ya?"

A tense wind blew across the Naked Sun, carrying with it the scent of the Pacific Ocean, before Ichigo solemnly replied, "Yeah…"

Bursts of steam erupted from Junketsu as Ryuko uncaringly grabbed the Scissor Blade before tearing it out of the Naked Sun. Tranquilly swinging the extended blade across her body, wisps of crimson energy enveloping the weapon, she spat onto the deck and frowned, "Whatever, but I guess this means I can't keep attacking you without thinking. Otherwise you'll just keep kicking my ass. But once I'm through tearing apart your Kamui, I'm going to finish dealing with my bitch of a –"

Ryuko's threat was severed prematurely when dozens of miniature rockets slammed into her body, enveloping a third of the Naked Sun in a roiling sea of flames while sending a thick cloud of smoke into the sky. Staring in morbid fascination when Uzu Sanageyama rushed toward Ryuko naked as the day he was born apart from a few well-placed belts and straps on his arms and legs, Ichigo didn't show the slightest hint of surprise when Satsuki appeared at his side.

"Your Kamui…"

Calmly wiping the blood oozing down her face onto Senketsu's sleeve, the Kamui rapidly absorbing the nourishing liquid, Satsuki paused briefly to gather her thoughts before turning her full gaze upon Ichigo, "Where did you get it?"

Ichigo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Satsuki's demeanor, "Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," Satsuki admitted as she watched Ryuko demolish the Elite Four's attempts to restrain her with predictably little effort. Returning her attention to Ichigo after Jakuzure unleashed a second salvo of rockets, most of which were cut to shreds before reaching their target, she took notice of Mugetsu's appearance before commenting, "You referred to your Kamui as Mugetsu – Moonless Sky. I suppose that means you can communicate with it?"

"Yeah, I can hear her," Ichigo didn't flinch apart from a slight narrowing of his eyes when the Naked Sun's main cannons fired upon Ryuko, one of the massive shells ricocheting into the clear skies courtesy of the Scissor Blade. Hand tightly clenched into a fist when he heard Ryuko's sadistic laughter, the cruelty permeating her voice causing Senketsu to continue worrying about his only true wearer, he partially turned to Satsuki before asking the question that was on his mind, "Does Karakura Town mean anything to you?"

"No."

Satsuki arched an eyebrow in moderate curiosity at the seemingly random question. She had never heard of a city called Karakura Town, yet the emphasis he placed upon the location implied its importance. It was highly likely the city was either where he was born or where his Kamui was woven. Barely missing Ichigo's dejected expression when another series of explosions tore across the Naked Sun's deck, Satsuki easily discarded her current line of thought to focus on the matter at hand, "We can save such trivialities for later! Your Kamui's power will be useful in restraining Ryuko Matoi should she regain the advantage! But do not interfere unless absolutely necessary! For it is _my_ duty to free Ryuko from clothing!"

"_**Ugh, I nearly forgot how Satsuki used to speak,"**_ Mugetsu grumbled at Satsuki's overbearing presence before her multicolored eyes swiveled toward Ryuko, _**"But freeing Ryuko is not going to be easy, Ichigo. I don't know how we're going to separate Junketsu's Life Fibers from her own."**_

"_**What?"**_

Senketsu's eye quivered fearfully at Mugetsu's comment as he watched his wearer tear through the Elite Four, _**"There has to be a way to save Ryuko!"**_

"I've dealt with something like this before," Ichigo grimaced as he desperately tried to think of a way to save Ryuko without killing either her or Junketsu, a situation which was made unnecessary more difficult when Satsuki glared at him with suspicion in her eyes. He had nearly forgotten she couldn't hear Kamui. But before he could explain to her what Mugetsu had told Senketsu, Ichigo stiffened when a familiar presence pulsed through his mind, a sensation that caused Mugetsu to instinctively tighten around his body.

"_**She's coming, Ichigo…"**_

Senketsu shivered at the mixture of frustration and apprehension in Mugetsu's voice, an action that quickly drew his current wearer's attention, _**"Who's coming?"**_

"Someone stitched Junketsu directly onto Ryuko. It won't be easy separating them," Ichigo didn't give Satsuki the chance to argue as he turned towards the purple light just beginning to shimmer on the horizon. Great, this was _just_ what he needed at the moment, "But you should figure something out quickly. I don't know how long I can keep Nui Harime busy."

If Satsuki was bothered by Ichigo's familiarity with the Grand Couturier she didn't express even the slightest hint of surprise, her eyes instead narrowing in determination. There were more important matters to deal with at the moment than asking such meaningless questions. Whether Nui Harime was truly on her way due either to her mother's orders or the Grand Couturier's immoral interest in Ryuko, the end result would be a disastrous complication to her plans. And she refused to allow such distractions at this crucial time.

"Deal with the Grand Couturier however you see fit," the Kiryuin heiress still didn't trust Ichigo. Until a few weeks ago she had been privy to her mother's deepest and most closely held secrets. There should have only been _two_ Kamui in existence – Junketsu and Senketsu. The presence of Mugetsu, a third Kamui and proportionally stronger than Junketsu, threw everything into turmoil. Yet she would not allow suspicion to cloud her judgment. Ichigo's clash against Ryuko demonstrated his allegiance was not with her mother, and for the time being that was good enough.

Senketsu's heels clacked against the Naked Sun's deck as she left Ichigo to deal with the Grand Couturier. Despite her suspicions, the information he willingly provided would prove vital in freeing Ryuko from Junketsu's deeply woven control. Tightening her grip upon the reforged shards of Bakuzan as she leapt away, steam bursting from her temporary Kamui's vents as a wave of exhaustion pulsed through her mind, Satsuki vanished into the surrounding smoke moments before Nui Harime landed silently behind Ichigo.

"Were you expecting me?"

The Grand Couturier tilted her head in curiosity at the teenager's audacity, the determined look in his eyes causing her to giggle in amusement. But it was the Kamui wrapping around his body, covering nearly every inch of flesh with clothing, which stopped her from immediately messing with Satsuki's little scheme. It had only taken the briefest of glances to figure out that it was a true Kamui and not a fake dishrag like Senketsu, which caused a twinge of envy in her heart. Who could have woven such a high-quality piece of clothing _without_ getting Lady Ragyo's attention?

It was _almost_ at her level.

"And you're wearing a Kamui, which raises so many interesting questions!" Nui's single sapphire eye blinked cutely when Ichigo didn't answer the question. Smirking as she reached into her pink dress and pulled out the purple Scissor Blade, she tucked it against the small of her back and playfully pouted, "I really should drag you back to Lady Ragyo. She would _so_ want to examine your adorable little Kamui! But don't you worry! I'll come back and deal with you right after I throw a wrench into Satsuki's plans!"

Something completely unexpected happened when she attempted to interfere with Satsuki's little scheme to separate Ryuko and Junketsu. One moment she was easily passing Ichigo without any difficulty, the purple Scissor Blade gleaming dangerously within her manicured fingers, and in the next she found her center of balance abruptly shifting when something locked firmly around her wrist. Blinking owlishly when the sudden change in momentum caused her pink boots to comically leave the ground, her large pigtails fluttering in the wind, the Grand Couturier was surprised when she was spun around before being rudely tossed away from Ryuko and Satsuki.

"Huh?"

Her smile fading as she smashed face-first into the Naked Sun's deck, the metal crumpling under the impact, Nui easily flipped back onto her feet a moment later looking no worse for wear. Yet she was starting to get annoyed. There was nothing that could stand against the strength of her Life Fibers! But this human wearing a high-quality Kamui had just tossed her away from Ryuko without any effort. And that just wouldn't do!

Ichigo narrowed his eyes when the Grand Couturier vanished without saying another word. He knew what happened when Nui started getting annoyed. Having a Scissor Blade thrust into his chest wasn't something he wanted to experience a second time. But while it was still uncertain about a lot of things, including how different this Grand Couturier was from the one he knew, one thing he _did_ know was that she was _weaker_. And that was good enough for him.

"Sorry about this…"

Calmly tracking Nui as she attempted to sever his left arm at the elbow, the manic expression on her face intimately familiar, Ichigo waited until the Scissor Blade was inches from his body before blocking the strike with Tournesol. As the Grand Couturier's eye widened, nervousness and fear playing across her features when she realized his arm hadn't moved from the moment their weapons connected, Ichigo's features tightened into a scowl, "But I'm not going to let you stop Satsuki from saving Ryuko."


End file.
